The Russian Armed Forces has three branches: the Ground Forces, the Air Force and the Navy. Aside from these three, there are also three independent branches: the Strategic Missile Troops, the Aerospace Defense Forces, and the Airborne Troops. The Strategic Missile Troops military branch controls and operates Russia’s land-based missiles. The Russian Aerospace Defence Forces is the military branch that operates the country’s air and missile defense, as well as the operation of military satellites. The Russian Airborne Troops is also an elite force of the Russian military. Currently, the Russian army has 766,055 active military personnel.
According to a report from the Federation of American Scientists, Russia has around 1,499 strategic warheads, 1,022 non-deployed strategic warheads and 2,000 nuclear warheads. The Strategic Rocket Forces controls its land-based nuclear warheads, while the Navy controls the submarine based missiles and the Air Force the air-launched warheads. The nuclear warheads are located in the following areas: in a silo, such as the R-36, in a land-based mobile, like the RT-2UTTKh Topol-M, and in a submarine, like the RSM-56 Bulava.
The Russian government’s budget for military spending is approximately $69.3 billion, making it the third largest in the world and the highest among the European nations.
This video shows a battlefield blooper from the front over in Ukraine. Here you will enjoy a misfire from a Russian Kornet Anti-Tank Guided Missile. You will notice a soldier doing something with the tripod but the tube suddenly fires the missile by accident. It is assumed the missile goes into some hillside somewhere or into the ground. Hopefully there wasn’t an unfortunate soul on the receiving end of that. In the United States Army, this would be classified as a misfire and the 15-6 investigation would start immediately.
However if not misfired, Kornet ATGMs are pretty lethal against heavily armored vehicles. Designed to be tank busters against the American M1 Abrams Main Battle Tank, the Israeli Merkava, or the German Leopard 2, it is important that these devices get removed from the battlefield by air assets or light infantry prior to an armored engagement. The Kornet can penetrate two armored layers (double layers) on a tank because it has 2 warheads/charges. The first one detonates on the external layer, and the second explodes inside penetration the remaining armor and killing the crew. Well, at least with this video, there is one less ATGM the US Army has to worry about.
At 6:22 pm ET on October 28th, 2014, a rocket on a resupply mission to the International Space Station took off and subsequently blew up shortly after take off. It is a major setback, especially in light of NASAs recent decision to get rid of the Space Shuttle. The Russians have even issued a statement that they are willing to help us resupply the Space Station. It is a little ironic since the Russians have been posturing to be a super power again. NASA says they will regroup and learn from this experience. Fortunately, it was an unmanned space craft so no crew members were hurt. William Gerstenmaier, one of NASA’s top people in charge of this program, issued a statement:
The following statement is from William Gerstenmaier, Associate Administrator of NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations Directorate, regarding the launch failure that occurred at Pad 0A of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia during the attempted launch of Orbital Sciences Corp’s Antares rocket and Cygnus cargo spacecraft at 6:22 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 28.
“While NASA is disappointed that Orbital Sciences’ third contracted resupply mission to the International Space Station was not successful today, we will continue to move forward toward the next attempt once we fully understand today’s mishap. The crew of the International Space Station is in no danger of running out of food or other critical supplies.
“Orbital has demonstrated extraordinary capabilities in its first two missions to the station earlier this year, and we know they can replicate that success. Launching rockets is an incredibly difficult undertaking, and we learn from each success and each setback. Today’s launch attempt will not deter us from our work to expand our already successful capability to launch cargo from American shores to the International Space Station.”
The US Army’s New Defense System “High Energy Laser Mobile Demonstrator” Wields its Power
The High Energy Laser Mobile Demonstrator (HEL-MD) is a top-notch laser-based defense weapon being developed by the American Army’s Space and Missile Defense Command, in collaboration with Boeing.
The HEL-MD’s role is to display the potential of directed-energy technology for shielding US Army troops against rockets, artillery and mortars. The first successful trials took place between November 18th and December 10th, 2013 in the White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico. However, the complete integration with a Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck (HEMTT) was during the summer of 2011, and the first low-power tests of this laser weapon took place during the fall and winter of the same year.
Historical Overview of the HEL-MD
In 1980, US President Ronald Raegan advanced the most prominent propositions for the use of laser guns to destroy flying targets before they could land. The project was called the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), which people also referred to as “Star Wars.” However, most of the laser weapon projects were overlooked regardless of the fact that the strategic missile defense concept has never ceased to exist.
Boeing, on the other hand, continued working on the concept, and in February 2010, the company successfully tested one of its Directed-Energy weapons.
YAL-1A Airborne Laser in flight with the mirror unstowed (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
How Does the HEL MD Compare to Other Defense Systems?
The HEL MD is not the first defensive system that the US army devised in order to defend the American operating bases with laser weapons in Iraq and Afghanistan. Similar systems include the Boeing YAL-1 Airborne Laser Testbed and the Phalanx-based Counter Rocket, Artillery and Mortar (C-RAM).
Unlike the HEL MD, the defense system known as the Boeing YAL-1 Airborne Laser Testbed was mounted inside a modified Boeing 747-400F and was, therefore, not mounted on a ground vehicle. However, due to some test failures, the funding for this system was cut in 2010, before the US Army decided to cancel the whole system in 2011.
C-RAM, on the other hand, proved efficient to some extent. The system successfully detected and destroyed rockets, artillery and mortars. Nonetheless, some attacks in both Iraq and Afghanistan still succeeded to get through, which is not the case with the HEL MD system as proved during testing in 2012 and 2014.
Another area where HEL MD outperforms C-RAM is the number of rounds in the magazine. The HEL MD system has a “near-infinite magazine” because it is a laser, unlike C-RAM that has a finite number of rounds.
Blaine Beardsley, HEL MD program manager at Boeing, explained, “Even while you’re utilizing the magazine and engaging targets, you’re charging that magazine.” Therefore, unlike its counterparts, the HEL MD laser gun uses electrical power to produce lethal effects. Mark Gunzinger, a Senior Fellow at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments (CSBA), further illustrated this when he said, “As long as they have a source of electricity and cooling, they can keep firing.”
Furthermore, this laser weapon enjoys the very useful attribution of mobility, hence the name “MOBILE Demonstrator.” In this regard Beardsley added, “You can drive it out to any location and emplace it quickly and be able to set it up with full 360-degree coverage.”
HEMTT wrecker (M984, front) and cargo (M977). Photo taken at Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Capabilities and Specifications of the HEL MD
The latest tests of this laser weapon by the US Army in New Mexico are considered to be the first successful demonstration of the capabilities of the HEL-MD mounted on a Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck (HEMTT). The current system uses a 10-kilowatt laser. However, the system’s power is expected to be upgraded to 50 or 60-kilowatt laser. Later, the laser will be increased to 100-Kilowatts.
In addition to the tests in New Mexico, the system was tested again on 4 September 2014 at the Eglin Air Force Base in Florida. The HEL MD proved very successful even in maritime conditions. The defense system successfully managed to target a variety of aerial targets, even under windy, rainy and foggy weather conditions.
When commenting on this success, Dave DeYoung, Boeing Directed Energy Systems director, said, “As proven at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico in 2013 and at Eglin Air Force Base this spring, HEL MD is reliable and capable of consistently acquiring, tracking and engaging a variety of targets in different environments, demonstrating the potential military utility of directed energy systems”.
Although other systems such as C-RAM have proven their reliability, the latest trials of the HEL MD laser weapon system by the US Army in Florida helped the system gain a considerable margin over all of its competitors.
What follows is a brief summary of some of the specifications of the current HEL MD defense system:
BCS – 50 cm aperture retracting telescope, 300 W target illuminator, low jitter precise pointing tracking system
Acquisition & Track Sensors – IR based WFOV for target acquisition coupled with NFOV for engagement
WMI – For a control of the entire system-based on a standard air defense and Avenger C4I interface
BMC4I – Modular design to enable the interface with current and future fielded BMC4I systems
Electrical Power – One set of lithium ion batteries to provide extremely stable power to the laser. Battery charging and another subsystem power from single 60 kW diesel generator, mounted on HEMTT
Thermal Management – Two-loop chilled water system for the laser and standard air conditioner for all other subsystems
Future Plans
Though the current primary use for the HEL MD laser gun system is for the US Army, plans include using this laser defense system to protect the planet from asteroids. There has been a drastic rise in the interest of using this technology since an asteroid hit Central Russia on February 15, 2013. The incident injured more than 1,000 people, which experts regarded as a serious warning about the need for a defensive system that would protect the Earth from any similar asteroid attacks.
Final Analysis
The (HEL MD) laser weapon system has gained fame as a revolutionary defense system for the US Army. It is the only system that proved successful even under foggy, rainy and in maritime conditions. Hence, although other systems like C-RAM will not cease to exist, it is doubtless that the US Army’s New Defense System, the High Energy Laser Mobile Demonstrator HEL MD, will constitute a threshold for more sophisticated directed-energy weapons, especially that those future plans also include saving the planet from asteroids.
The PAK FA T-50 is in an entirely new league of fighter aircraft. PAK FA is short for Perspektivny Aviatsionny Kompleks Frontovoy Aviatsii. When translated into English, it means “Prospective Airborne Complex of Frontline Aviation” or “Future Air Complex – Tactical Air Forces”. It is being developed by Russia to be a fifth generation stealth fighter with capabilities rivaling and even exceeding in some areas those of the American Lockheed F-22A, the first fifth generation fighter in the world. The finished prototype belonging to the Russian Air Force possesses advanced features like supercruise and extreme maneuverability and is expected to enter into service by 2015.
In the 1980s, Russia sought to develop a multirole fighter that could serve as a replacement for the MiG-29s as well as for the, then recently deployed, Su-27s. The MiG 1.44 was created through the MFI program. The program encountered repeated delays. Its first flight was behind schedule by nine years. By then, Sukhoi had already started developing the technology required for the next generation aircraft even though it was not a part of the MFI program. The development of MiG 1.44 was officially scrapped due to the lack of funds ensuing from the collapse of Soviet Union. At that point, Sukhoi was, after winning the PAK FA competition, chosen to lead the designing of a new fifth generation aircraft.
T-50 ПАК-ФА (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Since 2007, Russia and India have collaborated to jointly develop an Indian prototype of the T-50 stealth fighter. The program, initially known as FGFA (Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft) is now jointly called the PMF (Perspective Multirole Fighter). India has agreed to bear half the cost of the projected $12 billion. Two separate prototypes are expected to be developed in the process – one each by India and Russia. India is expected to buy over 144 single seater PAK FAs while Russia is expected to order over 150.
Timeline for the PAK FA T-50
The initial design for PAK FA was completed in 2004.
The first public flight was in January 2010 and lasted 47 minutes.
In August 2012, flight testing of the AESA radar suite was started.
In June 2014, a prototype T-50 caught fire during landing. However, Sukhoi has stated that this incident “will not affect the timing of the T-50 test program”.
Sukhoi T-50 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
PAK FA T-50 Design
Due to the secrecy surrounding PAK FA project, there is not much substantiated information available regarding the design and development of the T-50 prototype. However, it is clear that it will be the first aircraft in the Russian Air Force that is stealthy. Besides stealth, this fighter aircraft will also possess other advanced features. Among them is a highly advanced radar system called the advanced phase array radar that adds the capacity for both, forward looking as well as side scanning. Its sensor fusion capability will allow it to track and engage with multiple targets at the same time. The current PAK FA prototypes that are scheduled to go into service will use the izdeliye 117 engine. These powerful engines will allow the aircraft to supercruise; that is, sustain a supersonic flight without the use of afterburners.
The armament details of the PAK FA have been kept largely under wraps. However, it is believed that the current T50 prototype could be equipped with air to surface missiles, air to air missiles, anti ship missiles, anti radiation missiles, and guided bombs. When the prototype comes into service, it may use the in-service missiles. However, it is expected that over time special munitions will be developed specifically to be used in the PAK FA family.
In certain aspects of design, the PAK FA does resemble the existing American fifth generation F-22s, notably in its broad shape and long lines. Its advanced aerodynamic system gives it extreme agility, a trait that is somewhat lacking in the F-22s. The 25,000 lb internal fuel load gives it another edge over the F-22s when it comes to combat persistence.
The Political and Strategic Impact of the PAK FA
A technical analysis of the PAK FA shows that is clearly more advanced in agility and aerodynamic performance than any aircraft built by the USA, whether in service currently or in planning. Given the configuration of the PAK FA and its stealth parameters, it is believed that it will change the nature of missile combat. The missile will come into the combat at a closer range than before, and the timeline of actual engagement will be shorter as well. This means that stealth will be one of the most important features for fighter aircrafts in the time to come. The other factor most likely to affect the outcome of the air combat would be the ability of the fighters to supercruise for longer periods of time. As such, the advent of the mature production PAK FA could mean the end of line for the teen series generation aircrafts such as F-15 / F-16 / F/A-18.
Even when it comes to the current fifth generation American fighter F-22A, the United States will not have a clear and certain advantage when it comes to air strikes and will immediately lose the ability to impose air superiority rapidly. According to the tactical analysis, “Fights between the F-22A and the PAK FA will be close, high, fast and lethal …The outcome will be difficult to predict as it will depend a lot on the combat skills of the pilots and the capabilities of the missiles for end-game kills. There is no guarantee that the F-22 will prevail every time.”
Summary
PAK FA T-50 is believed to be the one of the foremost “game changers” in the field of fighter technology since T-10 & Su-27s. Its impact is not just limited to technology and politics, but rather it could have fundamental ramifications tactically, strategically, as well as operationally. Most importantly, it challenges the aerial advantage that the United States has held for many decades. Unless their planning for future air power tactics changes immediately and drastically, United States will have fewer strategic options going forward that are nonnuclear in nature. The PAK FA T-50 is certainly a counter punch that will cause the US to innovate an even better fighter than the F-35 and F-22.
Poland is making defense technology splashes lately with the arrival of its PL-01 Tank concept, thought to be one of the tanks of the future that governments are starting to move towards. The Polish Government, Orbrum, and BAE Systems are working jointly on this project. The PL-01 Tank has a major feature, that it is virtually invisible to radar and thermals, that distinguishes it from the traditional tanks. The PL-01 Tank is invisible to enemy thermal imaging, infrared, and radar which make it unique and an attractive buy for any nation’s Army.
Launch of the PL-01 Tank:
This proposed Polish PL-01 tank is mainly designed for the Polish military and is being developed jointly between Polish Defense Company Obrum and British conglomerate BAE Systems. It is a light armored tank and designed as a fighting vehicle. It was disclosed first at the International Defense Industry Exhibition at MSPO in Poland on 2 September 2013. The tank is estimated that a full sample will be completed in 2016 and if everything goes well, it will be in service for marketing immediately thereafter. Mass production is planned to commence in 2018.
Key Specifications of the PL-01:
The Polish PL-01 tank has some unique and distinctive features that make it different from other traditional concept of most modern tanks. The obvious specification is that it is a stealth tank as far as radar and thermals are concerned. Very significant technologies are integrated into the concept to help the tank reduce its infrared signature. Cooled wafers are used on the outside of the tank to perplex the tracking systems of anti-tank weapons on the battlefield. It has the capacity to avoid the enemy thermal imaging, infrared and radar. In addition, the tank has a 940hp diesel engine that has the special capability of dispersing the exhaust system to further reduce its infrared signature. This feature will allow it to blend in with the environment by confusing the electronic detection systems of the enemy. Special cooled wafers (like a cooling plate) on the outside of the tank are used to make the tank appear more like a car or other object when it is viewed in infrared or detected in the enemy thermal devices. The tank has an unmanned turret and a large auto loading cannon. The turret is very versatile and can do multiple different firing tasks from the same vehicle. The angles of the tank are intended to diminish its radar signature and it is enclosed with a radar permeable coating. The sum total weight of the tank is 30,000 kg (standard layout) and with additional armor panels, it is 35,000 kg. The length, width and height of this vehicle are respectably 7 m, 3.8 m and 2.8 m. It can facilitate a crew of three. The main armament of this tank constitutes 105 mm or 120 mm caliber main cannon and the secondary armament is 7.62 mm remote controlled machine gun as well as other active and passive countermeasures. This includes a 40 mm or 12.7 mm grenade launcher, heat and radar reduction. It is equipped with a 940 horse power diesel engine attached to a torque converter, automatic gearbox and driving assistant mechanism. The suspension torsion bar is based on seven wheels. The speed can vary from smooth road to rough territory. On paved roads, the tank is supposed to reach up to 70 kph and on rough terrain, it can reach up to 50 kph. The operational range is maximum 500 km on paved roads. The PL-01 tank can use steel or rubber tracks. It can move rapidly on and off roads and efficiently traverses water.
English: This is the M1A2 TUSK Abrams Tank. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
PL-01 Tank Layout and Comparison:
The design of PL-01 tank is akin to that of main battle tanks, with the driver located at the front of the vehicle and an unmanned turret mounted at the rear. There is a gunner and a commander within the hull and a crew of three soldiers can take their position in the rear part. The Combat Vehicle 90 is the model based on which the chassis of the tank is based. Currently the vehicle weighs in at about 33 tons and it is calculated that it will be about 39 tons with the additional armor. Russian T-90 main battle tank isn’t as light as the weight of the Polish tank. It is ten tons lighter than the Russian one and it is an advanced model of Abrams tank. There is a lot of criticism that the PL-01 is just another variation of the Polish Anders Tank. There are also some close similarities between the PL-01 tank and the Israeli tank Merkava – mainly that the engine-transmission compartment is located in the front part of both tanks.
English: T-90 main battle tank. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)English: IDF Merkava Mk4 main battle tank עברית: טנק מרכבה סימן 4 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Future Planning for the PL-01 Tank:
The Polish concept tank is currently on the stage of early development and on the verge of initialization. Designers confirm that in the future, there will be improvements to the concept to include possibly an “invisible” feature which causes the tank to appear to blend in with its surroundings to the naked eye. The designers would likely to use a system that has cameras and some type of displays on the outside of the tank. This will help the tank to match the image seen on the one side of the tank onto the video receivers on the other side of the tank. Having the tank be stealth and invisible would put it in an all new class of ground warfare that could change the battlefield forever.
Thoughts About the PL-01 Tank:
The Polish concept of PL-01 Tank is truly exciting and intriguing. It is quite interesting that the big budgets in the United States Military usually go into Aircraft (F-22 Raptor, F-35 Joint Strike Fighter) probably to help gain air superiority first. Sure they improve the ground vehicles, but not on the level of what Poland is trying to do. Poland has already conceded that it will not have air superiority against a Russian attack. So they are hoping to differentiate their forces by providing a tactical advantage with their armor. It is worth noting that there is no way Poland would have access to the stealth technology provided by BAE Systems without some kind of approval from the UK or US governments. In the end of the day, this same technology will probably make its way easily back to the United States and other NATO allies once it is fully developed and proven in Poland. The PL-01 Tank is definitely worth watching.
