And you thought this stuff happens only in technothrillers

January 21, 2010 · Posted in Uncategorized · Comment

As they say, truth is often stranger than fiction:

The plan was based on creating tension with Greece that could lead to a conflict.

The details of the plan went as far as to include the idea of allowing a Turkish fighter aircraft to crash as a result of direct Greek action. Taraf newspaper reports that the plan was set up by 162 officers of the Turkish armed forces of which 29 were high level officers.

Of course, there is also the possibility that this is a deliberate leak by the Turkish armed forces in order to discourage HAF pilots from blasting THK’s airspace violators out of the Aegean sky. Wouldn’t be the first time that psyops are employed to compensate for a military disadvantage (e.g. Imia crisis).

Tags: Greece, Turkey

Yuri & Dmitri Donskoy

January 5, 2010 · Posted in Uncategorized · Comment

Possible candidate for photo of the month, by the Russian Navy Blog.

Tags: Borey, Russia, SSBN, Typhoon

“The Beast of Kandahar” unveiled

December 1, 2009 · Posted in Uncategorized · Comment

Bill Sweetman at Ares points to the first revealed photo of the new classified UAV observed operating in Afghanistan:

The photo confirms that the previous artists’ impressions were largely accurate. The jet has long, slender outer wings, spanning as much as 80 feet, mated to a stouter, deeper centerbody with a pointed nose. One important detail: the overwing fairings are not B-2-like inlets, but cover some kind of equipment – satcoms on one side, perhaps, and a sensor on the other.
The most likely provenance of the airframe is Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works, and it is very likely to be associated with the Desert Prowler program – unearthed by historian Peter Merlin and "patchologist" Trevor Paglen.

Tags: UAV, USAF

Where the nukes are: 2009 edition

November 26, 2009 · Posted in Uncategorized · Comment

The Bulletin Of Atomic Scientists has an updated report on the worldwide locations of nuclear weapons in 2009.

As the United States and Russia continue to consolidate their nuclear arsenals, the number of sites in the world that host nuclear weapons also has decreased.

The report is available here.

Tags: nuclear weapons

ONI report: PLAN status

November 22, 2009 · Posted in Uncategorized · Comment

The FAS strategic blog points out to a recent ONI report that is chock full of interesting material. FAS focused on the information that the new classes of Chinese SSNs & SSBNs are much noisier than previously estimated, but the report encompasses the totality of Chinese naval developments and future prospects. Aspects such as the modernisation of shore-based naval aviation, the status of the aircraft carrier program, the emergence of the ASBM threat and the new classes of surface warship and amphibious and replenishment forces are covered.

The full report is available here, a recommended read for interested observers.

Bonus info: The ONI cosniders the Oscar-II class subs to be substantially quieter than the Akula I, though inferior to Akula II. DB authors take note!

Tags: China, navy

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