South of Tucson, in a stretch of Arizona desert that looks like any other patch of scrub and sun, a plain concrete entrance leads straight down into one of the most complete remnants of the Cold War. This is Complex 571-7, the single surviving Titan II missile site preserved exactly as it stood when the last crews walked out in 1987. Everything else from the original fifty-four sites was destroyed or buried. Here the underground command center and the missile itself remain untouched.
British officials announced an order for 72 units of the RCH 155 howitzer mounted on Boxer armored vehicles. The deal carries a value near one billion pounds and marks a major step in restoring the army’s long-range fire support after earlier systems went to Ukraine. Deliveries start in 2028 with full operations expected around 2030.
Armored vehicles now roll out with thick layers of explosive reactive armor that detonate on contact and blunt older anti-tank munitions. Saab created the HEAT 758 to cut straight through that problem. The round slides into the familiar 84-millimeter Carl-Gustaf recoilless rifle and carries two shaped charges arranged in sequence. The lead charge strikes first and clears a path by disrupting the reactive plates. Moments later the main charge jets forward and bores into the vehicle’s base armor.
Photo credit: NASA / Lori Losey
On April 14, video footage captured NASA’s X-59 silent supersonic research aircraft speeding through the skies over California’s Mojave Desert. Lockheed Martin built the jet, which has a needle-shaped nose and an engine located high on its back. It is nearly 100 feet long and has a wingspan of little under 30 feet. Engineers published the recording as part of an update to the QueSST program, which aims to enable supersonic travel over land by reducing the thunderous boom into a soothing thud.
Intelligence operatives have used some innovative techniques to snoop on information without ever having to step foot inside a target building. A simple approach that involves lasers has been around for eons, and transforms a standard window into a makeshift bug.
Northrop Grumman has released a brief teaser that shows off its sixth-generation fighter concept, and what a look it is. For a few seconds, the camera circles the plane, displaying all of the important lines. The broad nose leads to a spacious cockpit, and the intake vents are tucked firmly up against the fuselage, making them difficult to see. The long, diamond-shaped wings emerge, their outer panels fully folded up. The strengthened landing gear is at the front, ready for a carrier catapult launch, with two wheels and a launch bar, and the curvy doors at the bottom indicate that there is plenty of space inside, even though you can’t see much.
Modern battlefields have a serious problem on their hands, as drones are making life a nightmare for ground forces worldwide. These small, troublesome machines fly in low and fast, often carrying explosives or cameras, and soldiers try to bring them down with anything they can get their hands on. The problem is that most of the time, a single bullet simply misses the mark because the targets zigzag all over the place, leaving little profile to aim at.
Landmines and unexploded shells transform tracts of terrain into silent time bombs, slowing armies and claiming lives long after the conflict has ended. The British have begun employing small drones to undertake reconnaissance work for them first, allowing the computer to identify the threats so that soldiers can stay back and complete the job more quickly.
Soldiers rely on machines capable of blasting over tough terrain and completing any assignment. One of those dependable devices is ready to make its public debut for the first time, GM Defense’s Infantry Squad Vehicle-Utility (ISV-U), also known as the real-life Halo Warthog. This 5-seater tactical platform is preparing to roll across the block at Barrett-Jackson’s Palm Beach auction on April 18 at 3:30 p.m. Eastern, all to benefit the Medal of Honor Foundation.
