Tag Archives: attack

Stealth Vs. Speed: A Look At Trade-Offs In Modern Fighter Jet Design

In a dogfight, for those who defend completely in opposition to an attacker executing their assault completely, you’d lose each time. In the previous, your attacker could be one other pilot in a fighter plane. Today, as a rule, the menace comes from a missile hurtling in the direction of you.

Evading these fashionable air-to-air missiles is extraordinarily tough, even with countermeasures like chaff, flares, or digital countermeasures (ECM.) For occasion, the Russian R-77 missile can fly at Mach 4 and make sharp, high-G maneuvers that may knock a human pilot unconscious. Outmaneuvering or out-speeding it’s almost unattainable.

For this motive, the CBSA has famous that conventional fighter jet attributes like velocity and maneuverability are taking a again seat to stealth, payload capability, and vary. These latter three qualities would show decisive in high-end conflicts the place not solely enemy fighter jets are patrolling, but in addition built-in air protection programs (IADS) are energetic, as is at present the case in Ukraine.

Fortunately, engineers and army planners have lengthy acknowledged this shift. The F-35, for instance, has a prime velocity of simply Mach 1.6 in comparison with the F-22’s Mach 2.2. While much less maneuverable than its predecessors, the F-35 packs superior sensors, first rate stealth capabilities, and deadly stand-off weapons just like the proposed hypersonic MAKO missile. These options enable it to dominate in workout routines in opposition to simulated near-peer adversaries and, hopefully, it ought to have the ability to do the identical in actual fight circumstances as nicely.

The Top 12 Best Attack Helicopters Ever Used In War, Ranked

The Changhe Z-10 is China’s first native attack helicopter, designed for anti-armor and close air support missions. It was created as the People’s Liberation Army’s answer to America’s AH-1 Cobra. However, it is much larger, heavier, and less agile compared to its U.S. counterpart. Despite being produced around 40 years later, it has approximately 50% of the Cobra’s firepower, making it a statistically poor adversary. With a weight of 7,500 kilograms, it is even heavier than contemporaries such as the Eurocopter Tiger and A129 Mangusta. Due to its weight requirements, China failed to meet the criteria for the Changhe Z-10 to be used by E.U. nation militaries.

Nevertheless, the Changhe Z-10 incorporates modern avionics and weaponry, boosting its reputation on the world stage. This includes features such as helmet-mounted optics, radar warning systems, ejector seats, stealth properties, and advanced GPS navigation. Its armament consists of a 23-millimeter machine gun, rockets, and missiles, with a payload of up to 1,500 kilograms when fully loaded.

Although China is currently facing conflict and tension along its borders, the Changhe Z-10 has seen limited action. Due to its lesser capabilities compared to its peers, it ranks at the lowest position on this list.

[Featured image by Shimin Gu via Wikimedia Commons | Cropped and scaled | GFDL 1.2]

Rimac’s Nevera Time Attack: A Record-Breaking Spec, Limited to 12

Rimac Automobili continues to push the boundaries with its latest creation, the Nevera Time Attack. This Croatian EV hypercar manufacturer has already shattered over 20 records in 2023, and the unveiling of the Nevera Time Attack at The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering, proves that they have no plans of slowing down. On the same day of its debut, the Nevera broke the previous EV production lap record at the Nürburgring by an impressive 20 seconds, completing the course in just 7 minutes and 5.298 seconds. This remarkable achievement was verified by TÜV SÜD and onboard telemetry.

The Nevera has been on a record-breaking spree throughout 2023. In April, it claimed 23 performance records in a single day at the Automotive Testing Papenburg (ATP) in Germany. Then, in July, it solidified its position as the fastest production car at the Goodwood Festival of Speed by completing the hill climb in just 49.32 seconds.

Rimac Automobili will produce a limited edition of the Nevera Time Attack, consisting of only 12 cars, all of which have already been sold out. Each car will be hand-built and tailored to the owner’s preferences. The first owner, Jeff Miller from California, received his car during the global debut at the Monterey Car Week. The car features a striking combination of Squadron Black and Lightning Green highlights.

Mate Rimac, the Founder and CEO of Rimac Group, emphasized how the Nevera has revolutionized the hypercar industry by introducing new technologies and achieving unprecedented levels of performance. The custom touches in the Time Attack edition, including the paintwork and interior finishing, pay homage to the car’s groundbreaking achievements and its origin.

With several months still remaining in 2023, there is no telling what other records the Rimac Nevera might conquer. The future looks incredibly bright for this groundbreaking hypercar.

USS Cutlass: An Extraordinary Submarine That Is Still in Service After Almost 80 Years

The USS Cutlass, a submarine that set sail from Pearl Harbor a few years after the devastating 1941 attack on the United States that initiated World War II, had a unique history. Despite its deployment to Japanese waters, the Cutlass never engaged in any battles. Surprisingly, it arrived near Japan only one day after the Japanese surrender in 1945. For a little over a month, the Cutlass conducted patrols in the area before returning to Pearl Harbor and eventually relocating to the east coast of the United States. Afterwards, in 1949, the Cutlass played a crucial role as the test submarine for Operation Rainbow. This operation aimed to assess the visibility of color schemes on submarines as these vessels started to dive to deeper depths than ever before.

Following this period, the Cutlass primarily embarked on journeys within the Western Hemisphere before making a trip to Europe in 1953. Until its retirement from the military, the Cutlass was engaged in patrols, exercises, and anti-submarine warfare training. Eventually, almost 30 years after its launch, the submarine was decommissioned and sold to Taiwan.