Current Events

Crisis Stability and Long Range Strike: A Comparative Analysis of Fighters, Bombers, and Missiles (RAND study, PDF)

Interesting and not far of the Harpoon simulation outcomes: http://www.navyrecognition.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3691

Even if you're not interested in buying George Friedman's book, The Next 100 Years, this excerpt does make for some potentially interesting discussion ... From Stratfor OVERTURE: An Introduction to the American Age Imagine that you were alive in the summer of 1900, living in London, then the capital of the world. Europe ruled the Eastern Hemisphere. There was hardly a place that, if not ruled directly, was not indirectly controlled from a European capital. Europe was at peace and enjoying unprecedented prosperity. Indeed, European interdependence due to trade and investment was so great that serious people were claiming that war had become impossible—and if no…

By KATE WILTROUT, The Virginian-Pilot © May 3, 2005 HamptonRoads.com The Navy plans to create a sonar training range where its forces can learn to detect enemy submarines. But with sonar known to have contributed to some whale deaths and possibly linked to other cases of animal distress – including a recent beaching incident, shown above, on the Outer Banks - a battle is brewing. Four months ago, as a half-dozen Navy ships practiced hunting submarines off the coast, more than 30 whales of various species stranded and died on North Carolina’s Outer Banks. The Navy said no sub-detecting sonar had been used within 50 miles of the beach during the exercise, a…

Full PDF article at National Defense University Excerpt follows, from Defense Aerospace: "Faced with the prospect of aerial stealth proliferation, states in the 21st century are looking for anti-stealth defense options. One such alternative, passive radar, appears a cost-effective counter to stealth. Passive radar is a receive-only system that uses transmitters of opportunity. Integrating a system of netted receivers, passive radar can detect, track, and target piloted and unpiloted stealth systems and provide cuing for antiair weapons systems. A passive radar system emits no radio energy and can be well camouflaged in both urban and rural landscapes. The thre…

SINKEX Live-fire Exercises Deliver Realistic Training (Defense Media Network)

Snake in a plane: http://alert5.com/2012/09/21/snake-goes-hiding-inside-mig-21/

Looks like another step close to David Drake's "Hammer's Slammers" storyline. U.S. Army Balks at Sending Laser Weapon to Iraq By REUTERS DefenceNews

Pakistan Today reports: Iran taking initial steps towards making nuclear submarine (http://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2012/06/19/news/foreign/iran-taking-initial-steps-towards-making-nuclear-submarine/) Maybe those crazy Iranians were't joking after all. I think its still too soon to see. You be the judge. This ought to start some active conversation on ye olde forum!

Global Trends 2030: Alternative Worlds (National Intelligence Council)

Has to be the Orlan/"Kirov" for me...

Do Joint Fighter Programs Save Money? (RAND report, PDF)

Nuclear-conventional Firebreaks and the Nuclear Taboo (CBSA)

The Need for SEAD Part II: The Evolving Threat (War on the Rocks)

From the January 2009 issue of Defense Technology International USA Estimated 2009 budget: $608 billion Percent of GDP: 4.25 Personnel under arms: 2.28 million (includes reserves) United Kingdom Estimated 2009 budget: GBP 37 billion ($56.6 billion) Percent of GDP: 2.5 Personnel under arms: 173,370 (as of 1 July 2008) India Estimated 2009 budget: $26.5 billion (for FY 08, ending 31 March; 2009-10 budget not available) Percent of GDP: 1.9 Personnel under arms: 1.15 million Russia Estimated 2009 budget: 1.34 trillion rubles ($49 billion) Percent of GDP: 2.6 Personnel under arms: 1.134 million Germany Estimated 2009 budget: Euro 31.1 billion (…

Cool War Rising (Foreign Policy)

ELF still controversial BY EMILY FAWVER Spooner Advocate Last Updated: Wednesday, May 11th, 2005 10:14:16 AM On Sept. 30, 2004, the United States Navy shut down the much-debated Project ELF (extremely low frequency) stations in Clam Lake, Wis., and Republic, Mich., after the Navy said the project was outdated and no longer of use. Project ELF was built in 1968 and started transmitting ELF waves in 1989. The purpose of the project was to communicate with deeply submerged, fast-moving Trident and fast attack submarines, each carrying 24 missiles with up to eight nuclear warheads. The Navy used ELF waves because the waves are able to deeply penetrate the o…

From IISS Introduction: Statement by IISS Director-General (Source: International Institute of Strategic Studies; issued Jan. 27, 2009) Welcome to the launch of the 2009 The Military Balance. Joining me to answer your questions today are: James Hackett, Editor of The Military Balance, Alex Nicoll, Director of Editorial, Nigel Inkster, Director for Transnational Threats and Political Risk; Tim Huxley, Executive Director IISS-Asia; Oksana Antonenko, Senior Fellow for Russia and Eurasia; Christopher Langton, Senior Fellow for Armed Conflict and Defence Diplomacy; Dana Allin, Editor of Survival and Senior Fellow for US Foreign Policy and Transatlantic Affairs; Ma…

What if the Aircraft Carrier Had Never Been Invented? (Atlantic Council)

NAVY WANTS UNDERWATER SPYCAM NET Defense Tech Submarines have been part of America's arsenal since the Civil War. But we still don't have a very good idea about what lies below. Even the coastal, or littoral, waters remain something of a mystery -- which is why the USS San Francisco ran aground in January. And trying to track the sneaky little diesel subs that Tehran and Beijing are stockpiling? That can be even harder still. The Office of Naval Research's solution: a semi-autonomous "network of fixed bottom and mobile sensors" that can track ships and subs along in the shallows. According to Defense Industry Daily, the Navy's big thinkers have just handed Penn …