TA-600 aircraft, World's largest amphibious aircraft & Type-055 Destroyer Picture

Type-055 Destroyer Computer Generated Images

Type-055 Destroyer Images.

Type-055 Destroyer

Type-055 Destroyer mock-up in Hubei

TA-600 aircraft, World's largest amphibious aircraft 

Trial production of the TA-600 aircraft, intended to be the world's largest amphibious aircraft, has started in China following completion of the design process, a company executive said Sunday.The aircraft, with a maximum takeoff weight of 53.5 tons and a maximum range of more than 5,000 kilometers, is larger than a Boeing 737 and could be used for firefighting and air-sea rescue, said Fu Junxu, general manager of China Aviation Industry General Aircraft's Zhuhai branch.China began developing the aircraft five years ago. Its maiden flight is expected to happen in late 2015, said Fu."After a period of trial flights, the aircraft will be put onto the market," he said.
Upon completion, it will replace Japan's ShinMaywa US-2 aircraft as the largest amphibious aircraft in the world.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------




Eurosatory 2014 - Live Demonstration

US Air Force Launches Satellites To Spy On Other Countries’ Spacecraft

 An unmanned Delta 4 rocket blasted off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on Monday with a pair of U.S. military satellites designed to keep watch on other countries’ spacecraft.
The 206-foot (63-meter) tall rocket, built by United Launch Alliance, a partnership of Lockheed Martin and Boeing, lifted off at 7:28 p.m. EDT and blazed through partly cloudy skies as it headed into orbit.




Tactical sensors overview




The A-10 At Bagram, Afghanistan

Airbus Defence and Space ATV-5 “Georges Lemaître” set for launch on 30 July 2014

Airbus Defence and Space will launch the ATV (Automated Transfer Vehicle) -5 “Georges Lemaître”. In the early hours of 30 July 2014, the ATV will take off on the European launcher Ariane 5 ES from the European spaceport in Kourou (French Guiana).It will set course for the International Space Station (ISS) to begin its mission, which will last about six months.
The ATV-5 is the last European space freighter to set off for the ISS. With a total weight of almost 20.3 tonnes, “Georges Lemaître” has surpassed its four predecessors by being the heaviest payload ever launched into orbit by an Ariane. “Georges Lemaître” is expected to reach the ISS mid August, where it will be received by an ESA astronaut.
Thanks to the success of the ATV missions, space European partners are in a position to provide system-critical elements for an American human mission. Airbus Defence and Space is developing, for example, the service module for the American human spacecraft “Orion-MPCV” for the European Space Agency (ESA)

J-31 test flight and Arctic Thunder Air Show 2014 Video

J-31 test flight




Russia and Chinese Air Force PLAAF - Aviadarts-2014




Arctic Thunder Air Show 2014




Airbus EC135 T3/P3 demo event




MBDA - CVW101 Stratus Weapons & Missiles Command & Control Combat Simulation




LS3 Military Robot Delivering Water to Combat Marines




US Army Counter Rocket, Artillery and Mortar System


J-31

Unmanned Support Vehicle

Unmanned armored vehicles

Latest toys at the Armoured Forces Engineering Academy in Beijing

The exposition, held at the Armoured Forces Engineering Academy in Beijing, was touted by senior People’s Liberation Army (PLA) officials as an opportunity to burnish civilian-military and international ties ahead of Army Day, the August 1 commemoration of the Communist-led army’s founding.
A promotional guide for the event, described as the first of its kind at the academy that foreign media had been allowed to attend, noted that “cadets, instructors and commanders would like to be interviewed”.
Young soldiers chatted with reporters while showing off technological projects including drones and small Transformer-like robots in bright primary colours.

US Marines Testing Unmanned Support Vehicle

Video footage of Marines maneuvering the Ground Unmanned Support Surrogate (GUSS), experimental technology being tested by the Marine Corps Warfighting Lab during Rim of the Pacific 2014 at Kahuku Training Area on Oahu, Hawaii. The GUSS is a multi-purpose support vehicle based on the ITV equipped with sensors to allow operation with or without a driver. GUSS is one of many technologies being experimented in a field environment during the Advanced Warfighting Experiment looking at new technologies and war fighting concepts for the Marine Corps of the future
 


Eurosatory 2014 - Live Demonstration




DARPA - XS-1 Unmanned Reusable Hypersonic Spaceplane Concept




Obrum ADVANCED STEALTH Main Battle Tank




HMS Illustrious carried Harriers attack aircrafts and sub hunting Sea Kings on board.

Insect Size RoboBee Performs Controlled Flight

An early prototype of the RoboBee built by Robert J. Wood’s team at Harvard. Photo: SEAS

A team of researchers from the Harvard’s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) are developing an insect sized robot. Half the size of a paperclip, weighing less than a tenth of a gram, RoboBee inspired by the biology of a fly and conceived through manufacturing breakthrough and miniaturization.

RoboBees are manufactured through a unique Pop-up manufacturing process developed by the same team that developed the robotic insect. See the video

The unique submillimeter-scale anatomy of RoboBee uses two wafer-thin wings that flap almost invisibly, 120 times per second. At tiny scales, small changes in airflow can have an outsized effect on flight dynamics, and the control system has to react that much faster to remain stable. For the wing ‘muscles’ the tiny robot employs piezoelectric actuators – strips of ceramic that expand and contract when an electric field is applied. Thin hinges of plastic embedded within the carbon fiber body frame serve as joints, and a delicately balanced control system commands the rotational motions, differentially moving the flapping wings to generate directional motion.
The first flights that took place in the summer of 2012 employed a tethered version feeding power and processing from external devices. The next steps in the program will involve integrating the parallel work of different research teams who are working on the brain, the colony coordination behavior, the power source, etc., leading to the evolution of fully autonomous, wireless robotic insects. High energy-density fuel cells must be developed before the RoboBees will be able to fly with more independence.

RoboBee design. Image courtesy of Kevin Ma and Pakpong Chirarattananon.

Applications of the RoboBee type ‘creatures’ could include distributed environmental monitoring, search-and-rescue operations, or assistance with crop pollination, but the materials, fabrication techniques, and components that emerge along the way might prove to be even more significant. The US Air Force is also working on similar technologies, under the Air Force Research Lab Micro-Aviary program. The US Army is also working on micro-bots, through thethe Army Research Laboratory’s (ARL) Micro Autonomous Systems and Technology (MAST) Collaborative Technology Alliance.

According to Robert J. Wood, principal investigator of the National Science Foundation-supported RoboBee project, the lab’s recent breakthroughs in manufacturing, materials, and design have paved the way for the new achievement of RoboBee. “Now that we’ve got this unique platform, there are dozens of tests that we’re starting to do, including more aggressive control maneuvers and landing,” says Wood. The robotic insects also take advantage of the breakthrough pop-up manufacturing technique developed by Wood’s team in 2011.



Through the Pop-Up Manufacturing process (video) sheets of various laser-cut materials are layered and sandwiched together into a thin, flat plate that folds up like a child’s pop-up book into the complete electromechanical structure. The process enabled the team to accelerate prototype development, going through 20 prototypes in a six months period. The pop-up manufacturing process could enable a new class of complex medical devices.
Harvard’s Office of Technology Development, in collaboration with Harvard SEAS and the Wyss Institute, is already in the process of commercializing some of the underlying technologies. The program was supported by the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard. defense-update

The RoboBee is designed to evolve into an insect-size fully autonomous robot but at the current phase it is tethered to a power and processing sources. Photo SEAS, Photo courtesy of Kevin Ma and Pakpong Chirarattananon.

SpaceX launches ORBCOMM OG2 Mission Video

SpaceX launches ORBCOMM OG2 Mission 1



AIM 9 Sidewinder on USAF F 22



THE VERY LAST F-22 aircraft built for the US Air Force




SAAB RBS15 MK3 Anti Ship Missile

Bringing nano robots to reality

ARL scientists want to equip Kumar’s miniature quad rotor with a staring spherical camera. Built like an eye of a fly, the two hemispheres will be able to stare over the upper and lower hemispheres of the platform, covering the full sphere. This wide-field sensing based on the neurophysiology of insects, will enable navigation and obstacle avoidance on micro aerial robots Photo: ARL

Dr. Joseph Conroy checks the vehicle operation of the ARL micro-quadrotor, a platform for testing integrated sensing and processing on size constrained robotic systems. (ARL Photo by Doug Lafon)

Robots and structures on this size and scale can access difficult to reach areas, for search and rescue or reconnaissance behind closed doors

The US Army Research laboratory (ARL) is studying micro-robots for use in future military applications, from covert monitoring and surveillance of suspected enemy targets to sensors assisting soldiers and leaders in situational assessment. For the more distant future, ARL scientists believe that teams of miniature ground and aerial robots may be able to enter the high-risk zones and conduct a coordinated search, communicating with one another, and ultimately conveying critical information to Soldiers who are far removed from harm’s way.

Technologies studied under Developed ARL’s Micro Autonomous Systems and Technology (MAST) offer such potential capabilities under a collaborative technology alliance between ARL, the R&D community, industry and academia.

Prof. Vijay Kumar,of the School of Engineering University of Pennsylvania. A pioneer in quadrotor robotics, Kumar is currently assigned to the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy where he serves as the assistant director for robotics and cyber physical systems.

“Since the program was awarded [in 2008], I am gratified at what has come out of MAST CTA.” ARL’s chief scientist Dr. Joseph Mait said. One of the programs was spun by Prof. Vijay Kumar of the University of Pennsylvania that produces a miniature quad-rotors made to fit in the palm of a hand and insect scaled platforms.

“This device has a large percent of the capabilities that we have wanted.” Mait added, “That is a true sign of progress and the types of innovation that we supported through the MAST CTA. Within ARL itself, it has established us now as an organization capable of delivering autonomous platforms that are as large as a passenger vehicle but also as small as something that can be carried around with two arms then also carried in a single hand.”

Researchers are currently working with the micro-quadrotor as a platform for testing integrated sensing and processing on size-constrained robotic systems. The system is currently able to fly using a manual pilot control or within a test environment that utilizes an external visual tracking system, such as a Vicon system. The next step will add autonomy to such systems. “We have people capable of developing autonomy at all of those scales, which opens up doors and greater creativity at how all these platforms can be used by teams of Soldiers of various sizes from a company down to a squad.” Mait concluded.

“We are creating autonomous flying robots that are able to navigate in complex, three-dimensional environments with or without GPS with applications to search and rescue, first response and precision farming.” Kumar tells about the latest research projects on Kumarrobotics. “The robots are quadrotors with onboard sensors and processors customized for state estimation, control and planning. We rely on a range of sensors that can include an IMU, cameras, a laser range scanner, an altimeter and a GPS sensor. His smallest robot has a mass of 20 grams and is capable of navigating at 6 m/s in indoor environments.

ARL has demonstrated independently controlled large-displacement three-jointed insect inspired legs for future mm-scale robotic systems using microelectromechanical system (MEMS) fabrication techniques.

Dr. Ronald Polcawich performs high-resolution imaging and testing of a millimeter-scale robotic leg structure. The roughly 3-mm-long leg consists of segments of piezoelectric thin-film actuators and thin-film copper sections designed to mimic the kinetics of a leg with a “hip,” “knee” and “ankle” joint sections. These “legs” have demonstrated the ability to move, lift (e.g., salt crystal in image), and resist impact into the silicon substrate. (Photo by Doug Lafon)

In terms of insect scaled platforms, ARL researchers are developing and testing millimeter-scale robotic leg structures. According to Dr. Ronald Polcawich, team lead for Piezoelectric-Micro Electro-Mechanical Systems Technology at ARL, the leg structures consist of segments of piezoelectric thin-film actuators and thin-film copper sections that are designed to mimic the kinetics of a leg and have the ability to move, lift and resist impact.

    The program seeks to enhance the tactical situational awareness of the dismounted Soldier, in urban and complex terrain, by autonomous, collaborative and multifunctional mobile microsystems

“It is envisioned that robots and structures on this size scale can provide a unique set of advantages and capabilities to the Soldier. Their inherent size makes them useful to access difficult to reach areas such as in rubble for search and rescue and behind closed doors for reconnaissance,” stated Polcawich.

“The MAST program seeks to enhance the tactical situational awareness of the dismounted Soldier in urban and complex terrain by enabling the autonomous operation of a collaborative ensemble of multifunctional mobile Microsystems,” said Dr. Brett Piekarski, chief of ARL’s Micro and Nano Materials and Devices Branch within the Sensors and Electron Devices Directorate and Cooperative Agreement Manager of the MAST Collaborative Technology Alliance (CTA).

The structure and goals of the MAST CTA were developed by Dr. Tom Doligalski and Dr. Joseph Mait. Mait led the CTA when it was awarded in February 2008. The CTA is comprised of four research centers and numerous consortium members. The research centers include the Platform Integration Center, BAE Systems (Lead); Microsystem Mechanics Center, University of Maryland; Processing for Autonomous Operation Center, University of Pennsylvania; and Microelectronics Center, University of Michigan.

Other ARL MAST consortium members include the California Institute of Technology, Georgia Institute of Technology, Harvard University, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, North Carolina Agriculture and Technical University, University of California-Berkeley, University of New Mexico and the University of Pennsylvania. The research is funded by ARL into 2017.

The technical approach to meet the goals and objectives of the MAST CTA is to focus on the critical science and technology research areas as they pertain to small scale platforms including mobility, control and energetics; communication, navigation and coordination; sensing, perception, and processing.

In the areas of mobility, control and energetics, researchers are studying aeromechanics at small scales, body and appendage design at small scales, algorithms for complex navigation and small-scale platform propulsion and actuation.

In the area of communication, navigation and coordination, researchers are focusing on how to enable intelligent communication, networking and collaboration between micro autonomous robotic platforms. Under sensing, perception and processing, researchers are looking at low-power sensors for navigation, obstacle detection, and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. defense-update

An ARL demonstration of full range of motion and aerodynamic lift in fruit fly scaled microelectromechanical system (MEMS) fabricated wings. (Photo: ARL)

Laser Weapons to augment ground-based air defense counter-UAS capability

The Laser Weapon System (LaWS) tested on aboard the guided-missile destroyer USS Dewey (DDG 105) in 2010 was based on commercial fiber solid state lasers, utilizing combination methods developed at the Naval Research Laboratory. LaWS can be directed onto targets from the radar track obtained from the MK 15 Phalanx Close-In Weapon system or other targeting source. The system will be deployed for the first time on USS Ponce, on an operational mission to the persian Gulf. US Navy photo.

The US Office of Naval Research (ONR) is working with Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division and industry partners on the development of ground-based air defense (GBAD) components and subsystems, including the laser itself, beam director, batteries, radar, advanced cooling, and communications and command and control.

“We’re confident we can bring together all of these pieces in a package that’s small enough to be carried on light tactical vehicles and powerful enough to counter these threats,” says Brig. Gen. Kevin Killea, vice chief of naval research and commanding general, the Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory.

    We’re confident we can bring together all of these pieces in a package that’s small enough to be carried on light tactical vehicles and powerful enough to counter these threats

“We can expect that our adversaries will increasingly use UAVs and our expeditionary forces must deal with that rising threat,” says Col. William Zamagni, acting head of ONR’s Expeditionary Maneuver Warfare and Combating Terrorism Department. “GBAD gives the Marine Corps a capability to counter the UAV threat efficiently, sustainably and organically with austere expeditionary forces. GBAD employed in a counter UAV role is just the beginning of its use and opens myriad other possibilities for future expeditionary forces.”

The technologies being developed under the GBAD program are a direct response to the Marine Corps Science and Technology Strategic Plan, which calls for a mobile directed-energy weapon capable of destroying threats such as UAVs.

Some of the system’s components already have been used in tests to detect and track UAVs of all sizes. Later in the year, researchers will test the entire system against targets using a 10kW laser as a stepping stone to a 30kW laser. The 30kW system is expected to be ready for field testing in 2016, when the program will begin more complex trials to ensure a seamless process from detection and tracking to firing, all from mobile tactical vehicles.

The US Navy plans to integrate RADA’s RPS-42 radar system as part of the counter-UAS capability demonstration enabling mobile, ground based laser weapons to defeat small and micro unmanned aerial vehicles. This selection is the second win for RADA’s new radar platform, another system was selected by Boeing to support the High Energy Laser Technology Demonstrator (HEL TD) evaluations, where it has proved highly successful in recent laser intercept tests. Delivery of the system to the US Navy is planned for July 2014.

The Navy’s laser weapon has progressed far enough that when it’s deployed and tested on the USS Ponce this summer the system will be controlled by a single sailor. The solid-state Laser Weapons System would allow the navy to effectively neutralize threats such as airborne UAS and swarm boats.

    The program will demonstrate a 50kW class laser weapon, mounted on a tactical vehicle can defeat UAS Low Observable/Low Radar Cross Section (LO/LRCS) threats while on-the-move

The The Ground-Based Air Defense (GBAD) Directed Energy (DE) On-The-Move (OTM) demonstration is part of the Office of Naval Research (ONR) pursuit of future enhancements for the US Marine Corps’ existing low-altitude air-defense capability which currently lacks reliable CounterUAS (C-UAS) and Counter Rocket, Artillery and Mortar (CRAM) capabilities. The Navy currently tests lasers derived from commercial systems, but for the GBAD-DE wants to create lasers which weigh less than 907 kg (2,000 pounds) and can fit entirely into a HMMWV’s or JLTV cargo hold. The laser should pump out a minimum 25 kilowatt beam for a duration for 120 seconds, and recharge to 80% power after only 20 minutes.

The GBAD-DE-OTM program will demonstrate how a 30kW class laser weapon, integrated on a tactical vehicle can defeat such targets on-the-move. The system is designed to defeat Low Observable/Low Radar Cross Section (LO/LRCS) threats such as small UAS. The system designed to provide continuous low altitude air defense will comprise of command and control, sensor, communications and a high energy laser (HEL) weapon. According to the Navy program documents, the radar sensor associated with the system is responsible for air surveillance, target detection and tracking. The identification and threat evaluation are likely to be performed by EO/IR sensors. Once an engagement decision is made, the system performs weapons assignment triggering alert, the laser weapon will then activate briefly to terminate the target. The engagement cycle is completed with kill assessment.

We can expect that our adversaries will increasingly use UAVs and our expeditionary forces must deal with that rising threat

The RPS-42 selected by the US Navy is based on RADA’s MHR radar AESA platform. Photo: RADA

RADA’s RPS-42 Tactical Volume Surveillance Radar System, a member of the company’s Multi-Mission Hemispheric Radar (MHR), was the radar selected to provide those pre-engagement functions. According to the manufacturer, the radar detects, tracks and classifies micro and mini UAS (Groups 1&2) at ranges of up to 10 km, accurately tracking the threats up to very high elevation angles.

Boeing has already tested a version of its Avenger mobile ground based air defense system, fitted with a reconfigured Avenger turret, comprising a medium-power laser weapon, automatic cannon and Stinger missiles. Photo: Boeing

The MHR is an S Band, Software-Defined, Pulse-Doppler, Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar, a GaN based digital radar platform using beam forming capabilities and advanced signal processing. The system can be programmed to support multiple missions on each radar platform, for example, combining C-UAS and C-RAM operational missions on the same radar, thus delivering organic, tactical surveillance solutions for force protection systems.

In addition, the system can also monitor low-level traffic air throughout the local airspace, by tracking other aerial targets, including fighter jets and transport aircraft, helicopters, etc. These functions help coordinating low-level air operations supporting the land forces.

The ability to detect and track exceptionally small, low and slow-flying UAS – categorized as significant tactical threats to manoeuvre forces – is challenging conventional radar systems. Advanced VSHORAD systems, especially those based on directed energy, require compact tactical radars that are able to detect these and other threats, operate on-the-move, and provide vital real-time threat information to the fire control system. “All these critical capabilities were designed into the RPS-42 system – delivering volume surveillance and detection of multiple threat types, including the smallest threats.” Zvi Alon, RADA’s CEO explained.  defense-update

Carbon fiber clouds hiding naval ships from anti-ship missiles

During the ‘Pandarra Fog’ evaluation, the systems and tactics were tested under a variety of at-sea conditions using Seventh Fleet units and assets from the U.S. Army, Navy, and Air Force to evaluate how radar-absorbing, carbon-fiber clouds can prevent a missile from detecting and striking its target as part of a layered defense. Photo: US Navy, by Timothy Wilson.

USS Mustin (DDG 89), USS Wayne E. Meyer (DDG 108) and USS Frank Cable (AS 40) test maritime obscurants held south of Guam to assess their tactical effectiveness for anti-ship missile defense. Note how the distribution of the cloud can be manipulated by the ship, under the same wind conditions, while the vessels maintain the same heading. (U.S. Navy photo, Timothy Wilson)

The US Navy has recently tested a new anti-ship missile countermeasure system using an obscurant generator prototype. The systems and tactics were tested under a variety of at-sea conditions using assets from the U.S. Army, Navy, and Air Force to evaluate how radar-absorbing, carbon-fiber clouds can prevent a missile from detecting and striking its target as part of a layered defense.

The Naval Warfare Development Command tested the maritime obscurant generator prototypes June 21-25 to assess their tactical effectiveness for anti-ship missile defense. The shipboard device generates carbon-fiber particles suspended in a cloud of smoke. These particles absorb and diffuse radar waves emanating from the seekers of incoming missiles, thus potentially obscuring the target from the missile’s seeker.

During the ‘Pandarra Fog’ evaluation, the systems and tactics were tested under a variety of at-sea conditions using Seventh Fleet units and assets from the U.S. Army, Navy, and Air Force to evaluate how radar-absorbing, carbon-fiber clouds can prevent a missile from detecting and striking its target as part of a layered defense. Photo: US Navy, by Timothy Wilson.

“Pandarra Fog showed the value of quickly bringing together scientific and joint forces to tackle our hardest warfighting problems. This isn’t just smoke or chaff, this is high tech obscurant, which can be effective against an array of missile homing systems,” said Antonio Siordia, U.S. Seventh Fleet’s science adviser.
Vice Adm. Robert L. Thomas Jr., commander U.S. Seventh Fleet, kicked off the “Pandarra Fog”, the multi-ship experiment in Guam. “Pandarra Fog is example of the quick-turn integrated technical and tactical development the Fleet is doing to master electromagnetic maneuver warfare and assure access of joint forces,” Thomas said.
The experiment demonstrated maritime obscurant generation can be a key enabler of offensive manoeuvre of the fleet despite the global proliferation of anti-ship cruise and ballistic missiles.

Thoughtful obscurant employment will significantly reduce the risk to surface ships from missile strikes

“We are developing a layered approach using a full spectrum of active and passive capabilities to give us the advantage. It is not just about the technology, but also practicing how the fleet will employ these emerging capabilities,” said Capt. David Adams, who leads the Seventh Fleet Warfighting Initiatives Group. “A defense in depth approach has a lot of advantages. Not only do we know the smoke is effective, it adds a level of uncertainty and unpredictability to the equation,” said Adams.

Smoke screening is part of a multi-layered defense of surface vessels, which also includes active defense (air defense missiles), active decoys (jammers and RF decoys) chaff. The flares (seen in this photo) may be used for a last ditch defense, luring thermal seekers off target.

In addition to having a significant level of effectiveness, the systems are relatively inexpensive when compared to other countermeasures and can be tactically employed through typical fleet maneuvers. The materials are environmentally friendly and sized to maximize operational effectiveness. “Our initial assessment is the testing was very successful in terms of tactical employment, usability and cost-effectiveness,” said Adams. defense-update.

The Japanese patrol boat Shiritaka (PG 829) fires a screen of flares on a naval display. On an operational deployment the flares create a screen of hot obscurant that can hide the vessel from incoming heat-seeking missiles.

New sights provide snipers an HD view of their targets, two kilometers away

A new range of weapon sights and binoculars using miniature, cooled FLIRs are delivering a crisp, detailed target-view from miles away in total darkness

At a weight of 8.75 lbs, the RECON V is designed for hand held operation. The optical assembly uses a x10 zoom that can move from 2 ̊ to 20 ̊ in less than 2 seconds. Photo: FLIR Systems

Both HISS-XLR clip-on sniper sight (left) and RECON V thermal binocular (right) employ cooled, 640×480 MWIR detectors, displaying their images on miniature HD displays to deliver a crisp, detailed target view from miles away. Photo: FLIR Systems

  Last month at the SOFIC exhibition FLIR Systems unveiled two new products designed for tactical use. Unlike previous systems that use primarily I2 or uncooled thermal imagers, often limited by range, the two new systems utilise miniature, cooled thermal imagers, delivering detailed, high definition images from ranges of several kilometres.

The HISS-XLR mid-wave thermal weapon sight is one of the FLIR’s new tactical sight range. This clip-on thermal weapon sight allows snipers to detect and recognize man- size targets in excess of 2,000 meters, a significant increase in engagement range of more than 25% compared to previous models.

It uses a miniature cooled 640×480 InSb FLIR, couples with 240mm long range optics packed into a compact assembly fully tested on weapons up to and including .50 caliber. Using an MWIR sensor enables the shooter to see the target in total darkness, through smoke, fog and most battlefield obscurants. The sight has a fixed f2.29° h x 1.72° v field of view.

The sight features a built-in ballistics mode that can give an instantaneous target solution when integrated with laser rangefinder and ballistics computer. The HISS-XLR also includes an integrated digital magnetic compass for azimuth information. The high definition display provides cleaner text and symbology while allowing the use of day scopes of up to 25× without image distortion. The sight view can be record on an integral SD card for post-mission debriefing. For real-time monitoring video output can be fed to a monitor or to a remote users via radio.

The HISS-XLR is a clip-on thermal sight designed to operate with long-range weapon day sights, enabling the sniper to engage targets from a distance of 1,500-2,000 meter in total darkness, through for and smoke. Photo: FLIR Systems

The sight can be remotely operated from a stock-mountable control pendant. The sight consumes 6 watts of power, delivered by two battery packs which support more than four hours on operation. These packs are ‘hot swapped’, meaning that the unit can operate on a single pack, while the other pack is replaced with fresh batteries.

Another system recently unveiled by FLIR is the Recon V, a compact, rugged, ultra light weight multi-sensor thermal binocular. The primary sensor is a cooled FLIR system integrates a high resolution InSB 640×480 mid-wave IR (MWIR) sensor. The image delivered by the detector is further sharpened by the STACE technology that digitally sharpens, tunes and enhances contrast to maximise the image details definition. The optical assembly uses a x10 zoom, that can move from 2 ̊ to 20 ̊ in less than 2 seconds. The system also integrates an eye safe laser rangefinder operating in the 1.54 μm range. It can also accommodate an additional laser pointer, operating at the 852 nm band, for target marking.

To deliver a sharp and stable image with the hand held device the Recon V uses electronic image stabilization, that result in no image latency.

An integral 3-axis MEMS gyro, GPS navigation and digital magnetic compass, the system can determine location and heading with high accuracy. The systems’ laser rangefinder can operate at ranges up to 10,000 meters, provide accurate range to target, while target geo location is determined by the system’s computer.

The system uses a high definition (HD) color video display, the simple user interface does away with multiple buttons and complicated multi-layer menus, making the Recon V easier to use. As with the HISS-XLR, images can be recorded on an SD card, storing at least 1,000 images at high definition. The system can operate continuously for six hours on four Lithium AA batteries. defence-update

J-20, 2012 New Picture

J 20 2012 Frontal

J-20 2011's new nozzle type

J 20 Cockpit

J 20 weapon door

Translation of J-20 Article by Dr. Song Wencong

Dr. Song Wencong was the chief designer of the J-10 program and mentor to Yang Wei, who was in charge of both the JF-17 and the J-20. The paper I translated was a theoretical document written in 2001 discussing the aerodynamic considerations of a "future fighter". Hopefully my translation could shed some light on the role and design considerations of the J-20 fighter.

Link to original article in Chinese: http://wenku.baidu.com/view/1aae34a6f524ccbff12184b3.html

Abstract: This paper analyzes the main design conflicts of the future fighter's stealth, high maneuverability, and supercruise characteristics while proposing specific design solutions for trans-sonic lift to drag characteristics, low speed high AOA characteristics, and supersonic drag characteristics. The author believes that in-depth study of fluid dynamics, exploration of the full practical potential of current aerodynamic designs, development of new design concepts, employment of corresponding systematic and control measures, and necessary compromise among numerous design proposals will allow us to achieve our design goals. 1. Introduction: The future fighter, aside from satisfying low and mid-altitude maneuverability performance of modern 4th gen. fighters, must have the capability to supercruise and perform unconventional maneuvers such as poststall maneuvers. As a result, the aerodynamic configuration of the future fighter must not only satisfy the design constraints of RCS reduction but also lower supersonic drag, improve lift characteristics, and improve stability and controllability under high AOA conditions whilel accounting for trans-sonic lift to drag characteristics. The high number of design requirements provide new challenges to the aerodynamic layout. The design must employ new aerodynamic concepts and approaches, take necessary systematic and control measures, and compromise amongst the numerous design points in order to obtain the necessary design solution. 2. Main design conflicts: The design requirement for stealth brings new difficulties to the aerodynamic design. Frontal stealth capability imposes new restrictions on both the sweep angle of the leading edge and air intake configuration. Lateral stealth requires the proper alignment of the aircraft's cross sectional shaping and the vertical stabilisor configuration. These restrictions and requirements must be considered during the earliest phase of designing the aerodynamic configuration. Trans-sonic lift to drag ratio and supersonic drag are traditional design conflicts. Modern Fourth gen. fighters successfully solved this dilemma by relaxing aircraft stability and employing wing bending mechanisms. Future fighters, however, have stricter requirements for supersonic drag characteristics. At the same time, conventional design maximizing low speed lift characteristics contradicts the pursuit for lower supersonic drag. Since current aerodynamic measures don't offer satisfactory solutions to these conflicts the design team must explore new design paths. Post stall maneuvers require the aircraft to have good controllability and stability. After the plane enters the post stall region, however, the decrease in stability and control efficiency of conventional rudder surfaces become irrecoverable. One must carefully design an aircraft to enable sustained controllability at high AOA. Although it is possible to solve the problem of post-stall controllability through the use of thrust vectoring nozzles, the aerodynamic configuration itself must provide enough pitch down control capability to guarantee the aircraft to safely recover from post-stall AOA should the thrust vectoring mechanism malfunction. As a result, it is vitally important to study unconventional aerodynamic control mechanisms for high AOA flights. 3. Trans-sonic lift to drag characteristics Trans-sonic lift to drag characteristics determine an aircraft's maximum range and sustained turn capability. The future fighter's demands for these characteristics will exceed those of modern 4th gen. fighters. Modern fighters employ the strategies of relaxing longitudinal stability, adapting wings with medium sweep and aspect ratio, twisting the wing, and adding wing-bending mechanisms to greatly improve the lift-to-drag characteristics. Due to the future fighter's requirement for supercruise, supersonic drag characteristic is a critical design point and designers must avoid using aerodynamic measures that may potentially increase supersonic drag. As a result, the wing shape and wing twist coefficient can't be selected based on trans-sonic lift to drag characteristics alone. It is necessary to employ wing-bending mechanisms but its aerodynamic efficiency has already been exhausted. Further decreasing the aircraft's longitudinal relaxed stability is an excellent solution to this problem. Diagram 1 shows how the variation tendency of trim-drag coefficients against longitudinal instability of a conventional fighter aircraft in a tight, sustained turn. Modern fighters fix their longitudinal instability at 3% the average aerodynamic chord length. The future fighter could enjoy a significant improvement in lift-to-drag if the longitudinal instability could be increased to a magnitude of around 10%. Further relaxing the longitudinal instability could not only enhance trans-sonic lift to drag characteristics but also improve super sonic lift to drag capabilities, increase take-off and landing characteristics, and maximize low-speed lift characteristics. This is akin to killing three birds with a single stone. Yet a increase in longitudinal instability will also increase the burden on high AOA pitch down control and subsequently increase flight control complexities. As a result the design team should not "over-relax" the longitudinal stability. 4. Low speed high AOA characteristics 4.1 Lift-body LERX Canard configuration Advanced modern fighters utilized research on detached vortices from the 1960s and 70s to gain excellent lift characteristics with their max lift coefficient peaking at around 1.6. They either employ conventional LERX configuration or canard configuration to accomplish this. The future fighter has higher requirements for max lift coefficient and the situation is further complicated by the fact that the use of twin vertical stabilizers is detrimental to lift (see figure 4.2). As a result the design team must raise the max lift coefficient to a whole new level. It will be difficult to realize this goal simply employing conventional LERX configuration or canard configuration. It is beneficial to choose canard configuration from a high AOA pitch down control stand point(see figure 4.3). Blending lift body LERX characteristics with the conventional canard configuration to form a "lift body LERX canard configuration" will greatly enhance the max lift characteristics. Exploration of the lift body LERX canard configuration will solve three important technical issues. The first problem is the aerodynamic coupling between canards and medium sweep, medium aspect ratio wings. The second problem is the coupling between the canards, the LERX, and detached vortices generated by the wings. The third problem concerns the gains and losses of employing body lift on a canard configuration aircraft. Traditionally close coupled canard configuration aircraft utilize constructive coupling between the canards and detached wing vortices to enhance the max lift coefficient. Only wings with large back-sweep angle and small aspect ratio could generate detached vortices that are powerful enough for the task. As a result most modern canard configuration fighter aircraft have a leading edge backsweep angle of around 55 degrees and an aspect ratio of around 2.5. For these aircraft, the canards could generate around a 3 to 4 times increase in max lift coefficient with respect to their wing areas. Ideally we hope to employ wings with medium leading edge backsweep angle and medium aspect ratio in order to improve lift characteristics over the entire AOA range. This wing shape, however, could not effectively generate leading edge detached vortices. Could the canards still attain their original lift enhancing effects? The answer is yes according to wind-tunnel tests. As the slope of the aircraft's lift curve increases, the lift enhancing capabilities of the canards are the same as those on traditional close coupled canard configuration aircraft (see figure 2). The key influence on aerodynamic coupling between the canards and medium back-sweep, medium aspect ratio wings should not be interference among detached vortices. Preliminary studies indicate that down-wash on the wings generated by the canards play a far greater role. It is a well known fact that LERX could improve the max lift characteristics on medium back sweep, medium aspect ratio wings. In order to obtain even better lift characteristics, we should consider using both canards and LERX to create a canard-LERX configuration. Study shows that employing both canards and LERX not only retain the lift enhancing effects of the two mechanisms when they are used separately but also help achieve higher lift-coefficient (see figure 3). This means that there is beneficial coupling among the canards, LERX, and the wings. Blended wing lift body configurations could utilize lift generated by the aircraft's body to increase internal load and enhance stealth characteristics at relatively low costs to drag. Lift-body configurations have been adapted by many conventional configuration aircraft and achieved excellent results. Yet until now now canard configuration fighter utilized lift-body configuration. This isn't because aerodynamic experts failed to realize the tremendous advantage of the lift body configuration but the result of a canard configuration aircraft's need to place the canards above the aircraft's wings. It is difficult for lift-body configuration aircraft to satisfy this demand. Our experimental results indicate that although the canards on a canard-LERX configuration aircraft employing lift-body suffered a decrease in lift-enhancing effects, the overal lift characteristic of the aircraft was still superior to that of a canard-LERX aircraft not employing lift-body (see figure 4). Figure 5 shows the vortex generation on the wings and body of a lift-body canard configuration aircraft observed using laser scanning. It demonstrates that planes employing this configuration derive excellent lift characteristics not only from coupling among the canards, LERX, and detached vortices but beneficial interaction between the left and right detached vortices. The latter contribute to significant lift on the body of the plane and greatly contributed to the enhancement of lift characteristics. Figure 5 also indicates that the detached vortices primarily contribute to lift on the body and inner portions of the wings. Consequently, most of the lift produced under high AOA conditions are generated in the corresponding areas. 4.2 Canted vertical stabilizers Vertical stabilizer design is an important consideration when it comes to future fighter configuration design. From a lateral stealth stand point, the vertical stabilizers should cant inward or outward to reflect incoming radar waves in other directions. The future fighter must be long and thin to accommodate for supercruise and as a result, the space between the vertical stabilizers couldn't be too wide. The twin stabilizers should cant outward in order to decrease destructive interference between the vertical stabilizers. Since the future fighter will fully utilize detached vortices to improve max lift coefficient, forward vortices will generate relatively high outward facing velocity airflow on the vertical stabilizers. Figure 6 shows the calculation results of a type of lift body LERX canard configuration fighter using n-s time average function. It indicates the limiting flow rate on the aircraft's rear once the vertical stabilizers are removed. The results indicate that the regional side slip angle at the location where vertical stabilizers are usually installed reaches around 15 degrees when the AOA is 24 degrees and the side slip angle is 0 degrees. If the back-sweep angles of the vertical stabilizers are sufficiently large, the enormous regional side slip angles could generate leading edge shed vortices on the external faces of the stabilizers and form low pressure regions. Regional sideslip angles will also increase the static pressure on the inner portions of the vertical stabilizers. As a result, the vertical stabilizers will become highly efficient lateral force surfaces which direct the lateral forces outwards. The lateral forces are projected in the direction of lift, with respect to the outward canting vertical stabilizers, and generate negative lift. Negative lift acting on the vertical stabilizers and rear body will both contribute to the undesirable pitch up torque. The high pressure region between the vertical stabilizers will form adverse pressure gradients on the body of the plane and negatively impact the stability of leading edge detached vortices. Since the vertical stabilizers are already highly loaded at 0 degree side slip angle, the yaw/roll stabilization efficiency of the vertical stabilizers will be decreased. The negative impacts of vertical stabilizers as described above are closely associated with lift-enhancing measures and are, as a result, difficult to root out. Yet adjustment of the vertical stabilizer’s area, position, cant angle, and placement angle and improvement measures such as making slots on the rear body can minimize the negative impact of the vertical stabilizers. Ordinarily, the max lift reduction coefficient generated by the vertical stabilizers could reach around 0.4. We’ve managed to successfully lower it below 0.1 through experimentation. Decreasing the vertical stabilizers’ area or even employing tailless configuration are directions worth studying. Their significance not only include improving low speed high AOA performance but also help improve stealth characteristics, lower drag within the entire flight envelope, decrease weight, and reduce cost. Implementing the tailless configuration requires the tackling of three major technical difficulties: replacing the stabilizers with another yaw control mechanism, installing sensitive and reliable side slip sensors, and implementing new flight control technology. As of now, these difficulties are being tackled one at a time. Relatively speaking, decreasing vertical stabilizers’ area and relaxing static yaw stability are more realistic options. Generally speaking, the relative size of the vertical stabilizers is around 20% to 25%. In or studies, utilizing all moving vertical stabilizers with 10% to 13% could still maintain basic yaw stability while retaining the vertical stabilizers’ function as yaw control mechanisms. 4.3 Aerodynamic control mechanisms The requirement for high AOA pitch down control capability is closely related to the longitudinal static instability requirement. The greater the longitudinal static instability, the higher the demands for pitch down control capabilities. As described in chapter 3, the future fighter will hopefully increase its longitudinal static instability to around 10% its average aerodynamic chord length to enhance the trim's lift to drag and lift characteristics. As a result there should be a corresponding improvement in the pitch down control capability. We can categorize two types of control surfaces based on the relative position of the pitch control surfaces with respect to the aircraft's center of mass: positive load pitch down control surface and negative pitch down control surface. Control surfaces placed behind the center of mass, including the vertical stabilizers and trailing edge flaps, generate pitch down control torque by increasing lift. They are considered positive load control surfaces. Control surfaces placed in front of the center of mass, like the canards, are negative load control surfaces. Since the main wing's ability to generate lift tends to saturate under high AOA conditions, the positive load control surfaces' pitch down control capabilities tend to saturate under high AOA as well. Therefore it will be wise to employ negative load control surfaces for pitch down control under high AOA conditions. Figure 7 compares the pitch down control capabilities of the canards and horizontal stabilizers. From the high AOA pitch down control stand point, it will be wise to use canards on the future fighter. Canards on close coupled canard configuration aircraft have relative short lever arms. Employing the LERX canard configuration can increase the canards’ lever arms while retaining the benefits of positive canard coupling. Considering the overall lift enhancement effect and pitch down control capabilities, we can set the canards’ maximum relative area to around 15% and the maximum canard deflection to 90 degrees. Yaw control ability under high AOA is another noteworthy problem. Control surface efficiency deteriorate rapidly with an increase in AOA for tailless and even conventional configuration fighters. Therefore it is necessary to consider control mechanisms other than conventional control surfaces. Studies on differential LERX, drag rudder, differential wingtips, and all moving vertical stabilizers indicate that differential LERX and drag maintained relatively high yaw control efficiency under high AOA conditions (see figure 8). 5. Supersonic drag characteristics The key to lowering supersonic drag is to minimize the max cross sectional area of the aircraft.Accomplishing this requires excellent high level design skills. Placement of the engines, engine intakes, landing gears, cartridge receiver, weapons bay, and main structural support all influence the max cross sectional area of the aircraft. Attention to details and careful considerations are necessary to design decision making. Wingshape has profound effects on supersonic drag characteristics. Small aspect ratio wings with large backsweep have low supersonic drag but are detrimental to low speed lift and trans-sonic lift to drag characteristics. If we select the liftbody LERX canard configuration we can expect to retain relatively good lift to drag characteristics while using medium backsweep wings. Under high AOA conditions, liftbody LERX canard configuration aircraft concentrate lift on the body and inner portions of the wings so moderately lowering the aspect ratio will not only not lower the max lift coefficient but raise it (see figure 10). Because of this, employing small aspect ratio wings on a lift-body LERX canard configuration aircraft will settle the conflicts among supersonic drag characteristics, low speed lift characteristics, and trans-sonic drag characteristics. 6. Air Intake design Air intakes are one of three major sources of radar scattering. In order to lower intake radar reflection area, the design team must place a series of limitations on intake design due to stealth considerations. These limitations will significantly influence intake aerodynamic design. Caret intakes have oblique intake openings and fixed intake ramps and could effectively lower radar cross section and structural weight. The future fighter may implement this technology. Preliminary studies indicate that when compared with conventional adjustable intakes, Caret intakes' total pressure recovery coefficient surpasses its conventional counterpart in supersonic and trans-sonic regimes and is only slightly lower in the low-subsonic regime. It also offers excellent total pressure distortion performances. Radar absorbing deflectors minimize the air-intake's radar reflection and could significantly improve its stealth characteristics. Aerodynamically speaking, the radar absorbing deflectors would slightly decrease the overall pressure recovery and flow coefficients but have no ill-effects on static or dynamic distortion coefficients. 7. A comprehensive study of a design example The design team made a future fighter proposal based on the points raised by this article. The proposal employs lift-body LERX canard configuration. It is unstable in both the lateral and yaw directions. The proposal employs small aspect ratio wings with medium back sweep angle, relatively large dihedral canards, all moving vertical stabilizers far smaller than those on conventional fighter aircraft, and S-shaped belly intakes. According to our assessment, the proposed aircraft will have excellent supersonic drag characteristics, high AOA lift characteristics, high AOA stability and controllability, and excellent stealth characteristics. 8. Conclusion The aerodynamic design for the future fighter, compared with that of advanced modern fighters, will require more design features and subsequently pose greater challenges. Only in-depth study of fluid dynamics, exploration of the full practical potential of current aerodynamic designs, development of new design concepts, employment of corresponding systematic and control measures, and necessary compromise among numerous design proposals will allow us to achieve our design goals.

Farnborough International Air Show 2014 Video

F-35 in Farnborough International Air Show 2014



Eurofighter highlights the brand new radar system




Trophy : active-defense system for tanks and armored personnel carriers (APCs)

Operation Protective Edge is the first real test of Wind Jacket (known internationally as Trophy), the first-of-its-kind active-defense system for tanks and armored personnel carriers (APCs).
The defense system is based on radar from Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd. unit ELTA Systems, which identifies anti-tank or RPG fire headed towards the armored vehicle. When the threat is identified, the system works automatically, with no need for the tank crew to be aware of, or to operate it in real time: it calculates the rocket or missile’s trajectory, and, if it finds that it is headed for the vehicle on which it is installed, it intercepts and detonates it at a safe distance from the vehicle.
The first successful interception was in March 2011, when an RPG-7 rocket was intercepted above an IDF tank on patrol along the Gaza border. In addition, the system informs the tank crew of the exact location from which the missile or rocket was launched, so the crew can return fire accurately and hit the target.

SR - 71 Supersonic Blackbird

    SR-71 Blackbird

Fighter in Gif Picture

J-20 take-off


J-20 flight



J-20 landing


J-20 ground test




J-20 open weapons-bay


J-31 prototype



J-15 take off on the deck of CV16


J-10B



WZ-10