US Navy begins tests on electromagnetic railgun prototype launcher

The EM Railgun launcher is a long-range weapon that fires projectiles using electricity instead of chemical propellants. Magnetic fields created by high electrical currents accelerate a sliding metal conductor, or armature, between two rails to launch projectiles at 4,500 mph to 5,600 mph. via With a bang, Navy begins tests on electromagnetic railgun prototype launcher.

Iran used GPS spoofing to hijack US UAV and force it to land

“The GPS navigation is the weakest point,” the Iranian engineer told the Monitor, giving the most detailed description yet published of Iran’s “electronic ambush” of the highly classified US drone. “By putting noise [jamming] on the communications, you force the bird into autopilot. This is where the bird loses its brain.” The “spoofing” technique that Read more about Iran used GPS spoofing to hijack US UAV and force it to land[…]

U.S. Can’t Track Tons of Weapons-Grade Uranium, Plutonium

the U.S. can’t track or fully account for 5,900 pounds of “weapons usable” nuclear material that it once shipped overseas. Instead, U.S. officials have to rely on foreign governments’ assurances that the potentially cataclysmic stuff is safe. And when those officials occasionally visit the sites holding the nuclear material, nearly half the places “did not Read more about U.S. Can’t Track Tons of Weapons-Grade Uranium, Plutonium[…]

Visegrad: A New European Military Force

On May 12, the Visegrad Group (Poland, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Hungary) announced the formation of a “battlegroup” under the command of Poland. The battlegroup would be in place by 2016 as an independent force and would not be part of NATO command. In addition, starting in 2013, the four countries would begin military Read more about Visegrad: A New European Military Force[…]

Combined Arms Research Library CARL Digital Library

The collections contained within the Combined Arms Research Library Digital Library are largely composed of digital versions of paper documents from the Combined Arms Research Library collections and student papers produced at the US Army Command and General Staff College. We have recently partnered with several Army educational and historical organizations whose collections appear here Read more about Combined Arms Research Library CARL Digital Library[…]

Oxygen system concerns prompt F-22 stand-down

The US Air Force has stopped flying all Lockheed Martin F-22s for an indefinite period over concerns about a possible glitch in the onboard oxygen generation system.The stand-down order issued on 3 May by Air Combat Command ACC chief Gen Will Fraser comes about six weeks after the F-22s were restricted to flying below 25,000ft Read more about Oxygen system concerns prompt F-22 stand-down[…]

Very deep Anglo / French military cooperation

They’ll share carriers as well as R&D, set up a joint military force comprising 5000 personell from each country to start off with, jointly fund UAV MALE acquisition and train together for the A400M programme. These agreements should last for 50 years. UK–France Summit 2010 Declaration on Defence and Security Co-operation Joint carrier operations, UAV Read more about Very deep Anglo / French military cooperation[…]