Aggressor Aircraft

Although the first squadron was not created until 1969, today's aggressor units actually had their origins during World War 2 when pilots like Charles Lindbergh visited frontline air bases in both theatres to demonstrate an aircraft's maximum performance capability, as well as the latest combat manoeuvres. The idea, as it still is today, was to give American pilots the experience and advantage of realistic training, the edge that could make the critical difference in aerial combat. When the US Navy's air-to-air kill ratio dropped from 14:1 during World War 2 to a very costly and unacceptable 2.3:1 midway through the Vietnam War, it was apparent that a change in pilot training was desperately needed. Captain Frank W Ault was tasked to explore the reasons for the poor kill ratio and make recommendations to triple it as soon as possible. His thorough, year-long study contained some 240 recommended changes to the Navy's fighter weapons programme. One of these resulted in the creation of the Navy Fighter Weapons School, Top Gun, in March 1969, the first of the true aggressor units. Another was the development of the first Air Combat Manoeuvering Range (later, TACTS' - tactical air combat training systems) and the entire concept of dissimilar air combat training (DACT) for the fleet by special 'adversary' squadrons.

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FineScale Modeler 2009-09

No Century Series model aircraft collection is complete without a "Deuce", and Monograms 1/48 scale F-102A kit is the only choice if you want to build a Delta Dagger. My model is built from a kit rereleased by Monogram (No. 5518); its based on the mold of the original Century Series kit produced over two decades ago. This rere-lease is molded in light gray styrene and the parts are presented on six trees and one clear tree. The panel lines are raised (not a big deal in my opinion) and this version builds into the early F-102A with the Case X ("case ten") wing which has the up-curving wingtips and rectangular elevons. To really confuse you, there may be two versions of the Monogram F-102A kit on the market: One has the early series Case X wing (the 2002 release), and another, released in 1990, has the Case XX wing. The Case XX wings had downward-curving wingtips; F-102s with serial numbers from 56-1317 had the Case XX wing.

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Janes Defence Weekly October 26, 2011

Lockheed Martin has delivered and installed the first weapons load training device at the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter integrated training centre (ITC) for pilot and maintenance training at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida. Configured in all three variants of the F-35, the system allows maintenance students to practise loading munitions and fuel tanks onto the aircraft. The system is the first of up to five possible weapons load trainers to be delivered to the ITC, according to Lockheed Martin. Designed to be identical to the F-35 aircraft, the simulators enable training to take place without removing aircraft from the flight schedule. The system will complement classroom maintenance training.

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St Mihiel 1918 - The American Expeditionary Forces' Trial by Fire

In March 1918 the German Army launched a series of sledgehammer blows against both the British and French sectors of the Western Front, driving the British back toward the Channel ports and the French toward Paris. Operation Michael was the first in a series of German attacks launched over the next several months intended to shatter Allied morale and force the Allies to agree to a peace settlement before the full impact of expanding American manpower made victory impossible. American Commander-in-Chief John J. Pershing found the Allied high command in disarray. Leaving a meeting with General Philippe Pétain on March 21, 1918, Pershing was surprised to learn that the situation along the British front was more serious than had been suggested. On March 25 Pershing met again with Pétain as rumors circulated that the French government had begun preliminary planning to abandon Paris for Bordeaux. Pétain admitted that he had ordered the headquarters moved to Chantilly and that Allied losses exceeded 150,000.

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Secret Weapons - Technology, Science & the Race to Win WWII

THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A RACE that can match the progress made in World War II. Computers and antibiotics went from being little-known curiosities to mainstream projects; the biplanes still popular as the war began had been superseded by jet aircraft at its end. At the beginning of the war, rockets were little more than self-propelled shells - but, by its end, they took us to the edge of space. In the modern world, it can take five years to plan a new idea, five years to obtain permission and a further 15 years to finish the work; quarter of a century in all. During the war, a new weapon or a great building could develop from concept to reality in a matter of months. Our modern Western world is suffocating in bureaucracy and, at a time when we need new technologies to safeguard the future, we could benefit from the sense of productive urgency that flourished during World War II.

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MiG-21 Super Profile

The best Soviet fighter of the early 1950s was the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15bis, a remarkable achievement for the Soviet aircraft industry, and a devastating shock to the Americans in the skies over war-torn Korea during late 1 950 and early 1 951. The Americans prevailed over the MiG-15 series with the excellent North American F-86 Sabre, but it was clear that much of this dominance was achieved by US pilot training and the superior equipment of the American fighters. While the MiG-1 5 had a definite performance edge over the F-86 in certain important parameters such as climb and turn rates, it was also found, however, to possess several adverse characteristics such as a tendency to stall and spin in very tight turns, pronounced snaking at Mach numbers in excess of 0.88, and poor handling at high angles of attack. Improved aircraft were already under flight test during the Korean War - namely the MiG-17 and MiG-19 from the same design stable - but the lessons of air combat during the Korean War also showed the need for a new generation of interceptor fighters with high superonic performance. The lessons were there for all to see, the Americans responding with the remarkable Lockheed F-104 Starfigher, a Mach 2 'manned missile' (or, rather, manned missile-launch platform) in which all was sacrificed to speed and rate of climb. The Soviet interpretation of the same lessons produced a radically different requirement, issued in the autumn of 1953.

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Two Sides of the Beach - The Invasion and Defense of Europe in 1944

Soon after the Germans occupied Paris in 1940 General Kurt von Briessen, commanding the 19th Infantry Division, is alleged to have ordered his troops to withdraw from the city owing to the sexual depredations of the French female population, or at least to try to prevent his men falling into the fleshpots of those members of the population most inclined to curry favour with the conquerors. This did indeed refer to the notion of the femme fatale. The occupiers found that French women were so disgusted with their own menfolk who had fled or given up that they willingly offered themselves to the strapping, lusty specimens of Teutonic manhood who goose-stepped before their commanders that sunny mid-June in Paris.

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Le Fana De L'Aviation Hors-Serie 45

Mais le marché qu'accepta le DoD avait surtout un intérêt financier pour Boeing à qui il promettait de rapporter plusieurs milliards de dollars de bénéfice net en dix ans, c'est-à-dire considérablement plus que ce qui aurait pu être tiré de la vente de ces mêmes avions. Cependant, très rapidement, le sénateur de l'Arizona John McCain (futur concurrent de Barak Obama). président du Commerce Committee au Sénat, s'opposa à cette opération juteuse en la qualifiant de "cambriolage militaro-industrier. Dénonçant les "relations incestueuses" tnixt les militaires et Boeing,montrant qu'à l'issue du leasing, chaque avion allait coûter au contribuable américain presque un tiers de plus que son prix de vente normal (196 millions au lieu de 150), et que cette opération était en fait un subventionnement déguisé. Le sénateur obtint son annulation. En conséquence, en 2002, le Dod lança donc un appel d'offres auquel Airbus soumissionna avec un dérivé ravitailleur de TA330-200, l'A330MRTT.

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German Rocket Launchers of WWII

The wartime use of chemical war materials, incendiaries and rockets is ancient: The ancient Chinese used them, as did the Spartans in the Peloponnesian War, 431-404 B.C. In the 19th Century, England, Denmark, Switzerland, France (in Algeria) Greece (as of 1840), the USA (as of 1846), Prussia (until 1872), Austria (until 1867) and above all Russia, against the Poles, Turks, Chinese and in the Crimean War, used rockets as effective weapons. Their further development in Germany, on the other hand, was blocked by the improvement of artillery, until the course of World War I as of April 22,1915, in the course of trench warfare and the use of chemical weapons, indicated a need for large-caliber mobile mine and gas launchers with long ranges, and the Treaty of Versailles, banning as it did heavy artillery, tanks and warplanes, put more and more emphasis on the strengthening of non-banned weapons like smoke screens and rockets. Opportunities thwarted since the middle of the past century were taken up, and the military cooperation that existed for a time with the "Red Army" under the Treaty of Rapallo led to development in many areas.

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Grumman F-14 Tomcat - Bye-Bye Baby!

The exhaust from the powerful and reliable F-110 engines fills my nostrils until we drop the canopy and bring our jet to life. Air roars through the ECS. Systems power up. Soon we're parked behind the cat, waiting our turn. I roger the weight board - 68.000 pounds. Baby 68.000 pounds! Grasp that if you can. The jet blast deflector comes down and we taxi into place, my pilot deftly splitting the cat track with the twin nose tires. And then - even after decades of doing the same thing - the adrenaline starts to flow as we start into the deck ballet unique to the Tomcat. The nose strut compresses, giving the fighter the look of a rail dragster The launch bar drops down. Wings motor forward. Flaps lower. Outboard spoiler module circuit breaker is engaged an old RIO gotcha. Our four hands go up as the ordies arm the missiles, bombs and gun.

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Janes Defence Weekly October 19, 2011

Satellite imagery taken by DigitalGlobe during July-September 2011 suggests that China may be having difficulties with its Soviet-era aircraft carrier despite public statements of confidence. The ex-Varyag, acquired by the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) in 1998, sailed from Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Company (DSIC) shipyards on its maiden voyage on 10 August following a six-year refit and modification programme. The vessel cruised in the northern Yellow and Bohai Seas for four days before returning to port on 13 August. At that time a Ministry of National Defence spokesperson said the aircraft carrier had "attained the anticipated objectives". A 31 July DigitalGlobe image shows the ex-Varyag almost complete and ready for sea trials. The flight deck is virtually clear of construction equipment, supplies and personnel. The flight-deck markings for arrested landings are partially complete and a white outlined circle appears to be the No. 4 helicopter landing zone. No markings for ski jump take-offs have been applied and the three jet-engine blast deflectors are raised.

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Le Fana De L'Aviation 2011-11

Vendredi 16 septembre, à Reno, dans le Nevada, à 16h20 heure locale, le P-51 baptisé The Galloping Ghost s'est écrasé quelques mètres à peine devant une tribune alors qu'il disputait une des courses des fameuses National Air Races. Son propriétaire et pilote "Jimmy" Leeward, âgé de 74 ans, n'a pas survécu au très violent impact qui a creusé dans le béton un cratère d'1 m de profondeur et de 3 m de large. L'avion s'est littéralement désintégré et, dans le parterre tout proche, dix spectateurs ont été tués par les centaines de débris métalliques projetés alentours. 72 personnes ont été soignées à l'hôpital de Reno pour des blessures plus ou moins graves; la dernière blessée a quitté l'aéroport vers un hôpital 62 minutes seulement après le crash, ce qui en dit long sur l'efficacité des services de secours sur place (qui avaient effectué un entraînement pour une telle situation le matin même). C'est la première fois dans l'histoire des courses de Reno, dont la première édition a eu lieu il y 47 ans, que des spectateurs sont tués dans un accident, alors que 20 pilotes ont perdu la vie en course ou en entraînement.

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Medal of Honor Vol.1 - Aviator of WWI

The Medal of Honor is the highest military award for valor that can be bestowed upon an individual actively serving in the Armed Forces of the United States. Established by the Federal Government to recognize individual acts of bravery during the Civil War, the Medal has remained America's supreme tribute for nearly 140 years and has been awarded to over 3,400 men, and in one instance, a woman. It is generally presented to the recipient by the President of the United States of America in the name of Congress, and for this reason it is often mistakenly called the Congressional Medal of Honor. This point is difficult to understand since there is an organization called The Congressional Medal of Honor Society. However, the only intent of the word Congressional in the name was to indicate this society is chartered by the United States Congress. Not all awards have been for combat service; nearly 200 people have received the Medal of Honor for personal bravery or self-sacrifice while the United States was at peace. And others were "special legislation" awards presented by Congress to individuals for their "lifetime of service," or for "contributions in exploration."

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Naval History 2011-12

The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor arguably remains the single most important event in American military history, leading as it did to the United States' entrance into World War IL Although hardly flawless in their execution, the Japanese landed a very heavy blow against America's military on the morning of 7 December 1941. A substantial portion of the U.S. Navy's battle line was either sunk or damaged at its moorings, and American airpower in Hawaii was crushed. Thousands of U.S. servicemen lost their lives. Most important, Pearl Harbor wounded the pride and shook American confidence to its core. The next six months would witness a harrowing series of Japanese victories that were only definitively checked at the Battle of Midway in June 1942. One of the most persistent questions surrounding Pearl Harbor remains how the Japanese were able to surprise America so completely, despite the fact that U.S. code-breakers were reading substantial quantities of Japanese diplomatic messages before the attack. Many factors played into this lack of awareness, of course. And not surprisingly, given a defeat of this magnitude, a number of theories have also been advanced purporting to show that various parties in the United States had foreknowledge of the attack.

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Prussian Napoleonic Tactics 1792-1815

At the end of the Seven Years' War in 1763, Frederick the Great's army, which had at one time taken on and defeated the armies of the major powers of Continental Europe, had an unenviable reputation. It had been the most modern of its day, the model that other armies emulated, but after such a long, exhausting war there was little of it left to emulate. The pool of native conscripts had been depleted, to be filled out with deserters and prisoners from opposing armies. Frederick described them as being no more capable than an inexperienced militia, so his first post-war reform was to restore the quality of the army. At this time, Brandenburg-Prussia's economy was basically agrarian, with agricultural production generating the larger part of the national revenues. The so-called 'Inländer', native conscripts, provided the backbone of the army; the bulk of them were farm boys, who underwent a period of basic training before being assigned to the reserve. Once in the reserve, they would be called up for refresher courses during the autumn manoeuvres. Being of greater economic value, the professional classes, skilled artisans and tradesmen were exempted from military service.

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Tiger Tanks at War

The Tiger tanks produced by Germany during World War II are legendary. As with all legends, however, there is as much myth as truth in their story. Part of their mystique originated during the war, when what little information the Germans gave out was tinged for propaganda purposes. The inflated German accounts were somewhat offset by Allied versions, which tended to understate their capabilities. As we shall see in the chapters that follow, both sides had good reason to withhold the truth, for while the Tigers were not as good as the Germans had hoped they would be, they were far more formidable than the Allies had feared. With the Panzer V ("Panther"), the Tigers were the first German tanks designed uncompromisingly as antitank platforms. Earlier German tanks were originally the product of tradeoffs, particularly in their armament, of a school of thought that considered dedicated antitank guns as the principal counter to enemy tanks. Only after some bitterly earned combat lessons did the Germans come to consider armor-defeating capability as the prime attribute of a tank gun. Ironically, the Tigers were armed with variants of an antiaircraft gun that was pressed into service as an antitank weapon when the Germans encountered unexpectedly heavily armored French tanks in what was otherwise an easy victory in the battle of France.

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The Encyclopedia of Middle East Wars

Since the end of World War II the United States has had a troubled relationship with the Middle East. The superpower competition of the Cold War, the establishment of the State of Israel, the rise of militant Islam, the aggressiveness of authoritarian regimes, the dependency on Middle East oil, and a host of other factors have caused the United States to become involved in numerous regional confrontations, containments, sanctions, interventions, and wars over that period. The protection of our vital interests in the region has required a military presence and commitment that have steadily grown over that time. As former colonial powers, such as the United Kingdom, withdrew from the international policing of the region, the United States assumed that role, and that role has grown in size, complexity, and controversy.

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Warbirds Illustrated 048 - Soviet Air Power Today

According to recently released US Department of Defense (DoD) intelligence estimates, the Soviet Air Forces have a grand total of 16,158 aircraft, while the Soviet Naval Air Force has a further 1,709. This current compilation of, principally, in-service Soviet aircraft emphasizes the fact that most Warsaw Pact military aircraft are of Soviet origin. Soviet aircraft in other Warsaw Pact nations' service are illustrated wherever possible, as are non-Soviet designs where applicable. The US DoD publication Soviet Military Power, mentioned in my introduction to Warbirds Illustrated No.8, has continued to be published annually. It remains, probably, the leading non-classified source to identify new Soviet developments and to quantify Soviet military aircraft production. The current edition, for example, published in March 1987, reports that further Tupolev 'Blackjack' supersonic bombers have joined the original five pre-production models being flight-tested. Over 50 operational Tu-95/142 'Bear-H' bombers have been equipped to carry the AS-15 'Kent' air-launched cruise missile. They are routinely flown on training missions against North America, at times coming within 50 miles of the Alaskan coast.

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Wallpapers Aviation Set 8

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Ultimate Spy - Inside The Secret World of Espionage

When I began my career in the Office of Strategic Services in the 1940s, books on espionage equipment and methods did not exist. By the end of World War II, available books contained black and white photographs and were classified. Not until 1991, with the publication of OSS Special Weapons and Equipment: Spy Devices of WWII, could the public learn about the secret devices that helped to win World War II. The book's author, Keith Melton, began collecting spy gear after his service in Vietnam. He is now recognized as the pre-eminent private collector and authority in the field. In 1996, Mr Melton broadened his approach and tackled the history of espionage in the first edition of Ultimate Spy. The concise entries with their spectacular color illustrations made it a wonderful introduction to this fascinating world. Many of the espionage devices included had never before been seen in the West.

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The Beretta M9 Pistol

Innovation in military weapons and equipment is generally viewed as a positive factor that allows the soldier a higher probability of fighting, surviving, and winning. Ironically, however, it is often easier to adopt new multimillion-dollar weapons systems than it is to replace personal weapons or equipment. A simple example might be the US P-38 can opener, which was issued to GIs from World War II through the 1980s. This simple device worked and was small enough that a GI could wear it on the chain with his dog tags. Had the US Army tried to replace the P-38 can opener with something larger and more complex, it would have met stolid resistance from the troops. As it transpired, the P-38 met its demise not through innovation but through obsolescence. When US troops started receiving MREs (Meals Ready to Eat) in the 1980s, the small can opener was no longer necessary.

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Salmson Aircraft of World War I

The Salmson company originally produced a scries of reliable, water-cooled radial airplane engines. Salmson then expanded into aircraft design and manufacture, and naturally all their designs used Salmson engines. The first Salmson aircraft to enter production was the unconventional S.M.I, designed to fulfill a requirement fora long-range, three-seat reconnaissance airplane. The S.M.I served in small numbers due to its limited utility. Only a single prototype of the S.M.2 ground attack airplane, derived from the S.M.I, was built. The next Salmson design, the Salmson 2, was a very successful type that was built in great quantity. The Salmson 2 served extensively on the Western Front with the Aviation Militaire and the United States Air Service. It was a robust aircraft with good performance and handling characteristics that was well-liked by its crews. Its appearance in late 1917 finally gave the Aviation Militaire an up-to-date two-seat observation and reconnaissance aircraft comparable in performance and combat capability to the better German types that had long been in service. The Salmson 2 was a tough opponent for the German fighters it faced; its only serious design flaw was the distance between pilot and observer which made communication between them difficult during combat.

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Military in Scale 2009-10

Though most of us work in solitude, building our models in workshops hidden away from public view, it's great that we can enter daylight once in a while and get together with other like-minded individuals. The summer months bring us a surfeit of events that allow us to either view other models at a show dedicated to such things, or the full sized machines that so fascinate us in the first place. This month you'll find extended features on two important events that cover both bases, those events being the MAFVA National Championships from Duxford and the now famous Tankfest from the Tank Museum at Bovington. Dorset. The Model Armoured Fighting Vehicle Association's annual event is a real pilgrimage for fans of military vehicles combining as it does, a large model display and competition and a fine collection of full sized vehicles. both static displays and as part of an in-action package in Duxford's arena. For this issue. Alan Firbank took time away from the country's airshows to visit the event and brings us a comprehensive round up of the show's highlights - of which there were many! In his feature you'll find plenty of shots from the large competition, as well as some very fine images from the displays that could be found on the airfield and in the very dusty arena!

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Military Communications - A Test for Technology, The US Army in Vietnam

The Vietnam War was a conflict of great diversity and contrasts. The United States and South Vietnam, the most technologically advanced nation in the world and a tiny developing country, fought side by side against an enemy who sought to undermine American technical superiority and destroy South Vietnamese development. Events taking place in the remote villages and hamlets of South Vietnam had tremendous political significance thousands of miles away in the cities and towns of the United States. The contrasts were most profound on the battlefield. Supersonic fighter planes streaking overhead at speeds of hundreds of miles per hour gave fire support to infantrymen hacking their way through the jungle at the pace of a few miles a day. Only communications could link the strategic and tactical, fighter pilot and infantryman, American and South Vietnamese.

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Military Aircraft in Detail - Arado Ar 234 A

The company began life as the Flugzeugbau Friedrichshafen GmbH, a manufacturer of important floatplanes such as the FF 49c which saw widespread service during the First World War. In November 1920 its disused factory buildings at Warnemünde on the Baltic coast were bought by the German industrialist Hugo Stinnes, who used them to produce furniture, ice yachts and sailing boats. One of the latter, produced by the company for the South American market, was plough-like in shape. The Spanish word for plough is 'arado', thus the success of the boat prompted Stinnes to change the name of the company to the Arado Handelsgesellschaft mbH in 1925. The name was to seem doubly appropriate about a year later when the company engaged the services of a talented aircraft designer, Walter Rethel, and began building aeroplanes under licence. The German word for plough is 'pflug'- phonetically similar to that for flight, 'flug'.

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JED Magazine October 2011

The Journal of Electronic Defense (JED) reports on industry news, technology trends and other developments in the global electronic warfare (EW) and signals intelligence (SIGINT) market. JED’s EW coverage includes self-protection systems, improvised explosive device (IED) countermeasures, airborne electronic attack and command and control warfare (C2W). The JED staff also writes about strategic and tactical SIGINT programs, including electronic intelligence (ELINT) and communications intelligence (COMINT) systems associated with submarines, surface vessels, ground vehicles, airborne reconnaissance platforms and space-based collection systems.

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Wallpapers Aviation Set 7

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Military Embedded System Magazine 2011-09

The COTS proposition, taking state-of-the-art commercial semiconductor technology and deploying it on open-standard military board architectures, is rapidly migrating up the technology food chain to the preconfigured subsystem level. Packaged COTS (PCOTS) subsystems are being driven by customer interest in reducing design risk and time to market, leading them to turn to traditional board vendors who have expertise in packaging and thermal management. PCOTS fully integrated "standard" systems enable development cost and improvements to be distributed over multiple users and programs, which drives increases in performance and economies of scale. There is also a place for both Line Replaceable Units (LRUs) as individual modules and packaged subsystems based on LRUs.

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Military in Scale 2004-09

World War Two was fought and eventually won by the Allies who followed a doctrine of quantity over quality. With the benefit of hindsight, Germany would have done better to have flooded the battlefield with Panzer IVs to take on the hordes of T-34s and Shermans rather than press ahead with the Tiger and Panther. As well as continuing to manufacture high quality tanks, German engineers allowed themselves to be seduced by Adolf Hitler's love of heavy tanks. And so at a time when Germany could least afford it, the heaviest production main battle tank of the war was bom - the King Tiger. When the Tiger I project was launched, Henschel and Porsche both submitted designs. Porsche's design was expensive, complex and impractical, and the company lost to Henschel. History repeated itself with the Tiger II. Again, Henschel and Porsche both submitted designs. Again, Porsche's design was expensive, complex and impractical, and the company lost to Henschel. By the time Henschel was declared the winner, Krupp had already built a number of turrets for the Porsche design. Rather than see them go to waste, they were fitted to the Henschel prototype and the first 50 production Tiger IIs.

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Military Illustrated 2011-05

On Sunday 28 March 2010, I had the great honour to be able to participate in the Service of Remembrance at the Reichswald Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cemetery in Germany. I attended with my father and two of his friends and we joined a group that had travelled from Britain, which included Major Jack Watson former commander of 'A' Company The 13th (Lancashire) Parachute Battalion, who at 93 years of age was one of the oldest in attendance. There was also a serving platoon of the 3rd Battalion, The Parachute Regiment on parade. We were there to remember the final and largest airborne operation of the Second World War, 'Operation Varsity'. The whole of the British 6th Airborne Division, commanded by Major-General Eric Bols, and the American 17th Airborne Division, commanded by Major-General William 'Bud' Miley, were to be landed simultaneously on dropping and landing zones around the town of Hamminkeln on the East bank of the Rhine on 24 March 1945. The two Airborne Divisions were part of the XVIII US Airborne Corps, commanded by the very experienced airborne soldier, Major-General Matthew Ridgway.

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Mid-East Aces - The Israeli Air Force Today

The Israel Air Force counts among its missions air superiority, close air support, airlift and special operations. From its austere beginnings with the modern State of Israel's creation in 1948, the IAF has performed its missions remarkably well. Almost always massively outgunned in its major wars of the past forty some years, the IAF has always managed to score decisive victories—leading to a deserved mystique. Ruling the region's airspace is crucial to maintaining the advantage in any major Mid-east conflict. Israel is keenly aware that without control of the skies its prospects in an all out land battle would be dismal at best. Accordingly, the IAF puts a premium on its air-to-air fighting component. The IAF throughout its history has demonstrated its dogfighting prowess, most notably with the lopsided results from the 1982 confrontation with Syrian MiGs over the Bekaa Valley. Providing cover for ground forces is another prerequisite for victory in high intensity Mid-east warfare. More than once the tank columns and infantry brigades of the Israeli Defence Forces have broken out of an otherwise untenable position because of the timely and effective intervention of IAF airpower.

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JED Magazine September 2011

In late July, I had the opportunity to attend an electronic attack conference on Capitol Hill that drew many leaders from across the US electronic warfare (EW) community. The event, sponsored by the Lexington Institute, aimed to provide lawmakers and their staffs a better understanding of the Services' approaches to electronic attack, including some of its most important programs. The conference's timing was apt. Congress was nearing the August 2 deadline to raise the government's debt ceiling, and the subsequent deal between the Democrats and Republicans has left future defense spending facing substantial cuts if political leaders cannot agree on future spending plans. Regardless of what happens, EW programs across the DOD, including Next Gen Jammer, Joint Allied Threat Awareness System, Common IR Countermeasures, Integrated EW System and Long-Range Strike, will need to fight hard to demonstrate their importance and value if they are to remain intact over the next several years. These programs cannot be allowed to turn into bill payers for other non-EW programs, as has often happened in the past.

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Janes Defence Weekly October 12, 2011

Options for a major restructuring of the British Army, involving extra swingeing reductions in the service's future force structure, equipment procurement plans, basing infrastructure and training areas, will be ready within weeks for consideration by senior officers. As if to reflect the army's under-fire approach, one imbedded source drew comparisons between the review and Germany's desperate attempts to protect military expertise when denuded of manpower and equipment after the First World War. Major General Nick Carter, the British Army's Director General, Land Warfare, is heading up the review, which will herald the service's biggest restructuring since the end of the Second World War, according to army officers familiar with its work. It is expected Gen Carter's review will be presented to the Executive Committee of the Army Board (ECAB), the army's highest decision-making body, in "late 2011", according to a notice placed on the British Army website.

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European Medieval Tactics (1) - The Fall and Rise of Cavalry 450-1260

The Early Medieval period saw the foundations of a new European civilization being laid, and alongside the emergence of new states came new military systems. These were partly the product of, and partly responsible for, new strategies, new tactics and modes of combat , and new attitudes towards warfare. The medieval period was probably more influential in the development of modern Europe than were the distant but generally more admired Classical civilizations of the ancient world. A somewhat blinkered view of the European past, which focuses upon those essentially Mediterranean cultures, has been largely responsible for the concept of a supposedly distinctive 'Western way of warfare' , which many still place in contrast to supposedly 'non-Western' practices. Such distinctions are largely fictitious, but they nevertheless reflect attitudes towards warfare within Western culture. There is a Western self-image of a civilization that fundamentally abhors war, and thus seeks to end it as quickly as possible by seeking a major and deciding confrontation.

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Wallpapers Aviation Set 6

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Korea 1950

In the early morning hours of 25 June 1950 when the North Koreans launched their powerful offensive across the 38th parallel against the Republic of Korea, the attention of the entire world was suddenly focused upon that little, mountainous Asiatic nation. Since the Republic of Korea was not a member of the United Nations, the United States Government immediately brought the aggression to the attention of the United Nations Security Council, branding the assault across the 38th parallel by the hostile forces as a breach of the peace, an act of aggression, and a clear threat to international peace and security. Why did the United States concern itself with an attack in distant Korea, and for what reasons did the invaders wish to conquer the newly sovereign people living in the south of Korea? The answers lie variously in Korea's geographic position, traditional relations with its more powerful neighbors, and the aftermath of World War II.

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Le Fana De L'Aviation Hors-Serie 46

Hermann Buchner ne serait resté connu que d'un très petit nombre d'amateurs, s'il n'avait confié ses mémoires de guerre. II n'était pas de ces grands seigneurs de l'aviation de chasse qui tirèrent de leur palmarès assezde gloire pour la transformer en profits divers une fois la paix revenue. Parvenu au rang d'officier sur le tard, achevant sa carrière comme commandant de base en Autriche, il faisait presque partie de ceux qu'Edmond Rostand appela "les petits, les obscurs, les sans-grade", bien qu'il ne fût jamais maltraité par sa hiérarchie, et restât heureux du sort de pilote de combat qu'il avait choisi quand bien même celui-ci ne comblait pas toujours ses désirs. C'est sans doute grâce à la modestie de sa position qu'il nous a laissé des mémoires si précis, beaucoup plus instructifs que la plupart des autres témoignages sur les mêmes événements de la guerre déclenchée par les nazis contre l'URSS, puis subie par l'Allemagne.

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Military in Scale 2003-03

At the time of writing (Christmas 2002) it is difficult to decide what to include in this months insight? Preparations are underway for the deployment of more British and American forces to the Gulf region as UN weapons inspectors search fruitlessly for Saddam Hussein's weapons of mass destruction. It is difficult to see where this will all end as more and more military hardware is massed around the borders of Iraq and the rhetoric between each side becomes more and more belligerent. Obviously our own armed forces are carrying out what is known as 'prudent planning' and contingency preparations.' In order that should the government elect to use force against Iraq our service personnel will be ready to carry out any task assigned to them. These preparations are of course veiled in secrecy although most of the broadsheet newspapers are trying desperately to get their fingers on the MoD pulse! This secrecy is of course sensible and precludes me naming units that are provisionally nominated for possible deployment. should these units be publicly named by the MoD then rest assured MIS will take a close look at them and any others contained in the operational Orbat.

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Military Embedded Systems Magazine July/August 2011

Soon most hardware processing platforms will be based on multicore architectures. But what does this mean for legacy software applications? Multicore platforms are capable of delivering higher performance, lower power consumption, a smaller physical footprint, and even a lower bill of material costs as compared to single-core platforms. However, none of those benefits will come unless legacy single-cone optimized software applications are successfully moved onto multicore architectures. This does not necessarily mean that lots of software refactoring work needs to be done. But it does mean that developers need to have the light knowledge and tools to assess their options and select the right one. The most straightforward approach to legacy software migration is to consider the multicore platform as the same collection of single-core processing engines in use today, except that the cores are now all in one physical package.

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Weapons of the Vietnam War

At the outset, it is as well to bear in mind that guerilla warfare is not a twentieth century innovation, nor, in spite of some of the most-publicized writers on the subject, is it an invention of Marxist origin. Guerilla warfare is defined in the dictionary as "an irregular mode of carrying out war by the constant attacks of independent bands" and there are innumerable examples of this form of warfare extending back into Biblical times. The name appeared during the Peninsular War, when Napoleon's occupation of Spain was violently opposed by the Spanish who proceeded to fight a 'guerilla' or 'little war' against his armies with considerable success. The Viet Cong operations in Vietnam were guerilla warfare insofar as they involved 'constant attacks of independent bands', but in fact the VC forces were an organized army rather than a collection of irregular groups.

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Mustang Aces of the 357th Fighter Group

On 1 December 1942, nearly a year after the United States entered World War 2, the US Army Air Forces (USAAF) ordered the 357th Fighter Group (FG) into existence at Hamilton Field, California. No one could know at the time that this order had created the Eighth Air Force's greatest ace-making unit. In just over a year of combat 42 pilots would achieve 'acedom' flying with the 357th FG - more than any other unit in Europe. Three squadrons - the 362nd, 363rd and 364th FSs - were established under the command of Col Loring Stetson, and during the first two months of the group's existence it was outfitted with everything it would need for operations except for one crucial item - aircraft. In February 1943 the group travelled to Tonopah, Nevada, which was home to a three-million acre bombing and gunnery range. Training began immediately with Bell P-39D/Q Airacobras that had been left behind by the 354th FG. Flight leaders in each squadron did much of the training, and among their number were a handful of future aces including the 362nd's Joseph Broadhead, the 363rd's Clarence 'Bud' Anderson, Edwin Hiro and William O'Brien and the 364th's John Storch, Jack Warren and Glendon Davis.

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Pfalz Aircraft of World War I

When Imperial Germany went to war in 1914, the German empire was barely 40 years old. Lead by Prussia, the German states had defeated France in the war of 1871 and Prussian Chancellor Bismarck maneuvered the Prussian king into becoming the German emperor. Although Prussia was the most powerful of the states forming the empire and, following Bismarck's machinations, its king became the German emperor, the other states and principalities retained significant autonomy. Like the other German states Bavaria, the second most powerful kingdom in the empire, wished to retain as much independence as possible. One result was that the kingdom encouraged a Bavarian aviation industry before and during WWI. The Otto company was one of the first aviation companies founded in Bavaria, followed by Pfalz in July 1913. Pfalz was founded by the three Eversbusch brothers, one of whom had learned to fly in France at the Morane-Saulnier company. The new factory was built at Speyer on the Rhine. Encouraged by the Bavarian Flying Service, Pfalz obtained a license to produce the Otto pusher. Subsequently, Pfalz also acquired a license to produce the successful Morane-Saulnier Type H and Type L monoplanes.

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Wallpapers Aviation Set 5

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Militaria No.38

Le 14 décembre 1946, une correspondance adressée par le Ministère des Armées à la Direction des études et fabrications d'armement exprime le souhait que soient fabriqués cinquante fusils dérivés du modèle réglementaire et destinés aux concours de tir. Cela afin d'équiper les équipes militaires françaises. Le cahier des charges est dressé le 17 janvier 1947 et les premiers spécimens livrés le 22 mars de la même année. D'autres modèles sont réalisés dans les mois qui suivent, la mise au point se faisant au fur et à mesure des essais menés par l'Ecole nationale de tir à Versailles. La fabrication se poursuit et le MAS 47 subit encore, et ce au moins jusqu'en 1949, des variantes de détail destinées à en améliorer les performances. Pour reprendre les termes de la notice technique, il s'agit d'aménager le MAS 36 en arme à un coup, par installation d'un canon proche de celui du Lebel 1886/93 et muni d'une hausse dérivée de celle du fusil américain Springfield 1903.

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Les Thematiques Steel Masters No.10

Le chiffre de 5500 chars et automitrailleuses mis en ligne par les Allemands en mai 1940 d'après le général Guderian,sera-t-il, lorsque toutes les archives auront été dépouillées,considéré comme approchant de la vérité ? On sait que les thèses françaises divergent à ce sujet. Quelles sont celles qui prévaudront dans l'avenir ? En réalité, la querelle du nombre des chars et autos mitrailleuses,en mai 1940, n'est qu'un aspect de la question. Ce qui est primordial et qui doit être souligné, c'est que la mobilité stratégique et tactique des divisions blindées allemandes l'emportait sur les divisions correspondantes de l'armée française et les éléments de durs non endivisionnés. Il est clair qu'avec une conception de la guerre basée sur la surprise, la masse et la rapidité d'exécution, les Allemands axaient acquis une supériorité qui tenait moins au nombre de chars qu'à leur mobilité, à leur vitesse sur route et en terrains variés, et à leur organisation en divisions et corps d'armée blindés.

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Jane's Defence Weekly October 5, 2011

Iraq's arms procurement from the US is likely to bolster the two country's military-to-military relationship, but the strategic basis for the F-16 acquisition remains unclear. Mustafa Alani, director of security and defence studies at the Gulf Research Council, told Jane's on 29 September that the Iraqi government does not have a clear picture of why the aircraft are needed. He said that some in the Iraqi parliament envision the aircraft as purely for surveillance and reconnaissance, while others are seeking to build a strong air force. In August Major General Jeffrey Buchanan, director of strategic effects for US Forces-Iraq (USF-I), deferred questions about Iraq's external threats to the Iraqi Ministry of Defence, where representatives could not be reached for comment.

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Le Fana De L'Aviation 2011-06

Les 11 et 12 juin prochains, lors de sa fête aérienne annuelle, l'Amicale Jean-Baptiste Salis célébrera, entre autres, le centenaire des avions Morane-Saulnier et fera revivre aux spectateurs, en son, lumière et effets spéciaux, la bataille de Pearl Harbor. Pour ce morceau de choix, l'Amicale Jean-Baptise Salis a ici vu grand : deux Curtiss P-40, deux TBM "Avenger", deux PBY "Catalina", deux répliques de "Zero" ainsi que deux DC-3 évoqueront cette bataille. Dans le prolongement de ce tableau, la légende du combat qui faillit être la fin tragique du fameux as japonais Saburo Sakaï (quatrième plus grand as de l'aéronavale nippone) sera rejouée. Le 7 août 1942, il fut grièvement blessé à la tête au-dessus de Guadalcanal par les mitrailleurs de ce que son biographe a désigné comme des "Avenger"; paralysé du côté gauche et blessé à un œil, Sakaï réussit miraculeusement à rentrer à sa base de Rabaul à 1 000 km de là, en près de 5 heures de vol. L'Aéronautique navale a confirmé la participation massive à la fête de son groupe aérien embarqué avec "Rafale", "Super Étendard" et "Hawkeye".

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Battle at Sea - 3000 Years of Naval Warfare

Samuel Johnson said in 1759: "No man will be a sailor who has contrivance enough to get himself into a jail; for being in a ship is being in a jail, with the chance of being drowned." In fact, the great man had understated his case. He was talking of sailors in general, not of those serving in navies in time of war. The naval prayer, first recorded in the 17th century and still part of the church services of Britain's Royal Navy, asks for preservation not only "from the dangers of the sea" but also "from the violence of the enemy." It is this "violence" that is the overriding theme of this book. Naval warfare is almost as old as conflicts between armies on land, and as in land campaigns, it is the great battles that catch the imagination, the titanic clashes that can be said to have changed the course of history. Some, such as Cape Ecnomus between Rome and Carthage, or Leyte Gulf between the US and Japan in Word War II, involved vast fleets; others, such as the battles of Chesapeake Bay or the Nile, were fought by a relatively small number of ships. In spite of this, their strategic consequences were equally momentous.

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Wallpapers Aviation Set 4

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Model Airplane News Magazine December 2011

Scale model aircraft are a great way, and sometimes the only way, to see a historical aircraft fly. Invariably at a fly-in, the aircraft that gets the most attention are the ones with top-notch weathering, detailing, and a fully decked cockpit. Unfortunately, I've found that pilot figures usually didn't look like the real thing. Following the philosophy, "If the model looks real, so should the pilot," I created my own pilot figure company called Best Pilots. I sculpt, make molds, cast and paint my pilot figures so that they look as realistic as possible. Since I paint quite a few pilots a year, I thought I could share some of my knowledge. Before painting, it's really important to clean the figure. You really have to ensure it's free from any mold release agents so the paint will adhere properly. Also remove all flashing and traces of the molding seams. I use rubbing alcohol and an old toothbrush and give the figure a good scrubbing. Soap and water and even carburetor cleaner all work well with cast figures. For this technique we're using my latest figure, "RAF Ace, Sailor Malan." I will also be showing other Best Pilot figures to illustrate different techniques.

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