The U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM), Army Research Laboratory researchers, University of Texas at Austin and Uber partnered to research the acoustic properties of electric vertical takeoff / landing aircraft that use distributed electric propulsion to power flight. These eVTOL aircraft could be used in future aerial surveillance and cargo transport missions using smaller rotors than traditional helicopters. Read more for a video and additional information.
Photo credit: Peta Pixel
During World War 2 (1939-1945), photographers used the massive K-17 Army Air Force aerial cameras to capture images from above. They came equipped with a 6″ focal length Metrogon lens and was considered the standard for mapping cameras of its day as well as long after the war. The 20th Air Force used it for some reconnaissance photography with the K-17 and 12″ lens late in the war. However, they were most commonly used for mapping with the 6″ Metrogon lens. Read more for another picture and additional information.
RIDA, a company that specializes in armored transportation and evacuation vehicles, unveils the Buran 4×4, which combines a powerful chassis elements with near impenetrable protection. It uses box-shaped modules to increase structural strength, complete with reinforced openings and overlapped designs that protect anyone inside. The vehicle has B6-level and STANAG Level-2 protection, which means it can easily sustain blasts of up to 600g TNT. Read more for a video and additional information.
GM Defense LLC announced today that it has completed its first delivery of the Infantry Squad Vehicle (ISV) – a light and agile all-terrain troop carrier intended to transport a nine-soldier infantry squad and their equipment – to the U.S. Army. This contract will require the automaker to manufacture 649 ISVs and support the production of up to 2,065 vehicles with additional authorization over eight years. Read more to see it in-action and for additional information.
Photo credit: Boeing
The Boeing Loyal Wingman drone aircraft, which is being developed with the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), moved under its own power for the first time. It reached a maximum speed of 16mph on the ground and demonstrated several activities while maneuvering as well as stopping on command. A total of three Loyal Wingman prototypes will form the Airpower Teaming System that Boeing will offer customers worldwide. Read more for two videos and additional information.
Team Tempest, a UK-based technology and defense partnership formed by BAE Systems, Leonardo, MBDA, Rolls-Royce and the RAF, is currently working with hundreds of high-tech companies, SMEs as well as academia across the UK to develop a next-generation combat air system. Leonardo UK is working on new radar technology for the sixth-generation Tempest fighter jet capable of providing over 10,000 times more data than existing systems. It’s officially called the ‘Multi-Function Radio Frequency System’ and not only collects, but also processes unprecedented amounts of data on the battlespace. Read more for a video and additional information.
Photo credit: Ryan Hanyok / U.S. Navy
Located at the Naval Surface Warfare Center in Indian Head, Maryland, the US Navy Indoor Sea Simulator is basically a 12-million-gallon, football-field-size pool. Featuring 216 electronically-controlled wave boards, each with its own motor synced up to software, capable of recreating eight ocean conditions, whether it be calm or typhoon-like, across all seven seas. Read more for two videos and additional information.
In the military, working dogs are mainly used to scout areas for explosives devices and hazardous materials when assisting in rescue operations. The one caveat is having to giving these dogs the necessary commands to perform these missions, as this can put a soldier in harm’s way. Command Sight, Inc. wants to change that using augmented goggles that allow a dog’s handler to give it specific directional commands while keeping the soldier remote and out of sight. Read more for another picture and additional information.
Upshot–Knothole Grable was a nuclear weapons test conducted by the United States as part of Operation Upshot–Knothole and detonation happened 19 seconds after its deployment at 8:30am PDT on May 25, 1953, in Area 5 of the Nevada Test Site. Why was it codenamed Grable? Well, it was chosen because the letter Grable is phonetic for G, as in “gun”, since the warhead was a gun-type fission weapon. Read more to see what it looks like after neural networks have upscaled and colorized the footage.
Oculus founder Palmer Luckey’s new company, Anduril, has just debuted their AI-powered Ghost 4 military drone. It runs on the Lattice platform capable of handling complex missions and collecting all the data into an easy-to-view dashboard, enabling just one person to operate a swarm of drones. This artificial intelligence-based platform also lets it perform 32 trillion operations per second, making it 100 times faster than other drones currently on the market. Read more for two videos and additional information.