Chinese General Tells Troops to Prepare for Any Military Combat

The world appears to be igniting in flames be it in the Middle East, Central Asia and now the Asian-Pacific region with China and Japan. There is currently a territorial dispute over three (3) privately held islands in the Senkakus chain. The Japanese government recently agreed to purchase the islands from private individuals, but China is claiming the islands as its sovereign territory. In light of the dispute, Gen. Xu Caihou, vice chairman of the Central Military Commission, considered the most senior military political commissar, told his troops to be prepared for "any possible military conflict."

Xu made the remarks Thursday during a recent inspection to certain military units in north China's Shanxi Province.

Source: Xinhua

FLASHBACK: DARPA to Develop Humanoid Robot Systems (2012)

Another day. Another DARPA. Another DARPA story that is. This time the story is about DARPA's plan to develop humanoid robots to help with disaster relief.

The Department of Defense’s strategic plan calls for the Joint Force to conduct humanitarian, disaster relief and related operations. The plan identifies requirements to extend aid to victims of natural or man-made disasters and conduct evacuation operations. Some disasters, however, due to grave risks to the health and wellbeing of rescue and aid workers, prove too great in scale or scope for timely and effective human response. The DARPA Robotics Challenge (DRC) will attempt to address this capability gap by promoting innovation in robotic technology for disaster-response operations.

I remember this part of the Animatrix movie (click the link above to watch that movie). I believe it was in The Second Renaissance Part I when the humans decided to build humanoid robots to do its work. If a movie can be any guide to real life, then we know what will ultimately happen once these DARPA-bots are operational. They will fight humanity to the death!

The initial solicitation is outdated, but the DARPA Robotics Challenge (DRC) webpage has updated information and it says the program is set to launch in October, 2012.

###

Solicitation Number:
DARPA-SN-12-35
Notice Type:
Special Notice
Synopsis:
Added: Apr 12, 2012 8:47 pm

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Tactical Technology Office (TTO), intends to award a sole source contract to Boston Dynamics Inc. (BDI), of Waltham, Mass. For the contract, BDI will develop and build a set of humanoid robot systems for use by performers in both phases of the DARPA Robotics Challenge program. This effort will develop approximately 8 identical platforms consisting of two legs, torso, on board computing, two arms with hands, and a sensor head. BDI will deliver these robots to DARPA so they can be provided to the top software development teams based on the results of the Virtual Disaster Challenge. Boston Dynamics will also provide in the field support and as required maintenance to the delivered systems.

The U.S. Army under its Protection Ensemble Test Mannequin (PETMAN) program developed, with Boston Dynamics, a humanoid robot with advanced range of motion and strength. This effort was then the basis of work done by BDI under the DARPA DSO M3 program on a platform named Atlas to increase its mobility. These two efforts have combined to develop a one of a kind humanoid robot with state of the art capability. DARPA has been a lead researcher in ground robotics over the last few decades. In addition it has tracked developments in this area outside the agency. Of the few existing humanoid robots, BDI was deemed to be the sole viable supplier for providing the necessary robotic platform capability within the specified timeframe.

The proposed contract action is for supplies or services for which the Government intends to solicit and negotiate with only one source under authority of FAR 6.302-1 "Only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements." As the legged robot leader, Boston Dynamics Inc. possesses unique knowledge and capabilities required to carry out the required research effort. No other source would be capable of satisfying the requirements for an affordable end-to-end solution necessary to meet the Government's needs.

This notice of intent is not a request for competitive proposals and no solicitation is currently available. However, interested parties may identify their interest and capability to respond to the requirement. Responses received within forty-five (45) days after date of publication of this notice will be considered by the Government. Information received will be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement. A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed effort on a full and open basis is solely within the discretion of the Government. Interested parties may identify their interest and capability to meet the requirements by submitting a white paper and past performance data by no later than 28 May 2012 to The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Attn: Mr. Christopher Glista, Contracts Management Office (CMO), 3701 North Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA 22203-1714 or via email to christopher.glista@darpa.mil. Questions shall be submitted to the above email address.

Contracting Office Address:
3701 North Fairfax Drive
Arlington, Virginia 22203-1714
Primary Point of Contact.:
Chris Glista
christopher.glista@darpa.mil

Royal Saudi Air Force Participates in U.S. Red Flag Exercises at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada

I had no clue what a "Red Flag exercise" was prior to posting this article, but now I know, and as they say, knowing is half...

The Red Flag exercises, held periodically at the Nellis Air Force Base since 1975, are very realistic aerial war games. The purpose is to give pilots from the U.S., NATO and other allied countries an opportunity to practice and refine their skills for real combat situations. This includes the use of "enemy" hardware and live ammunition for bombing exercises within the Nellis complex. The exercises with flares and all kinds of aircraft can make a spectacular show, especially at night. There are usually two or three sorties per day (except on weekends): One or two sorties during daytime and one in the evening or at night. The night exercises usually inlude only one half of the daytime forces.

There are two teams, the good guys (Blue Team) and the aggressors (Red Team). The Red Team is composed of Nellis AFB-based pilots specially trained for this purpose, flying F-15 and F-16 aircraft. The Blue Team is composed of the various guest "players" in their native aircraft.

The above quoted information is from an older website, so I cannot vouch for how accurate the information is in 2012. This exercise will also include military participants from South Korea and Saudi Arabia.

From The Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia:

A series of joint exercises, dubbed Red Flag 5, have begun at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada with the participation of the U.S. Air Force, the Saudi Royal Air Force, and Republic of Korean Air Force. The Saudi contingent includes pilots, technicians and aides operating several fighter jets. The exercises are scheduled to last for ten days.

###

Red Flag 12-2 scheduled Jan. 23-Feb. 3

Release Number: 010112

1/10/2012 - NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. - -- Southern Nevada residents may notice increased military aircraft activity as the Air Force conducts Red Flag 12-2 Jan. 23 - Feb. 3, 2012.

Red Flag is a realistic combat training exercise involving the air forces of the United States and its allies. The exercise is hosted north of Las Vegas on the Nevada Test and Training Range--the U.S. Air Force's premier military training area with more than 12,000 square miles of airspace and 2.9 million acres of land. With 1,900 possible targets, realistic threat systems and an opposing enemy force that cannot be replicated anywhere else in the world, Nellis and the NTTR are the home of a "peacetime battlefield," providing combat air forces with the ability to train to fight together, survive together and win together.

The 414th Combat Training Squadron is responsible for executing Red Flag and the exercise is just one of a series of advanced training programs administered at Nellis and on the NTTR by organizations assigned to the U.S. Air Force Warfare Center.

Throughout the Red Flag exercise, more than 90 aircraft are scheduled to depart Nellis twice a day, around noon and again around 6 p.m. Aircraft may remain in the air for up to four hours. The flying times are scheduled to accommodate the other flying missions at Nellis and provide Red Flag participants with valuable training in planning and executing a wide-variety of combat missions.

The exercise will include units from:

Nevada, Colorado, South Dakota, Louisiana, Utah, California, Republic of Korea, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Massachusetts and Oklahoma flying aircraft including the F-15 Eagle, F-16 Fighting Falcon, E-3 Sentry, B-1 Lancer, and KC-135 Stratotanker.

In addition to U.S. aircraft, the Saudi Royal Air Force and the Republic of Korea will participate with their nations' F-15 aircraft.

For more information about Red Flag, call the Nellis Public Affairs Office at (702) 652-2750 or go to http://www.nellis.af.mil/redflag-nellis/.

NOTE TO MEDIA: Nellis will hold a Red Flag Media Day Jan. 31, 2012. Outlets interested in attending the media day can email your name, date of birth, media outlet represented and coverage goals for Red Flag 2-12 to 99abw.pacurrent@nellis.af.mil no later than Jan. 22, 2012. International Media must also submit nation of origin and passport number. Media requests submitted after Jan. 23, 2012, will not be facilitated.

-30-

DARPA Creates Time Cloak That Can Mask Events by Distorting Light

I am always intrigued by DARPA, because it is the government's "mad scientist" wing that comes up with all types of crazy inventions. The latest one is a "time-cloak" which can mask an entire event. This differs from an invisibility cloak which will causes an object to disappear from optical view, but is still detectable by other methods. The time-cloak causes the entire event to simply disappear from detection. Although it is currently only available on a small scale, if the Pentagon ever perfects the technology, it will be able to create the ultimate secret spy.

In movie magic, people and objects can appear or disappear or move from place to place in an instant. Just stop the camera, move things around and start it again. Now, Cornell researchers have demonstrated a similar "temporal cloak" -- albeit on a very small scale -- in the transport of information by a beam of light.

Source: Cornell Chronicle

Senator Schumer Advocates Hancock Field as National Test Site for Unmanned Drone Flights

I just want to point out that these drones flights will depart where civilian flights will depart, because the Hancock Field Air National Guard Base is co-located with Syracuse-Hancock International Airport. I was pretty shocked when I when I read this article about Senator Schumer pushing for drone flights in Central New York at Hancock Field in Mattydale, New York. For what purpose will these particular drone flights (see video above) be used for? According to Schumer, he feels that it will be beneficial to Central New York and to others.

He [Sen. Schumer] said that “making Hancock a test site for this technology would be a boon for Central New York, creating jobs and bringing new investments to our defense contractors that provide thousands of good paying jobs.”

I want to know what type of tests the military will be operating with these drones, especially in civilian airspace. I don't have a problem if the military wants to play with its hardware and toys on the bases, but I cannot imagine many military bases (especially ones on the East Coast) being large enough to allow a drone to operate at its full capacity. If the military brass starts flying flights in New York, they will be in every other State soon enough and then it is just a matter of time before a plane has a mid-air collision with one of these drones.

I wonder if Senator Schumer will be receiving any campaign donations from the various defense contractors who will eventually get the aforementioned investments as per the National Defense Authorization Act.

Source: Syracuse.com

FLASHBACK: U.S. Government Allegedly Spies on Protesters with Insect-Sized Spy Drones (2007)

I have read about these "insect" drones in the past being used to spy on protesters, but aside from a U.S. Air Force post some time back I have not written much about them. I don't know why I decided to finally blog about it tonight, but if the government had these types of drones in 2007, I wonder what it has five (5) years later. Check out what some people in the crowd had to say about these drones.

Vanessa Alarcon saw them while working at an antiwar rally in Lafayette Square last month...

...I look up and I'm like, 'What the hell is that?' They looked kind of like dragonflies or little helicopters. But I mean, those are not insects."

Out in the crowd, Bernard Crane saw them, too.

"I'd never seen anything like it in my life," the Washington lawyer said. "They were large for dragonflies. I thought, 'Is that mechanical, or is that alive?' "

Source: Washington Post

Joint Chiefs Says United States Is Ready for War with Iran

I have said once and I will say it again, "laser wars, nothing, but laser wars!" It looks like the war drums are pounding and the next hit is Iran. Joint Chiefs of Staff General Martin Dempsey says so:

"I am satisfied that the options that we are developing are evolving to a point that they would be executable if necessary," he said.

I'm not surprised. What is the general supposed to say? A general would lose his stars if he ever admitted that America wasn't prepared for any contingency. I bet the military has contingency plans that would make Hollywood story writers green with envy.

The good general also says that the military is ready to destroy Iran's "secret" nuclear (or nookular if you ignant) arsenal on President Obama's order.

Source: CNN

U.S. Army Awards $4.9M Contract to AeroVironment to Create "Kamikaze" Drones (a/k/a Switchblade Agile Munition Systems)

It seems like there are more unmanned drones being developed than manned aircraft these days. However, I should not be surprised, because one of this blog's most popular articles of all-time was United States Air Force Unmanned Aircraft Systems Flight Plan 2009-2047 (May 18, 2009) (Unclassified). That article defined the Air Force's plan for an unmanned aircraft fleet over the next forty (40) or so years. I would not be surprised if the other military branches did not have similar types of plans.

These drones produced by AeroVironment for the U.S. Army will have "kamikaze" capabilities - meaning that the unmanned drone itself will be the bomb. This reminds of me an episode of the Transformers cartoon from 1986 with the Lipoles. The Lipoles were basically bat-like drone Transformers that could transform into kamikaze bombs (click the picture to watch the episode where the Lipoles appear).

The tube-launched Switchblade drone, made by Monrovia, California-based Aerovironment Inc., was secretly sent to Afghanistan for the first time last year. “Under a dozen” were fired, said Army Deputy Product Director William Nichols.

Source: Bloomberg

###

U.S. Army Awards AeroVironment $4.9 Million Contract for Switchblade Agile Munition Systems and Services

September 01 2011

MONROVIA, Calif., Sept. 1, 2011 -- AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ: AVAV) announced that it received a contract on June 29 from the U.S. Army Close Combat Weapons Systems (CCWS), Program Executive Office Missiles and Space (PEO MS). The $4,907,840 contract for the Switchblade agile munition includes engineering services and operational systems for deployment with the U.S. Army.

This award represents the culmination of years of development, testing, demonstrations and customer evaluations. The prototype Switchblade system previously received Safety Confirmation and underwent Military Utility Assessment with the U.S. Army in the fall of 2010. The award is for rapid fielding of this capability to deployed combat forces.

The Switchblade air vehicle launches from a small tube that can be carried in a backpack and transmits live color video wirelessly for display on AeroVironment’s standard small unmanned aircraft system (UAS) ground control unit. Upon confirming the target using the live video feed, the operator then sends a command to the air vehicle to arm it and lock its trajectory onto the target. Flying quietly at high speed the Switchblade delivers its onboard explosive payload with precision while minimizing collateral damage. With the ability to call off a strike even after the air vehicle is armed, Switchblade provides a level of control not available in other weapon systems.

“The unique capabilities provided by the Switchblade agile munition for standoff engagement, accuracy and controlled effects make it an ideal weapon for today’s fight and for U.S. military forces of the future,” said Bill Nichols, deputy product director at the Army’s Close Combat Weapons Systems project office.

Instead of requiring support from weapon systems controlled by other operating units, operators will be able to use the ground launched Switchblade variant to respond to enemy combatants with precision fire from a significant standoff distance, when and where required.

"Our dedicated team developed this breakthrough solution with a focus on satisfying important customer needs,” said Tom Herring, AeroVironment senior vice president and general manager of Unmanned Aircraft Systems. “Just as our small unmanned aircraft systems provide game-changing reconnaissance capabilities to ground forces, Switchblade provides a revolutionary rapid strike capability to protect our troops and give them a valuable new advantage on the battlefield.”

About AeroVironment’s Small UAS

Raven®, Wasp and Puma comprise AeroVironment’s Family of Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems. Operating with a common ground control system (GCS), this Family of Systems provides increased capability to the warfighter that can give ground commanders the option of selecting the appropriate aircraft based on the type of mission to be performed. This increased capability has the potential to provide significant force protection and force multiplication benefits to small tactical units. AeroVironment’s UAS logistics operation supports systems deployed worldwide to ensure a consistently high level of operational readiness. AeroVironment has delivered thousands of new and replacement small unmanned air vehicles. International purchasers of AeroVironment’s small UAS include the armed forces of Italy, Denmark, the Netherlands, Spain, France, Norway, the Czech Republic, Thailand and Australia.

Alleged U.S. Navy Space Command Captain Says He Has Visited Elenin and Other Celestial Bodies!

Navy throwback logo

***To any legal eagles patrolling this site, please read this special disclaimer before proceeding. I do not believe there is any copyright in the interview transcript that was posted on the GodLikeProductions forum (and which I am posting below). However, if any legal representative of either GLP or this alleged Space Command Captain (including the military which sometimes reads my blog) believe that the post is infringing or violates national security, then please send me notice or post in the comments with your credentials and I will remove it.***

With that special disclaimer out of the way, allegedly, a Captain in the United States Navy Space Command* began posting last month on the GodLikeProductions forum requesting forum members to ask him any questions they had about the military's space program. For newbies to this blog, yes, there is a military space program and no, I'm not talking about NASA. Aside from the X-37B unmanned spacecraft, most of the military's space program is either highly classified or non-existent on paper. Many conspiracy theorists (including myself) believe otherwise and think that the U.S. military has a very significant space program.

If you do not have time to read the entire interview, these items caught my interest.

• The U.S. Navy Space Command has allegedly already visited Elenin;
• Revolutionary energy technologies exist and may soon be revealed to mankind;
• The Captain has traveled 250 light years away from Earth and said the Navy has sent people much further away;
• The Captain says that Elenin is a beacon of hope and a glimpse into the past for mankind;
• Some people can surf the space waves like the freakin' Silver Surfer;
• True technology is 50-100 years ahead of what is revealed to the private sector.

The below transcript is absolutely fascinating - so much so that it doesn't require a shred of proof. It could be 100% science fiction, but there is no way someone can convince me that some (if not most) of the aspects of this story aren't true. Based on my understanding of science and technology, this seems more feasible to me than the state of technology presented to the private sector.

*I am not a military kid, so I do not really know military protocol or traditions. Nevertheless, there has never been any official U.S. Navy Space Command. There was once a U.S. Naval Space Command, but it was merged with Naval Network Operations Command in July, 2002 to become Naval Network and Space Operations Command (all under the Naval Network Warfare Command). Therefore, this Captain who claims he is from U.S. Navy Space Command (which officially doesn't exist) could be yanking folks' chains!

Enough with my babbling, here is the actual transcript.

Captain S ("Captain")
User ID: 1488297
United States
7/30/2011 10:58 AM

CAPTAIN: Due to all the internet hype the Navy actually sent a recon mission to elenin. Let's just say it won't cause the excitement some think. But it may present a few surprises that no one expected. I'll be here for about 20 minutes to answer questions and then I'm off. Just trying to be nice because I know there is a lot of buzz about it.

How long does it take to get there?
CAPTAIN: From the moment the crew steps in the craft, preps, clears port, about 60 minutes. Actual travel time, about 20.

Go into detail about a few of these surprises
CAPTAIN: No doom from elenin. its not a comet, or not totally just a comet.

What type of craft are you using (TR-B)?
CAPTAIN: no

Ok, what exactly is it
CAPTAIN: check into the properties of E-type asteroids. very similar. however if you connect the dots you 'll know that E types are codeword for something more interesting

What effect does this elenin have on our earth, and what risks does it pose for us?
CAPTAIN: it won't have any effects on earth. But it may be of interest to ham radio operators

X-37, NOTE, Tin Can?
CAPTAIN: sorry, can't go there

is elenin artificial? Is anything riding it so to speak?
CAPTAIN: :)

Well if you aren't so cryptic, maybe someone would take you seriously. Explain further.
CAPTAIN: Remember I don't want to lose my clearance buddy. Look at my response to captain (question directly above). Anyway my twenty minutes are up. Gotta go. I'll check back in 45 minutes or so for one more session of questions. Have a nice weekend all.

whats your opinion op on the all the ex nasa employee's spilling the beens on everything they know since they are all getting canned?
CAPTAIN: NASA is just a front for the public. their budget is miniscule. not enough money to really do anything but put a few probes in our solar system. The real space program falls in the military's domain, mainly airforce and navy. but the nice chemical rockets sure are fun to watch. as far as NASA spilling any beans. very few people from nasa are actually in the loop. they don't know anything to spill

Lets just say if something or someone is riding it, would we have to worry as far as death and destruction go, or would it be more of a eye opener ? I personally don't have a opinion about Elenin, just asking questions....
CAPTAIN: as I said before, there is no doom with it. so no need to worry

Might there be a lot of vehicles? Say 7000?
CAPTAIN: What do you mean by 'a lot of vehicles'? that's all classified and i am not privy to the overall actual numbers other than the area i work in

Might the "Item(s)" in question be able to carry a lot. Say 7000?
ok now I see what you are getting at. i really don't know, sorry. i know there are at least 2 more missions planned and after the next someone will have that answer, maybe. but i probably won't be a part of it.

Did the US space command bring down the twin tower on 9/11 using some kind of powerful weapon?
I don't know anything about that

So why are you telling us this? What can we benefit from what you know? Just tell us what you obviously want to tell, but are afraid to
go look up e class asteroids. also look up the ESA's rosetta mission to steins. where magically the high res cameras just happened to fail. and there is your answer. sorry i can't be more direct. but this one is a bit more operational and is talking. someone savvy will be able to 'hear' it pretty soon. there will be no denying that history isn't what we've been told. but much more interesting. no doom. just something pretty neat coming. i have said enough.

If i were in the navy space command and wanted to talk to the public i would use a conspiracy forum such as glp... why? because no one will believe it lol. Are you using gravitational wave propulsion ships.? and is it true that the navy space command has stations on mars. and is there a collaboration with the grays?
:)

pisses me off that we have been putting astronauts lives in jeopardy with chemical rockets. when in fact we have been hiding a much more advanced safer spaced program all this time..
i have complained about this exact same thing. all in the name of national security. whatever. now you know why there is no replacement for the shuttle. but times are ah changin. and what we do may become a bit more open very soon. we are bankrupt. can you imagine what giving the commercial sector some of this would do for the economy! they are considering it as we speak. instead of taking 5 1/2 hours for a coast to coast flight it would take a matter of minutes. interesting times. its hard to bite my tongue. but keep the faith. soon, very soon

E Class Asteroids -
A fairly rare, very reflective asteroid that is slightly red in color, probably due to the presence of some surface organic chemicals. E-class asteroids dominate the Hungaria family of the main belt, though some, including the two largest, (44) Nysa (see Nysa-Polana family) and (64) Angelina, are found scattered farther out. Their flat reflectance spectra in the 0.3 to 1.0 micron region and high albedos (usually above 0.3) suggest a connection with the aubrite (otherwise known as enstatite achondrite, hence the “E”) category of meteorite. However, this link is problematic because aubrites are clearly of igneous origin, whereas some E-class asteroids (including Nysa) show an absorption feature at 3 microns that points to water-and/or hydroxyl-bearing minerals and a nonigneous history.
basically that means its highly reflective, metallic

Do you fly your vehicles fairly low at night and change direction at nano second speed?
not me. my CO is a hard ass. but i've heard stories, some funny ones. if i did it i'd probably be court martialed

op what can you tell us about the program besides the fact that you went to elenin?
that they know they gotta tell everyone soon, because the gap between what we have and what we admit is increasing to a point that they can't keep it all a secret forever. think 50 lightyears for a one or two day trip is easy. listen to what ben rich said. its all coming out soon or else i wouldn't be posting. we live in the most interesting times ever. and the next 5 years will be the most amazing starting with this year. the the old farts running things realize this and hate change, but its inevitable. thanks for participating guys. i'll check back later tonight.

I'd say one would have to be one bad mofo to drive one of those. Can they see me watching them? Are their eye pieces able to see the fly I swat?
actually its easier than flying a jet. most of it is automated. but they still pick the elite of the elite for this stuff. and yes they can see the fly you are swatting, your facial expression, and who exactly you are via facial recognition.

Does the US Navy Space Command always send recon missions to comets and neo's? Or was this unique? Does something concern them about this Elenin or is this more SOP?
if something is out of the ordinary than they will look at it using a wide variety of sensors. if there is still questions then yes they go out there and check it out.

one thing that I must point out that you just don't get from watching on a tv is the absolute beauty out there.

the earth and other planets are simply magnificent and awe inspiring. i have even suggested to take various world leaders out there to take a look at the earth and see its beauty from space. when you see how amazing it is you wonder what all these wars are about and wonder why we can't concentrate directing our efforts towards lifting mankind up.

saturn close up, mind boggling. a few planets in other star systems would absolutely blow your mind. its too bad they can make an IMAX movie showing some of this stuff. it is so sad the universe is hidden and most are stuck on a rock and can't see the universe in all its beauty and wonder.

and the sheer number of stars you can see without any interference from the atmosphere. WOW!!!!! its absolute paradise this universe.

OP have you or your fellow officers traveled to Niburu/Planet X? If can say, will it come near to earth in a year or two?
i have never heard anything about nibiru.

Your welcome OP. Don't abandon us like so many do.
no i'm back :) can't stay here forever but it really feels great letting curious folks in on a bit. like a weight off my chest. i admit i don't know everything about this stuff, not even close. but i feel happy sharing what i can.

all that taxpayer money going to stuff like this and normally you aren't even told it exists! but change is right around the corner. i've never seen so much activity/excitement among the brass and civilians than i have the last 6 months. some just don't want to change and keep it all to themselves. but they are finding themselves to slowly be in the minority on that viewpoint.

i think we may be heading in the right direction as far as the secrecy. these guys are paranoid by nature and rightly so. but even they realize this is too big to keep secret. humanity deserves to know.

I have read that space is really blue not dark like NASA has fed is. Is this accurate?
it is pitch black

Did you go to flight school in Corpus Christi or Pensacola?
i understand your curiosity. i don't want to talk about personal stuff though.

I was just asking because I want to be a Navy Pilot and have been looking it up online.
From what I understand if I join and pass basic I would probably go to Pensacola. Which is fine with me. The way I see it if you can land a plane on an Air Craft Carrier, then you are one of the best pilots in the world.
you are 100% correct. carrier landings are insane. good luck kid.

OP can you say what the furthest distance from earth you've traveled is? Another star system?
about 250 ly, others much much further, and still heading out

OP do other nations of earth have a Space Command, or is US alone in this ability?
ok i'm not privy to all of this, but obviously from working in this field i will tell you what I have seen.

yes and yes. some other guys are up there, the usual suspects, but so far we see they are only sporting conventional or just a bit more advanced than conventional NASA type tech. they mainly stay in L.E.O. and don't cause much interference with our operations. they are just a nuisance at this time

so what are you talking about happening like first contact or something like that?
as far as elenin, i just hope we have some ham radio operators out there who can listen to to it. we need to learn about ourselves and our heritage. elenin may help with this.

OP thanks!!! for answering. You're point of view of the depth and beauty of space is uplifting for us earth bound ones. A final question about Elenin.... will it be so bright that it might light up the night sky like a double full moon or similar?
you'd have to ask an astronomer. i'd guess its too small to be any sort of visual spectacle UNLESS, it becomes active that way also. that would be amazing. anything is possible.
and yes, my first trip out there was a God smack in my face with the sheer beauty and awe. quite a humbling experience any one of us would benefit from. i hope one day everyone can.

Hey OP, Can you tell us what hidden technology, in your opinion, would be the most valuable to humanity if released to all?
Do we have the technology to end most of the suffering on this planet?
we have a whole bunch of amazing stuff. yes we could end suffering and turn the planet into a total paradise. nothing makes my blood boil more than this. but there is hope. there are some men, a few with vision that are in the right positions now that maybe you'll start to see some of it. i really think we are heading that way.

i guess i didn't answer you question. this is why i think this stuff has been kept in secrecy. they use nat.sec. as an excuse but its really to protect the oil profits. however fukushima has really rattled them.

i am just a peon when it comes to this kind of policy, but there seems to be an internal struggle with one side wanting to get this stuff out and the other side being paid off to keep it secret. this is where i better shut the heck up. but you get the idea.

Have you observed other civilized planets?
yes, city lights from space, very similar if not identical in some cases to our cities

Thanks. Still didn't even throw us a bone with a specific heretofore unknown tech., but that's OK. We don't want you to get into trouble. ;-`)
So give us a name. Who is paying whom to keep humanity suffering and dying? Be a Patriot, give us a name. Thanks. :)
this is a VERY sketchy area. if I gave you names i'd probably have a visit sometime in the next few days that i'd rather not. but really i can only speculate. maybe some of them really do have the view that this is better left to the military for now. or maybe they are getting paid to keep this view. i would really know. but i'm sure there are those that know very well in intelligence circles.

these guys can be very short sighted. why not be the ones responsible for bringing heaven to earth? sad really, but the good guys are gaining ground, trust me.

yes zpe is real. space is actually more energetic than matter. the trick is figuring out how to get it because there is very little to no energy gradient. but they have figured it out long ago.
no need to ever pay another electric bill again or fill your tank up.

they could desalinize all the ocean water they wanted for almost free and irrigate the deserts. the possibilities are unlimited. greed can only hold out and suppress this for so long.

OP do you know what this is:
[link to img253.imageshack.us]
And does your propulsion system for traveling l.y. away has anything to do with a bogey owned by Ra and orbiting the Sun:
[link to img167.imageshack.us]
Haven't seen Ra out there yet, lol.
If you really want to see some neat stuff, buy a pair of 3rd or later gen night vision goggles and spend some time looking up with them.

OP, this crop circle represents the interception of Elenin by an antimatter weapon orbiting the Sun. It will depolarise Elenin's EM field represented by the small rocked thunderbolt at the tip of Apophis head and render the asteroid benin against Earth's EM field. I doubt the Navy Space Command has such a powerfull device to fulfill the work.
[link to [url= [link to www.cropcircleconnector.com]www.cropcircleconnector.com[]
[link to [url= [link to www.cropcircleconnector.com]www.cropcircleconnector.com[]
if it is destroyed, that would be a travesty. there are some out there who could do this. i just hope whoever is making the crop circles is wrong about this one. elenin has been given a lot of doom and gloom press.

it is quite the opposite. a beacon of hope and a glimpse into the past. a glimpse into who we really are perhaps, from all the clues that have been gathered. our guys are going wild like school children on xmas eve when it comes to this thing. i'd love to go back myself.

David Wilcock got an anonymous tip that Air Force Space command was mining Element 115 somewhere in the Hercules constellation. Could this be correct?
mining element 115? sounds like science fiction. is David Wilcock a science fiction writer?

OK... OP... Appreciate that you can't share the actual vehicle designation...
Can you give some idea of the technology involved?
Thanks...
There are various advanced methods of propulsion. one time the discovery channel of all places aired a show about 5 years ago that spoke about some of these techs, at least the early days of it and i almost spit my coffee out watching. it had 'advanced aircraft' in the title. i really which i would have dvr-ed that show as I can't remember the whole title and i have searched for it and never found it. i couldn't believe my eyes when i saw what they were talking about. almost 100% accurate with nice graphics and visualizations. someone spilled the beans. i'm sure its been yanked but that show would have really wet your whistle. perhaps it wasn't yanked and i can't find it. i suggest looking for this and see if you can find it.
as much as i'd like to share. i really can't go there. i'm sorry.

but i will share this small tidbit. there are those that create their own sort of wave and ride it like a surfer.

think about Einstein, when they drop a ball in a sheet to demonstrate how timespace gets warped by matter.

they jokingly say we have front wheel drive. we are pushed not pulled and it certainly feels that way even though they say the inertia is canceled i swear i feel the 'pull'

that's all i will say on this. sorry to be vague.

So you have no information on the Nemesis Dwarf Star. Dr Bill Deagle and company claims it will be visible from the Southern Hemisphere with a high power telescope in about a month. And will start wrecking havic on earth in about 5-9 months?
Never heard of it.

OP: To your knowledge, what year did mankind (our current society) successfully breach the Van Allen Belt? TIA.
i guess i should know this. the apollo missions?

Op - have you seen any angels out there in your travels?
Also, have you seen the so-called approaching "ribbon" or cloud of energy that Sickscent has done so much research on, and that the Boeing and NASA insiders have spoken of as threatening our planet?
you can't see the ribbon but its funny you bring that up. that has been a HUGE concern for the scientists. they put out a cover story that it was the solar wind being reflected back, but that is baloney. its hard to tell. another poster just mentioned the van allen belt, which we don't even think about because we are protected from it. i wouldn't say it was a force field but all EM and radioactive particles cannot penetrate our craft. the system is so good that there is less radiation inside our craft then on the surface of the earth, including going through the ribbon.

but there are experiments going on in the ribbon to see what kind of effects it will have when it reached the inner solar system. good question. so far they just don't know. the ribbon has some odd qualities to it

Well I hope Dr. Deagle is wrong, but the guy is one of the most intelligent people I have ever listened to. Although he does seem prone to flights of fancy!! If the Nemesis Dwarf Star is as close as people are indicating then no doubt its been visited by advanced Space Command craft. He also confirms we have hyper light speed spacecraft, so he knows something concerning black programs! Please if possible ask something about this problem. Although I know that things are very compartmentalized, so its hard to find stuff out!!!!
i would think something so epic i would have heard of. i will surely ask around. thanks for the heads up. I think I've heard Deagle on the internet a long time ago. From what I remember he did sound intelligent, but I can't remember him talking about this nemesis dwarf star. i'd wager it doesn't exists or I would probably have known. but this business is all about compartmentalization and secrecy. a need to know basis. so you never know! i'll ask around.

You guys are the pilots of the huge black isosceles triangle mother ships, right?
[link to [url= [link to www.soupmedianetwork.com]www.soupmedianetwork.com[]
[link to x40.xanga.com]
[link to [url= [link to www.ambergristoday.com]www.ambergristoday.com[]
no, but the black triangles are ours. that is an airforce asset. they are mainly used below 150k ft. they aren't designed for interstellar travel.

hi guys. i just wanted to get the word out that you should start listening with your radios, point them towards elenin. you should start picking up a signal soon if not already.
thanks for the questions, this has actually been very fun.

can't really go into anymore detail, but i must say, you are a fine lot here. thank you and i really mean that.

one more thing. i'm not saying I won't be back. i have just told you as much as i can right now and duty calls. so i won't be able to post until i'm back on August 11th.

when I get back I will post an update. i look forward to it. because 10 years ago i was on the net searching myself, i know what it's like.

take care all. and i will catch up with you soon

Boeing's Phantom Ray Completes First Flight (Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle)

Phantom Ray first flight, April 2011

Photo credit: Boeing photo

Neg. #: ED11-0128-181

It looks like a stealth bomber and has radar-evading capabilities. The Phantom Ray's specifications (including a fact sheet) are:

Description & Purpose: The Phantom Ray unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV) is a fighter-sized technology demonstrator designed as a flying test bed for advanced technologies. Phantom Ray is an internally funded program that evolved from the prototype vehicle Boeing originally developed for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)/U.S. Air Force/U.S. Navy JointUnmanned Combat Air System (J-UCAS) program.

For a video on the Phantom Ray, click here.

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Unmanned airborne system reaches 7,500 feet, 178 knots

ST. LOUIS, May 3, 2011 -- The Boeing [NYSE: BA] Phantom Ray unmanned airborne system (UAS) successfully completed its first flight April 27 at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.

The 17-minute flight took place following a series of high-speed taxi tests in March that validated ground guidance, navigation and control and verified mission planning, pilot interface and operational procedures. Phantom Ray flew to 7,500 feet and reached a speed of 178 knots.

"This day has been two-and-a-half years in the making," said Darryl Davis, president, Boeing Phantom Works. "It's the beginning of providing our customers with a test bed to develop future unmanned systems technology, and a testament to the capabilities resident within Boeing. Just as follow-on tests will expand Phantom Ray's flight envelope, they also will help Boeing expand its presence in the unmanned systems market."

The flight demonstrated Phantom Ray's basic airworthiness, setting the stage for additional flights in the next few weeks. These company-funded flights will prepare Phantom Ray to support potential missions that may include intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance; suppression of enemy air defenses; electronic attack; strike; and autonomous air refueling.

"The first flight moves us farther into the next phase of unmanned aircraft," said Craig Brown, Phantom Ray program manager for Boeing. "Autonomous, fighter-sized unmanned aircraft are real, and the UAS bar has been raised. Now I’m eager to see how high that bar will go."

Phantom Ray is one of several programs in Phantom Works, including Phantom Eye, that is part of a rapid prototyping initiative to design, develop and build advanced aircraft and then demonstrate their capabilities. Boeing's portfolio of UAS solutions also includes the A160T Hummingbird, Integrator, ScanEagle and SolarEagle.

A unit of The Boeing Company, Boeing Defense, Space & Security is one of the world's largest defense, space and security businesses specializing in innovative and capabilities-driven customer solutions, and the world's largest and most versatile manufacturer of military aircraft. Headquartered in St. Louis, Boeing Defense, Space & Security is a $32 billion business with 66,000 employees worldwide. Follow us on Twitter: @BoeingDefense.

# # #

Related photos are available here.

Contact:
Chris Haddox
Boeing Phantom Works
Office: 314-234-6447
Mobile: 314-707-8891
chris.d.haddox@boeing.com

An Integrated Command and Control Architecture Concept for Unmanned Systems in the Year 2030 (June, 2010)

An Integrated Command and Control Architecture Concept for Unmanned Systems in the Year 2030 (June, 2010)

I happened to stumble across this June, 2010 document while doing a search for microdrones. If you are interested in the military's arsenal of unmanned aerial vehicles, check the above the document and scroll toward the end for an exhaustive list of the declassified vehicles. The military probably has other UAVs that are classified, so those vehicles will not appear in the above document.

As for the microdrones, there were mainstream media stories on them back in 2007, so this is not really breaking news.

When it takes to the skies above Liverpool this summer, it will be the first time such a device has been put to civilian use in this country.

With four stubby arms carrying the rotors, a miniature camera and a pair of landing skids, the near-silent drone is designed to hover above crime scenes and send footage to officers on the ground.

Source: London Evening Standard; The Defense Technical Information Center

FLASHBACK: B-24 Liberator Willow Run Airplane Plant by Ford Motor Company Builds a Bomber Every 55 Minutes (1941)

If the video does not display on your screen, go to the YouTube link for another viewing option. Although the ultimate usage of these bombers was war and destruction, the manufacturing output displayed in this video is amazing. This factory was churning out B-24s in less than an hour! Imagine if that expertise and production capacity were fashioned with today's technologies. Man would do great things. However in the real world, this production capacity has been mostly lost in the United States of America - perhaps forever (unless it's for the latest bomber).

Mega Rust 2011: U.S. Navy Corrosion Conference (June 6-9, 2011 in Norfolk, Virginia)

Example of complex machinery afflicted with rust. No word on whether the U.S. Navy has transforming, intelligent robots in its arsenal.

I didn't realize that rust was such a major issue that it needed its own special conference. For anyone who is in Norfolk, Virginia in early June, you should see if the event is open to the public. I cannot tell from the site that would be selling the tickets if it is open to the public. You can always call the venue at the number listed on that site.

###

Welcome to Mega Rust 2011: U.S. Navy Corrosion Conference

Mega Rust is an annual event that began in June 2005 and rotates among several locations to reach a broader audience and to best meet the needs of the U.S. Navy. Mega Rust combines five annual meetings and conferences:

• U.S. Navy and Industry Corrosion Technology Exchange, "Rust" Conference
• Commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command's Fleet Corrosion Control Forum
• Naval Shipyard Coatings Group Meeting
• USCG Coatings & Corrosion Control Tiger Team Meeting
• U.S. Navy Submarine Preservation Conference

This conference brings together government, military, owners, operators, shipyards, research facilities, and coatings manufacturers and suppliers to discuss issues pertinent to the preservation industry.

Goals:

• Present the Fleet and industry's needs in areas of preservation
• Highlight new and innovative preservation technologies/methods, successful applications of new products, research and development, preservation of materials, environmentally compliant processes, and lessons learned
• Develop and maintain an infrastructure to provide essential feedback loops between the Fleet and industry that will facilitate the transfer of technologies presently available
• Focus on partnership opportunities between the Fleet and industry
• Provide training opportunities to Fleet and industry

Rig Fire at GI 101A Oil Production Platform in Gulf of Mexico (Raw Video)

Per the U.S. Coast Guard:

A fire burns on board the GI 102A oil production platform 50 miles south of Grand Isle, March 6, 2011. The Coast Guard responded with multiple sea and air assets to the reports of the fire -- rescuing the two individuals who were on board the platform at the time. U.S. Coast Guard photo.

Second Boeing-Built Unmanned Orbital Test Vehicle X-37B Begins Flight

Photo: Boeing

I previously covered the X-37B orbital test vehicle. It is the first unmanned space vehicle to successfully return after completing a mission. Here is the second act in this drama. Coincidentally, the Air Force unveils this program almost concurrently with the retiring of the Space Shuttle fleet.

###

CAPE CANAVERAL AIR FORCE STATION, Fla., March 5, 2011 -- Boeing [NYSE: BA] today announced the successful launch of the second Boeing-built X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle (OTV) for the U.S. Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office (RCO). The OTV was launched on an Atlas V rocket into a low-Earth orbit today at 5:46 p.m. Eastern time from Cape Canaveral Launch Complex 41.

"History was made in December when the X-37B became the United States' first unmanned vehicle to return from space and land on its own," said Craig Cooning, vice president and general manager of Boeing Space & Intelligence Systems. "The success of that mission validated this reusable and effective way to test new technologies in space and return them for examination.

"Today, we took another important step with the successful launch of the second OTV, enabling the RCO to further experiment with the vehicle and its ability to operate in low-Earth orbit," Cooning continued. "Close teamwork between the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office, the United Launch Alliance Atlas team, and the 45th Space Wing at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station made this launch a success."

The first OTV was launched in April 2010 and orbited for approximately eight months. In December, it successfully de-orbited and landed at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., where it continues to undergo post-flight evaluation.

The X-37B design combines the best of aircraft and spacecraft design into an affordable, unmanned space-based test platform. Program objectives include space experimentation, risk reduction, and concept-of-operations development for reusable space vehicle technologies.

Boeing's commitment to this space-based unmanned vehicle spans a decade and includes support to the Air Force Research Lab's X-40 program, NASA's X-37 program, and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's X-37 Approach, Landing and Test Vehicle program.

Boeing program management, engineering, test and mission support functions for the OTV program are conducted at Boeing sites in Huntington Beach, Seal Beach, and El Segundo, Calif.

A unit of The Boeing Company, Boeing Defense, Space & Security is one of the world's largest defense, space and security businesses specializing in innovative and capabilities-driven customer solutions, and the world's largest and most versatile manufacturer of military aircraft. Headquartered in St. Louis, Boeing Defense, Space & Security is a $32 billion business with 66,000 employees worldwide. Follow us on Twitter: @BoeingDefense.

# # #

Contact:
Diana Ball
Boeing Space & Intelligence Systems
Office: 562-797-4303
Mobile: 714-319-1014
diana.ball@boeing.com

U.S. Army Wants Machine Gun Rubber Bullets for Crowd Control (M1044, 40mm Non-Lethal (NL) Blunt Trauma, Linked Cartridge)

Hmmm, would the Army be wanting to buy rapid-fire rubber bullets for its machine guns (see: the image of the MK19 40mm machine gun above) for crowd control purposes unless it was expecting to have a need to use these rubber bullets at some point in the near future? My money is on a localized food riot, but there are many possibilities. Nevertheless, the closing date for this bid is February 21, 2011.

The original bid was first posted back in December, 2010, but the updated bid is here. The revised does not change much about the original bid. The Army's version of the bid is here.

Per the latest notice on January 7, 2011, there was supposed to be an RFP by January 19, but I can't seem to locate it yet. If someone else has a link to the RFP, please feel free to post it in the comments. Otherwise, I will update it when I do find it.

Coming straight out of the Army's "Center of Lethality" !!

###

Solicitation Number:

W15QKN-11-R-B005

Notice Type:

Presolicitation

Synopsis:

Added: Dec 08, 2010 4:04 pm

The U.S. Army Contracting Command (ACC), Joint Munitions & Lethality (JM&L) Contracting Center, on behalf of the

Project Manager, Close Combat Systems and the U.S. Army Research, Development, and Engineering Command, Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center (RDECOM-ARDEC),

Picatinny Arsenal, NJ 07806-5000

intends to issue a solicitation requirement for a XM1044, 40mm Non-Lethal (NL) Blunt Trauma, Linked Cartridge which will operate out of the MK19 Mod 3 Grenade Machine Gun. The XM1044 Cartridge will be used to confuse, disorient, or momentarily distract potential threats without the use of deadly force. This cartridge is intended to be an area fire, low hazard, and non-shrapnel producing device. The XM1044 shall meet MIL-PRF-XM1044VB0, Performance Specification for the XM1044. The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this acquisition is 332993.This will be a competitive acquisition resulting in the award of an Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (ID/IQ), Firm Fixed Price contract(s) with a duration of five years, which includes Design Verification Testing (DVT), First Article Testing of the XM1044, 40mm NL Blunt Trauma, Linked Cartridges to MIL-PRF-XM1044VB0, and delivery of XM1044 inert, cutaway, and NL Cartridges. The required Delivery Schedule will be approximately 12,000-15,000 XM1044 per month.

An integrated assessment will be made from the results of the evaluation of the factors as set forth in Section M of the solicitation. Pre-award surveys may be conducted. The Government intends to make only one award as a result of this RFP. The Government will select for award the proposal that represents the Best Value to the Government.

It is anticipated that this solicitation will be posted on the US Army JM&L, LCMC Procurement Network website located at http://procnet.pica.army.mil and FedBizOpps https://www.fbo.gov/. Be advised that this notice does not constitute an RFP. The RFP will be issued on or about 23 December 2010. Contractors must be registered in the Central Contractor Registration (CCR) database by accessing the CCR web site at http://www.ccr.gov in order to be eligible for contract award. The point of contact for this action is Jillian Foley, jillian.foley@us.army.mil, Contract Specialist, (973) 724-3271, ACC JM&L Contracting Center, Close Combat Center, Picatinny Arsenal, NJ 07806-5000.

Additional Info:

US ARMY TACOM-Picatinny Procurement Network

Contracting Office Address:

US Army, Army Contracting Command, Joint Munitions and Lethality (JM&L) Contracting Center, Picatinny Arsenal, New Jersey 07806-5000

Point of Contact(s):

Jillian Foley, Contract Specialist,
(973)724-3271

Jillian Foley

China Set to Launch Its First Stealth Aircraft (J-XX)

One possible image of the J-10.

As I alluded to in an earlier post about China getting an "aircraft carrier killer" missile, China is flexing its military muscle and it feels like it will lead to a confrontation with other military powers in the region at some point. China's latest military effort is an alleged stealth aircraft called the J-XX.

The latest buzz on Internet is that the China’s Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group is preparing to test its first stealth aircraft known to world as the J-XX.

According to enthusiasts living nearby, the aircraft has already done taxi run and top level officials are coming to the facility to witness the first flight.

Source: Defence Aviation