Liquid body armour

Shear Thickening Fluid has the property that when struck with force it turns into a rigid barrier. A while after impact it reverts to gel. As it’s light, it can be incorporated into clothing and make bullet proof vests lighter.

Labouchere of Arabia

Defensetech is running an article about a lt. colonel in Iraq running around his province using lightly armoured small patrols, refusing to use much in the way of technology and booking remarkable success doing the job much more cheaply and effectively than other units in Iraq.

US Army Command and Conquer

The US Army has a cool new simulation system, which I guess will be integrated with RL maneuver, showing units up to squad level on a map, updated continuously and allowing commanders control of the units. There’s a link in here to the maneuver control system which is well worth following.

Fighting in Grass is nasty

Canadian troops fighting in Afghanistan are unable to track Afghans through 10m high marijuana plants. The plants themselves are wet through and through, so they can’t be burned down using phosphorus. They tried putting fire to dryer outlying parts of the forest, but the wind turned and caused unexpected consequences on a troop concentration.

Boys from Bahrain

A 1990 Gulf War I home video made by RAF fighter boys flying Tornadoes. Tres inspirational. Apparently the full version is around 15 minutes long. On pprune a guy is offering that version for sale on E-Bay with the proceeds going towards the RAF Benevolent Fund.

Jetpack parachutes

After being dropped from the aircraft, using this system paratroopers can zoom about the skies for 200KM. Apparently ze Germans have been using this since 2003 – is this what the air raid warnings are about?