Military

20 Interesting (Yet Random) Images You Might Not Have Seen Before

By Jackson Chung October 28, 2014

What you’re looking at above is the high-tech F-35 Joint Strike Fighter helmet, developed by Vision Systems International along with Helmet Integrated Systems, Ltd. This Helmet-Mounted Display System (HMDS) fully utilizes the advanced avionics architecture of the F-35 and provides the pilot video with imagery in day or night conditions. Consequently, the F-35 is the first tactical fighter jet in 50 years to fly without a HUD. A BAE Systems Helmet tracker using the optical tracker from Carl Zeiss Optronics South Africa has been selected as a potential replacement. The Helmet-Mounted Display System was fully operational and ready to delivery in July 2014. Continue reading for more.

5 Interesting Facts About the Boeing X-37B Spacecraft

By Jackson Chung October 18, 2014

Nobody, not even internet users, know what the Air Force’s X-37B secret unmanned spacecraft was working on (or watching) for the past two years. It landed at 9:24am local time on October 17, 2014 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, according to the Air Force’s 30th Space Wing. What we do know is that its size doesn’t allow for much more than avionics equipment, fuel for the thrusters, and a mysterious cavity about the size of a truck bed that could that could possibly contain sensors, experiments, hardware, or even a bomb. Click here to view the first image in today’s viral picture gallery. Continue reading for a viral video about the largest collection of James Bond memorabilia.

These 10 Images Aren’t of the Next Space Shuttle, Just Lockheed’s C-5 Galaxy

By Jackson Chung October 13, 2014

Photo credit: VN

No, this isn’t a new design for the space shuttle, just Lockheed’s C-5 Galaxy. It’s used to provide the United States Air Force (USAF) with a heavy intercontinental-range strategic airlift capability, one that can carry outsize and oversize cargos, including all air-certifiable cargo. Lockheed proposed a twin body C-5 as a shuttle carrier to counter the Conroy Virtus, but the design was turned down. The C-5 is among the largest military aircraft in the world. Click here to view the first image in today’s viral picture gallery. Continue reading for a viral video of a hawk attacking a drone in mid-air.

5 Awesome Things You (Probably) Didn’t Know About the Navy’s Blitzer Railgun

By Jackson Chung October 8, 2014

A railgun is basically an electrically powered electromagnetic projectile launcher based on similar principles to the homopolar motor. A railgun comprises a pair of parallel conducting rails, along which a sliding armature is accelerated by the electromagnetic effects of a current that flows down one rail, into the armature and then back along the other rail. Continue reading for more.

When Stealth Jet Fighters Meet Helicopters, You Get the 253MPH Sikorsky S-97 Raider

By Jackson Chung October 5, 2014

Similar to Sikorsky’s groundbreaking X2 technology, the S-97 Raider also features a pair of fixed coaxial rotors made of rigid, counter-rotating blades along with a six-blade pusher propeller for reduction in hub drag as well a low acoustic signature, high cruise speed and improved high/hot hover performance. Continue reading for a live unveiling video and more information.

Boeing Unveils Xbox Gamepad-Controlled Death Ray That Can Shoot Down Drones in Any Weather Condition

By Jackson Chung September 15, 2014

Boeing has unveiled HEL MD (High Energy Laser Mobile Demonstrator), a truck-mounted weapon that uses an invisible laser beam to exact targets, the rounds are capable of taking down drones from the sky and even missiles in inclement weather. It’s equipped with a 10-kilowatt solid state laser and a radar system mounted atop a heavy truck at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida. Continue reading for a video and more information.

When Star Wars X-Wing Meets F-117A Nighthawk, You Get This Stealthy Ghost

By Jackson Chung August 22, 2014

What happens when you cross a Star Wars X-Wing, F-117A Nighthawk, and a speedboat? The “Ghost” by Juliet Marine. This crazy vessel was invented and designed by a medical tech millionaire Gregory Sancoff in Maine. It’s made to ‘fly’ above the water on legs and deliver marines into battle. The 38-foot long main cabin rests on top of a pair of 12-foot tall struts which, when moving at speed, prop the cabin above the water like a hydrofoil. Continue reading for more images and information.

When You Slice These 15 Bullets in Half, This is What’s Inside

By Jackson Chung July 19, 2014

Photo credit: Sabine Pearlman

Have you always wondered what bullets look like on the inside? Sabine Pearlman, an Austrian photographer currently based in Los Angeles, California, has just the photo series for you, titled “Ammo”. Pearlman was educated at the Pratt institute, the Otis College of Art and Design and Santa Monica College.

Marines Transform Ship Into Massive Truck, This Monstrosity Ensued

By Jackson Chung July 14, 2014

What happens when you combine an old ship and a truck? The UHAC of course, which stands for Ultra Heavy-Lift Amphibious Connector. Built to succeed hovercrafts, the final production UHAC will feature 2,500 square feet of parking space on the deck and be capable of carrying 150 tons of gear – 190 tons if modified with special upfitting. Continue reading for a video and more information.

DARPA Unveils Self-Guided Bullets That Can Change Course in Mid-Air

By Jackson Chung July 12, 2014

Photo credit: Cassini Design

You read that right, soon anyone can be an expert shot, thanks to this new bullet. DARPA’s Extreme Accuracy Tasked Ordnance (EXACTO) is basically a .50 caliber bullet that is capable of changing course in mid-air to stay locked on target. Technology development in Phase II included the design, integration and demonstration of aero-actuation controls, power sources, optical guidance systems, and sensors. Continue reading for a video.