Whispers

Pearl Harbor: 75 Years Later

pearl-harbor

Its difficult to comprehend that 75 years have elapsed since the surprised attack on our base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, an event that swept our nation into World War II when no previous incident or catalyst had the means to do so. To mark the event, a series of tributes and other ceremonies will be held this coming December 7th as part of the National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day Commemoration. More information on the event schedule, history and historic sites can be found here: http://pearlharbor75thanniversary.com/wednesday-december-7-2016/

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Unmanned But Not Unarmed

vikhr

The depth and breadth of new military vehicles undergoing testing or joining the Russian Army is truly staggering, given their supposed stance of neutrality following the demise of the Soviet Union. The military analysts at Jane’s report that a completely new vehicle was unveiled at the Russian-sponsored Army 2016 Expo, sounding alarms across the West and chills in NATO circles.

“Designated as an unmanned combat ground vehicle (UCGV), the Vikhr (Whirlwind) is based on the BMP-3 infantry fighting vehicle (IFV).

“The fully modular combat UCGV is based on the BMP-3, as this IFV features a reliable and easy-to-maintain chassis. However, it can be integrated with other types of armoured combat vehicles with a combat weight of 7-15 tonnes, for instance, modified BMP-1 and BMP-2 IFVs, Ural heavy trucks, or BTR-80 armoured personnel carriers [APCs],” an industry source told IHS Jane’s . He added that Vikhr is intended for fire support and combat reconnaissance on the battlefield.

The vehicle is equipped with an advanced remote-control sensor package device that includes an electo-optic suite, an automatic target tracking device, a laser rangefinder, a thermal imager, and a ballistic computer.

Vikhr is armed with a stabilized 30 mm Shipunov 2A72 automatic cannon, a coaxial 7.62 mm Kalashnikov PKT/PKTM machine gun, and six ready-to-launch 9M133M Kornet-M (AT-14 Spriggan) anti-tank guided missiles.

“The 2A72 main gun of the Vikhr robotic system can be replaced by a single or twin-barrel 23 mm 2A14 anti-aircraft cannon, 12.7 mm NSVT or Kord heavy machine guns, or a 30 mm GSh-6-30K six-barrel naval automatic cannon. The vehicle can use surface-to-air missiles such as the Igla [SA-18 Grouse] or 9K333 Verba man-portable air defense systems, as well as Shmel-M reactive flamethrowers. We can also integrate foreign artillery systems with the Vikhr vehicle,” the source said.

According to official data, Vikhr has a combat weight of 14.7 tons, a payload capacity of 4 tons, an operating range of 600 km, a maximum road speed of 60 km/h, a swimming speed of 10 km/h, and can be remote controlled to a distance of 10 km. The vehicle’s combat module weighs 1,450 kg.”

It’s not clear how the Vikhr will be integrated within the Russian Army, operating in tandem with manned systems or alone and independently.

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Kalashnikov Tackles the Tank

bas-01g-soratnik

Best known for their family of robust automatic firearms, it would appear as if Kalashnikov is testing its footing on new ground in an effort to address Moscow’s war aims in the 21st Century. According to Popular Mechanics, “the BAS-01G Soratnik (loosely, “Comrade -in-arms”) is something of a departure: the company’s first venture into combat robots. Soratnik is a 7-ton robot tank developed in response to a request from the Russian Ministry of Defense for a vehicle to support infantry in action. It has a road speed of 25 mph and can be operated remotely at a range of up to six miles. More importantly, it can also operate independently with varying degrees of autonomy. The Russians do not necessarily share U.S. concerns about keeping a human in the loop when lethal force is involved, and seem willing to give their killer robots a freer rein.

The Soratnik’s standard armament is, of course, a 7.62mm Kalashnikov PKTM machine gun, but it can also be fitter with a 12.7mm heavy machine gun, grenade launchers, or, for anti-tank missions, eight Kornet guided missiles with a range of three miles. It also bristles with various day and night sensors and secure communications gear.

Soratnik also explore the new trend of having robots operate in groups. According to Kalashnikov, it can go into action with two small Zala drones, made by one of the company subsidiaries, which would spot targets for the Soratnik to engage.

According to the company, they have customers lined up inside the Russian military and abroad. It will face plenty of competition. The similar URAN-9 combat robot is set to enter service this year, and in addition to various Russian machines seen previously, the Army 2016 show also saw the launch of the Vikhr (or “Whirlwind”), an unmanned version of the BMP-3 personnel carrier.

Kalashnikov still seems to be popular with the Russian elite. Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu presented the company with a prize at the show for “achievements in the development of weapons, military and special equipment.” Perhaps their success will continue, and one day the name Kalashnikov will be associated with robots rather than assault rifles.”

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Israel Spars with Syria Over the Golan Heights

Yasir

Over the years, the Golan Heights has been the scene of some of the most vicious tank battles and aerial duels the world has ever seen, pitting the Israel Defense Forces against those of Syria. Over the weekend, the region was once again embroiled in a battle of sorts, as the IDF attempted to down a Syrian-launched drone flying over the contested area. According to Defense News, “An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) from Syria managed Sunday to penetrate Israeli airspace and evade two Patriot anti-air interceptors and possibly an F-16-launched air-to-air missile, sources here said.

An Israeli military spokesman insisted Israel Air Force air defenders detected the UAV prior to its violation of Israeli airspace on Sunday afternoon in the area of the Golan Heights. According to a July 17 statement, the Air Force continued to track the target in Israeli skies, yet failed to down the intruder, despite three intercept attempts.

“The aircraft was detected prior to entering the nation’s territory and was fully tracked by the Israel Air Force,” noted a July 17 statement. “From the initial investigation, it was found that three intercept attempts took place as per procedure. No hit of the target was identified.”

The drone, likely a Yasir purchased from Iran, is a small, low-cost, long-endurance Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) built by Iran Aviation Industries Organization (IAIO) and unveiled on 28 September 2013. It is capable of flying at an altitude of 15,000 ft, has an endurance of 8 hours, and an operational radius of 200 km It is an unlicensed copy of the American ScanEagle drone. No doubt used against ISIS forces over disputed regions of Syria, its deployment above the Golan marks the first time it was deployed over the bitterly contested region.

Davids Sling

Its not clear if the Israelis fired their newly-developed David’s Sling SAN system at the drone. Also called Magic Wand, David’s Sling is an Israel Defense Forces military system being jointly developed by the Israeli defense contractor Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and the American defense contractor Raytheon, designed to intercept tactical ballistic missiles, medium- to long-range rockets and cruise missiles, fired at ranges from 40 km (24.85 miles) to 300 km (186.41 miles). David’s Sling is meant to replace the MIM-23 Hawk and MIM-104 Patriot in the Israeli arsenal. It is designed to intercept the newest generation of tactical ballistic missiles, such as Iskander, using an on-board dual CCD/IR seekers to distinguish between decoys and the actual warhead of the missile, in addition to tracking by Elta EL/M-2084 Active electronically scanned array multi-mode radar. The multi-stage interceptor consists of a solid-fuel, rocket motor booster, followed by an asymmetrical kill vehicle with advanced steering for super-maneuverability during the kill-stage. A three-pulse motor provides additional acceleration and maneuverability during the terminal phase. David’s Sling was planned to be deployed in 2015, but budget shortfalls for infrastructure for deployable missile batteries will delay its operational date.

David’s Sling is meant to bolster the second tier of Israel’s theater missile defense system. The two-stage radar and electro-optic guided system has a 70–300 kilometer range, three times that of Iron Dome. The system can be deployed against aircraft and missiles, with plans to convert the system to intercept cruise missiles in the future.

The name David’s Sling comes from the biblical story of David and Goliath^. It will form one level of Israel’s future multi-tiered missile defense system that Israel is developing, which will also include Arrow 2, Arrow 3, Iron Dome and Iron Beam from as early as 2018.

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Bombing: Above and Beyond The Tethers of Earth

Russian Bomber

If we are to believe Popular Mechanics, the Russians are currently working on developing and eventually deploying a nuclear strategic bomber designed to hit any target within one to two hours of of release.

“Russian state media is reporting that the country’s Defense Ministry is developing a nuclear-armed bomber than could launch attacks from space. A prototype aircraft is under development and will be ready for trials by 2020.

According to RIA Novosti, the engine has already been tested and is expected to make its public debut in September at the International Military Technology Forum. The report quotes a Lieutenant Colonel Solodovnikov, who states the plane will take off and patrol the skies like a regular bomber. Once given the command, the bomber would ascend into space and could hit any target on Earth with nuclear warheads within one or two hours.

Russia’s Ministry of Defense has denied reports a space bomber is in development, saying it was “out of the question” but not outside its technical level of expertise. The Ministry says that remarks about a hypothetical spacecraft were misinterpreted by the state-run press. While a denial is a denial, the exact date for the engine’s public debut is curious. It could be that the engine is real, and that a space bomber was a hypothetical use. Or, the bomber and engine are real. Or not. We’ll find out in September.

Either way, little is known about the actual design of the spacecraft. According to Solodovnikov, it would weigh “between 20 and 25 metric tons.” That is not much for a plane—in fact, it’s roughly the mass of the F/A-18E Super Hornet. And yet somehow, a plane that light is supposed to carry at least one nuclear weapon, fly like a regular aircraft, power itself into space, and then return to base, all on its own.

The engine is a mystery, too. Afterburning turbofan engines used on fighter planes need oxygen to operate, something that isn’t feasible in space. Scramjets aren’t powerful enough, and ramjets wouldn’t be fuel-efficient enough to use in regular atmospheric flight. The Russian spaceplane could use some combination of these, but carrying two types of engines and two types of fuel would easily bust the 25-metric-ton weight ceiling being floated. The report also implies that a single engine will power the aircraft.

One possibility could be a hybrid jet engine/rocket like the United Kingdom’s SABRE. The SABRE compresses and pre-cools air, enabling it to work like a regular turbojet at higher altitudes where the air is thinner. Once high enough, it operates much like a regular rocket engine, burning onboard liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen. This allows a space plane with SABRE-like engines to get by on a single engine type. It would still need to carry two types of fuel, though.

A space bomber sounds scary, sure, but until something actually flies, it’s just vaporware. Russia has promised a number of high-profile defense projects, including the PAK-FA fighter, PAK-DA stealth bomber, Storm-class aircraft carriers, and others. Only the PAK-FA has seen any notable progress, and the project has had its share of engineering issues.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin has been spending lavishly on his military, at a time when western-imposed sanctions have had a dramatic impact on the Russian economy. While such a project is indeed feasible and in line with comparable Western projects designed with a similar purpose in mind, it remains to be seen if such a system can be fielded within these time constraints and offer enough potency to justify and/or warrant its exorbitant costs.

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Das Boot Gets a Reboot

das-boot

According to the Independent, “[the] Classic German drama Das Boot – the unrelentingly claustrophobic epic from Wolfgang Petersen – is to get a follow-up in the form of a television miniseries.

If you haven’t watched the film since its release in 1981, perhaps it’s time for a refresh because Variety is reporting the series will pick up directly where it left off.

Written by Tony Saint and Johannes W. Betz, the series – produced by Bavaria Films for $28 million – will be comprised of eight episodes.

An adaptation of Lothar-Günther Buchheim’s novel The Boat, the WWII-set drama told the fictional story of men serving aboard a U-boat and was told largely through the viewpoint of German forces – a trait that will be continued in the series.”

Look for Das Boot 2 to surface some time in 2018.

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Putting the Camo in Camouflage

As part of their 100-year tribute to the tank, The Tank Museum has published an article discussing the earliest origins of camouflage as it was used on tanks. David Fletcher, a world reknowned writer on military affairs, discusses how the Royal Engineers came up with ways to help hide advancing tanks from enemy anti-tank fire during testing trials and the subsequent attempts to standardize the schemes once the vehicles reached the battlefields of France and Belgium. For more information, you can read the full text of the article here: Tank100

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Russia : What Happens When You Take the Man Out of the Tank?

Russian UGV

While most military analysts are focusing on the latest family of ground vehicles being fielded by Russia, the country has quietly continued to test and explore the use of unmanned ground vehicles (UGV) on the battlefield of the future. Defense Technology reports that a new system was recently seen in an exercise near Kursk at the the Defense Ministry’s “Days of Innovation” event, back in May. In WWII, Kursk was the scene of the largest tank-on-tank battle in recorded history.

According to Defense Technology, “whilst no details were offered, the UGV appears to be diminutive in size, with approximate dimensions of 1.8-2.0m long, 1.2m wide and 1.5m in overall height. Its rubber band tracks would reduce weight and noise whilst still providing excellent all-terrain mobility, agility in confined spaces and the ability to overcome man-made terrain and obstacles that would hinder movement of similar-size wheeled vehicles.

Given its apparent slab-sided/bolt-together external construction, the UGV may have a modicum of armour protection to shield vital system components against small arms fire, thereby prolonging battlefield survivability and mission duration.” The Uran-9 reportedly combines the hitting power of a Kurganets-25 infantry fighting vehicles atop a BMP-3 chassis.

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Deutschland Vorwarts

Bundeswehr

In a move ultimately aimed at defeating ISIS forces operating out of Syria, Germany embarked upon a measure to send up to 1,200 troops to the beleaguered nation, perhaps working closely with the Assad administration to rid the country of Daesh fighters. While still awaiting parliamentary approval in the wake of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s decision, the deployment marks the first time Bundeswehr troops will be allowed to operate outside its national boundaries following the end of World War II and gain a more equal footing with forces from around the world.

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Hobby Master Makes a Forced Landing

new_F-14_landing_gear

Looking to up their game in the face of rising competition, Hobby Master announced that they have rejiggered the landing gear for its expanding range of F-14 Tomcats so that they no longer show ribbing on either side of the undercarriage. The ribbing had originally been designed as a means of direct reinforcement to prevent potential collapse of the landing gear, but responding to collector concerns, a more refined version has been crafted that does away with the vertical ribs and makes the model look more realistic. Well done, Hobby Master!

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