Some data of HAF F-16C/D Bloks 50 and 52+
Download link of "Flight Manual of HAF F-16C/D Bloks 50 and 52+"
Saturday, October 31, 2020
PLAAF 7 J-20 in formation
PLAAF 7 J-20 in formation
Note on 5 sec - as two J-20s releasing several flares, aerial infrared countermeasures.
Not seen before.
Friday, October 30, 2020
How the Army plans to revolutionize tanks with artificial intelligence
with the Advanced Targeting and Lethality Aided System, or ATLAS, the U.S. Army hopes to transform the way tank crews operate using artificial intelligence. (U.S. Army)
Even as the U.S. Army attempts to integrate cutting edge technologies into its operations, many of its platforms remain fundamentally in the 20th century.
Take tanks, for example.
The way tank crews operate their machine has gone essentially unchanged over the last 40 years. At a time when the military is enamored with robotics, artificial intelligence and next generation networks, operating a tank relies entirely on manual inputs from highly trained operators.
“Currently, tank crews use a very manual process to detect, identify and engage targets,” explained Abrams Master Gunner Sgt. 1st Class Dustin Harris. “Tank commanders and gunners are manually slewing, trying to detect targets using their sensors. Once they come across a target they have to manually select the ammunition that they’re going to use to service that target, lase the target to get an accurate range to it, and a few other factors.”
The process has to be repeated for each target.
“That can take time,” he added. “Everything is done manually still.”
On the 21st century battlefield, it’s an anachronism.
“Army senior leaders recognize that the way the crews in the tank operate is largely analogous to how these things were done 30, 45 years ago,” said Richard Nabors, acting principal deputy for systems and modeling at the DEVCOM C5ISR Center.
“These senior leaders, many of them with extensive technical expertise, recognized that there were opportunities to improve the way that these crews operate,” he added. “So they challenged the Combat Capabilities Development Command, the Armaments Center and the C5ISR Center to look at the problem.”
On Oct. 28, the Army invited reporters to Aberdeen Proving Ground to see their solution: the Advanced Targeting and Lethality Aided System, or ATLAS.
ATLAS uses advanced sensors, machine learning algorithms and a new touchscreen display to automate the process of finding and firing targets, allowing crews to respond to threats faster than ever before.
“The assistance that we’re providing to the soldiers will speed up those engagement times [and] allow them to execute multiple targets in the same time that they currently take to execute a single target,” said Dawne Deaver, C5ISR project lead for ATLAS.
At first glance, the ATLAS prototype the Army had set up looked like something out of a Star Wars film, albeit with treads and not easily harpooned legs. The system was installed on a mishmash of systems — a sleek black General Dynamics Griffin I chassis with the Army’s Advance Lethality and Accuracy System for Medium Calibur (ALAS-MC) auto-loading 50mm turret stacked on top.
And mounted on top of the turret was a small round Aided Target Recognition (AiTR) sensor — a mid-wave infrared imaging sensor to be more exact. Constantly rotating to scan the battlefield, the sensor almost had a life of its own, not unlike an R2 unit on the back of an X-Wing.
Trailing behind the tank and connected via a series of long black cables was a black M113. For this demonstration, the crew station was located inside the M113, not the tank itself. Cavernous compared to the inside of an Abrams tank, the M113 had three short seats lined up. At the forward-most seat was a touchscreen display and a video game-like controller for operating the tank, while further back computer monitors displayed ATLAS' internal processes.
Of course, ATLAS isn’t the tank itself, or even the M113 connected to it. The chassis served as a surrogate for either a future tank, fighting vehicle or even a retrofit of current vehicles, while the turret was an available program being developed by the Armaments Center. The M113 is not really meant to be involved at all, but the Army decided to remotely locate the crew station inside of it for safety concerns during a live fire demonstration expected to take place in the coming weeks. ATLAS, Army officials reminded observers again and again, is agnostic to the chassis or turret it’s installed on.
So if ATLAS isn’t the tank, what is it?
Roughly speaking, ATLAS is the mounted sensor collecting data, the machine learning algorithm processing that data, and the display/controller that the crew uses to operate the tank.
Here’s how it works: full story here
A view of the Advanced Targeting and Lethality Aided System, or ATLAS, prototype set up inside an M113. (U.S. Army)
Autoloader for Leopard-2
Image of the test vehicle with tower T 19 (Leopard 2 AV), in which in 1983 installed the Rheinmetall / Wegmann & Co compact loader for dynamic tests.
Serbia received the first two T-72B1MS MBT from Russia
Serbia received the first two T-72MS MBT from Russia. It's a gift and finaly Russia will ship totaly 30 T-72 main battle tanks to the serbian army.
According to local media, this week two of T-72B ‘White Eagle’ MBTs was delivered to the Serbian Respublic.
T-72B1MS "White Eagle"(Ob'yekt 184-1MS): is an T-72B1 modernized by Oboronprom company (now part of Rostec), first unveiled at International Forum Engineering Technologies 2012, painted all white, hence the unofficial nickname "White Eagle". Mechanical properties of the tank are the same as regular T-72B1, with the same engine, weapon, armor and K-1 ERA package. However, electronics are heavily upgraded, including a front and rear camera for the driver, driver digital display, GPS/GLONASS navigation system, third generation thermal panoramic sight "Eagle's Eye" for tank commander mounted at the rear left side of the turret, Sosna-U thermal gunner sight, target-tracking system, chassis management system, remotely controlled AA machine gun and more. Currently in service with Laos, Uruguay and Nicaragua armed forces, Serbia become the next user for this tank.
Thursday, October 29, 2020
U.S. Army begins testing new version of Bradley fighting vehicle
FORT HOOD, TEXAS – First Team Infantrymen test two new versions of the Bradly Fighting Vehicle (BFV), Fort Hood, Texas, Oct. 24, 2020.
Troopers of 1st Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment (1-12 CAV), 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team (3ABCT), 1st Cavalry Division, spent several nights in the field getting to know the new the M2A4 and M7A4 Bradley versions.
Linking up with test officers of the U.S. Army Operational Test Command (OTC) during a series of maneuvers and simulated force-on-force engagements, few Soldiers have had the chance to see the new machines in person, let alone get behind the wheel and test them.
Capt. Ian Schultz, Chosen Company Commander, 1-12 CAV, led his Troopers through the testing.
“Training and testing on the M2A4 and M7A4 placed our Troopers on the leading edge of technological innovation for maneuver warfare,” said Schultz.
“Our Troopers got to experience first-hand the next iteration of the infantry fighting vehicles under tough and realistic conditions that not only stressed and improved our systems and training, but stressed the capabilities of the M2A4 and M7A4.”
During the testing, OTC data collectors were on the ground with the Soldiers every step of the way gathering information that will later be used to analyze the overall capabilities of the vehicle in a report to senior Army leaders
“The information generated through the operational test provided the Program Manager valuable information that will influence the production platform,” said Schultz.
“The data generated through the test will shape the U.S. Army’s recommendation and requirements for final production standards on the M2A4 and M7A4.”
Testing is a collaboration between multiple Army organizations and took years of planning and preparation prior to execution.
“Although these organizations have different specific missions related to the evaluation, all of us worked together to ensure we maintained Trooper safety, gathered relevant test data, and accomplished unit mission essential training to build lethal platoons and a killer company,” said Schultz.
Shultz also added his Troopers emerged every day better than they were the day before.
The new BFV variants offer a number of upgrades and overhauls.
The idea behind the vehicle is to provide a faster, more durable, and survivable platform with increased oversight; according to Kummer, giving more power to the Troopers at the platoon and squad level to ensure success during large-scale ground combat operations.
“It is the hardware upgrade for the Bradly,” Kummer said. “The engine and transmission were upgraded, the mission command suite was upgraded, and the driver’s vision was upgraded with a new thermal device.”
These primary features are the highlights of the new infantry fighting vehicle and current reason for an operational test.
Once the data is collected, OTC will compile and analyze what went right and what did not.
Kummer stated, the review of tactics, doctrine, and applicability in accordance with Army development and all the data is reportable to congress.
He ended by stating OTC will use information provided by the Soldiers and data collectors during the test to decide what needs to be changed and what should stay the same.
The A4 series modification involves the installation of a new 8-cylinder Cummins VTA903E-T675 diesel engine with a capacity of 675 horsepower, a new HMPT-800-3ECB hydraulic transmission, which will allow the M2A4 Bradley to install the Iron Fist Light Decoupled (IFLD) active protection system for armored vehicles developed by the Israeli Elbit Systems company.
As noted by the company, the new version of Bradley is the finest combat vehicle system in the world.
The Bradley M2A4 features the latest digitized electronics for optimum situational awareness, network connectivity and communication within the Armored Brigade Combat Team. It is equipped with a wide-angle Driver’s Vision Enhancer, improved Force XXI Battle Command Bridge, and Below (FBCB2) software integration improve friendly and enemy vehicle identification, enhancing situational awareness. The addition of a High-Speed Slip Ring, greater network connectivity and Smart Displays that simultaneously display classified and unclassified information also improve situational awareness.
The upgraded vehicle also received lightweight tracks, new shock absorbers and suspension, and stiffer torsion bars. This increased the ground clearance from 380 to 510 millimeters, which increased not only the mobility, but also the protection of the vehicle from anti-tank mines.
Leveraging the lethality functionality from its predecessor, the Bradley M2A4 consists of full ballistic fire control hosted on a new central processing unit, aided dual-target tracking, automatic gun target adjustment, automatic bore sighting and hunter-killer capabilities. The Bushmaster 25mm cannon fires both explosive and armor piercing rounds, while TOW missiles defeat enemy armor. The 7.62mm coaxial machine gun provides high volume fires at close ranges.
Tuesday, October 27, 2020
Ukrainian UKRINNMASH unvieled the "Kevlar-E" IFV prototipe
Ukrainian UKRINNMASH unvieled the "Kevlar-E" IFV prototipe
Ukraine’s UkrInnMash Corporation release the first photo of the Kevlar-E infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) based on the Russian 122 mm 2S1 self-propelled howitzer (SPH) platform.
The original turret 2S1 SPH has been removed and the area to the immediate rear of the diesel power pack and driver’s position at the front of the vehicle raised to provide greater internal volume for its new mission.
The "Kevlar-E" holds a crew of three: a commander, a gunner and a driver, as well as six fully equipped soldiers.
For the first time, the image of this IFV was release in the 2018 at the Jane's magasine.
The GaardTech Jaeger-C, a smart, consumable combat UGV
Australian company GaardTech (the company specializes in robotic vehicle replicas, decoys and UGVs with some punch. ML and software for military applications), unveiled the Jaeger-C UGV whelled mine (Charge Carrier).
The GaardTech Jaeger-C, a smart, consumable combat UGV
The Wehrmacht of 1940s are calling. They want their Charge Carrier back.
Goliath tracked mine
Monday, October 26, 2020
The first unmanned complex "Orion" of the Russian Ministry of Defense
The first unmanned complex "Orion" of the Russian Ministry of Defense (two command and control vehicles and three UAV)
The Russian Defense Ministry signed an acceptance act for the first Orion drone of Kronshtadt Company in the spring of 2020. The complex of three drones is supplied to the troops for test operation.
Orion has a normal aerodynamic scheme with a 16-meter wing in the middle and V-shaped tail fins. Maximum takeoff weight is 1200 kg. The drone and mechanisms are made of carbon plastic composite materials to decrease the glider weight. Vacuum infusion technology was introduced. The drone has an electric impulse anti-icing system for operation in low temperatures.
A piston engine is in the tail to rotate and push a two-blade propeller. APD-115T engine was designed by Itlan Company and is likely an analogue of the Austrian Rotax 914 of 115 HP used in various drones, including US heavy Predator.
AV-115 adjustable pitch propeller was designed by the Russian Aerosila Company. It is the first in the family of highly effective drone propellers.
Orion can fly 24 hours at altitudes of 7500 meters. Its communication system was designed by Luch Bureau in Rybinsk. The range is 250 km. The drone takes off and lands automatically as an airplane with three retractable wheels.
It can carry a 200-kg payload, including the multichannel MOES stabilized electronic monitoring system. It was designed by Precision Instrument-Manufacturing System Corporation to detect and track targets day and night and provide guidance for weapons.
The drone can carry a radar or a photo survey unit, as well as reconnaissance and electronic warfare means. The equipment is accommodated in a compartment un
Sunday, October 25, 2020
French version of the Ontos M50 anti-tank vehicle
A wooden model of a French concept from the 1950s. It is a "chenillette Lorraine" armed with six 105mm Recoilless anti-tank guns. This vehicle had to ensure the defense ageinst enemy tanks, being as cheap as possible while being as powerful as possible. Two versions were offered in 1954, a single-seater and a two-seater. The guns were preloaded before arriving on the battlefield. Note the tires, Lorraine's trademark, which allowed more flexibility. The principle of this machine will be quickly abandoned for more classic concepts. This model was recently donated to the museum. We thank the generous donor!
Original text in French
Voici une maquette de bois d'un concept français des années 1950. Il s'agit d'une chenillette Lorraine armée de 6 canons antichars sans recul de 105 mm. Ce véhicule devait assurer la défense des intervalles, en étant le moins cher possible tout en étant le plus puissant possible. Deux versions furent proposées en 1954, une monoplace et une biplace. Les canons étaient préchargés avant d'arriver sur le champ de bataille. Notez les pneus, marque de fabrique de Lorraine, qui permettait plus de souplesse. Le principe de cet engin sera rapidement abandonné pour des concepts plus classiques. Cette maquette a été tout récemment offerte au musée. Nous en remercions le généreux donateur !
