USA Armed Forces

News and discussion threads on defence in other parts of the world.
Timmymagic
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Re: USA Armed Forces

Post by Timmymagic »

A bit left field, but a fantastic article about the rationale behind the shootdown of the USA-193 Spy Satellite by SM-3 in 2008.

https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4198/1

The website above is fantastic, particularly articles about Spy satellites....you could get lost in there for days...

In particular here's an article about ASAT and potential countermeasures..

https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4192/1

Caribbean
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Re: USA Armed Forces

Post by Caribbean »

I wasn't really sure where to put this - Sci-Fi and Fantasy may have been just as good, but since they say that they are working with the US military......

https://www.newscientist.com/article/22 ... in-the-us/

Behind the paywall, so a brief sample

"An electromagnetic rifle, which propels a steel projectile using electromagnetic coils, is now being offered for pre-order in the US by Arcflash Labs, a Los Angeles company specialising in industrial pulsed power devices. . . . . . .

. . . . . The new device is known as the GR-1 (“Gauss rifle”) ANVIL. It is a coilgun, with eight sets of electromagnetic coils in the barrel to attract a steel projectile down the centreline and accelerate it to high speed. The makers say it has a muzzle energy – the energy of a bullet as it leaves the barrel – of around 85 joules, comparable to high-end air rifles used for hunting, or about half the power of a .22 calibre rifle. At 9 kilograms, it is heavier than traditional weapons, and at $3375 it is also more expensive."

Apparently a single battery charge is good for around 1000 rounds and the rate of fire is up to 100 rpm (the limit is down to how rapidly the gun's inverter can recharge the capacitor from the battery)
The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.
Winston Churchill

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xav
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Re: USA Armed Forces

Post by xav »

Sea Air Space 2021 - Day 1: Austal LAW, Polar Security Cutter, Raytheon K-LOGIR, Saildrone

Day 1 video coverage at the Sea Air Space 2021 exposition near Washington DC. In this video we focused on new designs. We discussed with Austal, Halter Marine, Raytheon and Saildrone.



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Sea Air Space 2021 - Day 2: EMALS, SeaGuardian, JPALS, CMV-22B

Day 2 video coverage at the Sea Air Space 2021 exposition near Washington DC. In this video we focused on Naval Aviation. We discussed the EMALS and MQ-9B SeaGuardian programs with General Atomics, JPALS with Raytheon and CMV-22B with Bell Helicopters.



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xav
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Re: USA Armed Forces

Post by xav »

Wow

Marine Corps Successfully Demonstrates NMESIS During LSE 21
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The Navy/Marine Corps Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) successfully hit its target in support of Marine Corps Forces, Pacific, during Large Scale Exercise 21 Aug. 15, 2021. The exercise showcased the U.S. maritime forces’ ability to deliver lethal, integrated all-domain naval power.
https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/20 ... ng-lse-21/

SW1
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Re: USA Armed Forces

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SW1
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Re: USA Armed Forces

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Update on the constellation class frigate


SW1
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Re: USA Armed Forces

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https://www.defensenews.com/industry/20 ... irst-time/

The Army’s Airborne Reconnaissance and Electronic Warfare System, or ARES, aircraft will help the service modernize its airborne intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities and will feed into the High Accuracy Detection and Exploitation System program, which could produce an aircraft to replace the Army’s aging Guardrail ISR aircraft fleet with greater capability and increased standoff ranges.

The aircraft is capable of flying above 40,000 feet for as long as 14 hours and “can activate” long-range precision fires to counter distant threats as a “key sensor-to-shooter network enabler.”

ARES uses the Bombardier Global 6000/6500-class business jet that can a mission payload of 14,000 pounds. The aircraft can also accommodate enough power to run the Army’s longest-range sensors with room for growth, according to L3Harris. The aircraft could be a candidate platform for the High Accuracy Detection and Exploitation System program.

J. Tattersall

Re: USA Armed Forces

Post by J. Tattersall »

An interesting view point from the Defence Secretary in the Spectator.

‘It is obvious that Britain is not a superpower. But a superpower that is also not prepared to stick at something isn’t probably a superpower either. It is certainly not a global force, it’s just a big power.’

https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/bri ... ssion=true

SW1
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Re: USA Armed Forces

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Lord Jim
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Re: USA Armed Forces

Post by Lord Jim »

The US is pushing the boundaries of technology that is for sure, but even if they rapidly progress such developments it is going to be some time until the are mature enough to enter service. However this is the goal of many of these programmes rather than simply being research that may or may not influence future platforms. They are finding out what is possible now and what could be in the future and deciding what route to follow. They are doing this with unmanned platforms in all three domains, land, sea and air, with the most progress being made in the last and the most problems being found in the first.

Cost is rapidly being found to be a key restriction on what unmanned platforms can be made to do. The more they are given autonomous capabilities the higher he cost, so much so that any benefit from being unmanned diminishes. This is one of the main obstacles to unmanned combat vehicles on land, and will start to affect the larger unmanned naval platforms. The "Loyal Wingman" approach pioneers in the air maybe the easiest route to follow in the short to medium term for land and sea unmanned platforms.

albedo
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US Air Force chief software officer quits

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https://www.theregister.com/2021/09/03/ ... ngry_post/

Focus is on the USAF but comments on the UK too. Not too sure how they would fix the problem though.

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Halidon
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Re: USA Armed Forces

Post by Halidon »

Rolls Royce has won the B-52 re-engine contract.

seaspear
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Re: USA Armed Forces

Post by seaspear »

There have been potential developments in the S.H.O.R.A.D role of older naval guns with the trials of hypersonic rounds as an anti missile weapon, the article from just two years ago would suggest that such rounds would augment a ships ability to counter threats without having to use the more expensive missiles,
https://news.usni.org/2019/01/08/navy-q ... rs-deckgun
https://nationalinterest.org/blog/the-b ... 5600-24332

Lord Jim
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Re: USA Armed Forces

Post by Lord Jim »

Those articles are very interesting an possibly open up some options for out planned T-26 and future warships, as well as the Army. Imagine a Archer Battery providing area BMD for a Brigade in Poland or further afield!!

seaspear
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Re: USA Armed Forces

Post by seaspear »

Lord Jim wrote:Those articles are very interesting an possibly open up some options for out planned T-26 and future warships, as well as the Army. Imagine a Archer Battery providing area BMD for a Brigade in Poland or further afield!!
Or even the type 45,s now

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SKB
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Re: USA Armed Forces

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SW1
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Re: USA Armed Forces

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https://breakingdefense.com/2021/10/new ... the-skies/

WASHINGTON: The first new EC-37B Compass Call electronic warfare aircraft recently made its inaugural flight, L3Harris announced Wednesday.

Unlike a typical military aircraft procurement program, the US Air Force intends to modernize its aging Compass Call fleet by stripping sophisticated electronic warfare systems out of its legacy EC-130H aircraft and incorporating them onboard new Gulfstream G550 business jets.

The EC-37Bs will be equipped with additional technologies meant to disrupt enemy sensors and communications gear. Updating the service’s EW capability is vital to the All Domain Operations warfare concept being pursued by the Pentagon.

Delivery of the first EC-37B could occur as early as December 2022, an Air Force spokeswoman confirmed.

A news release from L3Harris was light on details of the flight, saying only that it occurred at an unnamed Gulfstream facility where L3Harris is also making modifications to the aircraft.

“The Air Force’s cross-deck initiative ensures it can continue its critical electronic warfare mission for many years,” said Luke Savoie, president of aviation services for L3Harris. “Our collaboration with teammates BAE and Gulfstream will enable the Air Force to outpace its adversaries and counter emerging technologies.”

Caribbean
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Re: USA Armed Forces

Post by Caribbean »

US military may get a dog-like robot armed with a sniper rifle
https://www.newscientist.com/article/22 ... ot-snipers

It's behind a paywall, so a few extracts

"The robot, developed by Ghost Robotics of Philadelphia, is a new version of its Vision series of legged robots. The US Air Force is currently testing an unarmed version of these robots for use as perimeter security at the Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida."

"The robot is fitted with a Special Purpose Unmanned Rifle pod from Sword Defense, with a powerful 6.5mm sniper rifle. This has day and night cameras and an effective range of 1200 metres."

"However, Ghost Robotics CEO Jiren Parikh is quick to dismiss any ideas that the sniper rifle is an autonomous weapon system.
“It is fully controlled by a remote operator,” says Parikh. “There is a human controlling the weapon, there is no autonomy or AI.”
The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.
Winston Churchill

Lord Jim
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Re: USA Armed Forces

Post by Lord Jim »

I have seen many weapon systems like this in Role Playing games I used to play. They were also used as Snipers but has other uses such as stealthy recce, heavy weapon carriage and communication hubs. The use of advanced materials made they very hard to spot beyond the concealment of the camouflaged bodies!

Now we have this, I wonder how long its batteries last and how long they take to recharge or can they be swapped out. Having such platforms tied to units with their controllers should increase the firepower and resilience of future, with the emphasis on future, infantry units.

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2HeadsBetter
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Re: USA Armed Forces

Post by 2HeadsBetter »

HARM replacement entering low rate production:


J. Tattersall

Re: USA Armed Forces

Post by J. Tattersall »

Interesting to consider whether this is now part of a pattern, moving away from large calibre naval guns such as 4.5" ,5" and towards medium calibre .
US Navy selects BAE Systems' 57mm Mk 110 for Constellation-class frigates
https://www.adsadvance.co.uk/us-navy-se ... gates.html

abc123
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Re: USA Armed Forces

Post by abc123 »

J. Tattersall wrote:Interesting to consider whether this is now part of a pattern, moving away from large calibre naval guns such as 4.5" ,5" and towards medium calibre .
US Navy selects BAE Systems' 57mm Mk 110 for Constellation-class frigates
https://www.adsadvance.co.uk/us-navy-se ... gates.html
Only 57 mm? Hmm
A cost cutting or?
Fortune favors brave sir, said Carrot cheerfully.
What's her position about heavily armed, well prepared and overmanned armies?
Oh, noone's ever heard of Fortune favoring them, sir.
According to General Tacticus, it's because they favor themselves…

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Halidon
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Re: USA Armed Forces

Post by Halidon »

abc123 wrote:
J. Tattersall wrote:Interesting to consider whether this is now part of a pattern, moving away from large calibre naval guns such as 4.5" ,5" and towards medium calibre .
US Navy selects BAE Systems' 57mm Mk 110 for Constellation-class frigates
https://www.adsadvance.co.uk/us-navy-se ... gates.html
Only 57 mm? Hmm
A cost cutting or?
There's no NSFS/NGFS requirement on the Frigate, without that requirement to throw HE shells against land targets the 57mm is the most appealing of the existing options to the USN. While it's accurate to say "they left out NSFS for cost reasons," USN Frigates essentially haven't had such a requirement in the postwar era. The last USN Frigates to carry a 5" gun did so for anti-air, to back up their very limited SAM armament.

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xav
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Re: USA Armed Forces

Post by xav »

U.S. Navy Lifts Veil On New F/A-XX Concept Design
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The U.S. Navy's Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) released the first image of what the future F/A-XX carrier-based fighter aircraft could look like. The document also sheds light on the notional characteristics of the sixth-generation air superiority fighter compared to the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet it will eventually replace.
https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/20 ... pt-design/

abc123
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Re: USA Armed Forces

Post by abc123 »

Halidon wrote:
abc123 wrote:
J. Tattersall wrote:Interesting to consider whether this is now part of a pattern, moving away from large calibre naval guns such as 4.5" ,5" and towards medium calibre .
US Navy selects BAE Systems' 57mm Mk 110 for Constellation-class frigates
https://www.adsadvance.co.uk/us-navy-se ... gates.html
Only 57 mm? Hmm
A cost cutting or?
There's no NSFS/NGFS requirement on the Frigate, without that requirement to throw HE shells against land targets the 57mm is the most appealing of the existing options to the USN. While it's accurate to say "they left out NSFS for cost reasons," USN Frigates essentially haven't had such a requirement in the postwar era. The last USN Frigates to carry a 5" gun did so for anti-air, to back up their very limited SAM armament.
On the other hand, isn0t it better to risk a relativly cheaper frugate for that than 2-3 x more expensive destroyer?
Fortune favors brave sir, said Carrot cheerfully.
What's her position about heavily armed, well prepared and overmanned armies?
Oh, noone's ever heard of Fortune favoring them, sir.
According to General Tacticus, it's because they favor themselves…

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