Medium Altitude Data Link

The AW&ST article that opswarfare was referring to, on the MADL, which could enable the F-22 to "talk" to other aircraft in the future.

Seersucker surprise

The DEW Line
Great story on the Seersucker missile episode; I didn't know about that incident. Cruise missiles are often used as first strike assets, targeting key installations. With the proliferation of cruise missiles (especially from alternative sources, e.g. India's Brahmos), I suppose it was a matter of time before someone came up with a countermeasure...

UK hails success of ASTOR's Afghan debut

Flight International
3rd air-force related post in a row... Anyway, the above article shows what the ASTOR can do.

The Raytheon Systems-developed aircraft used their dual-mode radars to capture more than 107h of ground moving target indication (GMTI) data and almost 150 detailed synthetic aperture radar images, says Kemsley. The latter included surveying routes and compounds of interest, while the GMTI mode was used to collect information such as "pattern of life" intelligence.

US, UK deploy manned unmanned aircraft to save bandwidth

The Register
The headline is a bit misleading (there has been no deployment of a plane flying without pilots, but with human operators in the back of the aircraft), but the article does bring out a good point on the problems with bandwidth overload.

It's also discussed in the editorial to the Feb 09 issue (last few pages) on DTI.

F-22 Design Shows More Than Expected

AVIATION WEEK

New performance info released on the premium fighter jet on the planet, the F-22; a selection below.

Ranges of the new lines of AESA radars are classified. But they are estimated at about 90 mi. for the smallest (aimed at the F-16 radar-upgrade market). The F/A-18E/F and F-35 (with radar ranges of 100 mi.) are followed by the F-22 (110-115-mi.). The largest is carried by the upgraded F-15Cs and Es (125 mi.). By comparison, the range for a mechanically scanned, F-15C radar is 56 mi. according to Russian air force intelligence. U.S. aerospace officials agree that an AESA radar "at least doubles" the range over standard military radars.

When coupled with the electronic techniques generator in an aircraft, the radar can project jamming, false targets and other false information into enemy sensors. Ranges for electronic attack equal the AESA radar plus that of the enemy radar. That could allow electronic attack at ranges of 150 mi. or more. The ability to pick out small targets at a long distance also lets AESA-equipped aircraft find and attack cruise missiles, stealth aircraft and small UAVs.

Zinio

Defense Technology International (DTI) recently changed their Flash solution to view their magazine online. Just today, I was googling a keyword on an ARES blog article (on Medium Altitude Data Link) and found that Aviation Week & Space Technology (AW&ST) was on Zinio too. Jane's Defence Weekly was the other publication available, with certain restrictions of course. I wonder if I'll find more...

Ross Kemp: Return to Afghanistan: Episode 2

"...sort of an unofficial truce not to fight during the hottest hours." (Ross Kemp commenting on a short lull in fighting while taking a break at a compound)

Even in warfare, there are remnants of humanity...

The forgotten conflict?

Sri Lanka: parties must grant safe passage to stranded patients and medical staff
A quick check via opswarfare's favorite military websites showed no mention of the intensifying civil war in Sri Lanka. There are lots of coverage in the mainstream news media, and also by human rights or humanitarian (e.g. ICRC above) groups, just not the military angle.

In contrast, the recent Gaza conflict was well-covered in military circles.