Posted on 2007 under Security, Aero |
21
Jul

The U.S. has commissioned an squadron of General Atomics’ MQ-9 Reaper drones like the one above, shown at Creech Air Force Base. The Reaper will do more than surveillance, carrying up to 14 satellite-guided Hellfire missiles that can cause some serious damage. Click for a super-high resolution version of the Reaper showing all its naughty bits.
These babies are about two times as fast as their Predator predecessor, thanks mostly to its new and improved 900-hp turbo-prop engine. They are scheduled to be deployed between this fall and early next spring.
As a bonus, here is a video of a similar beast, the Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Block 20 Global Hawk.
Source: sayanything.awardspace.com via Slashdot
Posted on 2007 under Security, Software, Aero |
18
Jul

(Source: Google and FAS)
The Chinese military may likely become the latest enemy of Google Earth
Google Maps and Google Earth users now have the ability to see a new high-tech Chinese nuclear ballistic missile submarine which can reportedly fire intercontinental ballistic missiles, according to Hans Kristensen, a nuclear weapons analyst for the Federation of American Scientists.
Kristensen found the Jin-class, or Type 094, nuclear submarine’s image after it was taken by the Quickbird commercial satellite late last year. The Jin-class is the successor to the Xia-class submarine, “the unsuccessful Xia-class (Type 092) of a single boat built in the early 1980s,” Kristensen wrote.
The Jin-class submarine was photographed while moored at the Xiaopingdao Submarine Base.
Using an image of the Xia-class submarine — taken in 2005 — Kristensen was able to point out some of the differences between the Xia- and Jin-class submarines. The Jin-class submarine is at least 35 feet longer than the Xia-class, mainly because of an “extended mid-section” responsible for housing missile launch tubes. The images do not conclusively determine whether the Jin-class mid-section has 12 or 16 tubes.
China expects to build as many as five Jin-class submarines in the next few years. China currently relies on land-based nuclear missile technology, but the new submarines add an additional tool to the military’s arsenal.
Images and technical information about the submarine can be found on Kristensen’s Strategic Security Blog.
This may cause the Chinese military to become the latest organization to show concerns over what Google Earth can reveal to users. The U.S. government and Indian military are both worried about the high-level quality of satellite imagery which is available to users. A spy chief also predicted curbs on satellite photos may be needed for programs like Google Earth.
Source: sayanything.awardspace.com
Posted on 2007 under Aero, Miscellaneous |
13
Jul
Flying enthusiasts with $263,000 to spare can now build their own Spitfire aircraft from a pack. The Supermarine Aircraft Mark 26 kit, a 90 per cent scale model of the iconic WWII fighter plane, costs £100,000 ($203,000), but you will need an additional £30,000 ($60,000) to finish it off - not to mention 1,200 hours of construction time.
The flatpack fighter is shipped to you from Australia with 700 hours’ worth of construction already on the clock, but the rest is up to you.
The importer of the packs, Kieran Padden, says that business is booming - and for many reasons. “It is so easy to fly,” he claims of the plane that costs a tenth of the original to buy. “Even old Spitfire pilots I have spoken to say it flies just like the original. It’s lighter but has the same performance, so it’s much more agile.”
The V6 engine means that the completed plane will travel at 222 mph and can fly up to 18,000 feet. “The manufacturers have even recreated the sound,” says Mr Padden. “Every time I hear it, the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.”
[Daily Mail]