Category Archives: Technology

Technology

KC-135: The last ISO for the 916th

Video

Photos by Staff Sergeant Mary McKnight.

In October 2019, on Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina, the 916th Maintenance Squadron (of the 916th Air Refueling Wing) completed their last isochronal (ISO) inspection of a KC-135 Stratotanker.

The KC-135 has been replaced by the KC-46 Pegasus.

The last ISO on the 916th KC-135 was started in August, but took longer than expected due to delays caused by severe weather: “The ISO (isochronal) aircraft was placed on the flightline as a precaution to protect it from possible damage. The hangar it was in leaves the empennage exposed to high winds which could cause more damage because of the close tolerance to the hangar doors.”-Senior Master Sergeant Karl Rehkamp, 916th Maintenance Squadron maintenance flight chief

Explainer video report, by Technical Sergeant Michael McGhee:

KC-135:  BATS & BEARS, OH MY!

International, Technology

Vehicle I-D: KDC-10 Koninklijke Luchtmacht

Video

Photo by Staff Sergeant Dana Cable.

In September 2019, A Royal Netherlands Air Force KDC-10 paid a visit to Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington, for Exercise Mobility Guardian.

Fairchild AFB, Washington, 2019. Photo by First Lieutenant Jessica Cicchetto.

2019: Texas airborne fueler company buys Dutch KDC-10s

Photos by Maartje Roos.

Photos from NATO’s Trident Juncture 2018, in Norway.

NATO video, taxi-takeoff, heading to Trident Juncture 2018 in Norway:

Photo by Chris Okula.

They flew all the way to Edwards Air Force Base, in California, to refuel one of their own F-35s!   According to the press info, at the end of March 2016, the Royal Netherlands Air Force (Koninklijke Luchtmacht) was used to prove the viability of refueling F-35s with KC-10s.

Halloween 2020:  HOW TO MUMMIFY YOUR KC-10, OR, LAST FLIGHT OF 86-0036

Operation CoViD-19:  PROJECT AIR BRIDGE, 747S, MD-11S, BREAKING AIRLIFT RECORDS!

Wildfires 2019:  DC-10, IDAHO’S 911

Bare Metal:  NASA’S MD-11 EXPERIMENTAL

Technology, U.S.

DC-8: Pandemic Samaritan

Video

Photo via Samaritan’s Purse.

Samaritan’s Purse DC-8 arrives at NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center, Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale, California, 11JAN2021.

Photo by Giancarlo Casem.

The aircraft delivered supplies for a 50+ beds Emergency Field Hospital being constructed at Antelope Valley Hospital in nearby Lancaster.

Video, by Giancarlo Casem, showing off-loading of Samaritan’s Purse DC-8, 11JAN2021:

Samaritan’s Purse photo showing emergency hospital tent construction in Lancaster, California.

Samaritan’s Purse video showing emergency hospital tent construction:

Samaritan’s Purse photo showing hurricane response efforts in Honduras, November 2020.

Samaritan’s Purse photo showing hurricane response efforts in Honduras.

Samaritan’s Purse video, Honduras hurricane response, November 2020:

Samaritan’s Purse is based in North Carolina, is adamantly Christian, and has a history of working alongside the U.S. Department of Defense, at least as far back as 2012.

Pandemic Flights, 2020:   RECORD SETTING PANDEMIC AIRBRIDGE CONTINUES

Vehicle I-D:  NASA’S DC-8 CLIMATE WARRIOR

International, Technology

Vehicle I-D: Armura Moldovan, in a Cold War created country that could go Hot any second!

Video

Moldova is not a member of NATO, but has joined the North Atlantic Cooperation Council making it an official NATO ‘partner’.  NATO ‘partner’ countries are located all across the Earth, not just in the North Atlantic (the original justification for the creation of NATO was to form a joint defense system for countries in the North Atlantic).

Photo via Moldovan Ministry of Defense.

BTRs during wargames, December 2020.  The flag on the first vehicle is the national flag, the flag on the second vehicle is the flag of the Ministry of Defense.

Official Moldovan Ministry of Defense video showing training with BTRs, towed D-20 artillery, various types of MTLBs, culminating in live fire, December 2020:

Photo via Moldovan Ministry of Defense.

Engineer vehicle based on T-72 hull, November 2020.

Photo via Moldovan Ministry of Defense.

Video of engineer vehicles in action, November 2020:

Photo via Moldovan Ministry of Defense.

BMP artillery radar vehicle followed by 2S9s and BMD-1s, November 2020.

Photo via Moldovan Ministry of Defense.

Photo via Moldovan Ministry of Defense.

An Antonov-2 flies over MTLBs, October 2020.

Photo via Moldovan Ministry of Defense.

T-72 engineer vehicle, July 2020.

Video of vehicle review, and some live fire, July 2020.  Sadly, that’s about it for the Moldovan National Army.  At the end of the video the Minister of Defense, Alexandru Pinzari, admits they are working with “obsolete” equipment:

North Carolina Army National Guard photo by Sergeant First Class Robert Jordan, 12SEP2019.

Loading anti-tank missile (9M113 Konkurs, NATO codename AT-5 Spandrel) onto a BRDM-2-Anti-Tank armored car, Bulboaca Training Area, September 2019.

North Carolina Army National Guard photo by Sergeant First Class Robert Jordan, 12SEP2019.

Moldova used to be a part of Romania, called Bessarabia.  Under Soviet rule Bessarabia became the Moldovan Soviet Socialist Republic.  With the collapse of the Soviet Union, Moldova declared independence in August 1991.

North Carolina Army National Guard photo by Sergeant First Class Robert Jordan, 14SEP2016.

BMD based 2S9 Nona self propelled airborne artillery gun, Bulboaca Training Area, September 2016.

Since 1996, the North Carolina Army National Guard has been training with the Moldovan army, through the U.S. Department of Defense’s National Guard State Partnership Program.

U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Corporal Ryan Young, 12DEC2014.

BRDM-2 over-watch as U.S. Marine launches a Javelin anti-tank missile in Balti, December 2014.

U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Corporal Ryan Young, 12DEC2014.

An old BTR gets taken out by a Javelin.

Video, BTR dies:

Video explainer report, USMC anti-armor training in Moldova, 2014:

Video of various anti-tank weapons being used, December 2014:

From what I’ve researched, Moldova has between zero and possibly a whopping three Main Battle Tanks (MBT), all T-64BV.

Photo by Neil Brennan.

The reason for little or no MBTs in Moldova is apparently because of a cease fire agreement between Moldova and a former territory called Transnistria (Transnistria actually declared independence one year before greater Moldova, yet the ‘NATO’ world refuses to recognize it because it is one of the last few Soviet Republics that still believes the Soviet Union is alive and well).  The Sweden based OSCE has been overseeing arms control agreements including the destruction of heavy military vehicles like MBTs.  Moldova has complied, but not Transnistria (meaning tiny Transnistria has more armored vehicles than much larger Moldova).

The majority of Moldova’s existing armor are Soviet era armored cars of various types, then tracked utility vehicles like MTLB, and tracked self propelled artillery guns/rocket launchers.

Moldovan news pic of a supposed T-54? (note the spokes on the road wheels) that had been hidden by a family in a disputed district.

At the beginning of 2017, a news report said that a family had been hiding a T-54(?) tank on their property in the divided district of Anenii Noi.  It was confiscated.

August 2018: Moldovan, N.C. troops train at Fort Bliss

Vehicle I-D: SUOMALAISET (Finnish) LEOPARDIT JA SISU PASI JA CV9030 JA MTLB JA 2S1 JA BMP-2 JA AMOS

International, Technology

Vehicle I-D: Jordanian Shield اردني درع

Video

Al Hussein (aka Challenger 1 FV4030/4) and AH-1S/F Cobra. Photo via Jordanian Armed Forces.

German made Marder 1A3 Infantry Fighting Vehicle. Photo via Jordanian Armed Forces.

Marder 1A3, photo via Jordanian Armed Forces.

South African made Ratel, on UN ‘peacekeeping’ duty. Photo via Jordanian Armed Forces.

Jordanian Armed Forces promotional video, November 2021:

Photo via Royal Hashemite Court.

Jordan’s King Abdullah the Second, and His Royal Highness Crown Prince Al Hussein, inspect one of at least 80 ‘donated’ (from United Arab Emirates) French-made Leclerc tanks, October 2020.

Photo via Royal Hashemite Court.

Old U.S. made M60A3 tanks during wargames, October 2020.

Official Royal Hashemite Court video:

USA photo by Sergeant First Class Kenneth Upsall.

A U.S. Army Staff Sergeant finds out what it is like driving a Jordanian Challenger-1, called Al Hussein (الحسين), January 2017.

U.S. Army photo by Sergeant First Class Kenneth Upsall, 08JAN2017.

U.S. Marine Corps photo by Staff Sergeant Vitaliy Rusavskiy, 17MAY2017.

Jordanian M113A2MK-1J mingling with U.S. Marine Corps  Amphibious Assault Vehicle-P7/A1, May 2017.

USMC photo by Corporal Jessica Y. Lucio, 17MAY2017.

USA photo by Sergeant Youtoy Martin, 17JAN2016.

M113A2MK-1J, January 2016.  Video report, U.S. Army trains with Jordanian M113A2 unit, January 2016:

Al Hussein, aka Challenger Mark 1, aka FV4030/4. USA photo by Specialist Ian Valley, 24MAY2016.

U.S. Marine Corps photo by Corporal Sean Searfus, 18MAY2015.

M60A3 tank fires during a combined live fire demonstration as part of Exercise Eager Lion in Wadi Shadiya, Jordan, 18MAY2015.

USMC photo by Corporal Sean Searfus, 18MAY2015.

USMC photo by Corporal Sean Searfus, 18MAY2015.

Photo by Captain Viet Nguyen.

Jordanian YPG-765 during Eager Lion 2015.

USMC photo by Corporal Sean Searfus, 18MAY2015.

USMC photo by Corporal Sean Searfus, 18MAY2015.

USMC photo by Sergeant Austin Hazard, 29MAY2014.

YPG-765 during Eager Lion, May 2014.

USMC photo by Sergeant Austin Hazard, 29MAY2014.

USMC photo by Sergeant Austin Hazard, 29MAY2014.

Videos, Jordanian Al Hussein (الحسين), conducting live fire during Eager Lion, Summer of 2013:

U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sergeant Richard Blumenstein, 07MAY2012.

Al Hussein (الحسين) fire during Eager Lion, May 2012.

U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sergeant Scott Stewart, 01SEP1987.

A Jordanian M113 is off-loaded from a U.S. Air Force C-141 Starlifter, during wargame Bright Star, in the North African country of Egypt, September 1987.

Vehicle I-D: IRAQI ARMOR, AFTER THE INVASION

Vehicle I-D: CHALLENGER vs LECLERC

2016: NATO’s secret chemical training for Jordan

International, Technology

NATO 2013: F-15 Eagles over Norge

Video

U.S. Air Force photo by First Lieutenant Christopher Mesnard, 20SEP2013.

In September 2013, U.S. Air Force F-15C Eagles and E Strike Eagles joined USAF KC-135 tankers, and Norwegian F-16 Fighting Falcons, Swedish JAS-39 Gripens, Finish F-18 Hornets, U.K. Eurofighter Typhoons, and NATO E-3A AWACS, for the first ever Arctic Challenge over Norway.

USAF photo by Master Sergeant Lee Osberry, 23SEP2013.

Video, by Airman 1st Class Amanda Sampson, F-15C and E Eagles taking off and landing at Bodø Main Air Station, during NATO’s Arctic Challenge, September 2013.  Good vibrations turbine sounds:

USAF photo by Master Sergeant Lee Osberry, 24SEP2013.

Video by First Lieutenant Christopher Mesnard of airborne fueling operations, Arctic Challenge September 2013:

USAF photo by First Lieutenant Christopher Mesnard, 12SEP2013.

Air Force Report, Arctic Challenge:

 

2020: NEW TAIL FEATHERS FOR OREGON EAGLE, B-17 BOMBER STYLE! PLUS, MINI-EAGLE.

2019: 

D-DAY F-15E STRIKE EAGLE

International, Technology, U.S.

U.S. Border Wall milestones of 2020

Video

During the decades of sporadic wall construction it should be noted that both Republican and Democrat politicians supported it.    The first wall section was built by the United States between 1909 and 1911.  Mexico built a wall section in 1918.  The walls were extended in the 1920s and in the 1940s.  President George H.W. Bush (senior) began new wall construction in the 1990s.  President Bill Clinton expanded funding for wall construction, in fact one book says it was under Clinton that wall construction became more focused in an attempt to stop drug and human smuggling.  President George W. Bush (junior) began new wall construction supposedly at the behest of California politicians.   President Barack Obama supposedly declared wall construction complete in 2011, yet quietly (secretly?) built an additional 128-miles (206-km) of wall.   In 2017, President Donald Trump officially restarted wall construction.  I predict President elect Joe Biden will not halt border wall construction.

Video, trench being dug for construction of wall near Columbus, New Mexico, April 2020:

Video, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) explaining why the U.S. needs a wall, June 2020:

 

Near El Paso, Texas, August 2020.

Video showing that wall construction continued at night in the South Pacific Border District, Arizona, September 2020:

Video, wall construction South Pacific Border District, California, September 2020:

Border wall slowly stretches across the desert near Columbus, New Mexico, October 2020.

Wall construction over mountains on the Barry M. Goldwater Range aboard Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Arizona, October 2020.

New wall completed near Tucson, Arizona, 02NOV2020.

17DEC2020, Tucson 10/28 Border Barrier near Nogales, Arizona.

21DEC2020, the final section of Yuma 10/27 Border Barrier is installed, in Arizona.

Operation CoViD-19, March 2020: BORDER GUARDS

New War on Drugs: U.S. BORDER PATROL PROMOTES TRUMP’S WALL!

International, Technology

Vehicle I-D: Suomalaiset Leopardit ja Sisu Pasi ja CV9030 ja MTLB ja 2S1 ja BMP-2 ja AMoS

Video

Despite Finland being an officially ‘non-aligned’ country, it still allows, and even takes part in, NATO wargames on its soil (which borders Russia).

Suomalaiset Leopardit ja Sisu Pasi ja CV9030 ja MTLB ja 2S1 ja BMP-2 ja AMoS=Finnish Leopard and Sisu Pasi and CV9030 and MTLB and 2S1 and BMP-2 and AMoS.

U.S. Marines and U.K. Royal Marines watch a demonstration of the Leopard bridgelayer, 07MAY2019. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Corporal Scott Jenkins.

Finnish German-made Leopard 2L bridge laying tank, demonstrating for U.S. Marines, and U.K. Royal Marines, during NATO’s Exercise Arrow in May 2019.

U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Corporal Scott Jenkins, 07MAY2019.

It is a German Leopard 2 chassis with a Finnish designed bridge system. Puolustusvoimat / Finnish Defense Forces photo.

USMC LAVs try out the Finnish bridge. USMC photo by Lance Corporal Scott Jenkins, 07MAY2019.

BMP-2MD on the Pojankangas Training Area near Kankaanpaa, Finland, 15MAY2019. U.S. Army photo by Sergeant LaShic Patterson.

Soviet era BMP-2, modernized to BMP-2MD.  NATO’s Arrow 19.

BMP-2MD on the Pojankangas Training Area near Kankaanpaa, Finland, 15MAY2019. USA photo by Sergeant LaShic Patterson.

BMP-2MD on the Pojankangas Training Area near Kankaanpaa, Finland, 15MAY2019. USA photo by Sergeant LaShic Patterson.

USA photo by Sergeant LaShic Patterson, 17MAY2019.

Supposedly neutral Finland also takes part in NATO wargames in other countries.

Älvdalen training grounds, Sweden, 27OCT2018. Puolustusvoimat / Finnish Defense Forces photo by Sergeant Alec Orko.

Washing a Sisu/Patria (Sisu was a Cold War era name for the company now called Patria) Pasi XA-203 prior to the short road-march to neighboring Norway for NATO’s Trident Juncture, October 2018.

Washing off the Sweden, before heading to Norway. Puolustusvoimat / Finnish Defense Forces photo by Sergeant Alec Orko, 27OCT2018.

Video, painting your Patria Pasi for Winter ops, 2018:

Puolustusvoimat / Finnish Defense Forces photo by Ville Multanen, 29OCT2018.

Going skiing.  A Patria Pasi during NATO’s Trident Juncture, October 2018.

Finnish MTLBs during Arrow 18, in Pohjankangas Training Area, Finland, 18MAY2018. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sergeant Averi Coppa.

Soviet era MTLBs during Arrow 18, May 2018.

CV90-30FIN

Video of Swedish made CV9030 FIN, during NATO’s Saber Strike 2017 in Estonia:

USA photo by Specialist Elliott Banks, 06MAY2017.

Leopard 2A4, NATO’s Arrow 17 wargames, May 2017.

Puolustusvoimat / Finnish Defense Forces photo.

Soviet era 2S1 self propelled artillery gun, the Finns call it the 122 PSH 74.  They are former East German 2S1s, purchased in 1992 and 1994.

U.S. Army photo by Specialist Elliott Banks, 05MAY2017.

122 PSH 74 (2S1), NATO’s Arrow 17 wargames, May 2017.

Slow-mo video, German-made Leopard 2A4s, one with Israeli made mine-plow, Niinisalo Training Area in 2016:

Photo by Sergeant Tatum Vayavananda, 11JUN2015.

Sisu Pasi, carrying British troops, ‘invades’ Sweden during NATO’s BALTOPS during Summer 2015.

U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sergeant Armando A. Schwier-Morales, 08JUN2015.

Twin barreled 120mm gunned AMoS (Advanced Mortar System) ‘invades’ Latvia during NATO’s Saber Strike during Summer 2015.

Ukraine Crisis: February 2014 (NATO backed coup) to present.

Vehicle I-D: GEORGIAN T-72 & BMP

HOW TO BUILD A 1:1 SCALE U.S. ARMY ‘FAKE NEWS’ BMP-2

IDAHO’S 1:1 SCALE FAKE NEWS RUSSIAN RADAR TANK

Soviet era tanks in use by NATO: POLAND

Soviet era tanks in use by NATO: BULGARIAN T-72

Soviet era tanks in use by NATO: SLOVENIAN M84

Vehicle I-D: UKRAINIAN ARMOR

Technology

World War Two, Cold War & Beyond: The many lives of LST-786

Image

Clicking/tapping on the pics make them bigger.

Landing Ship Tank (LST) 786 was born in 1944, in Pennsylvania, and operated by the U.S. Coast Guard to support actions against Imperial Japan, in the Pacific Ocean during World War Two.

This is just one of thousands of pages of LST-786’s War Dairy stored in the National Archives.   LST-786 was part of the LST-542 class of landing ships.

LST-786 was decommissioned and placed in reserve in 1946, Columbia River Group, Oregon.  In 1955, LST-786 was named USS Garrett County (Maryland).

Recommissioning acceptance trials, San Francisco, California.  LST-786 was recommissioned in 1966, for action in Viet Nam.  Garrett County was one of four World War Two LSTs recommissioned for action as riverine mother ships.

Now Patrol Craft Tender AGP-786 at Guam, on its way to Viet Nam.  Garrett County arrived on-station in March 1967.

On the Co Chien River, Viet Nam, in June 1968.  Serving as a Patrol Boat River(PBR)/Seawolf (USN Huey gunship) mother ship, officially known as a Game Warden ship.

AGP-786 on the Mekong Delta, Viet Nam, Autumn 1968

UH-1B Seawolf (Huey gunship) on the deck of AGP-786, Mekong Delta, 1969.

Despite that supposedly/officially LST-786 became AGP-786 for the Viet Nam conflict, this log book title page shows the USS Garrett County was still being referred to as LST-786 in April 1969.

In 1971, AGP-786 was given to the Republic of Viet Nam (South Viet Nam) and became Republic of Viet Nam Ship (RVNS) HQ-801 Can Tho.

In 1975, South Viet Nam was overrun by North Viet Nam.  The crew of HQ-801 fled to Philippines, where the old ship became Barko ng Republika ng Pilipinas (BRP) Kalinga Apayao LT-516.

LT-516 seen at A.G.& P. Shipyard, Bauan, Batangas, in 1988.

A photo taken in 2006 (posted on Shipspotting.com).   It was decommissioned in 2010 and supposedly scrapped in 2012.  However, the List of decommissioned ships of the Philippine Navy says 516 was“partially beached at Naval Base Cavite”.

There are photos taken in 2011 showing the ship, listing, at Naval Station Sangley Point, aka Naval Base Cavite. 

Operation CoViD-19: USN QUARANTINE SHIPS

LHD-6 USS Bonhomme Richard: INTO THE STEEL INFERNO!

U.S. NAVY KEEPS OLD U.S. ARMY BOAT-TRUCK AFLOAT

Climate Change: GHOST SHIPS WASHING ASHORE ON SECLUDED NAVY BASE!

Business/Economics, Technology

Winglets, or Once again NASA saves the Private Sector!

Video

In another fine example that the capitalist country of United States spends taxpayer money to help-out private sector corporations; between 1979 and 1980, NASA used a KC-135 to special-test the use of winglets in reducing drag and thus reducing fuel consumption.  The study led to the use of winglets on commercial aircraft.

The winglets were developed by NASA’s Richard Whitcomb, who discovered through wind-tunnel testing that winglets could actually produce forward thrust.  Whitcomb is also credited with developing the supercritical wing, also used by commercial airliners (F-8 SUPER-CRITICAL-CRUSADER, FATHER OF MODERN AIRLINER WING DESIGN).

Silent NASA video:

The winglets used by NASA were much bigger than the winglets being used by the commercial sector.

The U.S. Air Force’s -135 family of aircraft are not modified Boeing 707s!!!   It’s amazing to me that even aviation periodicals will refer to the -135 as having evolved from the 707.  Both the -135 and the 707 evolved from the earlier prototype 367-80 (first flight 1954), the -135 (first flight 1956) was actually created before the 707 (first flight 1957).  The -135, also known as the Boeing 717, is smaller than the 707 and structurally there is nothing similar about the two aircraft (like the fuselages having totally different cross sections, the 707 being taller and wider), the major components cannot be interchanged.

Some confusion can be blamed on Boeing itself, as the manufacturer offered militarized 707s to other countries’ air forces, such as Iran (which got both 707s and 747s converted for use as airborne fuelers).  Boeing’s militarized 707 production continued into the 1990s, they are nothing like the -135.

 

KC-135:   BATS & BEARS, OH MY!

Bare Metal: NASA TRUCKS saving the trucking industry