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US Stealth Jet Has To Talk To Allied Planes Over Unsecured Radio

Lasrick writes "David Axe at Wired's Danger Room explains: 'For the first time, America's top-of-the-line F-22 fighters and Britain's own cutting-edge Typhoon jets have come together for intensive, long-term training in high-tech warfare. If only the planes could talk to each other on equal terms. The F-22 and the twin-engine, delta-wing Typhoon — Europe’s latest warplane — are stuck with partially incompatible secure communications systems. For all their sophisticated engines, radars and weapons, the American and British pilots are reduced to one-way communication, from the Brits to the Yanks. That is, unless they want to talk via old-fashioned radio, which can be intercepted and triangulated and could betray the planes’ locations. That would undermine the whole purpose of the F-22s radar-evading stealth design, and could pose a major problem if the Raptor and the Typhoon ever have to go to war together.'"

8 of 270 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Ironic by MountainMan101 · · Score: 4, Funny

    No, the Romans had it (hence their successful invasion of Britain).

    Surely they could solve this using a verbal code.

    From now on, frog is me, sandwich means you and lemon means rocket. So, come on, sandwich, build me a lemon â(TM)cause froggy wants to come home.

  2. Did they try Chinese? by 140Mandak262Jamuna · · Score: 4, Funny

    I mean, they have hacked both US and Brit planes' software. So if we could persuade them to CC: the American and Brit planes, they could have direct encrypted communication, just a minor delay for round-tripping via Unit 6 1398 in the Beijing suburb.

    --
    sed -e 's/Chuck Norris/Rajnikant/g' joke > fact
  3. type44q by Type44Q · · Score: 5, Funny

    the American and British pilots are reduced to one-way communication, from the Brits to the Yanks.

    That's okay; if the grammar and vocabularly of today's 20 and 30 year old Americans are any indication, our boys need to just shut the fuck up and listen. :p

    1. Re:type44q by theVarangian · · Score: 4, Funny

      the American and British pilots are reduced to one-way communication, from the Brits to the Yanks.

      That's okay; if the grammar and vocabularly of today's 20 and 30 year old Americans are any indication, our boys need to just shut the fuck up and listen. :p

      British youth aren't exactly any better. Come to think of it, it would be interesting to see a typical N-American urbanite speaking some street dialect and a cockney speaking Londoner trying to come up with a tactical plan. Headline: "Afghan based British and US aircraft bomb Faroe Islands, Pentagon/MOD reluctant to comment"

    2. Re:type44q by serviscope_minor · · Score: 4, Funny

      That's okay; if the grammar and vocabularly of today's 20 and 30 year old Americans are any indication,

      No, you've got the reason all wrong.

      The reason for the one way communication is that the F22 pilots can't talk back due to having passed out from lack of oxygen.

      --
      SJW n. One who posts facts.
  4. Re:Ironic by MountainMan101 · · Score: 4, Funny

    You clearly failed to triangulate the humour as it flew over.

  5. Re:I don't think the cypher is the problem. by Big+Hairy+Ian · · Score: 4, Funny

    Two cans and a piece of string?

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    Build a Man a Fire, and He'll Be Warm for a Day. Set a Man on Fire, and He'll Be Warm for the Rest of His Life.

  6. Re:Ironic by Applekid · · Score: 4, Funny

    So this is what happens when trolls collide

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    More Twoson than Cupertino