China flies nuclear bomber over South China Sea to 'send message' to Donald Trump





Independent UK

ISIS Retakes UNESCO Heritage Site Palmyra—So Where Is Putin’s Army Now?





The Daily Beast

New Wireless Sights Show U.S. Soldiers Exactly Where Their Machine Gun Fire Will Hit

New tech will let soldiers shoot machine guns via helmet mounted displays.





The U.S. Army will begin production on a new generation of weapon sights designed to allow soldiers to engage the enemy while staying under cover. The Family of Weapon Sights—Crew Served (FWS-CS) program links troops to heavy weapons with wireless technology.

FWS-CS is a long-wave infrared night vision scope that is installed on a M2 .50 caliber machine gun, Mk. 19 grenade machine gun, or M240 machine gun. The scope is boresighted to the weapon, meaning aligned with the weapon's barrel. The Army has been installing night vision scopes on guns for a long time, so that part isn't a big deal.

The big deal is that the scope has a 12-micro thermal and high-definition day camera wirelessly linked to a helmet-mounted display worn by the gunner. The display projects onto the wearer's field of vision showing where the bullets—or grenades—will impact.

The result is that soldiers can acquire and engage targets much more quickly. Instead of looking down the sights of the gun and adjusting, they can get a good grip on the weapon, use the reticle to zero in on the enemy, and open fire. The sight also has a zoom capability, which will aid in identifying a target at long ranges.

Projectiles such as bullets and grenades gradually lose velocity at longer ranges, as gravity inevitably takes over. At 1,200 yards, for example, a .50 caliber bullet drops 86 inches due to gravity. At shorter ranges—say, 500 yards—the difference in elevation between the barrel of the gun and the sight means the bullets will strike about too 86 inches too high. You can see where the problem lies. Both distances are greater than the height of the average person, so it's entirely possible to miss your target if you're not careful.

FWS-CS, on the other hand, uses a laser rangefinder to instantly calculate the distance to the target and whether or not to adjust the shooter's aim up or down. Thanks to the infrared sight, it is equally accurate in day or night conditions.

Yet another advantage: the wireless aspect means the soldier doesn't have to position himself directly behind the gun to fire. After all, if the gun can shoot at the enemy, the enemy can shoot at the gun—and the shooter behind it. It is entirely possible that, so long as he or she has a good grip on the weapon, the shooter can actually duck down behind cover or inside an armored vehicle and pull the trigger, relying on the helmet mounted display to aim.

FWS-CS was scheduled to be in the Engineering and Manufacturing Phase between January and March of this year, and should enter the Production and Deployment Phase—where it actually reaches the troops—very soon.

Popular mechanics

Military Situation In Syria After Liberation Of Aleppo (Maps)









SouthFront Analysis and Intelligence

Germany receives first tactical A400M transport from Airbus





UPI

Why do Iran's conservatives oppose deals with Boeing, Hyundai?





Al-Monitor

U.S. Navy test fires Raytheon SM-6 missile at sea



PACIFIC MISSILE FIRING RANGE, Hawaii, Dec. 19 (UPI) -- The U.S. Navy fired two Raytheon-built Standard Missile-6 missiles to intercept incoming medium-range ballistic missile targets during a recent flight test.

The Standard Missile-6, or SM-6, is designed to intercept short-range and medium-range attacks at sea, and replaced the SM-2 Block IV missile. Raytheon officials say the test was conducted to demonstrate the weapon's versatility.

"This test showcased the flexibility of SM-6 by providing both anti-air warfare and ballistic missile defense from sea," Raytheon Missile Systems president Dr. Taylor W. Lawrence said in a press release. "Combined with its anti-surface warfare capabilities, the SM-6 will play a significant role in protecting U.S. and Allied forces at sea and ashore."

The test was part of the U.S. Missile Defense Agency's Sea-Based Terminal Program, which aims to bolster ballistic missile protection using maritime platforms. The SM-6 missiles used in the test were integrated into the Aegis missile guidance system.

In addition to incoming ballistic missile threats, the SM-6 is also designed to engage rotary and fixed-wing aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles, as well as surface targets. The Dual I variant used in the test achieved initial operating capability in 2016 following a successful flight test in August 2015.

UPI

Pentagon Confirms China's Return of Seized Underwater Drone to US



MOSCOW (Sputnik) — China has returned a US underwater drone it captured in the South China Sea, Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook confirmed on Tuesday.

China has returned unlawfully seized UUV to @USNavy. Transfer took place near spot where Glider was taken last week.

​Earlier, the Chinese Defense Ministry stated that China had transferred the detained underwater drone to the United States.

On Thursday, US oceanographic vessel USNS Bowditch stopped some 100 miles off the port at Subic Bay in the Philippines to pick up two drones when a Chinese vessel captured one of them, according to US defense officials.

Sputniknews

Aleppo rebels: We'll leave 'wearing explosive belts'







Middle East Eye

This Guy Was Nearly Blown Off An Aircraft Carrier By A Takeoff

Good job not dying!





Popular mechanics

‘This is militarization’: We finally know what China’s mysterious hexagonal structures in the South China Sea are for





Business insider

This post has been edited by BorneoAlliance: Dec 21 2016, 07:26 PM

Here’s How A Warship Crew Eats In The Middle Of A Fight





Foxtrot Alpha

Chinese special forces seek anti-terror training in Chechnya

Chinese special forces want to be trained in tackling suicide bombers at a private institute in the Chechen city of Gudermes. Moscow is presently studying the proposal.





RBTH