War Game Watch, Electromag Railgun, DARPA, Pandemic Watch + News

World’s Most Powerful Electromagnetic Railgun Tested by the U.S. Navy
http://www.defense-update.com/newscast/0208/news/news_030208_railgun.htm

The U.S. Navy's Office of Naval Research successfully conducted a record-setting firing of an electromagnetic rail-gun at Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren, VA. The new technology demonstrated in the recent test uses high power electromagnetic energy instead of chemical energetic (explosive) propellants to accelerate a projectile farther and faster than any preceding gun. At full capability, a future rail gun will be able to fire a projectile more than 200 nautical miles (ten times farther than current Mk 45 five inch guns) at a muzzle velocity of mach seven and impacting its target at mach five. These high velocity projectiles will be able to destroy targets by kinetic energy, rather than with conventional explosives. According to Dr. Elizabeth D’Andrea, ONR’s Electromagnetic Rail-gun Program Manager, the elimination of explosives from both propellant and warheads will have significant contribution to the safety on board future combatants.

Saudi Aircraft Arrive in U.S. for Joint Drill http://www.themedialine.org/news/news_detail.asp?NewsID=20432


Saudi aircraft and aviation teams arrived in the United States on Friday for a joint air force drill.

The aircraft will take part in the Red Flag 3 exercise at Nellis Air Force base in Nevada.

The Saudi Minister of Defense and Aviation Sultan Bin 'Abd Al-'Aziz agreed to the participation of the Saudi forces, according to the official Saudi news agency.

The Saudi Air Force began training and preparing for the drill nine months ago, and has sent teams of F-15 pilots for the mission.

The Red Flag exercises are aerial war games held periodically at Nellis Air Force Base since 1975.......

US anti-missile ship to dock in Haifa http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?c=JPArticle&cid=1202064573279&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull


An American missile ship set to dock at Haifa Port on Monday is equipped with an anti-missile defense system that could be deployed in the region in the event of an Iranian missile attack against Israel.


The USS San Jacinto is an AEGIS cruiser in the Ticonderoga Class and was commissioned in 1988. It carries the most advanced underwater surveillance system available today and is equipped with the AEGIS missile defense system, which was developed by Lockheed Martin to protect against aircraft and missiles. The ship will remain in Haifa for three days.......

Iran Opens Space Center, Launches Rocket
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D8UJN86O5&show_article=1&image=large

An Iranian research rocket is launched in this image taken from Iranian TV at an unknown launch site in Iran, Monday Feb. 4, 2008. Iran launched a research rocket Monday and unveiled its first major space center that will be used to launch research satellites, state-run television reported. The report said the rocket, which is capable of carrying a satellite, was the first launched by Iran "into space," but analysts have expressed doubts about similar technological achievements announced by the country in the past. Iran launched its first domestically built rocket last February, which soared to the edge of space but did not reach orbit

Conspiracy theories emerge after internet cables cut http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/02/04/2153974.htm?section=world

``Key Resolve''


S. Korea, US to Hold Military Drill
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2008/02/113_18448.html

Boeing Shakes Up IDS Management
http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?F=3349190&C=america

Officials set for bird flu 'disaster' drill
http://www.bangkokpost.com/breaking_news/breakingnews.php?id=125694

(BangkokPost.com) – Officials have given the green light for plans to conduct an emergency drill for the bird flu virus.

Taiwan

Drill to be held to prepare island for avian flu outbreak http://www.chinapost.com.tw/health/2008/02/04/141878/Drill-to.htm

TAIPEI -- A drill codenamed "Black-faced Spoonbill Operation No. 2" will be conducted late this month or in March to get the island ready for a fight against possible outbreaks of the deadly H5N1 avian flu, an official said yesterday.

Russia Air Drills over Atlantic Successful
http://www.plenglish.com/article.asp?ID=%7B97BCECD5-B8EF-40B4-BE1A-34FDDD322720%7D)&language=EN

Moscow, Feb 3 (Prensa Latina) All exercises scheduled in the joint maneuvers by the Russian Air Force and Navy over the Atlantic and Arctic oceans were successfully accomplished, a military source confirmed Sunday.
Over one hundred flights carried out mock battles, reconnaissance missions, patrolling, and refuelling. The operations included bombing and missile launching against supposed enemy naval and air groups, according to a release by the Russian Air Force.

Major naval exercise begins off Australia's east coast http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/news/stories/s2154351.htm

More than 20 ships from Australia, New Zealand and French naval forces stationed in the Pacific are taking part in a six-week exercise off the east coast of Australia.

India to launch biggest war games http://thepost.com.pk/IntNews.aspx?dtlid=142991&catid=1

NEW DELHI: India plans to hold the biggest exercises next month in Rajasthan after its armed forces 'Operation Desert Strike' in 2004-05.



Pentagon pundits demand sensible raygun research
http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3694929721135199289

DARPA Wants Supercharged Spy Cams http://blog.wired.com/defense/2008/02/darpa-wants-sup.html

The Pentagon has a whole array of tools to snoop on its enemies. But those darn "Military Threats in the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT) use deceptive techniques to deny discovery by reconnaissance and surveillance sensors," a Defense Department document bemoans. So DARPA, the military's way-out research arm, has a slew of new programs to beef up its spy sensors.
Dynamic Multisensor Exploitation, or "DYME," aims to combine cameras, radar, and acoustic sensors to better find bad guys as they move through urban canyons, and along coastal waters.

Update: DARPA Backs Luke Arm http://www.medgadget.com/archives/2008/02/update_darpa_backs_dean_kamens_luke_arm.html
Implants Create Insect Cyborgs
http://www.livescience.com/strangenews/080204-cyborg-insect.html

Cornell University researchers have succeeded in implanting electronic circuit probes into tobacco hornworms as early pupae. The hornworms pass through the chrysalis stage to mature into long-lived moths whose muscles can be controlled with the implanted electronics. The research was showcased at MEMS 2008, an international academic conference on Micro-Electrico-Mechanical Systems that took place from January 13-17 in Tucson, AZ. ....

Robots ready for Super Bowl kickoff
http://www.washingtontechnology.com/online/1_1/32185-1.html

Arizona law enforcement agencies will use robots to help maintain security at the Super Bowl to be held Feb. 3 at the University of Phoenix Stadium.
Northrop Grumman Corp. will provide support and repair services for the robots, produced by its Remotec Inc. division.
The robots will assist officers on patrol in a two-square-mile security zone around the stadium. They will assist the Phoenix and Glendale, Ariz. Police departments as well as other federal, state and local agencies at the game.

Strategies against the next pandemic
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/ee927bee-d2c2-11dc-8636-0000779fd2ac.html?nclick_check=1