A AH-64 Apache Attack Helicopter hovers before takeoff, Jan 3. A 30 mm automatic Boeing M230 chain gun is located under the fuselage. It provides a rate of fire of 625 rounds per minute. The helicopter has capacity for up to 1,200 rounds of ammunition. Photo by Master Sgt. John Nimmo Joint Combat Camera Centerhttp://strategypage.com/military_photos/military_photos_200812402858.aspx...
A Kiowa helicopter crew searches for possible enemy activity along the Zaghytun Chay river in northern Iraq, Nov. 20http://strategypage.com/military_photos/military_photos_200811902040.aspx...
Standard Missile-3 is being developed for Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) as part of the Missile Defense Agency’s Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS). The Aegis BMD system integrates SM-3 with the Aegis Weapon System (AWS) aboard U.S. Navy cruisers to provide an umbrella of protection against short to intermediate-range ballistic missile threats. SM-3 is compatible with the MK 41 Vertical Launching System (VLS) deployed on many U.S. Navy and international surface combatants.As a ballistic missile threat rises above the horizon, ship’s radar acquires, begins tracking, and the weapon system begins calculating the engagement solution. Upon command from the ship’s weapon system, the SM-3 boosts out of the launcher and establishes radio communi...
May 27, 2008: The West, and non-Moslems in general, aren't the only ones suffering from the effects of Islamic extremism. It isn't just the violence of terrorists, it's the threats and harassment. Moslems suffer from this the most, and that has led to a strange revival of Christianity in Moslem nations. In Algeria, for example, the local Christian community has grown from a few hundred, to over 30,000, in the last 25 years. Moslems are looking for a change, and those that cannot get out, try and find solutions closer to home. This in spite of the fact that Islamic extremists are particularly hostile to Moslems who convert to any other religion.During the Lebanese civil war of 1975-1990, Christians and Moslems fought bitterly over political, cultural and, ultimately,
The secretweapon has a name and it's 1Lt Tom "Wheels" Wheeler, Al Dhafra AB, United Arab Emirates. The F-16C (84-1223) in the picture flew 49 combat missions.http://www.strategypage.com/humor/articles/military_jokes_2004617.asp...
CENTRAL IRAQ (Feb. 2, 2008) An MV-22 Osprey vertical-lift aircraft is refueled before a night mission in central Iraq. U.S. Navy photo by Chief Mass Communication Specialist Joe Kanehttp://www.strategypage.com/military_photos/military_photos_200826234832.aspx...
An M777 howitzer fires off rounds during a training exercise on Forward Operating Base Salerno, Feb. 28. The howitzer is manned by artillermen from the 3rd Battalion, 321st Field Artillery Regiment, 18th Fires Brigade. Photo by Spc. Micah Clare 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division Public Affairshttp://www.strategypage.com/military_photos/military_photos_200831615212.aspx...
A pair of specially painted F-117 Nighthawks fly off from their last refueling by the Ohio National Guard's 121st Air Refueling Wing. The F-117s were retired March 11 in a farewell ceremony at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Master Sgt. Kim Frey)http://www.strategypage.com/military_photos/military_photos_200804132219.aspx...
PACIFIC (Feb. 2, 2008) An F/A-18 Hornet from Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 11, embarked aboard the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) escorts a Russian Tu-95 Bear, long rang bomber aircraft on Feb. 9, 2008 south of Japan. The bomber neared the vicinity of the carrier resulting in the fighter intercept. Nimitz was transiting through the Western Pacific on a regularly scheduled deployment when the incident occurred. U.S. Navy Photohttp://www.strategypage.com/military_photos/military_photos_200821223417.aspx...
March 05, 2008 Soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division, Task Force Gladius, wait for another CH-47 Chinook helicopter at Forward Operating Base Morales-Frasier, Afghanistan. The Soldiers will fly to Surobi District to protect a CH-47 that made a hard landing there, until mechanics can certify it safe to fly. Photo by Sgt. Johnny R. Aragonhttp://www.strategypage.com/military_photos/military_photos_200838231733.aspx...
North Korea is building a 6,000 foot runway, that is partially inside a mountain, just north of the DMZ. Google Earth shows that construction of the runway is still underway.http://www.strategypage.com/military_photos/20080429233050.aspx...
Two F-15 Eagles fly in formation with an F-22 Raptor April 24 during a support mission near Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. The F-15s act as "aggressors" to replicate potential adversary air force capabilities, tactics, training and equipment. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Scott Reed)http://www.strategypage.com/military_photos/2008050304013.aspx...
02 May 2008 14:44The Australian Government's defence budget is not large enough to sustain the country's current commitments in the Asia-Pacific, a former senior advisor says.Professor Hugh White, who advised the government in the 1980s and is now at thinktank the Lowy Institute, told Radio Australia the government needs to spend more wisely on air and sea weaponry so it can keep launching independent operations in the Asia-Pacific."Air and maritime capabilities will be the heart of Australia's strategic weight in Asia," he says."To my mind, in particular, that will require large-scale investments in combat aircraft and the systems that support them and...
07 May 2008 14:19Thales UK says its WATCHKEEPER unmanned air vehicle (UAV), developed for the UK Ministry of Defence, has completed its first flight.WATCHKEEPER will provide the UK armed forces with an essential intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance (ISTAR) capability, and will be a key component of the UK's network enabled capability.Thales will deliver equipment, training and facilities, with the capability coming into service from 2010.Managing Director of Thales UK's aerospace business Richard Deakin says 2008 is an important year for the programme as it will also see the testing and integration of the automatic take-off and landing system, the I-Master radar and EO/IR/LTD payloads."The I-Master radar flight trials have been...
It has often been said by weapons experts that there are very few new developments on the small arms horizon that are truly revolutionary; that we have reached a plateau. Though the G11 project is dead, and was certainly a harbinger of what is possible over the horizon, the G36 is a combination of old and new, tried and true that when combined makes for the further refinement of the small arms maker's art. Instead of starting from scratch with totally new design, the engineers at HK, led by the young and rising star Ernst Mauch, through the early years of the 1990s made what was internally called the HK50. It now carries the Bundeswehr designation G36.A first departure from the signature HK operating system, roller delayed blowback, the G36 is gas operated.They borrowed from other tried...
It is simply an opinion, but one shared by the majority of tactical teams at all levels in the United States. You can sense it the first time that you fire one. The MP5 is the culmination of countless efforts to blend reliability, controllability and firepower into a small package. With the MP5, that design objective has been achieved. The MP5 is that by which all other designs are judged.Appearing in countless movies of late, it does not have the catchy name of some guns that have been demonized by the press and some politicians, who quake in fear at the mere mention of names like 'Uzi' or 'Tec 9' or 'MAC 10.' Your average street criminal might not know what to call the greatest submachine gun ever designed. Chances are, if you laid one down next to a Tec 9 and asked the criminal ...
25 April 2008 14:07Iranian defence firms have been ejected from the Defence Services Asia trade show in Malaysia for exhibiting "lethal and offensive equipment" in violation of UN Security Council sanctions.Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak says the Iranian firms had been informed they could take part provided they did not contravene UN resolutions, which includes a ban on arms exports, AFP reports."Unfortunately ... they displayed equipment that clearly contravenes the UN resolution such as missiles and missile systems," Najib says."We were left in a situation that we did not have any option - since Malaysia is committed to respecting and adhering to the UN resolution - but to terminate their participation."By Elizabeth Clif...
The M1A1/2 Abrams main battletank is manufactured by General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS). The first M1 tank was produced in 1978, the M1A1 in 1985 and the M1A2 in 1986."An M1 tank's main armament is the 120mm M256 smoothbore gun."3,273 M1 tanks were produced for the US Army. 4,796 M1A1 tanks were built for the US Army, 221 for the US Marines and 880 co-produced with Egypt.77 M1A2 tanks have been built for the US Army, 315 for Saudi Arabia and 218 for Kuwait. For the M1A2 upgrade programme, over 600 M1 Abrams tanks are being upgraded to M1A2 configuration. Deliveries began in 1998.In March 2004, the Australian Army announced the purchase of 59 US Army M1A1 tanks to enter service from 2007. ...
By Donna MilesAmerican Forces Press ServiceWASHINGTON, April 25, 2008 – Syria’s building of a secret nuclear facility with North Korean help reinforces the need to prevent the spread of weapons of mass destruction, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said today.“It should serve as a reminder to us all of the very real dangers of proliferation and need to rededicate ourselves to prevent the spread of weapons of mass destruction, particularly into the hands of a state or a group with terrorist connections,” Navy Adm. Mike Mullen said during a Pentagon briefing.The reactor, destroyed by Israel in September before it became operational, was being built to produce plutonium for nuclear weapons, and “not intended for peaceful purposes,” White ...
By Fred W. Baker IIIAmerican Forces Press ServiceEN ROUTE TO MUSCAT, Oman, April 4, 2008 – The United States may send more troops to Afghanistan in 2009, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates confirmed today.President Bush said during the NATO summit conference that ended today that he expects the United States would make a significant additional contribution to the Afghanistan mission next year, Gates said.But Gates backed off any specific commitment, saying the United States first wants to see how much support comes from other allies and how security efforts progress in 2008.“I don’t want to make significant long-term commitments of additional U.S. forces before giving the allies t...
(NaturalNews) A TV news report from Germany available at: (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVc9GX5K_As) confirmed that the German Military is manipulating the climate in Germany. As a result scientists have filed a lawsuit against the government for climate manipulation.The video concludes, “We can state with a 97% certainty that we have on our hands chemical trails (chemtrails) comprised by fine dust containing polymers and metals, used to disrupt radar signals.”The purpose of chemtrails, which are well documented over the United State and other parts of the world, according to researchers, is to manipulate the weather. Karsten Brandt, German meteorologist states, "The Federal Army is Manipulating the Meteorological ...
The THAAD (Theatre High Altitude Area Defense) missilesystem is an easily transportable defensive weapon system to protect against hostile incoming threats such as tactical and theatre ballistic missiles at ranges of 200km and at altitudes up to 150km.The THAAD system provides the upper tier of a 'layered defensive shield' to protect high value strategic or tactical sites such as airfields or populations centres. The THAAD missile intercepts exo-atmospheric and endo-atmospheric threats.The sites would also be protected with lower- and medium-tier defensive shield systems such as the Patriot PAC-3 which intercepts hostile incoming missiles at 20 to 100 ...
The BILL 2 multi-mission guided weapon is a further development of the successful BILL I (RBS56), which has been in service with the Swedish Army since 1988, and is also in service with the Austrian and Brazilian Armies. BILL 2 is manufactured by Saab Bofors Dynamics, who are based in Karlskoga, Sweden. BILL 2 is also in service with the Swedish Army.Because of technological advances in fighting vehicle armour including ERA (explosive reactive armour), Bofors have improved the Overfly Top Attack (OTA) technology for BILL 2 and introduced a new double warhead. BILL 2 also incorporates improved guidance accuracy via the rate gyro, which monitors the gunner's tracking movements.The missile's primary role is to attack armoured...
The Eurocopter Company manufactures the Cougar family of twin engine helicopters, of which more than 350 have been ordered. Eurocopter is a subsidiary of EADS (European Aeronautics Defence and Space) company formed by DaimlerChrysler Aerospace of Germany, Aerospatiale Matra of France and CASA of Spain.The helicopter is in service with 28 air forces, eight armies and five navies. 64 are operational with the French Army. As well as the AS 532 A2 Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR) helicopter, there are two other versions of the Cougar: the AS532 Horizon surveillance system operated with a ground station, and the AS532 UB/AB utility versionRecent orders inclu...
The RBS 70 short-range anti-aircraftmissile is operational with the Swedish armed forces and has also been exported to 13 countries worldwide, including Australia, Argentina, Bahrain, Brazil, United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Norway, Pakistan, Singapore and Tunisia.The RBS 70 system entered service in 1977 with the mk 1 missile. Current production model is the mk 2. The Bolide missile is a further development of the mk 2 with a new sustainer rocket motor, which increases missile speed and manoeuvrability. Bolide was ordered by Australia in 2003 with a follow-on order in April 2004.In November 2004, RBS 70 was ordered by the Latvian Air Force. Deliveries are set for 2006-07...
The Saab Bofors Dynamics Bamse all-weather, all-target, air defence missile system is deployed to protect fixed and mobile assets. It can be used against a range of threats including fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft, unmanned aircraft, stand-off missiles, cruise and anti-radiation missiles and guided bombs. Bamse is effective against very small and very fast targets such as air-to-surface attack missiles. The system has all-weather capability and a target range that exceeds the stand-off distance of electro-optically controlled weapons. The system provides a target range over 15km and coverage to an altitude up to 15,000m.Bofors (later to become Saab Bofors) and Ericsson (now Saab) Microwave Systems completed the project ...
Tontaipur (abbreviation for Peleton Intai Tempur, or combat and reconnaissance platoon) is the Indonesian Army Strategic Reserve Command's newest elite unit, formed on August 4, 2001. After a five-month period of intensive training, 97 personnel were selected from the 9th and the 13th Infantry Brigades to became the first troops for this elite unit.Tontapiur will be sent to do surveillance and reconnaissance missions behind enemy lines and destroy enemy strategic installations. Among their equipment are special assault rifles and night vision goggles (NVG). The Tontaipur can conduct operations on land, sea, and in the air.The first test for Tontaipur was the operation to demolish the Free Aceh Movement (GAM)....
The Indonesian Ministry of Defence and Security ordered 24 CN-235 aircraft, including six for the Indonesian Navy maritime reconnaissance squadron and three for the Indonesian Air Force.THALES and IPTN signed a Memorandum Of Agreement in May 2000 for the supply of three CN235 aircraft manufactured by IPTN and equipped with AMASCOS from Thales Airborne Systems, to the Indonesian Air Force. The AMASCOS Airborne Maritime Situation Control System includes the Ocean Master search radar produced by Thales and EADS Deutschland, the Elettronica ALR 733 radar warning receiver, the Chlio thermal imager developed by Thales Optronique, the Gemini navigation computer from Thales (formerly Sextant...
Indonesian police officers during a patrol at a beach near the venue of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia on 04 December 2007. Indonesia and the United Nations Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) jointly host the 13th Session of Conference of Parties (COP13) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the third Session of Conference of Parties serving as a meeting of parties to Kyoto Protocol. The sessions are expected to create a roadmap of mechanism and procedure of negotiation to establish a new commitment to the Kyoto agreement, the first phase implementation of which expires in 2012....
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The government of Indonesia became interested in the Russian-built BMP 3F amphibious tank on display at Indo-Defence Expo 2006 at the Jakarta International Expo (JI Expo) in Kemayoran, Jakarta.Chief delegate of Rosoboronexport General Nikolai M Dimidiuk spoke about the Indonesian interest after escorting journalists for a look of the Russian pavilion on Friday."Indonesia has been studying the Sukhoi jet fighter, non-nuclear submarines and BMP 3F amphibious tanks. They are priority products," Nikolai said in Russian, with Varaksin Vadin of the Russian company acting as interpreter.On the occasion, Nikolai extensively touched on the versetility and superiority of BMP 3F amphibious tanks capable of ma...
Vienna, Austria, 18 January 2008 -Malaysia ratified the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) on 17 January 2008, bringing the total number of ratifications to 143.“We welcome the decision by Malaysia to ratify the CTBT”, said Tibor Tóth, the Executive Secretary of the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) in a statement: “This is very important internationally, but also regionally: Malaysia’s ratification tips the balance in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) where 6 out of 10 countries now have ratified the Treaty.”In ASEAN, Cambodia, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Vietnam have now ra...
The main purpose of the sniper rifle is to destroy valuable targets at extended ranges with aimed fire, and with as few ammunition as possible. In most cases, "the target" means the human being (enemy soldier, armed criminal, terrorist, president etc.), and the "as few ammunition as possible" often means "one shot". The range for sniper fire may vary from 100 meters or even less in police/counter-terror scenarios, or up to 1 kilometer or more - in military or special operations scenarios.Some sniper rifles, mostly - large caliber ones, used also as anti-material weapons, to destroy, or, more often, render unusable or unoperable, targets such as radar cabins, jeeps, parked aircrafts etc.History of sharp-shooting traces its ancestry well back into XIX or even into XVIII centuries. Early snip...
Caliber: 7.62 x 51mm NATO (.308 Win)Action: Semi-automatic, roller-delayed blowbackBarrel: 650 mmOverall length: 1208 mmWeight: 8.10 kg with scope and no magazineMagazine: 5 or 20 round detachable boxScope: Hendsoldt 6x42, 6 settings from 100 to 600 metersExpected accuracy: Sub-1MOA with match grade ammunitionThe PSG-1 sniper system (PrazisionsSchutzenGewehr, or "high-precision marksman's rifle" in English) had been developed by the German company Heckler - Koch by the mid-1980s as an ultimate police and counter-terror weapon. Some German elite law-enforcement groups, like GSG or KSK-9, participate in this development, and since its introduction the PSG-1 had been adopted by various police forces in Europe and Americas. It is way too heavy and somewhat too gentle for military use, so it ne...
Caliber: 7.62mm NATO (.308 Win)Operation: Semi-auto, Roller delayed blowbackBarrel: 600 mmWeight: 6.4 kgLength: 1165 mmFeed Mechanism: 5 or 20 round detachable box magazines.The MSG-90 sniper rifle had been introduced by the German company Heckler-Koch in 1987 as a "militarized" offspring of their PSG-1 police sniper rifle. It was built to military specifications, and is much lighter and somewhat cheaper than the HK PSG-1. It shares most essential features of the PSG-1, including overall design, the roller-delayed blowback, semi-automatic only action. The barrel of the MSG-90 is somewhat shorter and lighter, but still is of match grade, and is manufactured using cold hammer forging process. On the original model the barrel is equipped with additional muzzle weight, added to improve barrel ...
Caliber: .50 BMG (12.7 x 99mm)Operation: Short Recoil, Semi-AutomaticOverall Length: 1448 mmBarrel Length: 737 mmFeed Device: 10 Round Detachable Box MagazineSights: 10X TelescopicWeight: 12.9 kg emptyMuzzle Velocity: 854 m/s (M33 Ball)Max Effective Range: 1800 metersExpected accuracy: 1.5 - 2.0 MOA or betterThe Barrett Firearms company was founded by the Ronnie Barrett for a single purpose of building semi-automatic rifles chambered for powerful .50BMG ammunition, originally developed for and used in Browning M2HB heavy machine guns. Barrett began his work in early 1980s and first working rifles were available in 1982, hence the designation M82. Barrett continued to develop his rifle through 1980s, and developed improved M82A1 rifle by 1986. The first real success was the purchase of abou...
20 mm version: Caliber 20 x 83.5 mm. 14,5 mm version: MG151 14.5 x 114 mm Russian. Operation: manual bolt action. Barrel length 1000 mm, 1220 mm Weight 26 kg, 29 kg Length 1795 mm, 2015 mm Feed Mechanism detachable box magazine, 3 rounds Maximum effective range 1500+ meters 2300+ metersThis rifle was designed in the early to mid 1990s by Africa">South African arms designer Tony Neophytou, who also took its part in designing the Neostead combat shotgun. Initial development was under the Aerotek name, and later the Mechem division of the DENEL Group, a major South African arms manufacturer, purchased all rights for this design. In the 1998 South African National Defense Forces adopted this weapon and began to purchase it in so...
Caliber(s): .50BMG (12.7x99 mm) Operation: bolt actionBarrel lenght: 700 mm Weight: 13.8 kg Length: 1380 mm Feed Mechanism: 7 rounds detachable box mag.Ultima Ratio rifles are made by PGM Precision company in France. Hecate II is the largest of the whole UR family rifles.Hecate II rifle utilise 'metallic skeleton' design similar to other UR rifles (scaled up, of cause) with solid machined receiver and free floating precision made fluted barrel, fitted with huge muzzle brake/compensator. Bolt locks into receiver with three forward-located lugs, and has overpressure vents to secure the shooter from powder gases in the case of the cartridge case rupture.Hecate II rifles feature ajustable stock, with folding bipod and retracta...
October 25, 2007: Another result of the post-Cold War catch-up in the Russian air force is the appearance, hanging from a Tu95 heavy bomber, of the stealthy Kh-101 cruise missile. This weapon has been in development for nearly two decades, but most work was halted in the 1990s because of money shortages. Five years ago, there were reports that work had been resumed on the Kh-101.Currently, Tu-160 and Tu-95MS heavy bombers are equipped to carry a dozen Kh-555 cruise missiles each. These missiles are upgrades of the Cold War era AS-15 nuclear cruise missile. The Kh-555 is 20 feet long, weighs 1.5 tons and has a range of 3,000 kilometers. An 800 pound conventional warhead appears to be a cluster bomb type (carrying bomblets). The missile uses inertial and satellite supplied guidance, and can ...
The Büffel ("buffalo") armoured recovery vehicle of Rheinmetall Landsysteme is a highly advanced member of the Leopard 2 family of armoured combat support vehicles. Along with recovery equipment and towing gear, the Büffel is equipped to operate in an NBC-contaminated environment. The Büffel is manaufactured by Rheinmetall AGhttp://www.strategypage.com/military_photos/20071013135658.aspx...
