Engineers are now equipping all 76 of the Air Force B-52s with digital data-links, moving-map displays, next-generation avionics, new radios and an ability to both carry more weapons internally and integrate new, high-tech weapons as they emerge, service officials said.

The technical structure and durability of the B-52 airframes in the Air Force fleet are described as extremely robust and able to keep flying well into the 2040s and beyond – so the service is taking steps to ensure the platform stays viable by receiving the most current and effective avionics, weapons and technologies, Eric Single, Chief of the Global Strike Division, Acquisition, told Scout Warrior in an interview.

The B-52 has a massive, 185-foot wingspan, a weight of about 185,000 pounds and an ability to reach high sub-sonic speeds and altitudes of 50,000 feet, Air Force officials said.

  “Their structure, service life and air frames are good until around 2040. They are built very strong structurally. This is not a structural modification, but upgrades to the capabilities and the avionics,” Single explained. “You are taking this old structurally sound airframe and putting modern avionics, modern communications technology and modern weaponry into it.”

Professor Ioannis Ieropoulos, who led the research, said it “opens up possibilities” for using urine to power wearable devices. With refinement and development, future uses could include a wearable transmission system that could relay a person’s coordinates, and such socks might show up in outdoor gear, military equipment or survival kits.

Nearly six months ago, Heads of State and the government of the Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC) agreed to set up a joint military task force to battle the Boko Haram sect. However, the Chadian government has reportedly refused to contribute its military troops to the joint task force.

Speaking with This Day, a senior intelligence officer at the Defence Headquarters revealed that the Nigerian army is considering “tougher option” following the Chadian government’s refusal to fulfil its promise.

“Chad is our major problem in the ongoing efforts to crush Boko Haram. The Chadian government for whatever reason, has refused to fulfill its promise to contribute troops to the multinational joint task force, and it is hampering the military operation.

With deserts in the south and the great plains of the fertile crescent in the east, there are only two main stretches of strategic importance in Syria — the coastal plains and mountains of the west, controlled by the regime of president Bashar Al Assad and its allies, and the Euphrates river region in the east under Islamic State’s dominion.

The two regions meet in the north around Aleppo, the front line of the civil war. Western-backed Sunni Arab rebels control Aleppo and its surroundings.

Cutting through what would otherwise be the desert of Syria, Islamic State’s territory in Syria is located mostly along the Euphrates. Moving north from Iraq’s Anbar province, the group followed the river into Syria, capturing the crossing at Abu Kamal on June 30, 2015 then moving north toward the Turkish border. With the border behind it and desert to the west, Islamic State was able to control the river with relative ease.

Only in the town of Deir Ezzor, the largest city in the east and the center of Syria’s petroleum extraction, has Islamic State faced a direct, sustained challenge.

Due to its economic importance, the city has enjoyed a heavy regime military presence since before the civil war. Air strikes have targeted bridges and infrastructure, straining the militant group’s supply lines and bolstering Al Assad’s forces. The regime must resupply its troops from the air, however. Shortages have hamstrung the government troops and allowed Islamic State to gain control of most of the city with the exception of some military installations.

Islamic State has largely failed to move beyond the river with the exception of Palmyra, a city of immense historical importance in the middle of the country, surrounded by mountains and desert. The militants’ attempts to control Kobani failed, with Kurdish fighters and U.S. air strikes pushing them back, and their effort to push into Aleppo met with resistance from both the Sunni Arabs and the Al Assad regime.

Russia has concentrated its efforts in the northern region. This has led critics to claim Russia is using the war on terror as a cover to target Western-backed rebels who pose a threat to Al Assad. Moscow’s air strikes aim to clear the region of rebels and allow regime ground forces to move on Idlib and Aleppo.

The geographic realities of the conflict in Syria determine options for ending the conflict. The 70,000 Sunni Arab rebels, among the most potent force for defeating the Islamists, are prisoners of geography. Their location on the border of a friendly Turkey means supplies and fighters can continue to flow, but with Al Assad to the west and south and Islamic State to the east, they’re trapped.

To begin with, Russian Navy command had virtually no options for “Moskva” replacement.  Primary objective of the Black sea cruiser on the Latakia raid is strengthening of the Russian “Hmeymim” airbase air defense. Airbase that sends dozens of combat jets and helicopters to strike terrorist’s positions. It’s true, that recently in the vicinity of the airfield a division of the anti-aircraft missile system S-400 “Triumph” was hastily deployed from Russia to Syria. But what a the division consists of? Eight launchers, each containing with two missiles. So, therefore, division can hit a maximum of 16 targets in one salvo. Then a long reload. But if there is more attacking enemies?

In this case in the vicinity of the S-400 positions self-propelled surface-to-air missile and anti-aircraft artillery complexes “Pantsir-S1″ are deployed. The same is done in Syria. But in the case of a massive air strike combat capabilities of “Pantsirs” may be not enough. Therefore “Moskva” was positioned on anchor close to Latakia. It’s armament include air-defense complex S-300 “Fort” with a decent combat range of 90 kilometers and ammunition of 64 missiles.

This is how layered in range and altitude defense of “Hmeymim” works.

However, beside “Marshal Ustinov” no one will be able to replace “Varyag” near the coast of Syria by September. “Moskva”, apparently, will immediately occupy the newly freed space at the Severodvinsk pier and will proceed with the long-promised four-year modernization.

However, anti-aircraft missile systems S-300F Fort, necessary for the defense of the “Hmeymim” airbase are the “Orlans” — nuclear-powered missile cruiser project 1144. But they are plagued with difficulties.

The youngest – “Peter the Great” – is in repairs in 82th shipyard, in the village of Roslyakovo near Murmansk. He arrived there last September.

Nuclear-powered missile cruiser “Admiral Nakhimov” hasn’t been to sea since 1999. It is also ongoing modernization which is due for completion in 2018.

Apparently, PF flagship missile cruiser “Varyag” was already given unprecedented long for current conditions combat service term off the Syrian coast— until September  2016. And it must accomplish its mission. Until that time, the reinforcement won’t arrive.

The Russo-Iranian military coalition in Syria may be deeper than many have believed. The Iranian armed forces appear to be allowing Russian aircraft to use their military airfields in support of combat operations over Syria.  This development is remarkable:

The timing of the aircraft sightings suggest that the Su-34 may have developed mechanical trouble, landed at Shahid Nojeh Air Base, waited for the Il-76 to arrive with maintenance equipment and/or personnel, and promptly left. AllSource analysts have not seen indications that Russian aircraft have used this air base at other times, although Taghvaee’s graphic shows two Russian Il-78 tanker aircraft on stand-by based out of Hamedan (without offering any evidence for that claim, however).

Shahid Nojeh Air Base, however, offers certain advantages if Tehran’s aim is to conceal the active support it is giving to Russian military operations from its own territory.  Although Iran has many airfields on the flight-path of Russian planes flying to and from Syria, Shahid Nojeh  is a purely military airfield with no civilian element, and it is located well away (about 50 km) from the nearest significant population center, Hamedan Province’s capital, Hamedan City. It is ideal for providing covert ground support to Russian combat missions.

The base is nevertheless quite large with a 15,000-foot runway, extensive taxiways, and multiple hangars and bunkers—all seemingly in good repair.  It is an ideal facility for Russian aircraft to stage from.

The war in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo was one of the most complex conflicts on Earth, even before the defeat of the M23 rebel movement, perhaps the conflict’s most powerful combatant, in late 2013.

As a result, mapping the conflict can be incredibly difficult. And the conceptual challenges aren’t the only reason that territorial maps like the ones that have become familiar for followers of the conflicts in Syria and Iraq are so difficult and time-consuming to produce for the Congo.

The Congo Research Group, a project at New York University’s Center on International Cooperation, has now produced a definitive map of one of the world’s most severe yet least-covered and least-understood conflicts. The map, which was published in October, shows the areas of influence for 69 armed groups in the eastern Congo, displaying where these groups carry out attacks, impose taxation, or have a notable operational presence.

The groups are also constantly splintering and shifting. According to the Congo Research Group report that accompanied the group’s map, there were 20 armed groups in the region in 2008, while the map shows the areas of influence of nearly 70 such groups.

“It is literally impossible — even for the UN mission and the government itself — to have absolutely correct and precise information on each armed group’s exact zone of control,” Vogel told Business Insider.

Even with these inherent drawbacks, the map is gives a vivid sense of how the conflict in the eastern Congo has persisted for so long — and of why even a seemingly major development like the defeat of a leading rebel movement wasn’t enough to solve the region’s problems.

US Air Force pilots are flying the newest fighter jets in a virtual world.

The military’s fifth generation fighter jet, the F-35 Lightning II, will be flown by the Marine Corps, Navy and Air Force. They are not expected to be deployed until 2016 but that’s not stopping Air Force pilots from getting ready to fly missions.

Over the weekend, the prominent Tiger Forces commander Colonel Suheil Al-Hassan was promoted to the rank of “Major General” after refusing the promotion to become a Brigadier General last year.

Considered one of Syria’s most decorated military officers, Major General Suheil Al-Hassan became the youngest member of the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) to be promoted to the rank of Major General.

Major General Al-Hassan gained notoriety during his campaign to liberate the soldiers trapped at the Aleppo Central Prison – he and his soldiers lifted the 16 month siege before being deployed to the northern Hama countryside to recapture Halfaya, Souran, and Taybat Al-Imam near the Syrian Government stronghold of Mhardeh.


With his recent promotion, Major General Al-Hassan joins Major General Issam Zahreddine of the Syrian Arab Army’s 104th Airborne Brigade (Republican Guard) as having the wartime distinction of being honored with this title.

JERUSALEM – In recent weeks, at least twenty members of the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the so-called “military wing” of Hamas, have traveled from the Gaza Strip to Malaysia to participate in combat training, according to a Palestinian security source.

Along with the training, some of the Hamas members will study at Malaysian academic institutions in fields that could aid Hamas in developing its military capabilities, the source said. For example, they are slated to undergo theoretical and practical training in the field of operating unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones.

Another Palestinian security source added that Malaysia has become a “favorite destination for Hamas members to develop their military abilities.”

Hamas Spokesman Ismail Radwan told Breitbart Jerusalem that the report is “one more lie that aims to embarrass the Malaysian leadership after a very successful visit of a Hamas leadership delegation to the country.”

Last week, a Hamas delegation led by Khaled Meshaal, the head of the terrorist group’s political bureau, took part in a four day visit to Malaysia that included meetings with senior politicians.  While in Malaysia, Meshaal praised the ongoing wave of violence targeting Israelis. He claimed Palestinians have become disillusioned with the land-for-peace process and declared “only the path of Jihad, sacrifice, and blood” will bring results.

Israel has accused Malaysia of hosting Hamas training programs in the past.

KUALA LUMPUR, DEC 15, 2015:

Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishamuddin Hussein confirmed that Malaysia is not involved in the military coalition of 34 Islamic countries to combat terrorism as announced by Saudi Arabia today.

According to him, Malaysia is in the same fight as Saudi Arabia to combat terrorism, especially the militant group Islamic State (IS), but it is done separately.

In a statement, the Department of Defence said one of its P-3 Orion surveillance aircraft was carrying out what it called "a routine maritime patrol" as part of its efforts to maintain regional security and stability in the region.

"China navy China navy we are an Australian aircraft exercising international freedom of navigation rights, in international airspace in accordance with the international civil aviation convention, and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea - over," said a message heard by the BBC's Rupert Wingfield-Hayes while on board a Philippines civilian aircraft.

KUALA LUMPUR: Defence Minister Hishammuddin Hussein today denied that China’s coastal guards encroached on the waters off Bintulu, Sarawak recently.

On December 13, a news blog, BujangSenang.my posted a photo shared on social media of a Chinese vessel near Jerlun, Bintulu.

Hishammuddin clarified during a press conference that the vessel was outside Malaysia’s territorial waters.

“I have said before that should they cross the ‘red line’ and enter our territorial waters, we will not keep quiet,” he said after launching the Ministry of Defence Innovation Day 2015.

It is reported that the Hefei is the most advanced destroyer China has ever built.

Equipped with a number of cutting-edge technologies, the vessel features a low radar signature, a high information level and state-of-the-art phased array radar, the China Daily reported.

The first Type 052D destroyer, the Kunming, joined the Navy in March last year, while the second, the Changsha, in August.

The Type 052D destroyer has a full displacement of nearly 7,000 metric tons and a wide range of weapons, including a single-barrel, 130 mm naval gun, a close-in weapon system, anti-aircraft missiles and surface-to-surface cruise missiles.

China is also developing the Type 055 destroyer, which has a full displacement of around 10,000 tons and can carry more than 100 missiles, according to Yin Zhuo, director of the PLA Navy's Expert Consultation Committee.

But according to US defense officials speaking to the Free Beacon, the encounter also involved that submarine locking onto the aircraft carrier as part of a simulated targeting exercise.

"If true, this would be yet another case of China trying to show us that they can hold our forces in the region at risk," Virginia Representative Randy Forbes, chairman of the House Armed Services subcommittee on sea power, told the Free Beacon.

"Coming on the heels of anti-satellite tests and other demonstrations, this latest incident should be a reminder of the destabilizing course that China is on and the challenges we face in maintaining a stable military balance in the Asia-Pacific region."

Vladimir Putin and other top-ranking Russian officials' KGB weaponry training has left them impaired by a reduced arm swing labelled 'gunslinger's gait', experts claim.

The gait, featuring a consistently reduced right-sided arm swing, is usually considered an early sign of Parkinson's disease.

However, movement disorder experts discovered KGB training manuals that stressed agents move in specific ways, offering a possible explanation for the damage

The Lao Airlines Airbus A320 lifted off at approximately 8:10 a.m. from Gimhae International Airport (PUS) and flew towards its destination, Wattay International Airport (VTE). As reported by Air Transport World, Chinese air traffic controllers instructed Flight QV916 to turn back just as the civil aircraft approached the ECS ADIZ. Lao Airlines complied and returned to PUS.

Beijing explained that Flight QV916, en route from South Korea to Laos, “attempted to fly over China’s airspace on Saturday without permission from the country’s aviation authority.” China unmistakably has the legal right to instruct and prevent a foreign commercial flight, which lacks prior permission, from entering China’s sovereign airspace. Article 1 of the Convention on International Civil Aviation (the “Chicago Convention”) codifies the fundamental legal principle that every state has “complete and exclusive sovereignty” over the airspace above its territory. Pursuant to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), Article 3, the territory of a coastal state includes the territorial sea, which extends twelve (12) nautical miles. In the Nicaragua case, the International Court of Justice interpreted United Nations Charter, Article 2, to extend state sovereignty to “the internal waters and territorial sea of every State and to the air space above its territory.”

Unlike provided under the UNCLOS, there is no right of “innocent passage” for overflight of foreign aircraft, civil or state (military). Instead, the Chicago Convention, Article 11, authorizes the non-discriminatory application of laws and regulations relating to the “admission to or departure” of aircraft from the territory of contracting states. Compliance with such rules is necessary “upon entering or departing from or while within the territory of the state.” Under Article 6, special permission is required for scheduled commercial flights over the territory of another state. In practice, foreign aircraft must obtain clearance and overflight rights before entering and traversing the national airspace.

Here, the scheduled route of Flight QV916 indicates that Lao Airlines intended to enter and cross China’s national airspace. The route for Flight QV916 tracks across the East China Sea from South Korea and then directly across the Eastern portion of mainland China. That Lao Airlines did not obtain prior permission for its route is bizarre, but may be due to the fact that the air carrier was launching a new service from Pusan to Vientiane. Regardless, if Flight QV916 failed to obtain the requisite permission and overflight rights, then China had the right to deny entry into its sovereign airspace.

In the ongoing Battle for Ramadi, an Iraqi Security Force CH-4 drone attacked an Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) artillery position on December 6, 2015. This is the first documented use of a Chinese-made armed drone in Iraq.

Previously, armed Chinese-made drones have been flown by the Nigerian armed forces against Boko Haram terrorists, while Chinese UCAV technology may have also been employed in Pakistan and Yemen. With China becoming the world's third largest arms exporter last year, videos like the Ramadi strike show how Chinese weapons aren't just trade tools to earn cash and spread influence, but also are beginning to shape today's ongoing conflicts.