Better get your maps of the SOUTH CHINA SEA out. Things are brewing, and I wouldn’t miss it for all the TEA IN CHINA. Raise a TEA PARTY cup in salute to the Obama administration. It continues to make very firm statements regards the SOUTH CHINA SEA and the Sino threat. The growing number of [MORE]
AIP: AIR-INDEPENDENT PROPULSION
AIP Technology Creates a New Undersea Threat Inhanced performance of small, defensive submarines, a serious new underwater threat is developing in littoral waters. Increasingly, smaller nations unwilling or unable to accept the high cost of nuclear power to achieve greater underwater endurance and longer range are turning to lower-priced and less ambitious alternatives that still [MORE]
Iran’s Falling Oil Output Means Less Clout
“…Iraq has become the most important investment spot for major oil companies because of its huge, undeveloped reserves, the fourth biggest after Saudi Arabia—the Mideast’s top oil producer—Canada and Iran. Iran recently signed tentative deals with Turkey and Brazil to develop gas-export projects, and the country has attracted billions of dollars in oil-drilling investment from [MORE]
“THEY MARRIED ADVENTURE”; Martin and Osa Johnson
“On a cool November morning in 1917, a young Kansas couple sailed into the South Pacific dawn…” Now how’s that for a great start to a biography? “As the sun rose higher above the horizon, the great banks of mist that had clothed the mountains began to disappear, revealing the high green valleys of the [MORE]
The Dangers Of Doing Business With Iran’s Revolutionary Guards « The Energy Source – Forbes.com
To do business in Iran, you need an Iranian partner, which often means Khatam al-Anbiya (its full name is Gharargah Sazandegi-ye Khatam al-Anbiya, or Ghorb) — perhaps Iran’s biggest company. Ghorb is the parent of 812 affiliate companies which, according to estimates by the U.S. Treasury Department and Western intelligence services cited by Time Magazine, collectively [MORE]
IRAN Boasts ‘HORNETS NEST’ Defense
Iran recently released photos of equipment they threaten can be used for swarm attacks on shipping in the Persian Gulf. The concept of course is to overwhelm a ship’s defenses by sheer numbers. These first images illustrate craft utilizing ‘ground-effect’ technology. I question how much weight of weaponry they could carry, how stealthy to radar, [MORE]
The CHINESE THREAT, and Din Sum
The 2011 Report to Congress regarding China’s capabilities seemed to present a Din Sum of unpalatable threats from which we alone must choose. Personally I have lost my appetite for being the host nation expected to pick up the tab for much of the free-world’s defense while others have grown flabby around the ammunition belt. [MORE]
FIBER OPTIC CABLES, Truly a World Wide Web
There is an understandable assumption that the Internet is via satellite. Not so. The vast majority of what has been called the “Information Highway” is basically just that; or perhaps more accurately an Internet “Subway”. Five hundred thousand miles of fiber optic threads lace up the Seven league Boots of communication as it bestrides the world in [MORE]
The XF-84H was quite possibly the loudest aircraft ever built, earning the nickname “Thunderscreech” as well as the “Mighty Ear Banger”. The prop turned at a constant 3,000 rpm, with the tips traveling at approximately Mach 1.18 On the ground “run ups”, the prototypes could reportedly be heard 25 miles (40 km) away. Unlike standard propellers that turn [MORE]
“…WHERE I CAME IN.” an Afghanistan Afterthought
…Where I Came In I just attended an excellent presentation on current and proposed American involvement in Afghanistan. As the hour drew to a close, I got that old feelin’: This is where I came in. The passion, commitment, and depth of knowledge about Afghanistan by this recent Berkeley graduate reflected her deep concern for [MORE]
![Slow [FAST] Boat to [FROM] China](http://chucksfootnotes.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/PLAN-Somalia.jpg)
Slow [FAST] Boat to [FROM] China
China is projecting naval force beyond just its littoral waters for the first time since the early 15th century. Indeed, that previous Chinese blue-water expedition, led by the Chinese Muslim admiral Zheng He, was in the same waters off the coast of Somalia. It is a message heard loud and clear, and nowhere as clearly [MORE]
STEALTH WARS; “Now You See It…”
Arms Race: a thing of the past? Perhaps if one drives a Volvo with a fading peace-symbol or is a federal budget planner very much under the gun. Certainly many, this writer included, are not surprised to learn that China is rapidly advancing in the world of technology. After all, read the fine [MORE]
“POP GOES THE IMAM”, is not Child’s Play
An acquaintance recently sent me an article which speculated that Israel may indeed attack Iranian nuclear facilities. My own view of that eventuality has been altering of late. My response follows. I am not so sure we need to keep turning the Israeli crank on the “Pop goes the Imam” game. The topic of a [MORE]
“What are those f….ing pirates up to now?”
That very question, so directly stated above by one of my readers, basically hits one of the keys to the plot as I continue to write the SOUTH CHINA LAKE. I keep getting stunned into inactivity. Every time I “invent” a new twist to the story and do some research into the actions and locations [MORE]
New rescue robot pulls victims inside its body
New rescue robot pulls victims inside its body. Originally posted 2010-06-22 17:50:25. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
“A Lockheed Martin RQ-170 Sentinel stealth unmanned aerial system spied on Osama bin Laden the night before the special operations unit raid that successfully killed bin Laden at his mansion compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, according to an initial report by the National Journal. The U.S. Air Force has never released a photograph of the Sentinel, [MORE]
PHANTOM: hauntingly similar to CONDOR
Boeing just revealed its most recent HALE (High Altitude Long Endurance) PHANTOM UAV. To read the Phantom’s performance goals of several days endurance at over 65,000ft is déjà vu all over again at the Hiller Aviation Museum. Suspended from the ceiling, the 1980s CONDOR spreads its magnificent 200ft wing span across the top of the [MORE]
Well look what I woke up to this morning. As of Saturday, July 17th, she is sitting in Monterey Bay just off of Fisherman’s Wharf. She is the USS Hawes, FFG 53, the 47th frigate of the Oliver Hazard Perry class and named after Rear Admiral Richard E. Hawes. Interestingly, she is technically a jet [MORE]
A bunch of you have indicated you would like to go up to the Hiller with me for another tour. Great. Anytime. Let’s set the date. Being associated with the museum and the terrific staff and bunch of volunteers there is one of the best experiences of my life. Each visit I learn additional things [MORE]
Beijing Rebuffs Obama on North Korea
China appears to be placing more and more military pieces on that great national-conflicts chess board. the PACIFIC. Paraphrasing Bette Davis’ character, Margo Channing warned: Fasten your seatbelts, it’s going to be a bumpy ride! Below are exerpts and link from WSJ, 6-29-10: In response to the sinking of the Cheonan in March, in which [MORE]
Is it any wonder why, in our late 20s, my wife and I decided to retire first, live in Florence, La Bella Citta, then earn a living later. “…No one can say absolutely why Ponte Vecchio touches the spirit the way it does. Why, for instance, did the panorama that the structure dominates liberate the [MORE]
Credit to Apacheclips.com for the above photo. Interesting to see the Red Star on the fuselage. The pilot was still inside. On his remains were found the Glory Order III Degree and Military Red Banner Order medals. The above picture and the excerpt below are from : http://lend-lease.airforce.ru/english/articles/sheppard/p39/index.htm This amazing Bell P39 was located at [MORE]
In China, so much of it now looks so familiar, so normal, so “West”. Yet, if one walks behind the scenes, peers through the windows of the many vacant buildings, and opens the financial books, a queasy feeling begins to develop in the pit of the stomach. In Michael Crichton’s 1973 movie, WESTWORLD, people [MORE]
LOOK MA, no hands! Stunning video of UAV landing last year at Oshkosh, WI The Predator B Has Landed!. Originally posted 2010-06-23 21:32:33. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
IAF; Israel Air Force 360deg Combat Simulator
The flight simulator dome in this picture is some 30 feet in diameter with a 360 degree projection. Soon, Israeli pilots will be able to train for specific tactical attack missions, including dealing with advanced air defenses and night vision, all while “flying” in relation to four other aircraft. Israel, with its limited air space [MORE]
“Osa’s Ark”; Sikorsky S-38, Oshkosh July 26-Aug 1
“Dubbed Osa’s Ark for its definitive zebra paint scheme based on the S-38 filmmakers/authors Osa and Martin Johnson flew over Africa in the 1930s. Igor Sikorsky’s first flying boat design, the S-38′s maiden flight was in 1928. It was called “The Explorer’s Air Yacht” and “The Flying Yacht,” and a total of 110 were produced [MORE]
You know, it appears more and more that fiction is just a novel approach to assembling factual data points into a coherent and hopefully entertaining narrative. This “Milky Seas” is a case in point. Note the ‘glow’ at the bottom right, off the coast of Somalia. It is about the size of the distance from [MORE]
“Now I dun’ seen, ‘bout everything, when I see…” an Israeli Air Force (IAF) F-16I Sufa fly. And you thought the crows were incredulous when they saw Dumbo flying, what about this tiny plane with the big bulges? Those big shoulders on this highly modified Lockheed Martin produced F-16 are conformal fuel tanks manufactured by [MORE]
Boeing: ‘Very Disappointed’ With 787 Problem – WSJ.com
Scott Fancher, head of the 787 Dreamliner program, said Boeing was first aware of the horizontal stabilizer issue last week, but it didn’t escalate into an issue affecting flight tests until Thursday morning. The company said that the problem involves improper installation of small, composite pieces called “shims” where the horizontal stabilizers. Boeing: ‘Very Disappointed’ [MORE]
“LOOK MA, NO HOOK”C-130 Carrier landing
“That airplane stopped right opposite the captain’s bridge,” recalled Flock. “There was cheering and laughing. There on the side of the fuselage, a big sign had been painted on that said, “LOOK MA, NO HOOK.” Altogether, the crew successfully negotiated 29 touch-and-go landings, 21 unarrested full-stop landings, and 21 unassisted takeoffs at gross weights of [MORE]
Some mornings are worth getting up for more than others. This morning, the 395ft Russian yacht, “A”, anchored in Monterey Bay is a case in point. My home overlooks the bay, though it is usually obstructed by a morning fog, both physical and mental. So you can imagine my vigorous eye rubbing as my brain [MORE]
This guy is my hero. At first all you see is the rioter breaking a shop window. Look at the man rushing up and yelling in the background. I have no idea who he is, but what an inspiration! Imagine, in the midst of very violent rioting in France recently, this gray-haired gentleman, indignant that [MORE]
EAST WORLD (cont’d), China’s Military
Continuing our look at CHINA “behind the scenes”, we look at the military and explore possible motivations for its build-up and its often belligerent actions. Here in EAST WORLD, even military hardware may not be what it seems. Since Mao’s Long March and then the founding of the People’s Republic, assessing Chinese capabilities has been [MORE]
EAST WORLD, response to a WSJ article
The following is a response to an article regards China vs. America that recently appeared in the Wall Street Journal. The original text is responded to in bold type.There is no disagreement with the article’s final exhortation of “Wake up America!”, but simply to what it is America should be waking up to. Original article: [MORE]
“WHAT GOES AROUND…”; Climate Changes in Orbit
(Excerpt; see link below) The finding is reported in the scientific journal Nature Geoscience. Lisiecki performed her analysis of climate by examining ocean sediment cores. These cores come from 57 locations around the world. By analyzing sediments, scientists are able to chart Earth’s climate for millions of years in the past. Lisiecki’s contribution is the [MORE]
Selex Sistemi Integrati (SSI) is developing Passive Air Surveillance Radar. It is referred to as a “bi-static system”, that is, one in which the receiver is widely separated from “non-cooperative” transmitters. In other words, it does not have its own transmitter. Instead, it uses regular FM radio transmissions that bounce of an object. It can [MORE]
CIA film: failed CIA China Plot
This put me to mind about something like 100 airmen lost during the early years of overflying China and the USSR, including the use of B-29s,RB-45s, B-50s, RB-36s, and, perhaps more famously, RB-47s. Check back again for more on this subject. Shown here, RB-45 CIA film depicts a failed Cold War spy mission By ROBERT [MORE]
Fars News Agency :: Iranian Air Force to Deploy UAVs along Borders
It would seem that not only are Iranian UAVs of a sophisticated design, they could well pose the threat of a cruise-missile like weapons delivery system. Below are excerpts and link. The commander highlighted the growing applications of UAVs in Iran’s armed forces, and announced that the Air Force command headquarters plans to form a [MORE]
There has been much controversy of late about possible redundancy regards developing a second engine for the F-35B. Through the magic of photo shop the secrets behind that system of propulsion can now be revealed. It would appear to be the same concept being applied to our current economic situation, which begs the question, “Will [MORE]
Going BALLISTIC Over Unidentified LAUNCH
Speculations about an apparent unidentified missile launch off the Southern Californian coast is still leaving contrails of controversy over the world of aerospace enthusiasts. So how to account for a sighting no one is taking accountability for? Well, it will be interesting to see how all this plays out. My own guess? Contrail, and here’s [MORE]
