Elon Musk’s Cybertruck is like the ultimate technological Rorschach test — everyone sees something different in it, and that comes with a lot of emotion. I guess that’s what art is supposed to do, elicit an emotional response, for better or worse, and cars can be very much that — art.

MilitaryView

Ukraine’s Desperate Need for Soldiers
Two years after the bloody war launched by Putin, some soldiers try to bribe doctors to avoid combat. When Putin sent his forces to Ukraine two years ago, Ukrainians rushed to recruiting centers across the country to enlist, ready to die for their nation.
Today, with Russia controlling about a quarter of Ukraine and the two armies virtually deadlocked along a 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line, that spirit of getting ready has faded.

“Okay guys, listen up. You have 30 minutes till you walk out the door. Here’s the mission scenario.”
Tom Sweeney, our Tactical Evaluator, set down the mission folder on the planning table in the bunker. My CF-18 Hornet squadron, 433 Escadron Tactique d’Appui de Combat (ETAC, a French-language unit in Canada’s Air Force), had deployed to Lahr, West Germany, to fly with our brethren who were stationed in theater, 75 km (45 miles) up the Autobahn in Baden-Soellingen.

The Navy is officially establishing a new “robotics warfare specialist” general rating as the sea service steams ahead in its pursuit of new maritime drones, according to a NAVADMIN announcement released Thursday.
Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti hinted at such a move last week at the WEST conference in San Diego.

The Department of Veterans Affairs unveiled the new headstones at the Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery for the all-Black Buffalo soldiers of the 3rd Battalion, 24th Infantry Regiment who were hanged by the U.S. military for their involvement in a mutiny during the race riots in Houston in 1917. Screenshot from Veterans Affairs video.
The graves of 17 Black soldiers who were hanged in the largest mass execution in U.S. military history will now rest under new gravestones at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery.

For almost a century, Navy Federal Credit Union members have enjoyed the benefits of their membership, including great rates on their savings accounts and helpful guides on putting away money for the future. Having a well-funded savings account to draw on when times get tough can be the deciding line between a temporary setback and a major lifestyle downgrade for a lot of families. Savvy members who have compared rates across major financial institutions also know that Navy Federal offers competitive rates that provide increased growth while keeping it available for emergency purposes.

MilitaryView

Iran may have transferred hundreds of ballistic missiles to Russia
Iran appears to have transferred hundreds of ballistic missiles with a range of 700 km to Russia in recent weeks, according to anonymous sources.

Reuters on February 21, citing three sources from Iran, said Tehran had provided about 400 missiles, including many bullets of the Fateh-110 family with the ability to attack targets at a distance of 300-700 km.

At the direction of Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro, the sea service earlier this month stood up a new Maritime Economic Deterrence Executive Council to help protect commercial companies and other vendors from adversaries who seek to take advantage of them.
The move comes as the Navy and Marine Corps are increasingly looking to commercial providers and other nontraditional suppliers in Silicon Valley and other regions for high-tech capabilities like artificial intelligence, autonomous systems and maritime drones.

Navy Chief Petty Officer Steven Pedicini has been charged with espionage and related offenses for allegedly providing classified information to an unnamed foreign government. (Facebook photo).
A sailor assigned to the destroyer USS Higgins has been charged with espionage and related offenses for allegedly providing classified information to an unnamed foreign government, according to charging documents.
Navy Chief Petty Officer Steven Pedicini has been held in pretrial confinement since May 19, 2023, according to Pedicini’s charge sheet, which was provided to Task & Purpose.

MilitaryView

Putin flew with the crew on the Tu-160M ​​bomber
President Putin and the crew made a short flight on Russia’s most modern Tu-160M ​​strategic bomber.

Images in Russian media show President Vladimir Putin boarding the Tu-160M ​​strategic bomber today at the Kazan Aviation Factory in Tatarstan. The plane, named Ilya Muromets, then took off from the factory runway.
According to TASS, the flight lasted about 30 minutes and landed safely. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the Tu-160M’s flight path was not disclosed because it was a military secret.

Welcome to Rewind & Reconnoiter. Each week, we’ll ask one of our authors to look back at an article they’ve written for War on the Rocks in light of a current news event. Did their argument hold up? Read more below to find out. *** In 2022, Vasabjit Banerjee and Benjamin Tkach wrote “Helping India Replace Russia in the Value Arms Market” for War on the Rocks, in which they argued that the United States should support India in filling the void left by Russia in the value arms market following its invasion of Ukraine.

Threat intelligence expert Richard Hummel dissects why cyberattacks in Poland have increased drastically since Tusk was elected.

Mikael Cook hopes his book “Life and Death at Abbey Gate” will educate the masses on what happened while honoring the brave service members that waded through the muddy situation. (Image courtesy of Mikael Cook. Screen shot from U.S. Central Command Public Affairs video of Abbey Gate in Aug. 2021. Task & Purpose composite image.).
It’s been almost three years since the last American servicemember left Afghanistan, marking the complete withdrawal of a grueling two-decades-long war.

The 71-year-old Russian President Vladimir Putin took to the air today aboard a modernized Tu-160M Blackjack strategic bomber, in a media event calculated move to send a signal of strength ahead of elections and as the second anniversary of Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine approaches. Putin’s flight also provides something of a shot in the arm for Russia’s military aerospace industry, which is currently in the doldrums as sanctions and pariah status mean that significant export orders have almost dried up entirely.

Good idea – but let’s focus on causal factors not symptoms

Public Domain

I’ll always call balls and strikes fairly. This Biden issuance is long past due.
I was on several initiatives where port security was looked at. Port Security from a Cybersecurity and security from the autonomous threat perspective. Was it a DHS Mission, a Coast Guard Mission, FBI, or a Navy Mission? All four groups would point to the other groups. It was hours of endless fun in EEOB.
This Biden issuance is good, but addresses symptoms, not causes.
80% of port cranes are from ZPMC in China.

Saab has made a deal with the Abbey Group, which will help meet the rising demand for Barracuda systems while creating new job opportunities.

HII has started testing the catapults on aircraft carrier
John F Kennedy
with dead-load launches.
(HII)

HII’s Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS) unit has started testing of the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) on aircraft carrier
John F Kennedy
(CVN 79), marking a major milestone for the ship, HII confirmed on 21 February.

EODH is proposing to upgrade Hellenic Army Leopard 1A5s. (EODH/Thanasis Grammatikos)

The Hellenic Army has received industry proposals for upgrading its Leopard 1A5 main battle tanks (MBTs). An EODH spokesperson confirmed to
Janes
that the company is among those that have presented upgrade proposals to the Greek Army Staff.

The spokesperson said EODH is working with KNDS’ Krauss Maffei-Wegmann (KMW) and Spanish defence company Duma and offers a complete solution with a price and time schedule for building a prototype and acceptance testing.

MBDA Germany and Ukroboronprom have signed a memorandum of understanding to explore missile systems with C-UAS applications.

Denmark will send the first of its F-16s to Ukraine in the third quarter of 2024. (Royal Danish Air Force)
Ukraine is to field the first of its promised Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon combat aircraft “this summer”, the Danish Ministry of Defence (MoD) said on 22 February.
In a release updating the progress of the ‘F-16 coalition’ of which it is a member, Denmark said that work to prepare the first former Royal Danish Air Force (RDAF) aircraft is now under way, with their transfer to Ukraine expected in the third quarter (Q3) of 2024.

United Aircraft’s UR6000 tiltrotor AAV concept. (Janes)
United Aircraft, a China-based manufacturer of logistics and surveillance rotary-wing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), revealed a concept of its UR6000 tiltrotor autonomous aerial vehicle (AAV) during the Singapore Airshow 2024 held from 20 to 25 February.

Speaking to
Janes
, an official from United Aircraft said the UR6000 AAV is a fully autonomous platform being designed for cargo and passenger transport applications.

A model of the N219 at Singapore Airshow 2022. (Janes/Ridzwan Rahmat)
State-owned aerospace company PT Dirgantara Indonesia (PTDI) has secured its first-ever contract for the N219 twin-turboprop aircraft with a military customer.

A company representative who spoke to
Janes
at Singapore Airshow 2024 has confirmed that a USD68 million contract for six airframes was signed with the Indonesian Ministry of Defence (MoD) in November 2023. All six units will be delivered to the Indonesian Army.

The Portuguese Navy is progressively introducing unmanned systems. Shown here are the OGS42VN VTOL UAV for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions, and a UAV mobile ground control station. (Victor Barreira)
As part of its ambitious effort to widen the use of unmanned systems, the Portuguese Navy has established a squadron-sized unit for the operation of military-grade unmanned systems.

The new unit, called ‘X31′, was officially stood up on 9 February.

March is not only a time for the first blooms of spring, but also an opportune moment to breathe new life into your finances, especially during these times of market fluctuations and financial uncertainty. For military families who move so often, it is especially important to use creativity to find ways to make and save money that might not require traditional employment.
Here are 5 practical strategies to make and save extra money during March:
1. Spring cleaning for savings
March is the perfect time for a financial spring cleaning.

The preliminary design of the future aircraft carrier was visible in photos shared by the Turkish Navy. (Turkish MND)
The Turkish Naval Forces has initiated design activities to advance efforts towards acquiring a domestically built aircraft carrier.
In early January the Turkish government gave the green light during a meeting of the Defence Industry Executive Committee (SSİK), chaired by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, to progress plans for an indigenous aircraft carrier to the design phase.

Eric Beech, Reuters
WASHINGTON, Feb 21 (Reuters) – The U.S.

DS
AURORA, Colo.

Sam LaGrone, USNI News
A sailor assigned to a guided-missile destroyer based in Japan has been charged with espionage and communicating defense information to a foreign citizen, according to…

Enhance satellite communication efficiency with SpaceX’s patent for dynamic modulation and coding schemes based on signal-to-noise ratios.

Discover the latest patent from Byrna Technologies Inc. for an innovative electrode with a training attachment for conducted electrical weapons. Enhance your training experience with wings that move upon impact, providing realistic simulations for operational readiness.

Thales SA’s innovative patent introduces a monitoring system to detect pilot incapacitation in aircraft, using pressure sensors and advanced computing.

Discover how Spirit AeroSystems is revolutionizing the aerospace industry with their innovative system for fusing thermoplastic composite components using conductive fibers and a multi-layer composite pressure pad. Learn more about their induction welding process in this patent filing.

Discover Lockheed Martin’s innovative digital rights management system patent, utilizing encryption protocols for secure media handling.

Discover Rafael Advanced Defense Systems’ innovative patent for a targeting receiver system using beam emitters to enhance target imaging and radiation analysis capabilities. Learn how this system generates coherent beams directed towards a target and distinguishes components based on their signature.

Discover Woodward Inc.’s innovative patent for a computer-implemented method to assess actuator health. Learn how signals, force values, and indicators are used to monitor and maintain actuator performance.

Enhance your weapon scope with Cubic Corp.’s innovative fire-control display adapter. This patent-pending system offers accurate ballistic solutions for precise targeting, featuring a range finder, ballistic computer, and easy attachment to your weapon’s rail.

Discover the innovative method patented by Northrop Grumman Corp. for creating photonic integrated circuits (PIC) with nanoimprinted resist structures. Enhance optical performance with unique materials and fabrication techniques.

Discover Saab AB’s innovative patent for a fragmentation warhead design, featuring integrated metal elements and a structured manufacturing method. Learn how this advancement aims to enhance warhead effectiveness.

Lithuania Ministry of National Defence has pledged to construct permanent infrastructure for US rotational units to the Baltic nation.

A convoy of Cold-Weather All-Terrain Vehicle perform command-and-control operations for the Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center training rotation in Fort Greely, Alaska. (Janes/Meredith Roaten)
The US Army needs to buy more Cold-Weather All-Terrain Vehicles (CATVs) and is considering buying an armoured variant in addition to the general-purpose and cargo variants it has already decided to buy, Major General Brian Eifler, commanding general of the 11th Airborne Division, told Janes on 21 February.

A file photo of an RNoAF C-130J-30. Norway has four such aircraft, which it is now retrofitting to the latest Block 8.1 standard for greater global reach, enhanced navigation, and additional defensive capabilities. (Lockheed Martin)
Norway has upgraded the first of its Lockheed Martin C-130J Hercules transport aircraft to the latest standard now rolling off the production line.
The manufacturer announced on 21 February that the first of four ‘stretched’ C-130J-30 aircraft operated by the Royal Norwegian Air Force (RNoAF) has been retrofitted with the latest Block 8.

Hamas’ Oct. 7 attacks did not happen out of the blue. They were preceded by years of bitter conflict, ever since the group consolidated its control of the Gaza Strip in 2007. Months later, it remains deeply puzzling how Israel was caught so woefully unprepared. Conventional explanations advanced over the years by numerous scholars and practitioners analyzing similar historical fiascoes provide part of the answer. The surprise can be attributed to abundant noise, deception, wishful thinking, groupthink, and failure of imagination.

Russia sanctions have hit yacht owners hard. But they have impacted people who travel by more modest means as well. In February 2022, Moscow commuters crowded behind subway turnstiles, searching for coins when their Apple and Google Pay access was cut off. The sanctions and export controls imposed following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 were swift and sweeping. Yet since then, key parts manufactured in the United States, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, South Korea, and Japan have been found in Russian drones, missiles, radios, and armored vehicles.

The Black Hawk helicopter, seen here in armed configuration. Indonesia is acquiring 22 units of the helicopter type. (Lockheed Martin)
Indonesia’s Ministry of Defense (MoD) appears to have downsized a programme to equip the country’s armed forces with Sikorsky S-70M Black Hawk helicopters.

A copy of the contract-related documents provided to
Janes
by an industry source at Singapore Airshow 2024 indicates that the Indonesian Army will now receive a total of 22 airframes instead of the 24 that was initially announced by the ministry.

A C-2A Greyhound launches from the USS
Theodore Roosevelt
in 2017. C-2As are back on west coast carrier decks after the grounding of their replacement, the CMV-22B.
(US Navy)
The US Navy (USN) has paused the retirement of the C-2A Greyhound carrier onboard delivery (COD) aircraft as it works to bridge the immediate gap left by the grounding of its successor CMV-22B Osprey tiltrotor.

ST Engineering AirX has signed a letter of intent (LOI) with Eurasia Mobility Solutions for an order of up to 10 AirFish wing-in-ground (WIG) craft. (ST Engineering)
ST Engineering is considering military sales for its AirFish 8 wing-in-ground (WiG) effect craft even as it announced on 21 February that it had received a letter of intent (LOI) for its first commercial order.

Designed to take off and land on water, the AirFish 8 has been developed as a commercial WiG craft capable of carrying up to 10 passengers, including crew members, or 1,000 kg of supplies at a speed of 90 kt.

The Z-10ME, seen here at Singapore Airshow 2024. (Janes/Ridzwan Rahmat)
Beijing’s state-owned Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) is marketing an export variant of its Changhe Aircraft Industries (Group) Company Z-10 attack helicopter at Singapore Airshow 2024.

Dubbed as the Z-10 ME, the helicopter is being shown overseas for the first time, an AVIC representative who spoke to
Janes
at the airshow has confirmed.

MilitaryView

WA2000 Sniper rifle: From Cold War to Modern Warfare
Introduction
The WA2000 sniper rifle is a remarkable fusion of Cold War technology and modern craftsmanship. Developed during a time of heightened international tensions, this firearm has evolved into a formidable weapon on today’s battlefield. This article will explore the history, design, and performance of the WA2000, showcasing its unique blend of legacy and innovation.

MilitaryView

The World’s Fastest Fighter Jets: USA vs Russia vs China
The World’s Fastest Fighter Jets: USA vs Russia vs China
Since the invention of the airplane in 1903, aviation has flourished as a complex and strategically important human activity that has profoundly changed every aspect of life. In this field, the advancement of aviation technology has not only promoted the development of civil aviation but also spawned a powerful air force in the military, which has become a pillar of modern armed forces.

A drill sergeant who trains new recruits to be infantry soldiers became the first to shoot a perfect over the five weeks of an Army course for marksmanship instructors.
Staff Sgt. Do Hwan Yi shot a perfect 170-out-of-170 on every critical shooting event at the Marksmanship Master Trainer Course at Fort Moore, Georgia in December.
He is the first soldier to not miss a single shot while completing the five-week course, which formally began in 2018.