Category Archives: Technology

Technology

Indiana Blacksnakes A-10C grows new skin

Video

09JUN2021, shedding the old grey scales. Iowa Air National Guard photo by Senior Master Sergeant Vincent De Groot.

An Indiana Air National Guard A-10C has shed its old grey skin for new black & dark grey scales (grey 118 and black 038).

09JUN2021, Iowa ANG photo by Senior Master Sergeant Vincent De Groot.

Sometime between May and June 2021, Indiana’s 122nd Fighter Wing (FW) flew an A-10C to the Air National Guard Paint Facility in Sioux City, Iowa.

22JUN2021, dark grey scales appear. Iowa ANG photo by Senior Master Sergeant Vincent De Groot.

Iowa ANG time-lapse video by Senior Master Sergeant Vincent De Groot, Blacksnakes A-10C grows a new skin:

The black & dark grey colors are to celebrate Indiana National Guard’s 1-hundred years of aviation, and to honor both the 122nd FW (with a Fort Wayne tail flash) and the 181st Intelligence Wing (Terre Haute checkered tail flash).

29JUN2021, applying the stenciling. Iowa ANG photo by Senior Master Sergeant Vincent De Groot.

02JUL2021, resplendent in its new skin. Iowa ANG photo by Senior Master Sergeant Vincent De Groot.

02JUL2021, Iowa ANG photo by Senior Master Sergeant Vincent De Groot.

02JUL2021, Iowa ANG photo by Senior Master Sergeant Vincent De Groot.

02JUL2021, Iowa ANG photo by Senior Master Sergeant Vincent De Groot.

07JUL2021, heading home to Indiana. Iowa ANG photo by Senior Master Sergeant Vincent De Groot.

07JUL2021, refueling on its way home to Indiana. Iowa ANG photo by Senior Master Sergeant Vincent De Groot.

07JUL2021, Iowa ANG photo by Senior Master Sergeant Vincent De Groot.

The Blacksnakes use of green snake eyes symbolizes night-vision capability.  In the 1990s, the 122nd FW was  first unit in the Air Force to receive night-flying systems that enabled aircraft to be fully mission-capable 24 hours a day.

IDAHO’S HERITAGE A-10C ‘8N’

PRIMER BLACK IS THE NEW ZINC-YELLOW?

A-10C South East Asia CAMO

Idaho, Technology

Hurricane prep 2021: Georgia Militia warms-up the D-R-M-K-T

Video

Georgia Air National Guard photo by Technical Sergeant Jeff Rice.

The official 2021 Atlantic Hurricane season has begun, and the U.S. state of Georgia warmed-up the latest in emergency field kitchen technologies.

Georgia ANG photo by Technical Sergeant Jeff Rice.

It’s known as Disaster Relief Mobilized Kitchen Trailer (DRMKT).  It was set up by the Georgia Air National Guard (ANG) on Robins Air Force Base (AFB), 10JUL2021.

Georgia ANG photo by Technical Sergeant Jeff Rice.

North Carolina ANG photo by Master Sergeant Nathan Clark.

In December 2020, North Carolina’s ANG got a brand new DRMKT: “We developed the Disaster Relief Mobile Kitchen Trailer to solve many of the inefficiencies we observed in our Nation’s response to Hurricane Katrina.”-Bill Hague, Babington Technology

North Carolina ANG photo by Master Sergeant Nathan Clark.

Idaho ANG photo by Senior Airman Mercedee Wilds.

In October 2020, Idaho’s 124th Fighter Wing conducted maintenance on their DRKMT: “This equipment is unique to the Air National Guard because, unlike active duty Air Force, part of our mission is to support local natural disasters.”-Technical Sergeant Audenne Valdez, Idaho ANG

Georgia ANG photo by Technical Sergeant Amber Williams.

Georgia ANG has already deployed their DRMKT, in October 2018.   It was sent to the town of Colquitt, where victims of Hurricane Michael were fed hot meals.

Illinois ANG photo by Technical Sergeant Lealan Buehrer.

In August 2017, the Illinois and Idaho ANGs deployed their DRMKTs to the Crow Reservation in Montana.  Over several weeks, the Illinois and Idaho ANGs fed Montana Guard personnel working to build new housing on the Crow Reservation: “You can do just about anything you can do on base in this kitchen. We’ve got two full ovens, flattop grill, a stockpot station, a three-compartment sink and then a tray ration heater which can also double as making pasta or boiling water, or whatever else you need it for.”-Staff Sergeant Christopher Leigh, Montana ANG

Minnesota ANG photo by Technical Sergeant Lynette Hoke.

The first use of DRMKTs during a real disaster was in 2017.  Members of Ohio and Minnesota Air National Guard units deployed, with their DRMKTs, to Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria.

Ohio ANG photo by First Lieutenant Paul Stennett.

National Guard units using the DRMKT after Hurricane Maria claimed they could serve 8-hundred meals per day.  If there are a mass of people to feed then up to 1-thousand meals per 90 minutes can be achieved, but only by using ‘boil-in-bag’ meals (basically MREs).

Hurricane Maria, Ohio ANG video by First Lieutenant Paul Stennett, how to load your DRMKT on a C-130H:

Hurricane Maria, Arkansas ANG video (with interview at the end), by Senior Airman Matthew Matlock, using a C-17 to deliver DRMKT to U.S. Virgin Islands:

Georgia ANG photo by Senior Master Sergeant Roger Parsons.

In January 2017, Air National Guard units from across the U.S. converged their DRMKTs on FedEx Field, Washington DC, to feed security personnel during the Presidential Inauguration of Donald Trump.

The Georgia ANG first received their DRMKT back in February 2015, delivered via C-130 cargo plane.

Georgia ANG photo by Master Sergeant Roger Parsons.

Georgia ANG tested the new DRMKT by feeding hungry Robins AFB flightline workers barbecue chicken, macaroni and cheese, baked beans, coleslaw and rolls.

Ohio ANG photo by Technical Sergeant Joseph Harwood.

In August 2014, a DRMKT was delivered to the Ohio Air National Guard  (FEMA Region 5) via C-130 transport aircraft: “The State of Ohio was selected to receive the Disaster Response Mobile Kitchen Trailer due to geographical location within FEMA Region 5, and state leadership selected the 179th Airlift Wing for this mission due to the C-130 cargo planes capability to transport the asset.”-Senior Master Sergeant Dana Togliatti

Ohio ANG photo by Technical Sergeant Joseph Harwood.

The first use of a DRMKT was by Texas and Nebraska Air National Guard, during disaster wargame Patriot Exercise 2013, in Wisconsin.

Wyoming ANG photo by Technical Sergeant Natalie Stanley.

The Guard units trying it out concluded they could feed 4-hundred people per day using one DRMKT.

Wyoming ANG photo by Technical Sergeant Natalie Stanley.

DRMKTs were developed in 2012 (called Mobile Kitchens by Babington Technology), to give National Guard units a faster response time in getting cooked meals to survivors of disasters.  Washington DC ANG video report, by Master Sergeant Gareth Buckland, unveiling of DRMKT:

USAF personnel learn how to maintain the Airtronic Burner on David-Monthan AFB, Arizona, September 2015. USAF photo by Airman First Class Mya M. Crosby.

DRMKTs use Babington Airtronic Burners which can use almost any type of liquid fuel.

Ohio ANG photo by Technical Sergeant Joseph Harwood.

The DRMKT has ‘frigerators, uses fans for ventilation and to keep flying insects out, all computer controlled, and thanks to liquid fuel burning cooking units the DRMKT uses only 2-thousand watts total.

North Carolina ANG photo by Master Sergeant Nathan Clark.

FEMA Regions prep, May 2021: 

South Dakota ANG photo by Senior Airman Taylor Solberg.

SOUTH DAKOTA NATIONAL GUARD GETS NEW D-R-M-K-T

Food Crisis U.S.A.: SOYLENT GREEN PET FOOD? OR, ARE PEOPLE BEING PREPPED TO EAT PET FOOD?

Global Food Crisis: Is OPERATION COVID-19 a COVERT OP TO CONTROL THE GLOBAL FOOD SUPPLY?

Technology

Terminator: U.S. Army Space Force launches 3 Gunsmoke-Jacob’s Ladder satellites

Video

“If the Gunsmoke experiments are successful, then this work could lead to future systems, which would enhance long-range precision fires in support of the warfighter.”-Rebecca Nagurney, Gunsmoke deputy program manager

NASA photo.

On 30JUN2021, Grumman built Cygnus class SS (Space Ship) Katherine Johnson deployed a U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command (USASMDC) ‘Gunsmoke’ targeting satellite.

Northrop Grumman photo.

The SS Katherine Johnson is a remote controlled cargo ship, and was deployed to the International Space Station (ISS) in February 2021 (called NG-15 resupply mission).  Normally, the Cygnus class space ship is used to bring supplies to the ISS, and then haul trash away.  This time it launched five ‘CubSats’ as it left the ISS, on 29JUN2021, including the U.S. Army’s Gunsmoke.

NASA video, SS Katherine Johnson deploys from the ISS, 29JUN2021:

In this NASA promo video, the U.S. Army’s Gunsmoke is not mentioned among the other experiments carried by SS Katherine Johnson NG-15:

Photo by Jason Cutshaw.

Gunsmoke-J (‘J’ for Jacob’s Ladder, a type of CubSat) is an APNT (Assured Position Navigation and Timing) satellite.  It is a small satellite designed to provide combat units on planet Earth with location information about possible targets on the ground.  The Gunsmoke program has been in the works for the past fives years.

 

The U.S. Army Space Force has launched three Gunsmoke-Js; one on an Electron rocket at the end of March 2021, a second deployed via SS Katherine Johnson at the end of June (after launching from Earth in February),…..

Virgin Orbit photo.

….and the third was launched off a modified Virgin Orbit Boeing 747 (Operation Tubular Bells: Part One) also at the end of June: “This deployment and same day launch of two separate Gunsmoke-J satellites is a major step toward demonstrating what we believe will be enabling tactical warfighter capability.”-Wheeler ‘Chip’ Hardy, USASMDC Technical Center Space Directorate’s Space Applications Division

https://youtu.be/bgL5pMDktxA

A total of seven Gunsmoke-J CubSats will be deployed in 2021, some launched from New Zealand.

U.S. Army photo by Private First Class Karleshia Gater.

On Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, ‘Space Cross-Functional Team (SCFT)’ soldiers pose in front of one of their ‘sensor tech’ devices during what is called a Sensor-to-Shooter (S2S) exercise, 24MAR2021.  S2S exercises are developing the Earth based component of the APNT system.

TERMINATOR: SPACEX SATELLITES ALL ABOUT A-P-N-T/L-R-P-C-F-T? (with video reports by the military showing you how they can kill with the APNT satellites) 

2020: U.S. Army Selects TriSept to Integrate and Deploy Gunsmoke-J

Idaho, Technology

Idaho’s heritage A-10C ‘8N’

Video

Idaho Air National Guard photo by Senior Master Sergeant Joshua C. Allmaras.

P-47D Thunderbolt bubble-top 8N-X.

“It’s more than just history, it’s our heritage, it’s who we are.”-Major Tom Silkowski, Idaho’s 190th Fighter Squadron

P-47D Thunderbolt ‘Black Jack’ code 8N-O, 371st FG-405th FS.

Towards the end of May 2021, the Idaho Air National Guard unveiled their heritage ‘8N’ A-10C Thunderbolt-2.  8N is the squadron code for the U.S. Army 9th Air Force-371st Fighter Group’s 405th Fighter Squadron.

Idaho Air National Guard photo by Senior Master Sergeant Joshua C. Allmaras.

It was part of 75th anniversary celebrations for the 190th Fighter Squadron’s(FS) birthday, 24MAY1946.  The old 405th FS logo was added to the nacelles after returning from its heritage paint job in Iowa.

Idaho Air National Guard photo by Senior Master Sergeant Joshua C. Allmaras.

Idaho Air National Guard photo by Senior Master Sergeant Joshua C. Allmaras.

The 190th FS evolved out of the 405th FS, which flew P-47 Thunderbolts during World War Two (hence the false tail number 405190). In 1944, P-47s of the 405th carried the code 8N on their fuselages: “Every aspect of that paint job, down to the smallest detail, is deliberate and faithful to how our P-47’s looked in the summer of 1944. We weren’t going for glitz and a superficial ‘wow factor.’ This isn’t a toy airplane; it’s one of our beautiful A-10 Thunderbolt-2s dressed in the same scheme worn by our P-47 Thunderbolts in World War Two. It’s like a little boy wearing his dad’s military uniform. I think that’s what makes it so special.”-Major Tom Silkowski, Idaho’s 190th FS

An ‘8N’ P-47D somewhere in France, 1944.

Idaho Air National Guard photo by Senior Master Sergeant Joshua C. Allmaras.

On 07JUL2021, 8N took part in refuel training over Mountain Home Air Force Base (AFB), Idaho.

Idaho Air National Guard photo by Staff Sergeant Mercedee Wilds.

The refueling was done by a KC-135 Stratotanker from the 507th Air Refueling Wing (ARW), Tinker AFB, out of Oklahoma.

Idaho Air National Guard photo by Staff Sergeant Mercedee Wilds.

Idaho Air National Guard photo by Staff Sergeant Mercedee Wilds.

But it is not the first time 8N got refueled mid-flight.  On its way home from the heritage paint job (done at the Air National Guard Paint Facility in Sioux City), the Iowa Air National Guard’s 185th ARW provided fuel for the flight back to Idaho.

Idaho Air National Guard photo by Staff Sergeant Mercedee Wilds.

Idaho Air National Guard photo by Staff Sergeant Mercedee Wilds.

Idaho Air National Guard photo by Staff Sergeant Mercedee Wilds.

Idaho Air National Guard photo by Staff Sergeant Mercedee Wilds.

Iowa Air National Guard photo by Senior Master Sergeant Vincent De Groot.

Iowa Air National Guard photo by Senior Master Sergeant Vincent De Groot.

Iowa Air National Guard photo by Senior Master Sergeant Vincent De Groot.

Iowa Air National Guard video, by Senior Master Sergeant Vincent De Groot, of 8N (sans 405th FS logo) being pull from the paint shop, 05MAY2021:

Iowa Air National Guard photo by Senior Master Sergeant Vincent De Groot.

1944(?) France, P-47 ‘Mumbling Joe’ 8N-H, 371st FG-405th FS.

March 2021: MORALE BOOSTER A-10C GUN-RUN IN IDAHO!

2012 Pocatello Airport:

The awesome A-10 is the last of Idaho’s Air National Guard air assets. Photo by AAron B. Hutchins.

IDAHO NATIONAL GUARD A-10C THUNDERBOLT 2 ‘walkaround’

Technology

NATO Weapons: Apaches & Hinds, for the first time?

Image

U.S. Army (USA) photo by Major Robert Fellingham.

During NATO wargame Saber Guardian-21/DEFENDER-Europe 21, Hungarian Mil 24s and U.S. AH-64s conducted live fire training, together for the first time.

U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel Matthew Cole can’t help but grin from ear to ear, getting a ride in the gunner’s seat of a Hungarian Hind. USA photo by Major Robert Fellingham, 03JUN2021.

USA photo by Major Robert Fellingham, 03JUN2021.

Hungarian Defense Force Brigadier General József Koller gets situated in the gunner’s seat of an AH-64D. USA photo by Major Robert Fellingham, 03JUN2021.

USA photo by Major Robert Fellingham, 09JUN2021.

It’s not the first time NATO Hinds and Apaches worked together, but apparently (according to U.S. Army, 12th Combat Aviation Brigade’s Major Robert Fellingham) it is the first time they’ve exchanged crews and taken part in ‘live fire’ wargames together.

USA photo by Major Robert Fellingham.

USA photo by Major Robert Fellingham.

USA photo by Major Robert Fellingham, 09JUN2021.

Near Szolnok, Hungary, June 2019. USA photo by Sergeant Brandon Brashere.

In 2019, U.S. Apache crews got to look over Hungarian Hinds during Saber Guardian-19, and vice versa.

Near Szolnok, Hungary, June 2019. USA photo by Sergeant Brandon Brashere.

Iraq, May 2006, USA photo.

In May 2006, a Polish Mil 24 and U.S. AH-64D Apache shared a forward refueling/arming point somewhere in Iraq.

Zombie ‘Copter:  HOW THE HIND RETURNED TO AFGHANISTAN, AND WHY IT WON’T DIE

May 2020:  APACHE FIGHTS THROUGH PANDEMIC

Technology, U.S.

Hurricane 2021: WC-130J WX hunters deploy

Image

U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sergeant Kristen Pittman.

On 17JUN2021, the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron (U.S. Air Force Reserve) began launching their WC-130J hurricane hunters from Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi, for the 2021 Atlantic Hurricane season.

Planning an ‘LLI’ mission. USAF photo by Staff Sergeant Kristen Pittman, 17JUN2021.

The first WC-130J mission of the 2021 Hurricane season was a ‘lower level invest’ (LLI) over The Gulf of Mexico.

USAF photo by Staff Sergeant Kristen Pittman, 17JUN2021.

LLIs are flown by WC-130Js at a lower altitude than regular storm missions, whenever weather satellites are having a hard time finding the center of a tropical system.

Hurricane History: AIRBORNE HURRICANE HUNTERS, WHEN DID IT ALL START?

Hurricane 2021: U.S. ARMY DEPLOYS EMERGENCY COMMUNICATION VEHICLES!

Technology, U.S.

Hurricane 2021: U.S. Army deploys emergency communication vehicles!

On 21JUN2021, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) deployed a Engineer Command and Control Vehicle-7 (ECCV-7) to Puerto Rico, for the 2021 Atlantic Hurricane season.

USACE photo by Mark Rankin.

It is also called Deployable Tactical Operating System (DTOS).  It allows USACE personnel to integrate with local, federal and state authorities.  The DTOS/ECCV-7 was one of many USACE vehicles being deployed from Florida to Puerto Rico.

USACE photo by Mark Rankin.

Failed State 2020: OHIO JOINS NEW YORK IN DEPLOYING National Guard TO PUERTO RICO

ARMY RESERVE DEPLOYS FOR PUERTO RICO QUAKE RECOVERY

Maria, 2017: ARMY RESERVE RESPONDE AL LLAMADO DE AYUDA EN PUERTO RICO!

Hurricane 2021: USMC PREPS FOR DESTRUCTIVE WX EVENT IN NORTH CAROLINA!

Technology

Solar flares to sink U.S. Navy?

“I study solar flares and I spent my career modeling them. We generally think of flares in terms of their size or their brightness, but we often ignore the part about their duration.”-Jeff Reep, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory

On 15JUN2021, the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory published a story concerning the expected increase in duration of solar flares, and the possibility that entire U.S. Navy (USN) fleets could be affected.

In a recent scenario a USN fleet was hit by a solar flare, destroying its electrical infrastructure and causing havoc to its electronic communications.  The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory is working on a way to allow fleet commanders to conduct real-time forecasting of such solar flares, and to determine how long they will last.  (Forecasting the Remaining Duration of an Ongoing Solar Flare)

21JUN2021, Indian Ocean. U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer Third Class Jason Tarleton.

The USN scientists argue that how long a solar flare lasts is as important as how intense the flare is, yet we still can’t determine how long such solar events will last.  The research is part of a NASA program called Living With A Star.

U.S. MILITARY WARNS, SUN WILL INTERFERE WITH YOUR HI-DEF TV

Technology

U.S. military warns, Sun will interfere with your hi-def TV

Towards the end of February 2021, the U.S. Department of Defense’s American Forces Network (AFN) warned that this year’s solar activity will interfere with television signals.

Specifically; the solar phenomena known as Sun Fade, Sun Transit or Sun Outage, is expected to target signals from AFN’s Riverside, California, broadcast center at various times this year.

Misawa, Japan, AFN center. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sergeant Candace Williams.

AFN officials said, so far this year their satellite TV broadcasts to Europe were targeted from February to March, and Japan and Korea were targeted in March.  They advise there is nothing you can do to fix the reception on your expensive high-definition television, except wait until the solar phenomenon ends.

U.S. NAVY CORRECTLY PREDICTS RADIOLOGICAL CHANGES WITH THE SUN

Technology

U.S. Navy correctly predicts radiological changes with The Sun

“What happens on the Sun has significant effects on the Earth’s upper atmosphere, which is important for communication and radar technologies that rely on over-the-horizon or ground-to-space radio frequency propagation…”-Christoph Englert, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory’s Space Science Division

“They can cause damage to satellites and other space objects. The high energy particles themselves are microscopic, but it’s their speed that causes them to be dangerous to electronics, solar panels, and navigation equipment in space.”-J. Martin Laming, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory

In the mid-1990s, a scientist with the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory postulated that outer layers of our star were different than first thought.  Since then, J. Martin Laming has jointly published many solar studies: “It’s satisfying to learn that the new observations demonstrate what happens ‘under the hood’ in the theory, and that it actually happens for real on the Sun.”-J. Martin Laming, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory

“We estimate that the Sun is 91% hydrogen but the small fraction accounted for by minor ions like iron, silicon, or magnesium dominates the radiative output in ultraviolet and X-rays from the corona. If the abundance of these ions is changing, the radiative output changes.”-Christoph Englert, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory

The Sun’s magnetic waves change the chemical compounds in each of its own layers.  The final result can be visually observed only during a solar eclipse.

Ozone Hole, 2003 NASA/PBS-Nova program warns the Earth’s magnetic field is flipping out! What is causing it?