Current Events in the Americas

Apparently fighters with AESA radars can disable cruise missiles electronics upto 180 Km/55 nm range: https://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htairfo/articles/20221229.aspx

BEST OF ANTI-MISSILES AXED DefenseTech.org Edited by Noah Shachtman The most successful part of the star-crossed missile defense system has been the one based at sea. So, naturally, the Pentagon has decided to cut the program's budget, Defense Daily reports. Launched from cruisers off the Hawaiian coast, the Standard Missile-3 interceptors have managed to hit their targets in five out of six recent tests. Land-based anti-missiles, on the other hand, couldn't even make it into the air during two recent exercises over the winter. But never mind all that. The sea-based interceptors have been slated for a $95 million cut. That could keep a key signal processor …

Nice article on the B-1B Lancer ... The Bone is back ... and from the article, a link to a pretty cool video:

US Navy Missile Defense: The Vision Realized ... a series of articles about US Navy missile defense, yesterday, today, and tomorrow (from Defense Media Network) Part 1: The Transition From Guns to Missiles Part 2: Building and Deploying the US Navys Missile Fleet with Urgency Part 3: Getting Surface-to-Air Missile Development Started Part 4: The Three Ts Talos, Terrier, and Tartar Part 5: Building an Aegis Fleet Part 6: The Tipping Point Part 7: The Vision Realized - The evolution of Aegis BMD

Does Canada Need Submarines? (Canadian Military Journal (CMJ))

From Aviation Week GD Keeps EFV, But Program Redrawn Jun 8, 2007 Michael Bruno/Aerospace Daily & Defense Report The U.S. Navy and Marine Corps will allow General Dynamics to keep the troubled Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle (EFV) program, but the Corps will dramatically scale back its future orders and restructure the contract to address award fees among other concerns, officials told reporters June 7 at the Pentagon. The program now will seek only 573 EFVs, almost halved from 1,013 units previously, and officials have built in a delay of four to five years in the schedule. Milestone C approval is slated for mid-2011, instead of last January, and full…

Seems JASSM is back from the brink and is proving itself ... maybe? From ARES Blog Sue Payton's "Kick Ass Missile" Posted by Amy Butler at 8/1/2008 10:49 AM CDT Take a look at the slick new video made by Lockheed Martin and showing its new cruise missile's recent successes. Company officials say the video has not been doctored in any way, and the images were captured from test video. After dipping to an all-time low reliability last year of 58% and experiencing a major cost overrun, the Air Force now reports the fixes to the stealthy cruise missile have boosted reliability to 88%. Good thing, since the weapon costs nearly $1 million per copy. Sue Paty…

From Defense Aerospace USS Freedom Commissioned in Milwaukee (Source: US Navy; issued Nov. 8, 2008) MILWAUKEE, Wisc. --- The crew of USS Freedom (LCS 1) ushered in a new era in naval warfare on Nov. 8 as the ship was brought to life at Milwaukee's Veterans Park before a crowd of nearly 10,000. The ship was officially placed in commission by Secretary of the Navy Donald C. Winter, who remarked the Navy was commissioning not just Freedom but a new class of naval war ships. "In this platform we are making the right investments in our future security and in our prosperity," Winter said. "For those of you who will have the privilege of serving in Freedom you w…

From Ares Check it out. Brazen?

First pics: X-47B Unmanned Aircraft Aboard Carrier Truman (DefenseNews' Intercepts blog) Lots of high res pics.

From Flight International Northrop Grumman outlines B-2 bomber enhancements as USAF reveals plan to also boost strike fleet with new aircraft design By Graham Warwick USAF to also boost strike fleet with new aircraft design High-energy laser weapons are a potential future upgrade for the Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit bomber, which is expected to remain in service beyond 2050. Improved passive and active stealth techniques are also expected to be needed beyond 2020 to keep the type viable as a penetrating bomber, the company says. A US Air Force advanced concepts simulation exercise in November evaluated use of a solid-state laser system for positive combat ide…

Navy can use sonar despite environmental fight By Paul Elias - The Associated Press Posted : Friday Aug 31, 2007 18:04:17 EDT SAN FRANCISCO — The Navy can use high-power sonar during exercises off the Southern California coast, despite the technology’s threat to whales and other marine mammals, a federal appeals court ruled Friday. National security interests outweigh the possible harm to marine life, a three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals determined in overturning a judge’s order banning the practice. “The public does indeed have a very considerable interest in preserving our natural environment and especially relatively scarce whal…

From Defense Aerospace Government of Canada Frigate Modernization Contract Benefits Forces and Economy (Source: Public Works and Government Services Canada; issued Nov. 8, 2008) (N.B.: All monetary amounts are in Canadian dollars) GATINEAU --- The Minister of Public Works and Government Services Canada, the Honourable Christian Paradis, and the Honourable Peter Gordon MacKay, Minister of National Defence and Minister for the Atlantic Gateway, today announced that the Government of Canada awarded two long-term contracts to Lockheed Martin Canada for the Combat Systems Integration (CSI) Design and Build and In-Service Support elements of the modernization of Ca…

U.S. At Risk From Boats Packed with Explosives: Admiral By CAROLINE DREES and EDGAR ANG, REUTERS Find it here. The United States must close security gaps that could let small boats packed with explosives slip into ports and stage attacks like the one that killed 17 personnel on the U.S. warship Cole in Yemen, the new Coast Guard chief said on May 31. Adm. Thad Allen, who took over as commandant of the Coast Guard last week, said officials had to do more to help thwart such stealthy strikes, which could cause massive damage to ports, oil facilities, ports, cruise ships or tankers. "Our own threat analysis and vulnerability analysis tell us there is a …

Navy’s EA-6B Prowler Takes Last Active Duty Flight Before Sunset Ceremony (USNI News)

From Flight Global DATE: 12/04/10 SOURCE: Flight International USAF may convert some F-15Cs to radar jammers By Stephen Trimble The US Air National Guard may convert some Boeing F-15C Eagles into electronic warfare platforms, possibly adding an entirely new role for the classic air superiority fighter. Adding a jamming pod on the F-15C's currently empty centreline weapon station becomes possible after a subset of the fleet is upgraded with the Raytheon APG-63(V)3 active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, says Maj Todd Giggy, chief of weapons and tactics for the 159th Fighter Sqd. "We're actively looking right now at an electronic warfare capa…

Britain a "crude colonial power in decline" says Argentine President Tension brewing in the South Atlantic?

US Navy weighs halving LCS order (DefenseNews)

With interesting comparative graphics of ASM ranges: http://breakingdefense.com/2017/07/navy-warships-get-new-heavy-missile-2500-lb-lrasm/?_ga=2.104116160.1362042610.1501179798-486591487.1497889324&utm_content=buffera0230&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer

More scenario fodder for the new battlesets! Get cracking! From Ares Iranian Shock Troops in Venezuela? Posted by John M. Doyle at 7/29/2010 12:27 PM CDT It was a little surprising near the end of the (July 27) Senate confirmation hearing for Marine Corps Gen. James Mattis to be the new head of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) when Sen. George LeMieux (R-Fla.) brought up Venezuela. LeMieux said he was very concerned about the connection between Iran and Venezuela including secret flights between the two countries and the presence of “Iranian shock troops in Venezuela.” LeMieux, who was appointed last year to serve out the remaining term of Mel Martine…