Senate The Weekly Discussion of Military Technology

Well, don't you think that's a bit like the middle age guy who was captain of his football team in high school reflecting on his "glory days?" What you're saying is a bit complicated, don't you think?

Ship for ship, the Dutch Navy at its peak in the 1600's probably eclipsed the British Navy of the 1800's, if one factored in the 200 year difference. In the early 1600's, Amsterdam was the center of world trade. As a result, the Dutch pioneered an entirely new class of ship, switching from the heavy man-o-war as it was called, to what would become known as the frigate, which was a sleeker, longer range fighting ship. Of course, Dutch dominance was short, because starting in the late 1600's, France engaged in an orgy of military action, which resulted in constant war in Europe, and basically ended up bankrupting everyone, including the Netherlands. England filled the void as a result.

The pre- WWII Japanese navy dominated the Eastern half of the world. As an example, in 1905, what is known as the battle of Tsushima, the Japanese navy decimated Russia, in what was for all purposes, the first modern naval battle fought of the previous era. Japan sunk 21 ships and captured 13 more with only a loss of 3 small unarmored boats. The result was that Russia would not really field a navy again for 50 years. Just prior to WWII, unlike the royal navy, the Japanese invested in carriers early on. Japan had more carriers, and no less than 12 battleships by 1941.

Which leads us to the US Navy of 1941. At the time of the Pearl Harbor attack in Dec. 1941, the US had 7 aircraft carriers. Just 4 years later, the US Navy had 28 carriers. Even though the Japanese imperial navy was the strongest in the world, the US Navy never lost a battle after 1942, and removed Japan as a naval power. And this also factors in the US fought a "two ocean war," in the Atlantic and the Pacific. Currently, the US is the world's only sea power.

One could also look to earlier times, but comparisons start to get a little difficult to do. The Greek navy of 480BC ruled the Aegean Sea. The Chinese navy of the Ming Dynasty (roughly 1450) with its fabled "treasure ships," and so on...

I guess it just depends on what one is looking for. The Dutch had roughly 70 years of naval domination. Britain had roughly 100 years of naval domination. Japan had half a century of naval domination. The US is in its 7th decade of naval domination. It all balances out in the end.

 

This is a fairly crappy excuse for a video, and as an engineer I have serious reservations about the practicality and usefulness of this plan. But my inner fanboy would love it.

 

Eh, no. Honestly I don't even see what good it was to modernize the Iowas back in the 80's. Any theater where the Kirovs would be operating in would be more than important enough to attract the attention of one or more aircraft carrier battle groups, and any such confrontation would end only one way...with the Kirovs at the bottom of the ocean. Heck, even in World War II the Iowas didn't do much of anything...they were just expensive anti-aircraft escorts. I'm kinda scratching my head as to how they managed to acquire such a legendary status.

Anyway, the Navy's already scraping the bottom of the barrel trying to come up with the money for the F-35, new carriers, new missile subs. and just trying to keep ships regularly maintained. The last thing they'd need is to add the Iowas back into the fleet.

 

U.S. military reviewing its rules after fitness trackers exposed sensitive data

 

I used to jog perimeter roads in Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, etc. Now I'm glad I never got into Fitbit or those kinds of trackers.

 

US Navy releases video of a Russian fighter jet buzzing one of its planes

I guess Russia has their own "Maverick."

 

Did he flip him the birdski?

 

lol, so our military's cybersecurity experts never picked up on this potential security breach? Then again, considering we got the F-35 blueprints stolen by China and Russia hacking the DNC, I guess we get an F in cyberdefense.

 

Pew pew pew

The Navy has a laser cannon now.

 

Guess we'll have to come up with some new type of stealth

Russia has started to invest in military applications of photonic radar technology. The Pentagon has a lead with photonic radar technology. The Pentagon has several photonics-based technology development program underway for radars, signals intelligence and other applications.

It is believed photonic radar would provide the ability to detect stealth fighters at longer ranges perhaps as far as 300 miles.

Photonic radar would also be small and light enough for drones.

 

The Pentagon plans to deploy a space based missile system

Just a matter of time I guess.

 

So they want to put these expensive interceptor missiles in orbit...when Russia and China already have anti-satellite weapons that can shoot them down...

 

Hybersonic sniper rifle

Mach 5.8 or 6500 feet per second. Interesting too:

In the 1930s, the U.S. Government experimented with very high velocity bullets. Springfield Armory, then a U.S. government small arms research and production facility, reached experimental velocities between 8,500 and 9,000 feet per second.

 

Modular equipment pods for C-130s

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zo...LdVdxOajAyfp0rVyEQYh2jiwq8_OJ3oRN9i2ST0wnf5go

 

You can pretty much use a C-130 for anything, right? I mean once the B-52's die of old age, you can probably start putting cruise missiles on C-130s.

 

I'm sure you could. The Herk has launched various drones and small missiles, and it's still the only plane capable of dropping the "Mother Of All Bombs."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GBU-43/B_MOAB

 

Radio jammer used against Iranian drones: https://www.popularmechanics.com/mi...Z9wW4czmTFyhv8svm40Wp353NsYKS9pSldDrW-9bNb6FU

 

A-10's are getting new wings good for 10,000 flight hours.

https://www.popularmechanics.com/mi...E_RDYhpe5aZhPc1N3XUUW9HU6EEj4doTQN1bYF62uJZ_Y

 

Quantum radar: https://www.popularmechanics.com/mi...OM5dTHgSUYMByLdEaoFSiwQcwASYOy6yJnkC_ZLiITkz0

 

AC-130 gunship to try out laser weapon. https://www.military.com/daily-news...wqAsjDNi8iAuIanYF9V2xtYQDlhRHPHSmitdKdR9WZ2FI

Pigs with frickin' lasers.

 

And now pigs with frickin' missiles: https://breakingdefense.com/2020/05...9oXbmQK6MG6MV9yl66ACGi7Ofgopyg8bTeb9BQulGV274

 

A little more detail on the laser-pig: https://www.c4isrnet.com/battlefiel...ZWMVfK95RMSd1dRhJ836hfUs-SEZa9zvlnGJ3WlsJ2_OQ

 

Good tests of Raytheon's new stand-off glide bomb, GBU-53/B Stormbreaker. https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zo...3x0FiKykYJoJD5pfBAituix6LxnBfbGAllCM_c6QOy8-M

 

Sikorsky-Boeing has a new helicopter in competition to replace US Army Blackhawk. IMO it sort of looks like Toothless from How to Train Your Dragon:

https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/aviation/a32871254/sb-1-defiant-speed/?source=nl&utm_source=nl_pop&utm_medium=email&date=061920&utm_campaign=nl20639999&src=nl&fbclid=IwAR3ZB9F-Owq0uG_JIfFqVp9rfoYbdOJLfzpuKLscfhedi__MJTSYTRQHJrYO,