Military tech

Northrop Grumman has unveiled a long-endurance unmanned spy plane which, in addition to surveillance gear, can carry pilots, potentially allowing it to fly in civil airspace.

The Firebird performed its first flight in February 2010. It can fly up to 30,000 feet and has an endurance of up to 40 hours in unmanned mode. It has a payload of 1,240 pounds and a wingspan of 65 feet.

It has high-def video, electro-optical and infrared sensors as well as synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and ground moving target indicator (GMTI) systems. There are two weapons points on the wings.

Northrop's Scaled Composites designed the aircraft, which has an interface like a memory stick in that it can be plugged into a PC without the need of additional software.

Firebird will be demoed May 23 - June 3, 2011 at Empire Challenge 2011, held by U.S. Joint Forces Command in Arizona. If you can't make it, there's a promo video here. … Read more

Piracy off the shores of Africa continues to be a serious problem, costing the shipping industry billions of dollars. Could robots help in the battle against pirates?

ReconRobotics has teamed up with Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Pacific to develop a concept robot that would be able to climb hulls and perform reconnaissance missions on ships seized by pirates.

The micro-robot would be based on Recon's Throwbot platform, a rolling surveillance robot that can be tossed through a window, down a staircase, or into hazardous situations. It's used by military and law enforcement and can survive throws … Read more

With everything from night vision goggles to GPS enhancing the effectiveness of the military, the modern soldier is a walking technological marvel. Now, continuous Internet access may be within reach of the average GI even in the most remote parts of the world, thanks to the KnightHawk 3G.

Essentially a mobile telecommunication network base station, the device is described as a "ruggedized, highly mobile tactical base station" that can acquire 3G signals in places with "limited or no cellular connectivity."

Weighing a hefty 44 pounds, it probably won't get lugged around but will likely be installed in vehicles for communication on the battlefield. The KnightHawk 3G works as a WCDMA network and offers 14.4Mbps download and 5.76Mbps upload speeds. It also supports 60 voice calls and 14 HSDPA connections simultaneously.

While the point of an Internet network on the field is to allow communication between soldiers, we're sure some grunts will be looking forward to a bit of recreational use of Twitter and Facebook as well.

(Source: Crave Asia via Engadget) … Read more

I recently got my hands on two military-grade iPhone 4 cases--the Ballistic HC and the Griffin Survivor.

One of my first thoughts was: could either survive the extreme tests that manufacturers and consumer sites love to throw at such products? Could you drive your car over one and still make a phone call? Could either absorb a smash from a 10-pound sledgehammer and still offer up Angry Birds?

But I'm not going for silly--or for hype.

These cases are actually designed to offer elite protection in everyday use. They give you peace of mind if you drop your iPhone, expose its surface to liquid, fall and land on it, etc. They're not for use in strong-man tests at your county fair.

For sensible uses, both the Ballistic HC and the Griffin Survivor more than suffice.

That said, which do I prefer? Both offer multiple levels of protection, including a main plastic case, a protective screen, a rubberized outer covering and a carrying clip. Both are impact ready and wrap the phone up tight. They cover all ports and connectors. They're similarly priced. … Read more

You're one-half the brains behind a hit TV show, you've developed special effects for Hollywood for years, and you appear on T-shirts and are known as a positive nerd role model. Great, but what do you do with your spare time?

If you're Jamie Hyneman of the show "Mythbusters," you put your formidable brain power to use helping the U.S. military come up with next-generation lightweight vehicle armor, that's what.

And he's doing just that, reportedly coordinating with the Office of Naval Research to help develop the armor to be used on vehicles in both Iraq and Afghanistan.

Hyneman's task is to come up with an ultra-lightweight armor that won't encumber vehicles, but can still withstand shrapnel and blast damage from improvised explosive devices while protecting those inside the vehicle. … Read more

"Fire the laser!" may sound like something straight out of "Star Wars," but that phrase could one day be common on U.S. Navy ships.

Northrop Grumman and the Office of Naval Research recently concluded a series of successful solid-state laser defense firing tests aboard the decommissioned Spruance-class destroyer USS Paul F. Foster (a remotely driven self-defense test ship). The Maritime Laser Demonstrator zapped away at an assortment of objectives at the Pacific Ocean Test Range off the central California coast, including land-based targets and remotely driven small boats that traveled at various speeds.

It was the first time a laser of such strength had been fired from a moving ship at sea. This is also the first system to be integrated with a Navy ship's radar and navigation system, ensuring a much higher level of accuracy. The U.S. Navy collaborated with the Office of the Secretary of Defense's High Energy Joint Technology Office and the Army's Joint High Powered Solid State Laser program to bring this once-imagined weapon to life. … Read more

Durable, rugged, and stylish are words that don't often go together, especially when laptop bags are involved. Industrial designer Spencer Nikosey, who's based in Los Angeles, may change this perception with his range of backpacks and satchels for portable computers.

As part of his Killspencer brand, Spencer designs and makes bags that range from messenger satchels to a large carryall, all with specialized laptop or iPad compartments. Some models standout models include his Special Ops Backpack and Desert Sand iPad 2 Case, the former fitting laptops not larger than a 15-inch MacBook Pro.

What sets Killspencer bags apart are the tough materials they're said to be made of--military fabrics from various wars. There's Korean War-era cotton canvas, a material used by soldiers in the 1950s; desert sand-coated cotton canvas used in the Vietnam War; and our favorite, a military truck tarp that's been "used in combat."

Like Acme Made, another well-known premium laptop bag manufacturer, Killspencer carriers command a premium. The iPad 2 Case will set you back $150, while larger models range from $285 to $450. The bags are available online and ship internationally.

(Source: Crave Asia via Uncrate) … Read more

Smugglers sometimes use freight containers to get people into foreign countries. TiaLinx has a new radio frequency detection system that penetrate the stuctures' steel walls and "hear" even the slightest breath.

The California-based defense contractor keeps churning out UAVs and robots that can detect breathing targets, and its Owl1-A system can be deployed on cargo cranes that load and unload containers.

The Owl uses very sensitive ultrawide band radio frequency beams that penetrate walls and reflect off human bodies. An integrated digital signal processor gets the data and results are displayed on the operator's laptop.

TiaLinx says the system can be used for air, sea, and land shipping, and may reduce the need for large, expensive X-ray scanners. The scanner is light enough for handheld use, the company says.

It might also be great in a game of hide-and-seek. … Read more

TOKYO--Japanese authorities are planning to use a Honeywell T-Hawk micro air vehicle to check radiation levels at the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, while unmanned drone helicopters from France are also joining the effort.

Small enough to fit in a backpack, Honeywell's T-Hawk can do vertical takeoffs and landings and hover in place while monitoring a target. The U.S. government apparently proposed it for checking radiation levels at spent nuclear fuel pools at the plant, according to a Kyodo News report.

Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) has been trying to cool the spent fuel in the pools with water. Radiation around the pools is believed to be very high, hindering workers' efforts to restart cooling systems. There are over 10,000 spent fuel rods at the site.

The 17-pound T-Hawk can fly to 10,000 feet and work in 20-knot winds, with a top speed of 46 mph and operating time of 56 minutes. It can operate autonomously or by remote control. Check out the vid below for details. … Read more