February 27, 2019

Anatomy of War: When is an Aircraft Too Old to Fight?

By now, most of us have heard that fighting has erupted between India and Pakistan near the embattled Kashmir region. What is surprising is that the Indian Air Force employed aircraft that are decades old, famous for last seeing combat in the 60s and 70s during the Vietnam War.

According to sources, India has steadily been upgrading its fleet of 110 MiG 21 fighters, so that it no longer resembles the MiG 21 of old. The MiG 21 “Bison”, as it is now called, was radically upgraded in 2006, and have been equipped with powerful multi-mode radar, better avionics and communications systems. The pilots have even been given helmet-mounted sights capable of providing all-aspect acquisition and targeting of enemy aircraft. That said, it is now plausible that an upgraded MiG 21 could have indeed shot down a Pakistani F-16 in air-to-air combat, which, on the surface, is infinitely more capable than the MiG 21. For more information on the engagement and background information on the MiG 21 “Bison”, we recommend you visit NDTV.

Update: Indian military authorities, responding to questions regarding the employment of the MiG 21 in this week’s engagement between the Indian and Pakistani Air Force, have cited the need to press the MiG 21s into service despite their age. Earlier that day a pair of Indian Air Force MiG 29s were rotated off of combat air patrol along the contested border to rest the pilots as well as refuel the aircraft. As a result, the MiG 21s were used to temporarily spell the MiG 29s but were nevertheless caught up in the ensuing conflict.

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Exasperated, Eaglemoss Exhorts, “Well, then Go Build Your Own ‘D’amned Enterprise”

Its a wonderful thing to own the license to one of the most successful sci-fi brands of all times. So much so, that Eaglemoss, the maker of the Star Trek Starships range and other sub brands within the Star Trek universe, now plans on releasing a build-it-yourself version of the USS Enterprise NCC-1701-D. Released bi-weekly, each installment will include a separate section of the Enterprise, which will have to be fitted together to previous installments if you hope to get it right. Composed of diecast metal with some plastic parts, the finished ship will light up and measure some 70 centimeters in length and represents an amalgam of different studio-inspired ships rather than one particular version of the NCC-1701-D. Thus far, the line will be exclusive to the UK, but you can bet that if it takes off, the build-it-yourself line will be made available elsewhere around the world and likely encompass other starships. For more information on the newest sub brand in the Eaglemoss stable, head on over to Memory Alpha.

Rumor has it that there will be 100 installments priced at around $15.00 apiece bringing the total to around $1500. That’s a lot of Latinum so if you plan on headed down this road, its important you consider the cost before taking the plunge.

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Anatomy of War: Introducing the “Loyal Wingman”

No longer the stuff of drawing boards and conjecture, today’s military is placing greater emphasis on integrating unmanned combat systems into their front line units. Interestingly, Australia seems to be taking the first step forward by now wedding unmanned aircraft together with manned aircraft to create the ultimate airborne weapons system.

According to The Drive, Boeing will today unveil the “Loyal Wingman” UCAV, an unmanned combat air vehicle that will fly alongside such aircraft as the F-15 and newly delivered F-35 to beef up the capabilities of the combined strike package. The UCAV will carry improved sensor suites and other electronics along with a full array of ordnance, although its not clear if the weapons will be carried internally, like the F-35, or be slung under the wings, which defeat’s the aircraft’s stealthy characteristics.

It isn’t certain if other air forces plan on employing unmanned combat air vehicles alongside their front line aircraft, so its a good bet that the Australian Air Force will be used as a test bed for further technological development. For more information on the aircraft, visit The Drive.

Boeing, working in conjunction with the Australian military, released this short video showing a computer rendered image of the “Loyal Wingman” flying alongside a F-15 and then again with an Early Warning aircraft. The video is relatively short and intentionally sidesteps some of the onboard capabilities the unmanned aircraft will sport. It would appear though, that the aircraft can and will likely be flown in swarms, intended to overwhelm its target from multiple vantage points and with multiple threats. Moreover, it would seem as if the manned aircraft will serve as a command and control aircraft for the UCAV package, perhaps controlling the UCAVs from a safer stand-off position outside the range of enemy targets while the UCAVs carry out their intended mission.

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