is this the first in our inventory?.

i mean like for heli, since this would be very helpful especially at the times when the sulu attack for example.
it would be much help to locate their location right?.

the ec725 and aw109 operated by the air force and army also have a ball turret flir, but alas theyre not a tailored attack heli

Siege at Kandahar airport is finished – at least 50 dead

Afghan government officials say the fighting at Kandahar airport is over. There are at least 50 dead, although some news outlets are reporting 70 have been killed.

Another 37 were wounded in the Taliban attack.

Taliban gunmen attacked the airport and a residential compound Tuesday night taking hostages.

The fighting ended late Wednesday when the last of the 11 Taliban were killed, according to the Afghan government.

Afghan special forces led the counter-attack.

The Taliban described its fighters as “martyrdom seekers” and said they men had launched “thunderous attacks on foreign and hireling personnel.”

In Brussels, a NATO spokesman for the mission in Afghanistan said there were no coalition casualties in the Kandahar attack.

U.S. Army Col. Michael Lawhorn said the Taliban “never physically entered the airfield” in Kandahar, but fired toward the military air base from positions inside a nearby school. The Kandahar airport is beside the airbase.

(with files from the Associated Press)

http://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/def...t-least-50-dead

The widow of Navy SEAL sharpshooter Chris Kyle likely would have made her late husband proud by winning the 'American Sniper Shootout' charity event that was named after him on Saturday.

Novice shooter Taya Kyle defeated reigning NRA champion Bruce Piatt and raised $500,000 for her husband's charity by notching a perfect score at the shootout competition in Mason, Texas.

But Kyle, who made 100 per cent of her shots for a total of 10,140 points, had a little bit of help...

The inexperienced markswoman used the computer-equipped M600 and M800 rifles with precision-guiding technology that were made by TrackingPoint to defeat Piatt, Fox News reported.

The rifles, which were developed with input from Kyle's husband, all feature 'RapidLok Target Acquisition' technology that automatically will acquire and track a target while the trigger is pulled.

The company was so confident she would defeat Piatt, who competed with the M4A1, M110, and M2010 military rifles, that they offered to pay him $1million if he was able to win the contest.

the ec725 and aw109 operated by the air force and army also have a ball turret flir, but alas theyre not a tailored attack heli

Supercomputer

The structure of the Center is not known. The General Staff revealed few details, that of a control center of the strategic nuclear forces, command and control, and the Center for the Control Center of daily activities, the remaining divisions are classified as “Secret”.

The technical work of the center is done by a supercomputer, or rather several networked supercomputers located in various data centers around Russia. The machine analyses data from mass media and social networks, and is able to analyse data from 6 languages. The supercomputer is also used to simulate wars and combat operations.

The Defense Ministry reported that their ‘miracle of computing’ has far superior performance, and is well ahead of any overseas analogues, including those at the Pentagon.

The Domestic supercomputer system has a storage capacity of 236 petabytes, performance of the machine is 16 petaflops, and information processing speed – enough to process 50 Lenin Libraries in a second. For comparison, the volume of the US computer hard disk 12 petabytes, and its capacity is up to 5 petaflops.

Thanks to this Center, the number of steps in the process to issuing orders has dropped significantly. It means an increase in efficiency of management. Information is received from the media, from ships and aircraft carrying duty is far outside Russia – all in one place. This system allows you to make decisions instantly.” – Underscored Litovkin.

The establishment of the National Center for Defense was definitely the right decision by Vladimir Putin. Defense Ministry managed to solve the issue of creating a national supercomputer and automated command and control system. The process of creating the Center for Defense was launched in a relatively quiet time. But the current military-political situation has fully proved the need for such a structure.

so this is our first attack heli right?.
nice 

This huge hangar bay is equipped with all the scaffolding and tools needed to partially disassemble a C-5 and put it back together in far better condition than when it arrived. According to the USAF:

“In an effort to maximize the lifespan of the C-5 fleet, the aircraft goes through a series of inspections that vary in recurrence and depth; pre-flight, home-station check, Maintenance Steering Group-3 Minor, MSG-3 Major and Programmed Depot Maintenance.

All C-5 aircraft in the inventory undergo an eight-year scheduled maintenance timeline through the MSG-3 process. The cycle for these inspections goes as such: Programmed Depot Maintenance, Minor ISO, Major ISO, Minor ISO then starting back at PDM. Each inspection is two years apart and continues for the lifecycle of the weapon system. Dover AFB has the only facility in the Air Force that is able to conduct Major ISO inspections.

The MSG-3 Major inspection takes approximately 55 days, depending on what services and repairs the aircraft needs. Maj. James Wall, 436th MXS commander, said at the 55-day rate, the ISO dock is able to turn out nine aircraft a year, which keeps the entire C-5 fleet on its eight year maintenance cycle.

During an ISO inspection, aircraft maintainers strip down the C-5 looking for any deficiencies, faults, cracks or any other problem in every system and of the aircraft.”

We know ISIS has a discreet arrangement with a neighbor, but it’s not Turkey. The Syrian regime has done business with ISIS from day one, just as it did with al Qaeda’s Nusra Front and other rebels who took over energy assets early in the war. President Bashar al-Assad’s point man for ISIS deals, George Haswani, was first designated by the European Union in March. The U.S. Treasury went a step further with its designation on Nov. 25. In addition to the oil deals, Treasury fingered Haswani’s engineering and construction company (HESCO) for servicing active ISIS fields. Leading up to the most recent wave of airstrikes against ISIS oil targets, U.S. officials admitted the network was more resilient and resourceful than expected. Another Treasury designation in late September hinted that ISIS actually increased oil production this year. They may have had some help from Assad’s man.

We don’t know how much oil ISIS has delivered to Assad, but there’s no doubt he needs it. For the first half of 2015, the regime’s oil output was less than 10,000 barrels a day. That was before pro-Assad forces retreated from even more oil-rich territory. All those eyes in the sky over Syria can’t tell how much ISIS oil passes through pipelines to regime-held refineries in the west. There are, however, curious gaps in official data. In April, for instance, Syria’s oil ministry said it refined 106,000 barrels a day, yet trade press could only explain where 85,000 barrels of that oil came from. Data has been increasingly hard to come by since.

Besides oil, ISIS delivers natural gas to the regime. These deals are durable because ISIS can’t use it or sell it to anyone else: It must be captured at the source and moved by pipeline. The only users connected to the gas fields are power plants, refineries, and industries, which are concentrated in Assad’s strongholds. In exchange for gas, the regime provides utilities like electricity, which ISIS taxes accordingly. At natural gas fields like those around Palmyra, which produce lighter liquid hydrocarbons in addition to gas, ISIS takes whatever it can turn into fuel. The gas goes west to Assad.

Each year, this five-day intensive training program, also known as Cool School, teaches over 700 servicemembers the survival skills necessary to fight back against nature and survive in the Arctic.

“Mother nature does not like you in this situation,” Survival Instructor Staff Sgt. Seth Reab, tells his students in the morning freeze. “She’s violent. She’s harsh. Your job is to survive until help comes; her job is to find a way to take your life.”

I used to buy the army hard tack from pasar malams for hiking. They make good trail snacks and are less crumbly or prone to break compared to Lexus biscuits which my friends liked to eat.

If want cakap.. armed those ec725 with mini guns also can consider attack heli.

Attack heli by right like how the russian and American is for primary anti tanks roles

But well at least ada something better than nothing

US dumping old APCs at the Philippines. These M113 APCs are so old and outdated their aluminium armor can't even resist 7.62mm rounds.

if want even the aw109 have option to make it full-fledged attack heli, heck they even extensively promote it to us, but bait not taken it seems

MD530G not really a attack helicopter, it just fire support helicopter

INTERNATIONAL MILITARY REVIEW – SYRIA, DEC. 9, 2015



On Dec.9, Russia for the first time hit ISIS targets in Syria with cruise missiles launched from a submarine in the Mediterranean Sea. The 3M-54 Kalibr missiles were launched from the Kilo-class diesel-electric submarine “Rostov-on-Don”. According to the Russian Defense Minister, the missiles targeted the terrorists’ ammunition warehouses, mine production plant and the oil infrastructure in the territory of Raqqa.

In the past three days, the Russian Air Forces have carried out over 300 sorties hitting 600 terrorist targets. All sorties were performed with the backing of Su-30 fighter jets.

The pro-government sources argue that tens of terrorists were killed in clashes between the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and the militant groups along the Damscus-Homs highway on Tuesday. Thus, the Syrian forces expanded its control on the Eastern side of the Damascus-Homs highway in Harasta.

On Tuesday, the SAA, Hezbollah, the National Defense Forces (NDF) and Harakat Al-Nujaba launched an offensive on the towns of Al-Zorba and Barqoum clashing against Al-Nusra, Harakat Nouriddeen Al-Zinki, Harakat Ahrar Al-Sham and Jaysh Al-Islam. The clashes are continuing in the both towns. If the Syrian forces capture Al-Zorba, they will be able to cutoff the militants’ supply route from Idlib to Aleppo. This operation is a part of the largest offensive of the Syrian forces which is aimed to secure the whole Aleppo-Damascus highway.

Since the start of the Russian military operations in Syria, the pro-government forces have been incrementally advancing in directions of the main strategic areas which allow to control crucial parts of the Syrian logistical infrastructure. It allows the Syrian forces to take advantage on terrorists in the manoeuvre capability while the loyalists already have advantage in the fire power, intelligence and coordination.

http://southfront.org/international-milita...ria-dec-9-2015/

looks like the author doesn't know the difference between syrian rebel and ISIS.

If going on day hiking trips or weekend camping I think you can get away bring something more tasty and filling than dried food. Bring some fresh food like fruits or something you can cook. Armies intentionally have their rations long-lasting so that can be stored in warehouse for a long time, not for them to last on the field. A soldier can only bring so many ration packs.

Also downside of food that last a long time is most of them taste real bad or over-preserved.