søndag 30. juni 2013

Sannheten om Juri Gagarins død

Cause Of Yuri Gagarin Death Finally Revealed By Fellow Cosmonaut

June 18, 2013

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Image Caption: Yuri Gagarin before launch of Vostok-1 on April 12, 1961. Credit: NASA
Lawrence LeBlond for redOrbit.com – Your Universe Online
For more than 45 years, the death of Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, the first human to cross the Earth´s threshold and venture into space, has been shrouded in secrecy. But now, details of his 1968 death have been released by none other than the first man to walk in space, Aleksey Leonov.
Gagarin, who became the first man to travel into space on April 12, 1961, was killed when his MiG-15 aircraft crashed on March 27, 1968. Gagarin was just 34 years old. The details of that crash and his death have long been a confusing and controversial subject, with many theories coming forward on the actual cause of his death.
Now, Leonov, who conducted the first ever extra-vehicular spacewalk in 1965, has delved deeper into the touchy subject of the Gagarin death mystery. Leonov has been fighting for 20 years or more to gain permission to disclose the details of what happened that tragic day in 1968.
Leonov was part of a State Commission established shortly after Gagarin´s death to investigate the matter further. The official cause of the crash of the MiG-15UTI, according to Leonov, was the crew, consisting of Gagarin and experienced instructor Vladimir Seryogin, trying to avoid a foreign object by carrying out a maneuver that led to a tailspin and, ultimately, collision with the ground, killing both pilots.
“That conclusion is believable to a civilian — not to a professional,” Leonov told Russia Today (RT), adding that he has always wanted the truth to be told, at least to the families involved.
A declassified report states human error played a part in the tragic incident that day. According to the report, an unauthorized SU-15 fighter jet was flying dangerously close to Gagarin´s aircraft.
Leonov said he was in charge of parachute jump training that day. He remembered the weather had been snowy, rainy and windy and was waiting for an official confirmation that the exercises would be canceled. However, it was only moments later that he heard a supersonic noise followed by an explosion. It was then he knew something was amiss, according to his testimony to RT.
“We knew that a Su-15 was scheduled to be tested that day, but it was supposed to be flying at the altitude of 10,000 meters or higher, not 450-500 meters. It was a violation of the flight procedure,” said Leonov.
Leonov noted witnesses pointed out that the SU-15 appeared out of the clouds with its tail smoking and burning. Leonov explained that during the afterburning, the SU-15 came dangerously close to Gagarin´s plane, forcing it to turn sharply at speeds in excess of 450 mph, sending it into a deep spiral.
After a transmission from Gagarin noting the crew was descending and returning to the airbase, no other transmissions came through; the plane crashed 55 seconds later.
Leonov´s worst fears were confirmed when someone had called Chlkalovsky airfield and reported a crash near the village of Novoselovo.

INVESTIGATIVE CLEARANCE
During an investigation of the crash site, the remains of Seryogin´s body were found but not Gagarin. Investigators believed Gagarin safely ejected from the plane and landed elsewhere. It was a full day later when investigators found the body of Gagarin.
Leonov, however, said when he was given clearance to view the actual incident report he found many inconsistencies. The greatest inconsistency was that the report had Leonov´s name on it, although it was written in a different hand, with the facts jumbled.
He noted the report said the noise intervals reported were 15 to 20 seconds apart, when he only reported hearing them seconds apart. The former suggests the two jets were no less than 30 miles apart. But using new computer models, investigators were now able to piece together what exactly caused Gagarin to go into that fatal spiral at breakneck speed.
The computer model placed a solid trajectory relating to the 55-second interval between when the sonic boom was heard and the crash occurred. Experts know that a deep spiral can occur if a larger, heavier aircraft passes by too closely, causing backwash to flip the smaller plane. Leonov said this is exactly what happened to Gagarin. The trajectory based on the computer model was the only one that makes sense and corresponds to all input parameters used by the investigators, he said.
Leonov, upon taking the new information to the public, said the reasoning behind the coverup was that officials were perhaps looking to “hide the fact that there was such a lapse so close to Moscow.” He said he allowed test pilots and other experts a chance to scrutinize and challenge his testimony.
While there is solid evidence that leaves no doubt that the pilot of an SU-15 was at fault for the crash of Gagarin´s plane, his name is not being released. Leonov said the pilot´s anonymity was a condition under which he was allowed to publicize the story. It is only known that the pilot is now 80 years old and is in failing health.
Leonov said he was told that bringing this pilot into the spotlight will “fix nothing.”
Nikolay Stroev, Deputy Head of the Military-Industrial Commission of the USSR, said the incident occurred with no intention on the part of the test pilot. The pilot did not see Gagarin´s aircraft in the clouds as he passed within dozens of feet at supersonic speed.
Several theorists have come forward with their take on what really happened that day, with reports of a collision with a UFO among the most popular incidences.

CLOSURE
But for all intents and purposes, the case is now considered closed, according to Leonov.
As the truth has finally been revealed, it should bring closure to others in the field who found discomfort with the long held controversial subject.
Russian cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova, the first woman in space, was grounded after news of Gagarin´s death broke in 1968. She said the state would not let her fly anymore, as the possibility of losing a second cosmonaut of such stature would have been catastrophic.
During a conference of the Committee for the Peaceful Use of Outer Space (COPUOS), held at the UN, Tereshkova said the “only regret here is that it took so long for the truth to be revealed. But we can finally rest easy.
“They forbade me from flying ever again, even piloting planes. The repercussions of the death of one cosmonaut were so great that they wanted to keep me safe,” she explained.
But her deepest sadness still lies with the passing of Gagarin. “I still miss him. It is a loss not only for us cosmonaut colleagues, but for the entire community,” she spoke, trying to hold back tears

Helikopter med en "Sully" i Hudson River

Chopper's emergency landing on Hudson

Sjekk video her: http://tinyurl.com/na8ry38

STORY HIGHLIGHTS
  • NEW: Fire department: Four people were taken to the hospital to be treated for minor injuries
  • Two adults and two children from Sweden were on board, CNN affiliate WCBS reports.
  • The pilot and all four occupants are OK, police say
  • The helicopter lost power, the pilot says

New York (CNN) -- A sightseeing ride in the skies over New York City turned into a whole different kind of adventure on Sunday when the helicopter made an emergency landing in the Hudson River.
The pilot and the four tourists on board were rescued and are OK, according to police on the scene. The tourists included two adults and two children, all from Sweden, CNN affiliate WCBS reported.
Four people were taken to the hospital to be treated for minor injuries, the New York City Fire Department said. One person refused further medical attention after being checked out at the scene.
The chopper landed in the water around noon and was floating upright, the Federal Aviation Administration said.
"We lost power," said the pilot, who would not give his name or further details.
The helicopter hit the water near 79th Street, the New York Fire Department said.
The chopper was drifting south, fire officials said. A vessel picked it up to tow it back to land

Formel 1 fører flyr med Red Arrows


Sjekk video her: http://tinyurl.com/pxxn5de

Watch Lewis Hamilton link up with the Red Arrows, as he gets a chance to fulfil a lifelong ambition to fly with the famous aerobatic team.
The Mercedes driver, along with BBC F1's David Coulthard, went to RAF Scampton in Lincolnshire to take part in the unique event.
"It was such an incredible day: a day that anyone would dream of doing. Looking back on it, I still can't believe I've been in a fighter jet," said Hamilton afterwards in his column on the BBC Sport website.

Norwegians B787 på Gardermoen i dag

Sakset fra f-b.no
Maskinen skal først fly på europeiske ruter før den settes inn på langdistanserutene.
PÅ PLASS
PÅ PLASS: 787 Dreamliner på Gardermoen. (Foto: Norwegian)

Landet endelig på Gardermoen

Norwegians aller første 787 Dreamliner landet søndag formiddag på norsk jord.




FLYR
FLYR: Norwegians nyeste kjøp. (Foto: Chris Raezer)             
    



Dreamlineren brukte 8 timer og 20 minutter på flyturen mellom Seattle og Oslo.

Bak spakene satt flygesjef Torstein Hoås og en av de nye 787-kapteinene, Fredrik Lambeck.
– Det er så vakkert, så vakre farger! Det er et av de flotteste flyene jeg har sett, og jeg har sett ganske mange fly, sa Norwegian-sjef Bjørn Kjos til E24 da han fredag mottok flyet hos Boeing.
Det skjedde ved flyfabrikken på Everett utenfor Seattle.

Egentlig skulle Norwegian fått 787-maskinen allerede i april, men problemer med blant annet batteriene på flyene, har ført til forsinkelser.
Norwegian forteller at Dreamlineren har mange fordeler som passasjerene vil få glede av.

– Det innvendige lufttrykket gjør at kabinmiljøet blir mer likt det på bakkenivå, noe som reduserer typiske «jetlag»-symptomer som hodepine og muskelsmerter. Flyet er produsert av lette komposittmaterialer og bruker 20 prosent mindre drivstoff enn fly av tilsvarende størrelse i dag, opplyser Norwegian.

Norwegian har åtte 787 Dreamlinere i bestilling. De skal brukes på langdistanserutene mellom Skandinavia, USA og Asia.
– Dette er et viktig steg på veien mot å befeste vår posisjon i markedet og sikre konkurransekraft i fremtiden. Våre passasjerer og ikke minst vi i Norwegian har sett frem til dette i lang tid. Jeg er overbevist om at kundene våre vil sette stor pris på dette splitter nye flyet. Vårt mål er også å ha den mest miljøvennlige og kostnadseffektive flåten, noe Dreamlineren i aller høyeste grad vil bidra til, sier Bjørn Kjos.

F-35 - Artikkel i AW&ST i morgen

Aviation Week & Space Technology (Monday, July 1, 2013) has article summarizing the testimony before the Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee June 19 of Michael Gilmore, DoD’s Director of Operational Test and Evaluation (DOT&E).

Excerpt: The DOT&E adds that “the most significant source of uncertainty” regarding what combat capability the JSF will provide in 2018 is that the program has to deliver an operational Block 3i while concurrently developing Block 3F, which is intended to meet the key performance parameters set in 2001.

=========================================================================================================================================================

Defense

More F-35 Delays Predicted


Bill Sweetman
Washington

Pentagon test chief warns of JSF slips

Against The Clock

Less than two years after a new Pentagon leadership team adopted a new integrated master schedule (IMS) for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program—which in 2010 plans was to have been declared operational by now—the latest plan is at risk, according to the Defense Department 's chief weapons-tester.

Software required to meet the Marine Corps ' limited initial operating capability (IOC) date is already expected to be eight months late relative to the August 2011 IMS, Michael Gilmore, the Pentagon 's director of operational test and evaluation (DOT&E) told the Senate defense appropriations subcommittee on June 19. Radar and electro-optical system snags have delayed weapons integration, consuming all the margin built into weapons testing. Buffet and transonic wing-drop “continue to be a concern to achieving operational combat capability.”

The root of the software delays is that the program has been forced to add tests at a rate that more than offsets better-than-scheduled testing performance. The main causes, Gilmore says, are the helmet-mounted display system (HMDS) and regression testing—which ensure that changes have not caused problems in areas previously vetted. Regression testing alone has already forced the addition of 366 test points in 2013.

Trailing its signature wingtip vortices,F-35 CF-6 becomes the first Navy variant to join training squadrons at Eglin AFB on June 22. Credit: USAFMaj. Karen Roganov

Flight-testing of Block 2A, the last non-combat software release, started in March 2012 with the goal of finishing in February, but was only 35% complete at the end of May. The Marines ' IOC software release, Block 2B, was to be delivered for flight-test in August, according to the IMS, but is now not expected before April 2014, only six months before the due date for completing those tests. These have to be finished before the program can perform an operational evaluation in 2015 that must be completed before the Marine IOC, set for July-December 2015.

Sacrificing Block 2B capabilities to meet the schedule is not an attractive option, Gilmore notes, because even full Block 2B aircraft will “likely need significant support from other (fighters) . . . unless air superiority is somehow otherwise assured and the threat is cooperative.”

The Block 3i configuration, the basis of the Air Force's planned IOC date (August-December 2016) is also under tight schedule pressure, Gilmore explains. It is wedded to significant changes to the radar, and to the electronic-warfare and communications-navigation-identification processors (not just the integrated core processor, as reported earlier). Lot 6 F-35s , which start deliveries in 2014, include this new hardware and cannot fly without 3i software. “Maturing Block 3i hardware and software will be a significant challenge in the next 12 to 18 months,” Gilmore warns.

The DOT&E adds that “the most significant source of uncertainty” regarding what combat capability the JSF will provide in 2018 is that the program has to deliver an operational Block 3i while concurrently developing Block 3F, which is intended to meet the key performance parameters set in 2001.

Lockheed Martin says it is “confident that we are on track to meet the software development schedule” and says that prime software design for Block 3F is 41% complete.

Results of tests on the long-troubled HMDS are “mixed, according to comments from the test pilots,” says Gilmore's report. For instance, software to reduce the effects of jitter have done so—but at the cost of introducing another instability, described as “swimming” of the symbology. The fix to light leakage or “green glow” requires the pilot to perform “fine-tuning adjustments” of display brightness as ambient light changes.

Another threat to schedule is weapons integration, which Gilmore characterizes as “very slow.” Synthetic-aperture radar modes have provided inaccurate coordinates, and the electro-optical targeting system (EOTS) has had difficulty maintaining tracks. These problems had to be remedied before weapons tests could proceed.

Some radar and EOTS issues have been fixed, but all the margin built into the IMS , for both Block 2B and 3F weapons testing, has been used up before a single guided-weapon test has been performed. Gilmore writes: “The final Block 3F weapon integration tests are likely to be completed in late 2017, instead of fall 2016. This will make beginning operational testing of Block 3F in January 2018 a challenge.”

Current weapons-test goals include a guided AIM-120 test in November 2013—dependent on fixing software deficiencies—a GBU-12 laser-guided bomb test in October and a Joint Direct Attack Munition guided test in December.

Buffet and transonic roll-off—wing drop in high-speed turns, associated with asymmetrical movements of shock waves—still affect all variants of the JSF , despite control law changes. The program will conduct flight tests this year to assess the problem, but has now reached a limit on what can be done with control laws, Gilmore reports. Further changes would degrade maneuverability or overload the structure.

Earlier DOT&E reports have been critical of the F-35 's ability to tolerate accidental or combat damage, and the new report follows that pattern. Gilmore observes that lightning-tolerance testing is yet to be completed and that even then, the fighter 's airframe will have to be inspected after known lightning strikes—including skin penetration—because it does not use lightning-tolerant fasteners, Conventional fasteners were selected to save weight. Lockheed Martin says that inflight lightning protection has been approved and the critical design review is closed, with more tests due later this year. On the ground, the current plan is that ground crews will purge the fuel systems of parked aircraft with nitrogen, repeating this process as often as once every 24 hr.

Gilmore also notes that the prognostic and health monitoring system, currently, is unable to provide timely detection of combat damage to the F-35B lift-fan system , which “might fail catastrophically before the pilot can react” during transition to vertical landing. Lockheed Martin comments that “in the remote chance of a failure, the pilot would auto-eject.”

End

F-35 oppdatering


First F-35C Carrier Version Reports for

Training Duty at Eglin

AIN DEFENSE PERSPECTIVE » JUNE 28, 2013
The first F-35C to join the combined U.S. training fleet arrived at Eglin AFB on June 22. It is the first of five carrier versions (CVs) that are due to be delivered there by year-end. They will be operated by VF-101, the U.S. Navy’s F-35C fleet replacement squadron, training both pilots and mechanics. (photo: Lockheed Martin)
June 28, 2013, 12:10 PM
Although the F-35 is in much better shape now than it was a year ago, “we’re not declaring victory yet–it’s still a development program,” said Lockheed Martin v-p of F-35 program integration Steve O’Bryan at the Paris Air Show. But O’Bryan noted that the top U.S. government procurement official had recently expressed cautious optimism and declared that there are no technical showstoppers. He also expressed satisfaction that the sixth and latest report on the huge program by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) has been positive, and the first not to recommend any remedial actions. The three U.S. services haverecently declared their initial operating capability (IOC) dates, he noted. With more than 84 aircraft rolled out and 65 flying, the F-35 program is proceeding apace.
According to the F-35 master schedule, flight-tests supporting the system design and development (SDD) phase are supposed to end in early 2017. But only 50 percent of the total SDD flights scheduled will have been completed by the end of the year, O’Bryan noted. To set this in context, however, the number of test points in the F-35 flight-test program–a grand total of 56,914–“is more than the AV-8B, F-15, F-16 and F-18 programs combined,” he claimed.
Airborne software remains “a key challenge,” O’Bryan said. There are 8.6 million lines of code, compared with two million on the F-22. The aircraft that have already been delivered are using Block 1A and 2A software (for initial and advanced training, respectively), with the final configuration of the latter scheduled for release to the fleet in the last quarter of this year. The Block 2B software that provides initial war-fighting capability by adding sensors and weapons is now in flight-test at Edwards AFB. The ultimate Block 3F software that provides full war-fighting capability with more weapons, radar modes and an expanded flight envelope is not scheduled for release until the third quarter of 2017. Why? Although 88 percent of the airborne software is now flying (and 96 percent of it has been coded), “the last 12 percent is the hardest to integrate,” according to O’Bryan.
The first-life structural tests for the F-35A and F-35B have been successfully completed, with the F-35C “on track.” Structural changes are fewer than predicted, leading to lower concurrency costs–a big issue between Lockheed Martin and the U.S. customer in recent years.
Affordability is a key issue for the F-35 program. “We’re on path to achieve an $85 million unit recurring flyaway cost (URFC) for the F-35A by 2020,” O’Bryan declared. That figure is in then-year dollars–the current-year equivalent would be $75 million. However, the F-35As being procured in Fiscal Year 2013 are actually costing $140 million each; there will be a steep decrease in the URFC over the next few years. TheURFC includes the aircraft, engine, mission systems and an allowance for concurrency costs.
Under discussion at Paris were the intentions of international partners Canada and Denmark–the latest countries to waver in the face of doubts over cost and schedule. Dassault is pushing the Rafale in Canada; Saab thinks it has a chance with the Gripen in Denmark. But eight countries, including six of the eight original partners plus Israel and Japan, have now ordered one or more F-35s. O’Bryan showed a series of slides that detailed the industrial benefits being enjoyed by the partner countries, and reminded the audience that the companies involved are producing parts for the entire F-35 production run–potentially 3,100 aircraft.
In Paris, Lockheed Martin signed a contract with AIM Norway for horizontal and vertical tails, and inked an MoU with CAE for F-35 future training solutions. Level 1 partner BAESystems signed a deal with Magellan Aerospace for horizontal tails and with Terma for carbon-fiber tail skins. There were two further signings with Dutch industry, including one with the Thales subsidiary in the Netherlands.

lørdag 29. juni 2013

Ulykke i Finland

Dette var den 9. ulykken med småfly på 14 mndr.

Flere fryktes omkommet i finsk flyulykke

Flere mennesker kan ha mistet livet etter at et sjøfly styrtet i sjøen Suvasvesi i Savolax i Finland, melder avisen Hufvudstadsbladet.

Tre mennesker kan ha mistet livet i ulykken, opplyser kilder til avisen.
Et øyenvitne forklarer at flygeren og en familie som var om bord, ikke klarte å komme seg ut av flyet etter at det styrtet i sjøen. Ifølge foreløpige opplysninger skal en gutt ha blitt reddet ut av flyet.
Det er 18 meter dypt der småflyet styrtet.

Luftens kjemper

Foto: Per Gram - Le Bourget 1987
 
Aviation giants: Ten super-sized planes from history

Sjekk bilder her: http://tinyurl.com/oclbrtk

fredag 28. juni 2013

330 skvadron feirer 40 år med Sea King


INVITASJON
Sjef 330 skvadron inviterer nåværende og tidligere ansatte med følge til middag lørdag 24. august 2013 kl 19 på Sola flystasjon.
330 skvadron feirer i 2013 40 år med Sea King Redningshelikopter
 
Egenandel kr. 250.-p.p
Antrekk: Messe II evt Messe III med hvit skjorte og sort sløyfe. For sivilt personell tilsvarer dette smoking / mørk dress. Uformelt get-together party fredag 23. august med grilling ved 330 skvadron avd. Sola
Det er reservert et visst antall hotellrom på Quality Aiport Hotell som kan bestilles til kampanjepris. E-post sendes hilde.hoff@choice.no med kode FLY
Frist for påmelding er 1. juli 2013
Påmelding til jubileum330skv@gmail.com


Norsk Flygerforbund- Petter Førde ny leder

Petter Førde er en gammel traver i NF sammenheng. Lykke til Petter!
 

Ny ledelse i NF


I forbindelse med årsmøte 2013 ble det valgt ny leder og ny nestleder IKOM. Vi ønsker Petter Førde fra Widerøe velkommen som ny leder av NF, og Håvard Iuell-Heitmann fra Widerøe velkommen som ny nestleder /leder IKOM.
Jo Bjørn Skatvold og Jack Netskar fortsetter som hhv nestleder/ leder FSIK og International Director.
Vi takker avtroppende leder Aleksander Wasland og avtroppende nestleder Christian Langvatn for en formidable innsats gjennom de siste årene.

Earhart - Del X eller noe sånt

Snakk om å lette etter nåla... Det må da være tusenvis av fly som ligger på bunnen av Stillehavet, og millioner av deler. Tror dette er første gang det vises video i forbindelse med letingen.

Amelia Earhart mystery again rises to the surface

Sjekk video her: http://tinyurl.com/qyqywpy

By Joe Sterling and Catherine E. Shoichet, CNN
June 2, 2013 -- Updated 1536 GMT (2336 HKT)


Is this a piece of Earhart's plane?


STORY HIGHLIGHTS
  • A grainy sonar image has been spotted, an aircraft recovery group says
  • Historian at Amelia Earhart Birthplace Museum skeptical of anything conclusive showing up
  • Technology today is advanced enough to locate a plane, a trade association official says
(CNN) -- Could search crews be just a few hundred feet from solving a mystery that has riveted millions for 76 years?
That's the question raised by tantalizing evidence published this week by teams trying to find out what happened to famed aviator Amelia Earhart, who vanished along with navigator Fred Noonan during a doomed attempt to fly around the world in 1937.
Yet that evidence has been met with skepticism in some quarters.
Debate about the mystery gained new currency this week after researchers publicized images recorded by search teams scanning the ocean floor nearly a year ago near Nikumaroro Island in the South Pacific.
The International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery raised the prospect of a big break in the case by publishing an image online. It showed something -- hard for the layman to size up -- on the ocean floor.

Amelia Earhart: Pioneer of the sky
HIDE CAPTION
Photos: Amelia Earhart: Pioneer of the sky

Photos: Amelia Earhart: Pioneer of the sky
The group said, "It's the right size, it's the right shape and it's in the right place."
Could it really be a piece of Earhart's Lockheed Electra plane?
Louise Foudray, caretaker and historian of the Amelia Earhart Birthplace Museum in Atchison, Kansas, chose her words carefully on Friday afternoon.
"We don't want to shrug off the hard work anyone is doing. We do like the idea that people are still interested," she said. "But we're     skeptical."

UAV Integrator - Perfekt for norske fregatter

 

Rockwell Collins RTK SAASM and Autopilot in Ship-Based Recovery of US Navy RQ-21A UAS

The Rockwell Collins Athena 111m Flight Control System and Real Time Kinematic (RTK) Selective Availability Anti-Spoofing Module (SAASM) technology solution for secure GPS receivers recently enabled successful shipboard flight tests of the U.S. Navy’s RQ-21A Small Tactical Unmanned Aircraft System (STUAS).
The U.S. Navy’s RQ-21A “Integrator” is manufactured by Insitu, a division of The Boeing Company and a customer of Rockwell Collins.
“With the launch of this first ever SAASM RTK solution, military operations that require centimeter-level GPS navigation accuracy can utilize a more secure alternative to commercial RTK GPS receivers,” said Dave Schreck, director of UAS and Control Technologies for Rockwell Collins. “Today, platforms such as Insitu’s RQ-21A can have that navigation accuracy for autonomous capture, landing, or other operations, while benefiting from the high-security features of the SAASM GPS receiver.”
High levels of security and precise navigation are critically important for naval shipboard operations. The Rockwell Collins solution enabled the RQ-21A STUAS to remain secure and stable during flight operations and recovery even in rapidly moving, high sea state situations.
Schreck added that the RTK SAASM technology also enables cost-effective, miniaturized solutions for many other applications including targeting and North-finding solutions.
The RQ-21A STUAS completed its first flight at sea in the Gulf of Mexico from the San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock USS Mesa Verde (LPD 19). The system completed three months of land-based trial flights at Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division in China Lake, California, before launching from a LPD-class ship.
The Rockwell Collins SAASM device is a single, tamper-resistant multi-chip security module that can be combined with other components and software into a complete GPS receiver. RTK SAASM utilizes a miniature, low power SAASM GPS receiver. Rockwell Collins is the first in the industry to receive security approval for production of the SAASM GPS that incorporates a next-generation Precise Positioning Service (PPS) security module.

Thunderbirds Are Go…!

 
Everything you ever wanted to know about the United States Air Force Aerial Demonstration Team….the Thunderbirds!

UAV - Mulig terrorvåpen

German Police Foil Terrorist Attack with Model Airplanes

German prosecutors said on Tuesday they are investigating two men suspected of planning terrorist attacks using model airplanes, and authorities in Germany and neighbouring Belgium conducted a series of searches.
No one was arrested in Tuesday’s raids, which were carried out to gather “evidence for possible attack plans and preparations” and information on terrorist financing, federal prosecutors said in a statement.

Prosecutors said the investigation involves possible charges of “preparation of a serious, state-threatening act of violence,” but not membership of or supporting any terrorist organization.

In all, nine properties were searched in the Stuttgart and Munich areas of southern Germany, in eastern Germany’s Saxony state and in Belgium.
The two men of Tunisian origin are suspected of “procuring information and objects to commit Islamic extremist explosive attacks with remote-controlled model airplanes,” prosecutors added. They gave no further information on the two men and didn’t identify them.
The apartments of four acquaintances of the men, suspected of financing Islamic extremism, were searched in Germany. The investigation also targets a further acquaintance suspected of money laundering. None of the suspects was identified.
Last November a U.S. man, Rezwan Ferdaus, was sentenced to 17 years in prison over a plot to fly remote-controlled model planes packed with explosives into the Pentagon and U.S. Capitol.
Germany has seen only one successful attack by an Islamic radical — the fatal shooting of two U.S. airmen at Frankfurt airport in 2011 by a Kosovo native who grew up in Germany and became radicalized on his own by watching jihadist propaganda on the Internet.
However, there have been several attempted attacks in the country, which is a major contributor to international forces in Afghanistan.