Military Space News, Nuclear Weapons, Missile Defense

December 11, 2014

USS Ponce: Navy tests laser weapon in Persian Gulf
Washington (UPI) Dec 10, 2014
The U.S. Navy on Wednesday announced it successfully tested its first laser weapon aboard the USS Ponce in the Persian Gulf. Testing on the laser weapon system, dubbed LaWS by the Navy, took place from September to November aboard the Austin-class amphibious transport dock. Implementation of the weapon was not only historic, a release from the Navy said, but it also proved such a system could be "operated seamlessly with existing ship defense systems." "Laser weapons are powerful, ... read more

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No edge for F-35 on most missions: report The F-35 has no clear edge over three other fighter jets Canada is considering to replace its aging fleet, a declassified government-commissioned report says. ... more		Sweden bolsters military over 'Russian rearmament' Sweden brought back the option Thursday of using reservists to boost its military force, citing "Russian rearmament" as one of the reasons for the decision. ... more		North Korean military conducting intensive exercises The North Korean military is conducting intensive exercises as concerns are growing over the country's possible further aggression, a defense source told Yonhap news agency Wednesday. "The Nor ... more
				No sign of imminent N. Korea nuclear test: US think-tank Recent satellite images suggest North Korea is unlikely to follow through on a threatened nuclear test anytime soon, a US think-tank said Thursday. ... more		UN nuke watchdog says proposed Iran visit 'not helpful' The UN atomic watchdog said Thursday that a visit proposed by Iran to the northwestern Marivan region would not be helpful to investigating allegations of large scale high explosive experiments. ... more

Tempur-Pedic Mattress Comparison & Memory Foam Mattress Review

Turning Deadly Chemical Agents Into Harmless Soil Destroying chemical warfare agents in bulk is a challenge for the military and international community. Current methods of eradication, such as incineration or hydrolysis, create toxic waste that re ... more		Trimble UX5 drone allowed for commercial operations A California-headquartered company has been given the go-ahead to commercially operate its unmanned aerial system for a variety of industries. ... more		NSSA Calls for Doubling U.S. Space Force Budget to Maintain Space Superiority First CubeSat Selected for ESA's Ramses Mission to Asteroid Apophis The ozone hole is healing, thanks to global reduction of CFCs		China to Roll Out Own Global Navigation System by 2020 China's domestically developed global navigation satellite system Beidou will be fully operational by 2020, Xinhua news agency reported Tuesday citing the head of China Aerospace Science and Technol ... more
				GPS analysts bridge gap between launch, orbit The Air Force launched four GPS satellites into orbit this year, the highest number of GPS launches since 1993. As the Air Force continues to upgrade its most recognizable space constellation, a sma ... more		Northrop Delivers 4th AEHF Protected Comms Payload The steady production of the fourth Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) protected military communications satellite continues on track with Northrop Grumman Corporation's (NOC) delivery of the ... more

Startup in the Land of the Rising Sun; A Japanese Solar Venture - by Bradley L. Bartz

New Patent For Aeroscraft Air Bearing Landing System Aeroscraft Corporation (Aeros) has announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has granted U.S. patent number 8,864,068 for the Aeroscraft vertical takeoff and landing logis ... more		Ties with Taiwan intact despite poll results: China envoy A visiting Chinese envoy was quoted Wednesday as saying relations with Taiwan will not be damaged by the landslide defeat of the island's Beijing-friendly Kuomintang ruling party in local elections. ... more		Scientists establish link between Earth's orbital shifts and ice age cycles Study reveals how rising temperatures could lead to population crashes Tree planting remains the most effective carbon removal strategy despite climate and economic uncertainties		Senate Democrats back new use of force agreement against IS Democrats on a Senate panel on Thursday unanimously supported a new authorization for military force against Islamic State jihadists without US ground troops, signaling their willingness to tie President Barack Obama's hands on war policy. ... more
Britain, France contract Airbus DS for A400M maintenance support Britain and France have jointly contracted maintenance and support services from Airbus Defense and Space for their new A400M Atlas transport aircraft. ... more		Rapiscan adds CounterBomber distance threat detector to portfolio A radar-based system for detecting concealed suicide vests and other weapons at stand-off distances has been introduced by Rapiscan Systems Inc. ... more		Lockheed Martin opens innovation center in Abu Dhabi Lockheed Martin has opened a new Center for Innovation and Security Solutions in Abu Dhabi to facilitate technology collaboration. ... more		French army kills 'big fish' jihadist in northern Mali The French army said Thursday it had killed a top jihadist commander in a military operation in northern Mali, describing it as a heavy blow to Islamists operating in West Africa. ... more

	Palestinian official dies in confrontation with Israeli troops A senior Palestinian official died Wednesday after he was struck by Israeli forces during a protest march in the West Bank, prompting international calls for an investigation into the incident. ... more		Top Chinese official gets life for $6m bribery: court A former top Chinese economic planning official was convicted of bribery Wednesday and sentenced to life in prison after a former lover went public with a litany of accusations against him. ... more

The quest for room-temperature superconductors

Scientists unlock the mysteries of chiral helimagnets for advanced electronics

Scientists craft breakthrough fuel for next-generation nuclear reactor

Honey, there's a nuclear bomb in the yard		Top pilot sees risk in unregulated US drones		Navy approves Milestone C production of infrared target tracking system		Indian Navy orders German-made sonar systems		Saab supplying shoulder-fired rocket system to French forces
US Senate May Ban Purchase of Russian Rocket Engines Next Week: McCain		Countdown to China's new space programs begins		Chief of Russia's Vostochny Space Center Project Resigns		SSC supports the DEIMOS-2 satellite from launch through commercial service		China develops new rocket for manned moon mission: media

China's Long March puts satellite in orbit on 200th launch

US strategy on IS under attack by lawmakers

US watchdog warns of top seven threats to Afghan reconstruction

BAE Systems to produce prototype counter-radar system

New Long March launcher on the drawing board

Russia to Conduct 7 Launches at Baikonur next 3 Months

Jihadist attack in Iraq kills nine Shiite militiamen

Laser sniffs out toxic gases from afar

Six Guantanamo detainees sent to Uruguay

Bell demos V-22 Osprey with forward-firing weapons

US rejects calls for treaty eliminating nukes

US defence chief sees 'steady progress' in war on IS

Army taps AeroVironment for continued Switchblade support services

China's envoy visits Taiwan amid protest

How an anti-graft squad is rooting out corruption in Ukraine's army

Ukraine peace talks delayed but ceasefire largely holds

Philippines leader's visit to S. Korea on again as storm departs

NATO intercepts Russian bombers over Baltic Sea

Hackers urge Sony to pull N. Korea comedy film: reports

International team maps 'big bang' of bird evolution

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