Military Archive

dronesUS targets a megawatt laser by 2023 and then deployment in drones and satellites for hypersonic and ICBM defense

August 15, 2018 | brian wang |
 
The US Congress wants the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) to rapidly develop and demonstrate a boost-phase ICBM (and hypersonic weapon) intercept capability as soon as practicable. Space-based laser weapons technology is one of the options. The DARPA High Energy Liquid …
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futureUK performing 50 kilowatt Dragonfire combat laser testing

August 15, 2018 | brian wang |
 
Components arrived in early 2018 for the UK Dragonfire combat laser. QinetiQ will start building the weapon’s laser source in the purpose-built clean room. Over the following months, the laser source will undergo a process of evaluation and adjustment before …
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air forceAir Force awards Lockheed up to $480 million for air launched hypersonic weapon test

August 14, 2018 | brian wang |
 
The US Air Force is giving Lockheed Martin a second hypersonic weapon contract. This will be for up to $480 million. Lockheed is to conduct air-launched rapid response weapon critical design review and test and production readiness support. The work …
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iranIran getting low enriched uranium back from Russia

August 13, 2018 | brian wang |
 
Iran is taking back another batch of the 20% enriched uranium stockpiles that were sent to Russia as part of the 2015 nuclear deal. 11 tons of low enriched uranium was originally sent from Iran to Russia. Iran has already …
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airplanesUSA, Russia and China next generation fighters will have Photonic radar for long range detection of stealth planes

August 11, 2018 | brian wang |
 
Russia, China and the USA will have ultra-high resolution photonic radar on future planes to spot and target stealth fighters. Russia has started to invest in military applications of photonic radar technology. The Pentagon has a lead with photonic radar …
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economic impactBoeing believes mach 5 hypersonic passenger planes might have better economics than mach 2 supersonic

August 11, 2018 | brian wang |
 
Boeing has selected mach 5.0 as the top speed for a hypersonic passenger jet because that greatly simplifies the structural materials and the propulsion. Standard titanium alloys used in aircraft and jet engines today are strong enough to survive the …
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chinaChina weakness is foreign oil dependence but will they scale to building two nuclear reactors per week

August 10, 2018 | brian wang |
 
China initially announced 25% tariffs on $16 billion worth of US imports, including oil products, LPG and coal in a new list of affected goods but left off import duties on US crude oil. The crude oil may have been …
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militaryRequest for $8 billion over 5 years would just be to set up the Space Force

August 10, 2018 | brian wang |
 
President Trump will request that Congress set aside $8 billion over the next five years to fund the creation of the Department of the Space Force, which will oversee Space Force and the commercial exploration of space by private companies. …
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hypersonicUS designing space-based missile interceptors and space sensors to counter hypersonic missiles

August 10, 2018 | brian wang |
 
The US Missile Defense Agency and Defense Department have started designing space-based missile interceptors and space sensor that will be used for missile defenses and hypersonic defense. Rich Abott, Defense Daily, reported statements made at Wednesdays Space and Missile Defense …
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air forceChina has some military systems that match US gear but it will be 2030s to build matching quantity

August 9, 2018 | brian wang |
 
China has new Navy 055 destroyer than might be better than the US Arleigh Burke Destroyer but is not better than the Zumwalt. China is currently only planning to build eight 055 destroyers. China will likely have new destroyers and …
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