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Perhaps the most interesting idea from the article is "Russia is not believed to be running as sophisticated an influence effort as China because of Mr. Trump’s apparent affinity for President Vladimir V. Putin, a former official said." That is, Mr. Xi can only dream of being like Putin. So, instead Xi needs spy tactics to learn which Americans to taint, but Putin can talk to his American friend directly.

I disagree with the article. I think the Russian influence is based in social media, and (IMHO) is a sophisticated influence effort that has been going on for years. The Chinese effort is a "top-down" approach: influence the few rich & powerful people that influence Trump. The Russians are using a bottom-up approach: influence the less astute but more numerous voters. Make up in shear numbers what you lack in precision. Kinda makes sense from the folks that gave us the RDS-220 Tsar Bomba.

The linked article seems to be poorly informed.

The Osh Kosh Terramax has been actively used by the US Military since 2015

It offers lead/follow (manned vehicle does NOT need to be the lead vehicle for obvious safety reasons), full independent action (using sensors, GPS and remote operation), and it uses a hull-shaped bottom for IED and mine deflection.

IMO, Vice Media is just another disinformation outlet

I wonder if there's a special department whos sole purpose is to think these up.

Actually there is a technology which helps us in detecting the 3D Printed Guns .. " With the help of crowdfunding, a UK-based technology firm is producing the world’s first detector capable of identifying plastic 3D printed weapons. The technological breakthrough is seen as an answer to the growing threat posed by plastic firearms, which can be printed cheaply at home and slip through normal metal detectors with potentially disastrous consequences. "

the Dept of Energy got 24 billion

That's for the entire DoE.. DARPA received $3 billion

The LEMV will hover above Afghanistan at 20,000ft, equipped with the sort of super-powerful cameras that can read a signature on a letter from four miles away. It will be, Taylor says, ‘an unblinking eye’, recording every move made on the ground. In theory, no one will be able to plant a roadside bomb – a device which has claimed the lives of so many British soldiers – without the cameras seeing who did it and, more importantly, where they came from. And, if the LEMV is a success, it could prove to be a tipping point, ushering in a new age of airships.

Talk about big brother... Still, I suppose nobody has considered the possibility that it may just get shot out of the sky by those with a grudge?

Actually Skynet is already being built.

They've had the IGNAT-ER for some time now for reconnaissance: http://www.army-technology.com/projects/ignat-er/

Actually it sounds exactly like the SEP developed by hägglunds in sweden
http://www.army-technology.com/projects/sep/

Yes, of course because all series hybrid vehicles are similar. (omg)

And by the way the US Army is not the first with that idea:
http://www.army-technology.com/projects/sep/
http://www.defense-update.com/products/s/sep.htm
http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/hybriddrive-se p-vehicles-receive-votes-of-confidence-from-sweden -bae-02446/ The Swedish SEP ran for the British FRES program:
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/europ e/fres.htm
Unfortunately, recently it was excluded due to (perceived?) lower maturity of the technology than the competitions offers.

Um, that's cute but I fear a little delusional.
Hunting rifles aren't very effective against an Abrams Tank. I hate to break it to you, but we're long since past the point of being able to "take back the government".

such as the requirement to have a camera focused on the object you want to cloak, make it less than useful for military applications).

The US is used to enjoying air superiority, but other militaries might be interested in having an "instant camouflage screen" based on this idea over parked vehicles instead of messing around with nets and paint.

Maybe the Dutch/German Fennek vehicle can be adapted to sort of cloak itself from planes using its periscope.

A Swedsh company called Sectra has made secure cellphones for years. Their latest model is the only cellphone certified to the security level NATO SECRET by NATO.

http://www.army-technology.com/contractors/navigat ion/sectra/

20 minutes to remove the laptop from the bag, smash the window and pound on the steering column with it? They must be using those modern, fancy-pants, lightweight laptops. In the old days we could get a car in under 5 minutes with a Mac Portable.

Pfft, amateur. You're using the wrong tool. In my day we could get any car in under 2 minutes with a Dolch luggable. You did have to take care not to accidentally smash the whole steering wheel right off the column though, if you missed.

Of course nowdays, the newer Dolch's are still usable, but less care needs to be taken, as these will merely dent the steering wheel.

Also, no matter how strong the shell, the upward acceleration can be sufficient to kill or maim. That's why armoured vehicles sometimes incorporate crumple zones under the passenger/crew seats

http://www.army-technology.com/contractors/armoure d/timoney/
"More recently, production is taking place of High Energy Absorbing Seats for an overseas customer. These seats, which can reduce the blast acceleration forces from 100g to a survivable 15g"

You also now know why vehicles like the BTR-80 will be the next SUV. Fuel consumption be damned ( anyhow Canada is subsidising USA gas prices ;-) - thanks ).

Of armour versus anti-armour weapons... We'll now be seeing anti-tank missiles dispensing chaff or with multiple warheads (like this http://www.army-technology.com/projects/starstreak /images/star2.jpg) or built in jamming technology. Well, it keeps some geeks gainfully employed at least. Matt

FTA: "He added. 'That's just the way of the beast, particularly when you are ramping up factories from ground zero all the way up to full capacity.'" (Peter Moore)

Ground zero?

Well, I guess building XBoxes at the site of nuclear detonations might have something to do with their supply chain getting all messed up.

Actually, I think tanks are the way forward. Who needs one of those dangerous hummers, weighing only 7,800 lbs. They don't even protect you against small arms fire. The military model, at 7,264 lbs, is better, though offers no NBC capability (nuclear chemical and biological), and the armour is no good against anything bigger than a pea-shooter. So realistically, for your safetly, you need something more like the Warrior, a mere 24 tons. They look very nice in pink.

What? Laptops mean you can put them on your lap and not have second-degree burns on your dick. Notebooks mean you can fold them like a notebook. One of those terms describes something for portable use and the other something man-portable and you seem to have gotten them mixed up.

You could try this one. Well, it actually has lots of electronics in it, but it should be sufficient EMP safe.

It is also important to point out it is not a personnel carrier. Vehicles in this category operate in small packs, in a reconnaisance, artillery observation, or maybe anti-tank role. It can be carried by a helicopter, and operate independently for days. It protects itself with its speed, manouverability, and low observability.

It's the US answer to small vehicles like the German-Dutch Fennek.

The idea of using a hybrid DE engine for this kind of vehicles is obvious. You don't want to run a diesel engine while you are observing, and observation systems often use lots of energy.

Here are two more older articles with more pictures. These don't mention shotguns...

The thought occurs that it could have been a guidance beam for a beam riding anti-Aircraft missile like one of these: http://www.army-technology.com/projects/rbs70/

And I quote,

"The radar dome is unmasked for a single radar scan and then remasked. The processors determine the location, speed and direction of travel of a maximum of 256 targets. The Target Acquisition Designation Sight, TADS (AN/ASQ-170) and the [Driver] Night Vision Sensor, PNVS (AN/AAQ-11) were developed by Lockheed Martin. The turret-mounted TADS provides direct view optics, television and three fields of view forward looking infra-red (FLIR) to carry out search, detection and recognition and Litton laser rangefinder/designator. PNVS consists of a FLIR in a rotating turret located on the [bonnet] above the TADS. The image from the PNVS is displayed in the monocular eyepiece of the Honeywell Integrated Helmet And Display Sighting System (IHADSS) worn by the [driver] and [navigator]/gunner."

Did I mention that you can network your cars together so that targets can be prioritised and shared between the cars...

"Kill tag, issued." - Evil Genius

http://www.army-technology.com/contractors/vehicle s/stewart_stevenson/

Also, they can convert a bus into a hybrid using an Allison hybrid transmission.

If it can pick up cell phones in a 30 metres radius, one would have to think that in a conjested area, it may pick up many cellphones and possibly confuse the system. Also I would like to know if this device could interfere with peoples mobile calls, if so, cell phone jammers (this one isnt pocket sized) are already avaialable.

The revolution will be over before it starts.

The revolution will be over before it starts.

lol ok by extraordinarily popular demand, here it is, in proper link form!

Ultralife

And the reason why this old article obsoletes these newly unveiled magic technology (specifically talked about within) is in this quote:

"The future of lithium battery technology lies in Li/MnO2, a solid-cathode chemistry. Unlike both Lithium/Sulphur Dioxide (Li/SO2) and Lithium/Thionyl Chloride (Li/SOCl2), which are liquid-cathode chemistries, Li/MnO2 does not suffer from the effects of passivation, which causes liquid-cathode batteries to suffer from a voltage delay phenomenon causing the cell voltage to be depressed when a load is applied, particularly after extended periods of storage with no use. This condition is exacerbated at low temperatures resulting in the possibility that a liquid cathode battery may not start up when called into use. Li/MnO2 batteries, which are inherently safer than the other types of lithium batteries, do not suffer from the voltage delay phenomenon."

<a href="http://www.army-technology.com/contractors/e lectrical/ultralife/">Ultralife</a>

Good point. I looked up "self sealing tanks" and found this. It doesn't specifically address a particular aircraft, but these self-sealing tanks contain layers of Kevlar. If that's still true then the STF-saturated Kevlar could also be used.

Well!! Better go tell that to the U.S. Army. No sense in them wasting our money on something that won't work!!.

Well, the South Africans have been rather busy with the Rooivalk. That's going to be interesting to countries that can't afford the big bucks for US or Euro projects e.g. Malaysia has already expressed an interest...

Helicopters ARE fragile. But they are a shitload more flexable than fixed wings could ever be. Combat air operations are about ALOT more than shoot and be shot at. Fixed wing aircraft don't have the low speed manuverabilty for Overwatch operations of a few city blocks or high speed car chases. Fixed wing aircraft also do not have the options for bases of operations. My AirCav unit is currently operating out of an old Iraqi war school. We used the old parade grounds as our flight line and the old rifle range as our hot refuel/rearm point. Being a 5 min flight from anywhere in the city, our responce time is alot quicker than any Airforce craft could hope to get.

While we might not have the weapons payload of a B-52 bomber, we are not trying the win the battle with one aircraft. We are a part of several unit involved in whatever operation it is we are doing. We provide an eye in the sky with a very flexable delivery of a shit load of fire-power.

The Commanche failed, not because they keep trying to upgrade it, but because they where trying to build it from the ground up. Instead of taking a known good design (Say the AH-1Z Cobra) and improving it to handle the newer technology and weapons. How many times will they re-invent the wheel?

--Cam
PS During the battle of Mogadishu, soldiers on the ground ran out of ammo. The solution? Pilots flew with cases on 5.56 in their laps, and kicked them out the door when passing over US Soldiers. Lets see a Warthawg show that kinda on the spot flexability.

The Tiger attack helicopter.

The Tiger may well be the last manned combat helo, the battlefield of the future belongs to drones it seems...

The day the United States Army takes the rocket packs off of their MLRS and installs a bank of Airzookas, the United States invaded by Lichtenstein.

I do believe there are some infrasonic weaons in development. They are supposed to make the targets go stupid and crap their pants. It's a short ranged, riot control type of deal I think.

The only info I have on this is a half memory from a Discovery episode. Most of the links I found were a bit heavy on the conspiracy theories to be credible. Sorry about that.

Not that I concur with your parent post, but at least the 68020 is used" in military applications. Yes, I know, that's not the G4, but at least this is a chip which has been used in a Mac, and you sound as if you were interested in that stuff.

if it really has to be solid gear there is no substitute for the real deal.
(rugged laptops have been mentioned a lot here on /. like in this article a while back
Now apple does make some very nice sturdy ibooks and some very nice looking titaniums.
And that it can withstand all the chaos and abuse those weird apple-addicts throw at it deserves some respect,
But these babies,... these babies are _made_ for rock and roll!

How accurate is this going to be? Certainly not pin point.
I thought about making a toy similar to this, but a little more advanced. You've seen light guns for computers, well how about a gun you can target anything with, sorta. Look up 'Small Arms Trainer' e.g. I built one of these for fun, yes it's a scream with a projecter, webcam and laser pointer.
But I want more, If you can work out were a gun is pointing and you know in advance where the targets are then you work out if they are hit. Simple huh? Well no, it's a real bear to locate something in 3d, it has to be accurate, way less than 1mm.
Of course I posted an ask slashdot but it was rejected, obviously way to technical.
Any ideas?

WRONG - IT is an American made tank. M60,
owned by Israeli, who have uparmoured it with
reactive armour. (as u noted correctly)
The tracks are all metal tracks,
unlike the rubber/metal tracks which the US military prefers. (Which is why you may have
thought it was a

Merkava.)

M60 without the reactive armour.

The Abrams tanks will auto aim your gun you just have to identify the target. The Phalanx is much more autonomous in tracking and killing incoming missiles.

The army already is looking to buy a BFG.

Take a look at the CRUSADER 155MM SELF PROPELLED HOWITZER

No Frag Limit.

You are mistaken. Tanks are line of sight weapons. Perhaps you are thinking of artillery?

You are mistaken. Tanks are line of sight weapons. Perhaps you are thinking of artillery?

According to this page, a Blackhawk weighs about 11800 lbs empty, and has a mission gross of roughly 16800 lbs. Subtracting about 2000 lbs for the 360 gallons of fuel the internal tanks will carry, we have about 3000 lbs to do what we want with. The article on the armor says it weighs a ton or two; hmmm, I guess we'll take the average and say 3000 lbs for the armor.

So the answer is, yes this will work just fine on helicoptors, as long as you don't mind not carrying anything with you on your trip.

Thats why I wear an Army NBC suit before I work on a user's desktop.

It only adds an extra 30 minutes to each ticket, and its quite stylish to boot.

The idea isn't for targetting objects that are within line-of-sight, but to allow pilots to select tracks via eye movement. A track can be something that is within line of sight or something quite far away.

Think about it, what is the most effective way to select an item to attack when there is like 50 things on your screen to possibly attack? By the way, your hands are kind of being used to fly a plane at the time ;-)

Great technology but not new... Already being used in the Apache Longbows for machine gun aiming.

The article compares this to a predator UAV, and implies that if scaled up, it could replace the predator. But, basically, the $500k pricetag is a number pulled out of nowhere. The Navy is already working on an unmanned helicopter, the firescout, and it would provide a much better idea of how much an unmanned helicopter would be costed. Just for fun, though, let's look at how far the xcell has to go to be more useful to the military... XCell .60 Pro Graphite 2K (top of line) vs predator UAV:

Predator: range 400 miles/40 hours, altitude 25,000 feet, cruise speed 70 knots.
XL: Total weight 11 pounds. Total run time 5 minutes.

Predator: Payload > 450 pounds. Accessories: helfire missles, high resolution optical and infrared zoom (19-560mm) cameras (I actually used the a Wescam in development, it was sweet!), synthetic aperture radar (resolution 1 foot) for all-weather surveillance, a laser designator and rangefinder, electronic support and countermeasures and a moving target indicator (MTI). Automated gunfire detection.
XL: Total weight, ~11 pounds. Payload: A small video camera.

Predator: UHF and VHF radio relay links, a C-band line-of-sight data link (range 150 NM) and UHF and Ku-band satellite data links.
XL: A 49 MHz hobby RC link

Predator: fixed-wing design, which is generally lower maintainence.
XL: rotary wing, which generally has higher maintainence.

-----
I think that this could probably be turned into a tool for war, and that the automated flying (like what is built into the Predator) being developed for helicopters by this project would be useful to that end, but it's just one aspect of the total system... to accurately cost a production system, you'd have to have a much better idea of the entire system's design requirements.

The article compares this to a predator UAV, and implies that if scaled up, it could replace the predator. But, basically, the $500k pricetag is a number pulled out of nowhere. The Navy is already working on an unmanned helicopter, the firescout, and it would provide a much better idea of how much an unmanned helicopter would be costed. Just for fun, though, let's look at how far the xcell has to go to be more useful to the military... XCell .60 Pro Graphite 2K (top of line) vs predator UAV:

Predator: range 400 miles/40 hours, altitude 25,000 feet, cruise speed 70 knots.
XL: Total weight 11 pounds. Total run time 5 minutes.

Predator: Payload > 450 pounds. Accessories: helfire missles, high resolution optical and infrared zoom (19-560mm) cameras (I actually used the a Wescam in development, it was sweet!), synthetic aperture radar (resolution 1 foot) for all-weather surveillance, a laser designator and rangefinder, electronic support and countermeasures and a moving target indicator (MTI). Automated gunfire detection.
XL: Total weight, ~11 pounds. Payload: A small video camera.

Predator: UHF and VHF radio relay links, a C-band line-of-sight data link (range 150 NM) and UHF and Ku-band satellite data links.
XL: A 49 MHz hobby RC link

Predator: fixed-wing design, which is generally lower maintainence.
XL: rotary wing, which generally has higher maintainence.

-----
I think that this could probably be turned into a tool for war, and that the automated flying (like what is built into the Predator) being developed for helicopters by this project would be useful to that end, but it's just one aspect of the total system... to accurately cost a production system, you'd have to have a much better idea of the entire system's design requirements.