These Swiss made guns go back 50 years. The guns used in the Falklands war were rented from South Africa (I was there - yes I am old, thank you.). The systems are continually updated and now sport a combination radar and laser tracking system, so they are pretty damn good and can shoot down supersonic targets. At those speeds you only have a few seconds to acquire track and fire.
Good quality military systems have very long service lives. They don't get thrown in the trash every three years. These things are not toys.
It is a double barrel, radar controlled anti-aircraft gun. The system is rather sophisticated and fires at a very high rate of about 1500 rounds per minute. A projectile is about 35mm in diameter and 150mm in length. Various interlocks are supposed to prevent this kind of accident from happening.
Imagine having two over-sized, 3 meter long assault rifles mounted side by side on a very fast moving (rotate and yaw) mechanism and you'll have some idea. The radar and computer system usually stands behind the gun, some distance away, preferably somewhat higher, for a better view of the horizon and incoming bombers. When a battery of 3 to 5 of these guns start firing, it is an incredible experience. With mufflers on your ears, first you feel the ground and air vibrate and then the wind sweeps back a wall of dirt - the next moment either the bombs or the wreckage of the bombers come down at you - either way, you end up diving for cover - quite exciting...
The system has a long lineage going back 50 years. I (used to) know it quite intimately and this kind of screw-up is rather disappointing.
Goodness me, I did not realize that the Canadian Army is so underfunded that they still use black powder guns. I think even these fucked up Oerlikons are better.
The Superfledermaus (or whatever it is called now) is a sophisticated military radar control system.
I still do military work - different country - different life - same old shit. The review and QA procedures are extensive and exactly the same around the world. It doesn't matter whether you are in South Africa, USA, UK or Switzerland - we all work to the same standards and procedures. I have worked in multiple countries, so I know, been there, done that. For the problem to get this far down the line, there must have been big slip-ups at multiple levels along the way.
What is not clear, is whether this was a malfunction of an Oerlikon or Contraves system, or whether Armscor or another contractor in South Africa was involved in the modification (very likely). If it was a South African modification: "Welcome to the New South Africa"...
In a previous life I worked on the predecessor of those guns and I have been to many tests. Problems were usually due to stupidity somewhere along the line, not due to failures. I suspect that it is still the exact same guns, totally refurbished and with new electronics.
The guns move *very* fast and fire at a *very* high rate (similar firing rate to an assault rifle, but with much larger projectiles). Just getting side swiped by the moving barrel can kill an operator.
The projectiles actually have various safeties:
a. Launch G force
b. Spin
c. Time delay
d. Self destruct
The gun also has protection with no-fire zones - to prevent this exact kind of accident. These no-fire zones must also have malfunctioned.
I find it surprising that the projectiles exploded, but the article is not clear, maybe the safeties worked and they did not explode. The problem is that they still move at supersonic speed and when they impact something close to the gun, the projectile and whatever it hits will break up, even if it doesn't explode.
So, I feel sorry for the operators and I hope that whoever wrote and tested that buggy code have already been fired too.
Well, obviously the present creation is a derivative of a much older creation. The 'who created God' ur question, So to satisfy modern creationists, these old fossils must have been created by a different God. Though, according to Christians, all Gods are one. So there is always a simple Godly explanation for everything...
Obviously the earth is supported by a giant turtle and therefore it is turtles all the way down!
If you are paid enough, then any country is pleasant. The locals may have a much tougher time time though: Small living quarters, not enough money for utilities, food, clothing, just scraping by. If you don't have enough money, living is tough everywhere, even in Europe, Canada, USA, Russia, it doen't matter where.
Hmm, after the first one was lost, the data was set free already, so now after the second one was lost, the crooks have a backup too. Good luck with encrypting lost data.
This is hardy new. Anyone with an old (>10 years) domain name is on every spam address list in the galaxy and likely gets 99.99% spam. All my mail server does is run spam assassin and clamav and a few times per day, actually delivers a real message.
Why use an inefficient solar panel and a bunch of electronics to convert the sunlight into microwaves? Just set up a mirror. But then, that would be too simple by comparison and not worthy of billions of dollars in funding. Even worse, a mirror may actually work...
A penguin is bound to taste terrible - like BBQ seagull - not something I would like to try except in a dire case of starvation. Penguins are actually horrid creatures - noisy carnivorous sea birds. I have been bitten by a little one - not much fun at all.
Slashdot Mirror
These Swiss made guns go back 50 years. The guns used in the Falklands war were rented from South Africa (I was there - yes I am old, thank you.). The systems are continually updated and now sport a combination radar and laser tracking system, so they are pretty damn good and can shoot down supersonic targets. At those speeds you only have a few seconds to acquire track and fire.
Good quality military systems have very long service lives. They don't get thrown in the trash every three years. These things are not toys.
Its the little old lady from Pasadena...
Only a 75 year old white lady can get away with something like that. If it was a 15 to 25 year old black male, then he would already be in Gitmo...
It is a double barrel, radar controlled anti-aircraft gun. The system is rather sophisticated and fires at a very high rate of about 1500 rounds per minute. A projectile is about 35mm in diameter and 150mm in length. Various interlocks are supposed to prevent this kind of accident from happening.
Imagine having two over-sized, 3 meter long assault rifles mounted side by side on a very fast moving (rotate and yaw) mechanism and you'll have some idea. The radar and computer system usually stands behind the gun, some distance away, preferably somewhat higher, for a better view of the horizon and incoming bombers. When a battery of 3 to 5 of these guns start firing, it is an incredible experience. With mufflers on your ears, first you feel the ground and air vibrate and then the wind sweeps back a wall of dirt - the next moment either the bombs or the wreckage of the bombers come down at you - either way, you end up diving for cover - quite exciting...
The system has a long lineage going back 50 years. I (used to) know it quite intimately and this kind of screw-up is rather disappointing.
Goodness me, I did not realize that the Canadian Army is so underfunded that they still use black powder guns. I think even these fucked up Oerlikons are better.
Geezus H. Kryst, with that sense of humour, you must be a South African...
"Welcome to the New South Africa" has become a common phrase when there is a total clusterfuck screw-up like this one.
The Superfledermaus (or whatever it is called now) is a sophisticated military radar control system.
I still do military work - different country - different life - same old shit. The review and QA procedures are extensive and exactly the same around the world. It doesn't matter whether you are in South Africa, USA, UK or Switzerland - we all work to the same standards and procedures. I have worked in multiple countries, so I know, been there, done that. For the problem to get this far down the line, there must have been big slip-ups at multiple levels along the way.
What is not clear, is whether this was a malfunction of an Oerlikon or Contraves system, or whether Armscor or another contractor in South Africa was involved in the modification (very likely). If it was a South African modification: "Welcome to the New South Africa"...
In a previous life I worked on the predecessor of those guns and I have been to many tests. Problems were usually due to stupidity somewhere along the line, not due to failures. I suspect that it is still the exact same guns, totally refurbished and with new electronics. The guns move *very* fast and fire at a *very* high rate (similar firing rate to an assault rifle, but with much larger projectiles). Just getting side swiped by the moving barrel can kill an operator. The projectiles actually have various safeties: a. Launch G force b. Spin c. Time delay d. Self destruct The gun also has protection with no-fire zones - to prevent this exact kind of accident. These no-fire zones must also have malfunctioned. I find it surprising that the projectiles exploded, but the article is not clear, maybe the safeties worked and they did not explode. The problem is that they still move at supersonic speed and when they impact something close to the gun, the projectile and whatever it hits will break up, even if it doesn't explode. So, I feel sorry for the operators and I hope that whoever wrote and tested that buggy code have already been fired too.
Well, obviously the present creation is a derivative of a much older creation. The 'who created God' ur question, So to satisfy modern creationists, these old fossils must have been created by a different God. Though, according to Christians, all Gods are one. So there is always a simple Godly explanation for everything...
Obviously the earth is supported by a giant turtle and therefore it is turtles all the way down!
If you are paid enough, then any country is pleasant. The locals may have a much tougher time time though: Small living quarters, not enough money for utilities, food, clothing, just scraping by. If you don't have enough money, living is tough everywhere, even in Europe, Canada, USA, Russia, it doen't matter where.
When my analogue TV goes dead, I won't bother buying a digital one. I'll just stop watching TV altogether.
Yeah, will we have it on the shelves powering a ridiculous product that nobody wants in 5 years or not?
I want my ridiculously glowing nano-wire powered useless product!
I paid 1p which through some magical fees, translated into about $1. I'd say that it is worth about 1p, but not worth $1.
Hmm, after the first one was lost, the data was set free already, so now after the second one was lost, the crooks have a backup too. Good luck with encrypting lost data.
This has been an official MS policy for several years already. If the CEO does it, then it must be OK...
This is hardy new. Anyone with an old (>10 years) domain name is on every spam address list in the galaxy and likely gets 99.99% spam. All my mail server does is run spam assassin and clamav and a few times per day, actually delivers a real message.
Hmm, Microsoft sure acts like a psychochick...
Don't worry ISO, Microsoft will release a patch for your process next Tuesday.
European swallows, or African swallows?
Dual boot is so 20th Century. The modern solution is virtualization dude, it is time to wake up.
"Ya want frieez wizzaaat?" Same principle.
Military exercises sure break things, but things are never even again.
Just use a very long extension cord. It should cost much less than the space based solution...
Why use an inefficient solar panel and a bunch of electronics to convert the sunlight into microwaves? Just set up a mirror. But then, that would be too simple by comparison and not worthy of billions of dollars in funding. Even worse, a mirror may actually work...
BBQ penguin - ugh!
A penguin is bound to taste terrible - like BBQ seagull - not something I would like to try except in a dire case of starvation. Penguins are actually horrid creatures - noisy carnivorous sea birds. I have been bitten by a little one - not much fun at all.