By Jovaduplex @Adobe Stock Stavros Atlamazoglou of The National Interest reports that Lockheed Martin plans to enhance its F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II stealth jets with advanced technologies originally developed for the F-47 sixth-generation fighter, which it lost to Boeing. CEO Jim Taiclet aims to deliver “80% of sixth-gen capability at half the cost” […]
Japan Unveils Railgun to Counter Hypersonic Threats
Iona Cleave of The Telegraph reports that Japan has revealed a ship-mounted railgun capable of shooting down hypersonic missiles, aiming to boost defense amid regional threats. Mounted on the JS Asuka, the weapon uses electromagnetic energy to fire projectiles at 2,500 m/s—faster and cheaper than traditional arms. Developed since 2016, the railgun had its first […]
Scorched Earth: China’s New Metal Melting Weapon
Christopher McFadden of Interesting Engineering reports that Chinese researchers have reportedly developed a powerful new non-nuclear explosive weapon based on hydrogen fuel. Weighing just 2kg, the bomb uses magnesium hydride to store hydrogen, which is released and ignited to produce a fireball over 1,000°C that lasts more than two seconds—far longer than traditional TNT. Though […]
What’s the Best Survival Currency?
UPDATE 4.22.25: Gold closed yesterday at an all-time high in NY of $3,424/Troy ounce. UPDATE 4.21.23: Gold prices were near all-time highs recently. There may be a more perfect survival currency out there, but gold’s resilience during troubling times is ancient and time tested. UPDATE 2.5.22: On the wine front, I rely on the knock-out […]
AI-Powered Swarms to Counter Hypersonic Missiles
Lt. Gen. Trey Obering, US Air Force (Ret.), and Vito Partipilo of the US Naval Institute report that the US is developing small satellite swarms to defend against hypersonic missiles. These swarms, operating in low-Earth orbit, can intercept missiles during the vulnerable boost phase using autonomous coordination and AI. This cost-effective approach, similar to SpaceX’s […]
Hegseth: China Could Sink U.S. Fleet in 20 Minutes
Kapil Kajal at Interesting Engineering reports that the U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned that China’s hypersonic missiles could wipe out U.S. aircraft carriers in 20 minutes and that the U.S. loses every war game against China. He also flagged China’s growing control over the Panama Canal. A new U.S.-Panama deal allows U.S. military access […]
New High-Power Microwave Weapon Disables Swarm of Drones
Epirus, a U.S. counter-drone company, has unveiled its Leonidas H2O, a high-energy, high-power microwave (HPM) weapon system capable of disabling boat motors, unmanned surface vessels (USVs), and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) with a single microwave blast. The system, tested by the U.S. Navy during the Coastal Trident program, demonstrated its effectiveness against commercial vessel motors […]
Former General Warns Against Underestimating Drone Swarm Threat
Former U.S. Air Force General Glen VanHerck has warned that officials have underestimated the threat of drone swarms over U.S. military sites, citing incidents like drones flying over Langley Air Force Base in December 2023, reports Bill Whitaker of CBS News. Despite some dismissing the threat as the work of hobbyists, VanHerck sees a potential […]
Game Changing Robot Spy Can Track Submarines Undetected for Years
Anduril has developed Seabed Sentry, an AI-powered undersea sensor network for long-term underwater monitoring. It offers real-time communication, operates at depths over 500 meters, and can last months to years. Designed for commercial and military use, it improves maritime security, including anti-submarine warfare. The system could be crucial in countering nuclear and hypersonic submarine threats […]
REDEFINING DEFENSE STRATEGY: Anduril and the ‘Moneyball Military’
In “Moneyball Military: An Affordable, Achievable, and Capable Alternative to Deter China,” Christian D. Brose, currently the Chief Strategy Officer of Anduril Industries, advocates for a shift toward affordable, scalable, autonomous systems to counter China’s military advancements. This vision aligns with Anduril Industries’ approach, which focuses on cost-effective, AI-powered, autonomous technologies like the Fury fighter […]
