Archive for 'Military News'

Battlefield robots have been in use for a while now proving their worth in many situations. But no matter how good they may perform it will never stop researchers looking for new ways to improve the robots for optimal use on the battlefield.

The HARV - Head-Aimed Remote Viewer - is a new development by Chatten Associates which promises to do just that, claiming to improve mission performance by 300% to 400%.Check Out The Video After The Jump

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The Pentagon announced last Thursday that a Navy warship has been tasked with shooting down a failing United States spy satellite that is expected to hit Earth within weeks.

In a joint news conference, NASA administrator Michael Griffin and Gen. James Cartwright, the No. 2 officer at the Defense Department, told reporters that an SM-3 missile – originally designed to inbound ballistic missiles - will be fired from a Navy cruiser during the next month to obliterate the inbound spacecraft.

The idea is to break apart the satellite to rid it of toxic fuels which are stored in its tank.The USS Shiloh will be one of three warships that will use the system to target the defunct satellite. Deputy National Security Adviser James Jeffrey, briefing reporters at the Pentagon, did not say when the attempted interception would be conducted, but the satellite is expected to hit Earth somewhere in the Pacific Ocean during the first week of March.

Although Cartwright would not comment on the odds of success it is true that several successful anti-ballistic mile tests have been already conducted from the cruisers, most frequently from the USS Shiloh, but no test has the urgency or high profile as the impending satellite shoot-down.

The Standard Missile 3 (SM-3) can target an object as high as 310 miles when fired vertically. After the third stage of the rocket is spent, the kill vehicle finds the satellite with infrared sensors and then steers towards the target.

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Corner shot is a high-tech weapon support system that provides the ability to observe, acquire and engage targets from “around the corner”.

Designed to enable military, law enforcement and security operators to effectively observe and engage targets without being exposed, Corner Shot consists of a segmented, assault rifle-type folding stock - complete with a high-resolution video camera and color display - onto which a pistol of choice can be attached. A lateral left and right swinging hinge mechanism and a remote trigger control allow the user to squeeze the trigger from behind the safety and comfort of any suitable structure

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The Navy is hoping that their latest project, a 10 megajoule railgun, will replace the standard 5-inch guns on most of their ships. Currently in testing phase, this awesome weapon uses a magnetic field to fire projectiles at a speed of approx 5,600 mph. But the Navy is not stopping there; they hope to create a 64 megajoule system capable of shooting at over 13,000 mph and hitting 5 meter targets from 200 nautical miles.

Check out two videos of the Railgun in action after the jump>>

“If you’ve got a little over 10 megajoules as with this demonstration model, you’re looking at 5,600 mph. When the system is completed, it’ll be firing shells with over six times that energy (well over 13,000 mph) using 64 megajoules of energy”

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Lobster Vision is the forefront of a new technology being developed for Home Security by Physical Optics Corporation of Torrance, California.

The handheld device prototype called the LEXID (Lobster Eye X-ray Imaging Device) is based on the lobster’s ability to see through the dark murky waters of the deep sea and may help security officers see through wood, concrete and steal.

Rick Shie, senior vice president at Physical Optics Corporation said that the patented device, which radiates objects with tiny amounts of X-ray energy,

“Is modeled exactly after the lobster living in the deepest, darkest part of the ocean,”

A lobster’s eyes are made up of thousands of tiny square channels that focus by reflection, rather than by refraction (or the bending of light) as human eyes do.

This unique optical geometric design, which allows lobsters to see in the dimmest light, is being adapted into a “lobster-eye lens” that focuses the X-ray images so that the device can actually see through solid objects.

The Californian Company are still in the early stages of development however She says his company hopes to have the device perfected within a year so that Homeland Security agents can test it on the job.

I am sure everyone has heard about it, but what exactly does it meant to have your identity stolen and how much of a threat is it actually.

What is Identity Theft

Identity theft is a catch-all term for crimes involving illegal usage of another individual’s identity. The most common form of identity theft is credit card fraud. While the term is relatively new, the practice of stealing money or getting other benefits by pretending to be a different person is thousands of years old.

According to the non-profit Identity Theft Resource Center, identity theft is sub-divided into four categories:

* Financial Identity Theft (using another’s identity to obtain goods and services)
* Criminal Identity Theft (posing as another when apprehended for a crime)
* Identity Cloning (using another’s information to assume his or her identity in daily life)
* Business/Commercial Identity Theft (using another’s business name to obtain credit)

Identity theft may be used to facilitate crimes including illegal immigration, terrorism and espionage. Identity theft may also be a means of blackmail. There are also cases of identity cloning to attack payment systems, including medical insurance.

How Much of a Threat is Identity Theft to Me?

Surveys in the USA from 2003 to 2006 showed a decrease in the total number of victims but an increase in the total value of identity fraud to US$56.6 billion in 2006. The average fraud per person rose from $5,249 in 2003 to $6,383 in 2006.

Defense Link Article About Military Member Identity Theft Battle

The 2003 survey from the Identity Theft Resource Center found that :

* Only 15% of victims find out about the theft through proactive action taken by a business
* The average time spent by victims resolving the problem is about 40 hours
* 73% of respondents indicated the crime involved the thief acquiring a credit card
* The emotional impact is similar to that of victims of violent crimes

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SLEEP LAST NIGHT?

Bed a little lumpy…

Toss and turn any…

Wish the heat was higher…

Maybe the a/c wasn’t on…

Had to go to the john…

Need a drink of water…

:: :: :: ::
:: :: ::

Yes.. It is like that!

Count your blessings, pray for them,

Talk to your Creator

And the next time when …

The other car cuts you off and you must hit the brakes, or you have to park a little further from Walmart than you want to be, or you’re served slightly warm food at the restaurant, or you’re sitting and cursing the traffic in front of you, or the shower runs out of hot water,

Think of them…
Protecting your freedom!

The proud warriors of Baker Company wanted to do something to pay tribute to our fallen comrades. So since we are part of the only Marine Infantry Battalion left in Iraq the one way that we could think of doing that is by taking a picture of Baker Company saying the way we feel. It would be awesome if you could find a way to share this with our fellow countrymen.

I was wondering if there was any way to get this into your papers to let the world know that “WE HAVE NOT FORGOTTEN” and are proud to serve our country.”

Semper Fi

1stSgt Dave Jobe

The attached photo was forwarded from one of the last U.S. Marine companies in Iraq They would like to have it passed to as many people as possible, to let the folks back home know that they remember why they’re there and that they remember those who’ve been lost.

Below is a high resolution photo I stumbled across on the internet that shows before - during - after the tsunami that took place on December 26, 2004. I know many military member took part in the tsunami relief effort and seen first hand the destruction.

Click on the picture to enlarge - image opens in a new window

First introduced in 2005, the Rip Saw, an awesome all terrain vehicle is about to hit the market to the masses with a $200,000 price tag. The custom-built Unmanned Ground Vehicle can hit 0-60 in 3.5 seconds, has 80 mph top speed, and can maneuver over any surface or terrain a tank can.

The privately funded Rip Saw was first built by the Howe brothers for the 2005 DARPA Grand Challenge. Based on the original manned prototype, the newest version of the Rip Saw is now remote controlled. Though the Rip Saw didn’t win, its video certainly turned some heads, enough to find funding to build more than one.Check out the video of the original manned Rip Saw in action, watch as it drives through a barn as if it were a cardboard box….

There have been a number of autonomous helicopters developed in the past that have proven their worth to the Military. Able only to performing mundane tasks such as surveillance, mine detection, and escort duty they certainly have still been beneficial, but no previous model will quite match a new ‘AutoCopter Gunship’ developed by Neural Robotics Incorporated, well at least not in fire power anyway.

That’s right; this fully autonomous helicopter is armed with AA-12 12-gauge shotgun the fires 300 rounds-per-minute. Thanks to the patented “intelligent neural network-based flight control algorithms” the copter is easy to control and can easily be switched to fully automated flight control, and because the AutoCopter utilizes a system that reduces recoil by 90 percent, the helicopter doesn’t go into an instant tailspin the second the gun is fired.The neural network-based algorithms really are intelligent; the system won’t allow the pilot to do anything stupid. If the AutoCopter flies out of RC range, it will turn around and come back within range and if it runs out of gasoline a parachute will automatically deploy and guide the AutoCopter back to the ground slowly and safely.

The AutoCopter has undergone successful testing and is ready to be used on the battle field. There is also talk of the AutoCopter being modified to shoot 3-inch FRAG-12 grenade rounds, either way the main objective is still the same.

“Seek out, locate, identify, and destroy/terminate the enemy with extreme prejudice at 300 rounds-per-minute.”

Armored vehicles are taking paint balling to the next level, all hail the Paintball Tank, otherwise known as ‘Paintball Armored Vehicles’ or PAV. There are a few types of tank available ranging in size from large automobile-based machines to lighter models, some of which are portable by foot but act more like personal armor than a fully fledge tank. But no matter which tank you take to the battlefield you will be sure of one thing, to unleash a barrage of pain.

Check out the video of a light paintball tank in action>>>

Paintball tanks may be armed with either single or multi paintball marker’s, carbon dioxide-powered cannons, grenade launchers and sometimes even rocket launchers. Many different types of projectiles have been used in the past; however Nerf cannons are more commonly replacing the PVC cannons that fire regular paintballs.

The tanks provide impenetrable armor for the user but that’s not to say they can’t be ‘destroyed’ or ‘killed’. Most tanks have kills zones which will sound an alarm or disable the tank when hit.

Rules for using the tanks differ from field to field but they are strictly enforced. Some places will not allow the heavy automated-tanks on the field and most places have speed limits. Some places may also let tanks be invincible where as others require the kill zones to be active.

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A team of Hungarian engineers have created jet powered fire extinguisher. The team of crazy engineers removed the gun turrets from an old Russian tank, replaced them with 2 turbines from a MIG-21 fighter jet and injected the whole thing with gallons of water. The result is the ultimate jet powered fire extinguisher. Whilst this may not be practical for most residential fires (imagine not only putting out the fire but blasting your whole home to smithereens) it will certainly help with large oil blazes that typically last for days. The concept is somewhat old and used in Australia mines and even back in Kuwait during Operation Desert Storm. However, this is a more powerful and effective system. It was originally known as the “The Great Wind” for obvious reasons.

A bionic hand that can also help restore the sense of touch to amputees could soon be developed thanks to new research that has enabled two patients to feel sensations.

Both patients Claudia Mitchell, 27, a former U.S. Marine who lost her left arm at the shoulder in a motorcycle accident three years ago, and Jesse Sullivan, 60, who lost both arms to electrical burns, were fitted with prosthesis by Dr. Todd Kuiken of the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago this past year. These two patients are the first patients to receive this revolutionary new process that is leading the advancements in prosthesis.

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After our Email fiasco by Jerry Hart Creative Marketing Email Scam, we sent out our first internal newsletter. We focused it on delivering helpful and entertaining articles that made it big on our blog or on other websites that our Military customers may appreciate. Most of our customers do not realize we have a blog and was a double plus.

I will include a link on the home page to our newsletter archives that will catalog our Newsletter, not including Jerry Hart terrible Email. This will allow you to keep track of our Emails, submit your thoughts, and refer to links or articles later on. I think this will also be helpful for users who may accidentally delete or may not receive the newsletter due to spam filters.

Email boxes are constantly attacked and quickly filled from spam, so if you decide that you do not want one more newsletter added to your Email inbox, you can access it via the website. You can unsubscribe at anytime via a newsletter or from your 800HighTech customer account or when you register. We will announce all new Emails Newsletters here on the blog and post a link to it (See Below for this month’s newsletter link).

I have titled our new newsletter “HighTech Edge”. I was considering keeping it a consistent layout, so it would be easier to find the information you want but in the end decided against it. I will not feature ads, promotions, or products in the Email unless we are running a really hot deal. It is not our intent to use the newsletter to push our sales, but to increase our communication with our customers and give them the edge over other geeks on IT information that is actually useful!

We have a high ratio customers return and we have spent years improving our customer image. We depend on you all to help us improve, and keep us above the competition.

Click to View the HighTech Edge Newsletter Catalog

Click to View the HighTech Edge January 2008 Issue: 1-1