Slitherine

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The two first vehicles, AVE-D and AVE-C, are scale model 1/100 (50kg) and 1/10 (500kg) stealth "tactical drones" (UAV), while the final version was to be a full-scale (5,000kg) prototype stealth "combat drone" (UCAV).

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ORIGINAL: Dysta

Well, French and Germany doesn't like short lifespan and smaller combat drones.

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The F-110 Frigate is the Spanish Navy’s next generation, multi-mission surface vessel due to see operation in the next decade. While Navantia will build the frigates, Lockheed Martin and Indra are among the industry team members supporting the programme’s combat system. Mönch's US correspondent Marty Kauchak gained insights on Lockheed Martin’s role in the F-110 programme from Mike Koch, the company’s Business Development Manager for International Programmes. Highlights of their discussion are provided.

Kids think about Iran and Amateurs think about Russia, but professionals think about China

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ORIGINAL: kevinkin

In the news this morning.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/u-china-military-planes-come-inadvertently-close-over-225515624.html

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The government has warned that almost one-third of the country’s remaining shipyards must close as Beijing wrestles with overcapacity in a range of heavy industries.

Shipbuilding became a symbol of China’s industrial might in the early 2000s, when Beijing vowed to transform its modest shipbuilding sector into the world’s largest producer by 2015 — then did it five years ahead of plan.

But China’s rise to pre-eminence coincided with a slump in global trade that gutted demand for new container ships, oil tankers and bulk carriers used for transporting commodities, just as a glut of new orders placed by over-bullish shipping lines was flooding the market.

In 2015, Premier Li Keqiang identified shipbuilding as one of the heavy industries on which he said China must “ruthlessly bring down the knife” to eliminate overcapacity.

The result is that China’s private sector shipyards have been virtually wiped from the map, while Beijing is keeping only the most viable state-run yards alive with subsidies.

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In part through this fast follower approach—building on a massive economy—China has or is developing formidable capabilities and capacities in all shipbuilding-relevant areas (including steel, aluminum, structural and dynamic engineering, electronics, electrical power systems, engines—albeit with European licensing and Russian and Ukrainian assistance, and civilian nuclear technologies). Moreover, in entering industries, China tends to destroy pricing and introduce deflation. While potentially counterproductive regarding profitability and wealth in commercial shipbuilding itself, such “bending the curve” might allow Beijing to continue to afford a massive fleet buildout in ways that earlier shipbuilding powers never managed. If a Chinese juggernaut can truly succeed in changing the structural cost of sea power and naval warfare in a way that places the United States on the wrong end of a costly capabilities competition, the ramifications for the USN will be serious indeed.

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-snip-

OSHA has the power to fine companies that are negligent in upholding safety, but another branch of government can award them contracts worth millions of dollars at the same time. We all love to discuss the nuances of how ships are built and what they can do, but we rarely discuss the dangers involved in putting one together. Seventy-six people have died in the private shipbuilding and repair industry between 2005 and 2015, according to the report. And shipbuilders face an 80 percent higher chance of injury and illness than construction workers.

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ORIGINAL: Dysta

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ORIGINAL: kevinkin

In the news this morning.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/u-china-military-planes-come-inadvertently-close-over-225515624.html

The usual China-US aircraft escalations keep reminds me: what if there's no 9/11, and US decided to launch the attack against China because of her belligerence?

Maybe US fares better chance to fight in 2001 than 2017, as well as avoided the Afghanistan deathtrap? Wish there's a grand scenario of US-China WW3 in 2001 to find out. Back in the day, the 'Raptor killer' J-10 and 'Carrier killer' DF-21D aren't in service yet.

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ORIGINAL: KungPao

Hey, who needs a J-10? We have the "RAPTOR KILLER" J-8. Just joking, just joking.
I don't think 911 is a game changer for Sino-US relationship.Joining WTO is, and President Bush did cleared most of the obstacles in early of 2001.

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India successfully test-fired its interceptor missile off the Odisha coast on Saturday, achieving a significant milestone in the direction of developing a two-layered Ballistic Missile Defence system.

The interceptor was launched from Abdul Kalam Island (Wheeler Island) of ITR at about 7.45 am. This mission, termed as "PDV mission is for engaging the targets in the exo-atmosphere region at an altitude above 50 km of earth's atmosphere", said a Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO) official. "Both, the PDV interceptor and the two stage target missile, were successfully engaged," he said.

The target was developed for mimicking a hostile Ballistic Missile approaching from more than 2000 km away was launched from a ship anchored in the Bay of Bengal. In an automated operation, radar based detection and tracking system detected and tracked the enemy's ballistic missile. The computer network with the help of data received from radars predicted the trajectory of the incoming Ballistic Missile.

PDV that was kept fully ready, took-off once the computer system gave the necessary command for lift-off. The Interceptor guided by high accuracy Inertial Navigation System (INS) supported by a Redundant Micro Navigation System moved towards the estimated point of the interception.

Once the missile crossed the atmosphere, the Heat Shield ejected and the IR Seeker dome opened to look at the Target location as designated by the Mission Computer. With the help of Inertial Guidance and IR Seeker the missile moved for interception. All events were monitored in real-time by the Telemetry/Range Stations, at various other locations.

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ORIGINAL: SASR

This is insane. 104 swarming drones from only 3 Super Hornets.

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ORIGINAL: Dysta

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ORIGINAL: SASR

This is insane. 104 swarming drones from only 3 Super Hornets.

What about 1000?

(I know, these are civilian toys, but they did in flight formation as Guinness recorded it)

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ORIGINAL: Tailhook

Do you have any setting besides "China does everything better 110% of the time"? This isn't even remotely comparable.

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The French Ministry of Defence announced that a French Navy (Marine Nationale) Rafale M carrier-borne multirole fighter successfully launched an ASMPA missile during a simulated nuclear strike mission.
During the test which took place on Tuesday, February 14, 2017, a Rafale M took off from the Avord Air Force Base and completed a flight of more than four hours. The flight involved all the phases of an airborne deterrent mission: transit flight, successive refuelings, low-altitude penetration, very low altitude phase with terrain following radar and precision launch of the ASMPA missile on a test area at the DGA missile test center of Biscarrosse (South West of France).

This assessment and evaluation of the Rafale / ASMPA missile combo is representative of a real mission of the French airborne nuclear component.

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Charles de Gaulle, the French Navy's (Marine Nationale) sole nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, entered a dry dock this week at Toulon naval base following 15 years of operational deployments during which it was involved in most of the international conflicts in which France took part (Afghanistan, Libya, Levant) and in particular three times since January 2015.

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According to Brazilian daily newspaper Estado, the Brazilian Navy (Marinha do Brasil) has just decided to decommission its sole aircraft carrier Sao Paulo (hull number A12) acquired from France in 2000. Brazil has long been considering a modernization plan for the aircraft carrier with French naval shipbuilding group DCNS, but according to Estado, "modernization costs were considered excessive by the admiralty".

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Though these ten recommendations might enrage Beijing, there are other more upsetting items on the horizon that would drive China over the edge.

One is the prospect that Taiwan will request procurement of the F-35 fighter. Taiwanese military sources indicate that the air force will soon have a requirement to procure 60 F-35B short take-off/vertical landing fighters and 150 F-35A conventional fighters to replace ageing Mirage 2000s, Indigenous Defence Fighters and F-5 Tigers.

The US released a $3.4 billion upgrade programme for Taiwan’s 144 remaining F-16A/B Block 20 fighters, but withheld its request for 66 new F-16C/D Block 50/52 fighters, citing Beijing’s threats that the sale would be a red line.