A-10 ThunderBolt II also known as WARTHOG Anti-Tank

 Mission: Close Air Support, Anti-Tank

CONTRACTOR: Fairchild Republic Co.

SERVICE: USAF

ARMAMENT: 30 mm GAU-8/A cannon; up to 16,000 pounds of mixed ordnance on eight under-wing and three under-fuselage pylon stations, including 500 pound Mk-82 and 2,000 pounds Mk-84 series low/high drag bombs, incendiary cluster bombs, combined effects munitions, mine dispensing munitions, AGM-65 Maverick; AIM-9 Sidewinder.

POWER PLANT: Two General Electric TF34-GE-100 turbofans

SPEED: 450 kts (Mach 0.75)

RANGE: 2580 miles

           The Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II is affectionately called the “Warthog” and American twin-engine, straight-wing jet aircraft developed by Fairchild-Republic in the early 1970s. It is the only United States Air Force production aircraft designed solely for close air support, including attacking tanks, armored vehicles, and other ground targets with limited air defenses.

The “Warthog” for its aggressive look and often painted with teeth on the nose cone, the A-10 Thunderbolt II is the U.S. Air Force’s primary low-altitude close air support aircraft. The A-10 is perhaps best known for its fearsome GAU-8 Avenger 30mm Gatling gun mounted on the nose. The GAU-8 is designed to fire armor-piercing depleted uranium and high explosive incendiary rounds.

The Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II is affectionately called the “Warthog” and American twin-engine, straight-wing jet aircraft developed by Fairchild-Republic in the early 1970s. It is the only United States Air Force production aircraft designed solely for close air support, including attacking tanks, armored vehicles, and other ground targets with limited air defenses.

The Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II is designed around the 30 mm GAU-8 Avenger rotary cannon that is its primary armament and the heaviest-ever automatic cannon mounted on an aircraft. The A-10's air-frame was designed for durability, with measures such as 1,200 pounds (540 kg) of titanium armor to protect the cockpit and aircraft systems, enabling it to absorb a significant amount of damage and continue flying. The A-10A single-seat variant was the only version built, though one A-10A was converted to an A-10B twin-seat version. In 2005, a program was begun to upgrade remaining A-10A aircraft to the A-10C configuration.

                The A-10 Thunderbolt II has excellent maneuverability at low air speeds and altitude, and is a highly accurate and survivable weapons-delivery platform. The aircraft can loiter near battle areas for extended periods of time and operate in low ceiling and visibility conditions. The wide combat radius and short takeoff and landing capability permit operations in and out of locations near front lines. Using night vision goggles, A-10 pilots can conduct their missions during darkness. Thunderbolt IIs have Night Vision Imaging Systems, or NVIS, goggle compatible single-seat cockpits forward of their wings and a large bubble canopy which provides pilots all-around vision. The pilots are protected by titanium armor that also protects parts of the flight-control system. The redundant primary structural sections allow the aircraft to enjoy better survivability during close air support than did previous aircraft. The aircraft can survive direct hits from armor-piercing and high explosive projectiles up to 23mm. Their self-sealing fuel cells are protected by internal and external foam. Manual systems back up their redundant hydraulic flight-control systems. This permits pilots to fly and land when hydraulic power is lost.

The Thunderbolt II can be serviced and operated from austere bases with limited facilities near battle areas. Many of the aircraft's parts are interchangeable left and right, including the engines, main landing gear and vertical stabilizers. Avionics equipment includes multi-band communications; Global Positioning System and inertial navigation systems; infrared and electronic countermeasures against air-to-air and air-to-surface threats. And, it has a heads-up display to display flight and weapons delivery information.

The Thunderbolt II can employ a wide variety of conventional munitions, including general purpose bombs, cluster bomb units, laser guided bombs, joint direct attack munitions or JDAM, wind corrected munitions dispenser or WCMD, AGM-65 Maverick and AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles, rockets, illumination flares, and the GAU-8/A 30mm cannon, capable of firing 3,900 rounds per minute to defeat a wide variety of targets including tanks.

The first production A-10A was delivered to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., in October 1975. The upgraded A-10C reached initial operational capability in September 2007. Specifically designed for close air support, its combination of large and varied ordnance load, long loiter time, accurate weapons delivery, austere field capability, and survivability has proven invaluable to the United States and its allies. The aircraft has participated in operations Desert Storm, Southern Watch, Provide Comfort, Desert Fox, Noble Anvil, Deny Flight, Deliberate Guard, Allied Force, Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom.

AAMs Python 4 Air to Air Missile System

Python 4 air to air missile System is the worlds advance short rage missile. The Python is a family of air-to-air missiles (AAMs) built by the Israeli weapons manufacturer Rafael Advanced Defense Systems. The first was the Shafrir 1 missile developed in 1959, followed by the Shafrir 2 in early 1970s. Subsequently, the missiles were given the western name of "Python", starting with Python-3 in 1978.

M90 Radar Chronograph

The M90 Radar Chronograph provides muzzle velocity data to the Fire Direction Center (FDC), enabling the FDC to compute accurate fire control solutions. This data input is critical to FD computations. Each artillery battery has one M90. The M90 Radar Chronograph is a Doppler radar system that consists of a radio frequency antenna, transmitter-receiver, readout display, mounting brackets that are semi-permanently mounted to each artillery weapon, and the necessary cables. The antenna and transmitter-receiver are mounted on a nonrecoiling part of the howitzer and are connected to the display/control unit by a 30-meter cable. The radar chronograph is powered by an external source of 18 - 30 volts DC. The M90 is not able to measure muzzle velocities of rocket-assisted projectiles or basebleed projectiles.

AN/TMQ-41 Meteorological Measuring Set {MMS}

This is a lightweight, automated, electronic system with essentially the same performance requirements as the current AN/TMQ-31 MDS. The major differences are size and weight.

It is used to acquire and process meteorological data, including wind speed and direction, humidity, temperature and pressure.

AN/PAQ-3 MULE

AN/PAQ-3 MULE is a man-portable tripod-mounted or shoulder-fired unit which incorporates a laser range-finder/target designator which works with all laser-guided weapons now under development. It is used to locate targets and to guide laser-guided projectiles to their targets. It can track moving targets and combine range, azimuth, and elevation into a digital message to be sent to the tactical fire control center. The major components are the Laser Designator/Rangefinder Module and the Stabilized Tracking Tripod Module. A supporting item of equipment is the North Finding Module. The system is capable of operating on 24 volt DC rechargeable batteries, or from 24 volt DC vehicle power using an external power adapter. It can effectively range a moving target to 3,000 meters, and a stationary target to 5,000 meters.

Sikorsky CH-148 Cyclone Info

The Sikorsky CH-148 Cyclone is a twin-engine, multi-role maritime helicopter manufactured by Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation for the Canadian Forces. CH-148 is to replace Canada's main ship-borne maritime helicopter, the CH-124 Sea King.
The CH-148 will be operated by the Canadian Forces Air Command. It can conduct anti-submarine warfare (ASW), anti-surface warfare, surveillance and control, search and rescue (SAR) missions. It will also provide tactical transport for national and international security missions.

The helicopter has been developed under the Canadian Forces' Maritime Helicopter Project (MHP). The project provides scope for the acquisition of 28 new, fully-equipped CH-148 Cyclone helicopters along with a long-term in-service support program. It will also provide 12 C-RAST helicopter haul-down systems for Halifax class (HFX) ships to accommodate the CH-148 Cyclone.
CH-148 is a military variant of the Sikorsky S-92 helicopter. It features a composite aluminium airframe with lightning-strike and high-intensity radio frequency pulse protection. It incorporates a wider four-bladed articulated composite main rotor blade in comparison with the S-70 Blackhawk. The tapered blade tip is angled downward to cut down noise and increase lift.
The helicopter can operate with modern high-tech naval frigates and is equipped with numerous safety features. Flaw tolerance, bird strike capability and engine burst containment are integrated into the design.

Lockheed Matin F-22 Raptor StealthFighter Info

The F-22 won the Air Force's Advanced Tactical Fighter contest over the Northrop YF-23 in April 1991. While the aircraft's primary mission remains air superiority, for which it can carry up to 8 air-to-air missiles internally, a secondary ground-attack role has also been developed. This capability was highlighted when the Raptor was briefly renamed the F/A-22 in late 2002, though it has again been designated as the F-22 since December 2005. The F-22 was designed primarily to supplement and replace the F-15 by incorporating new stealth features and propulsion technology. These advances include its angular design, use of radar-absorbant composite materials, and the ability to "supercruise" at supersonic speeds without using an afterburner. The F-22 also emphasizes agility through the use of thrust vectoring nozzles and a sophisticated fly-by-wire control system.

Other advanced systems aboard the Raptor include an integrated avionics suite built around a powerful flight computer with three times the memory and 16 times the speed of that used on the F-15. The F-22 also uses a nav/attack system that incorporates artificial intelligence to filter information to the pilot reducing his workload as well as improving his situational awareness.

Two prototypes of both the YF-22 and YF-23 were constructed. One example of each aircraft was powered by Pratt & Whitney F119 turbofans and the other by the General Electric F120 turbofans. These various combinations allowed the Air Force to select the best airframe/propulsion match. The second YF-22 prototype, fitted with Pratt & Whitney engines, soon demonstrated the ability to cruise at Mach 1.58 without afterburner and Mach 1.7 with afterburner. This combination was deemed the most desirable, and both Lockheed and Pratt & Whitney were issued contracts to proceed with production. The production F-22 Raptor includes a number of modifications when compared to the YF-22 prototype, including greater wingspan, reduced wing sweep, a shortened fuselage, and a relocated cockpit to improve visibility.

Despite its advanced systems and exceptional performance, F-22 production has been limited due to the aircraft's high pricetag that has been estimated as high as $250 million apiece. Costs decreased as F-22 production methods improved, however, and the flyaway cost was estimated at $133 million in 2005. Lockheed Martin has also indicated that F-22 unit cost may drop below $100 million in future production lots. Regardless, even these cost reductions have proven insufficient as the Obama administration convinced Congress to cancel further funding for the Raptor program. The Air Force had originally hoped to purchase 750 examples of the F-22 and still states a requirement for at least 380 planes. Nevertheless, budget plans have slashed the anticipated F-22 fleet to 187 aircraft with production scheduled to end in 2011. By late 2008, some 130 F-22 Raptors had been delivered to the Air Force.

The Raptor program was set back by numerous delays in manufacturing, software development, and flight testing that pushed service entry back by several years. Operational Testing finally commenced at Nellis and Edwards AFB in October 2003, and a pilot training squadron was established at Tyndall AFB. The first operational squadron is the 27th Fighter Squadron at Langley AFB that reached initial operational capability in December 2005. Upon entering service, the Raptor has been cleared to carry the AIM-120 AMRAAM medium-range air-to-air missile, the AIM-9M Sidewinder short-range air-to-air missile, and the GBU-32 JDAM 1,000-lb GPS-guided bomb. Other weapons planned for integration aboard the F-22 in the near future include the GBU-39 SDB GPS-guided bomb and the latest AIM-9X variant of Sidewinder.

The US Congress has so far voted to deny export of the F-22 to foreign countries, but Japan and Israel have expressed strong interest in purchasing the plane. Australia also made a bid but has instead chosen to buy the F-35.

Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-31 Foxhound Information & Description

Mikoyan-Gurevich  MiG-31 Foxhound it was  developed as an improved MiG-25 (the original prototype was based on a converted MiG-25MP), the Foxhound was designed to improve the range, low altitude speed, and electronic performance and capabilities of the earlier interceptor. As such, the MiG-31 utilizes larger engines and air intakes, extended exhaust nozzles, a strengthened airframe (to improve low altitude supersonic performance) and a phased array radar capable of tracking ten separate targets out to 75 miles (120 km) and engaging up to four simultaniously. Additionally, the MiG-31 incorperates an additional crewmember who serves as the weapon systems operator.

Su-25 Frogfoot- Military Aircraft

           Su-25 Frogfoot  introduced in 1980, it was the first dedicated ground attack aircraft produced by the Soviet Union since the World War Two era propeller driven Il-2 Shturmovik. drawing heavily on lessons learned by the American Air Force during the vietnam war, and mirroring the performance of the American A-10 Warthog, the Frogfoot is a rugged aircraft capable of accuratly delivering a heavy payload from low altitude and surviving in the low level, high threat forward area environment. Though the Sukhoi Design Bureau originally sought to rely on speed to survive, it was determined that increased speed reduced the low level battlefield effectiveness of the aircraft. In short, if the aircraft was to perform its job effectivly, it would have to be able of operating at low speeds; speed would be sacrificed for low speed maneuverability and heavy armor.

After several design changes, the first prototypes were accepted in 1980. The 1st production Frogfoots were equipped with twin multi-fuel non afterburning turbojet engines, a twin barreled internally mounted 30mm cannon, titanium armor around the pilot and control surfaces, and foam filled, non-explosive self sealing fuel cells. The Su-25 was equipped with eleven underwing and under body hard points, was capable of delivering 4000 kilograms (8,818 pounds) of ordnance and could be operated off of unimproved dirt strips.

The following combat experience in Afganistan, an enhanced version, the Frogfoot-B, was fielded in 1984. The B model was a production modified version of the two seat Frogfoot-A trainer. The second seat was removed, as was the internal gun, and additional fuel, armor, and avionics were installed, in addition to an improved 30mm cannon, mounted in an external pod. In addition, the Frogfoot's lack of all weather, night time capability was addressed by incorperating a Forward Looking Infra Red (FLIR) low light navigation system as well as a TV camera and laser designator, spot tracker and rangefinding package. Although the Frogfoot has been out of production for a number of years, it still remains in front line service with Russia's Frontal Aviation as well as many export nations, including Iraq.

Marine Protector-class Patrol Boat Info

             The Marine Protector-class of 87-foot costal patrol boats (WPB) was initiate in 1993 to substitute the existing fleet of Vietnam-era 82' Point-class patrol boats. The 87' WPBs would offer improvements in crew habitability, electronics, communications, and sea handling. Most notably, the 87' WPBs are capable of deploying and recovering a 5.5m RIB (Rigid hull Inflatable Boat) while underway (with the 82' WPBs, deploying the RIB required the patrol boat break off operations to winch the RIB over the side with a hoist.) The design of the 87' WPB is based upon the Damen Stan Patrol 2600 then in service with the Hong Kong Police. The production contract was award to the Bollinger Shipyards out of Lockport, LA. With the first production model, the USCGC Barracuda (CG 87301), entering service in Eureka, CA. in January 1998. Construction would be split between Bollinger, which was responsible for construction of the hull in addition to final assembly, while the superstructure would be assembled by VT Halmatic.

The Marine Protector-class patrol boats are powered by two MTU 8V396TE94 twin-turbo V8 diesel engines, producing 2,680 horsepower combined.  Propulsion is provided by two shafts fitted with fixed pitch 5-bladed screws.

A total of 65 have been produced, with the previous, USCGC Terrapin (CG 87366), commissioned in January 2005 and assigned to Bellingham, WA. Unit cost was $3.5 million per boat.

T-AK - LASH Type Cargo Ships

                    The lighterage on board ships are assigned to Military Sealift Command's Prepositioning Program. SS Green Valley, SS Green Harbour, SS Austral Rainbow and MV Jeb Stuart are all stationed out of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean.

The LASH ships are capable to transport both barges and containers. All four ships are self-sustaining, meaning they are capable of unloading themselves in areas without developed harbor infrastructure.

The Green Valley was chartered by MSC in 1992. Central Gulf Lines owns and operates the Green Valley. The Austral Rainbow and Green Harbour are also owned and operated by Central Gulf Lines. The Austral Rainbow was first acquired by MSC in 1987 and has had severed successive charters with MSC. The Green Harbour was acquired in 1985. The Jeb Stuart is owned and operated by Waterman Steamship Company under contract to MSC. The Jeb Stuart was chartered in 1992.

Avenger Weapons System

Avenger Weapons System, as part of the Stinger Weapons System, to provide a light weight, day/night limited adverse weather fire unit for countering the threat of low altitude, high-speed fixed or rotary wing aircraft. Also carries a machine gun for self-defense.
The Phalanx (CIWS) Close-In Weapons System  underwent operational tests and evaluation on board USS Bigelow in 1977, and exceeded maintenance and reliability specifications. Phalanx production started in 1978 with orders for 23 USN and 14 Foreign Military Sales systems.

The AH-64 Apache

THE AH-64 APACHE
The AH-64 Apache is a four-blade, twin-engine attack helicopter with reverse-tricycle landing gear, and tandem cockpit for a crew of two. The AH-64 Apache was developed as Model 77 by Hughes Helicopters for the United States Army's Advanced Attack Helicopter program to replace the AH-1 Cobra. First flown on 1 October 1975, The AH-64 Apache features a nose-mounted sensor suite for target acquisition and night vision systems. The AH-64 Apache is armed with a 30 mm M230 Chain Gun carried between the main landing gear, under the aircraft's belly. The AH-64 also carries a mixture of AGM-114 Hellfire and Hydra 70 rocket pods on four hard points mounted on stub-wing pylons. The AH-64 Apache also features double- and triple-redundant aircraft systems to improve survivability for the aircraft and crew in combat, as well as improved crash survivability for the pilots.

The U.S. Army selected The AH-64 Apache over the Bell YAH-63 in 1976, awarding Hughes Helicopters a pre-production contract for two more aircraft. In 1982, the Army approved full production. McDonnell Douglas continued production and development after purchasing Hughes Helicopters from Summa Corporation in 1984. The first production AH-64D Apache Longbow was delivered to the Army in March 1997. In August 1997, Boeing and McDonnell Douglas merged to become The Boeing Company. Today, AH-64 production is continued by the Boeing Integrated Defense Systems division.

M60A1 Vehicle Launched Bridge

M60A1 VEHICLE LAUNCHED BRIDGE The M60A1 AVLB is an armored vehicle used for launching and retrieving a 60-foot scissors-type bridge. The AVLB consists of three major sections: the launcher, the hull, and the bridge. The launcher is mounted as an integral part of the chassis. The bridge, when emplaced, is capable of supporting tracked and wheeled vehicles with a military load bearing capacity up to Class 60. The bridge can be retrieved from either end. The roadway width of the AVLB is 12 feet, 6 inches. Bridge emplacement can be accomplished in 2 to 5 minutes, and retrieval can be accomplished in 10 minutes under armor protection.

Kevlar - Bullitproof Vest personal armor

      Kevlar Vest a ballistic vest, bulletproof vest or bullet-resistant vest is an item of personal armor that helps take up the impact from firearm-fired projectiles and shrapnel from explosion. Spongy vests are complete from many layers of woven or coated fibers and can be capable of protecting who may wear it from small-caliber handgun and shotgun projectiles, and small fragments from explosives such as hand grenades.

Metal or ceramic plates can be used with a soft vest, providing additional protection from rifle rounds, and metallic components or tightly-woven fiber layers can give soft armor resistance to stab and slash attacks from knives and similar close-quarter weapons. Soft vests are commonly worn by police forces, private citizens, security guards, bodyguards, and our Military soldiers whereas hard-plate reinforced vests are mainly worn by some operations or tactical combat in field, police tactical units, and hostage rescue teams.

Present body armor may combine a ballistic vest with other items of protective clothing, such as a combat helmet. Vests intended for police and military use may also include ballistic shoulder and side protection armor components, and bomb disposal officers wear heavy armor and helmets with face visors and spine protection.

M61A1 20mm Cannon

It was a current version of M61, the M61A1; it remains relatively unchanged from past models. In its basic form the M61A1 is a six barreled rotary cannon firing a variety of electrically primed 20mm cannon shells. The gun can be mounted either internally in aircraft, or externally in a pod arrangement, and has been mounted on both ground vehicles and trailers for use as an air defense weapon. The M61A1 can be driven hydraulically, electrically, or by ram air and has a variable rate of fire of between 4,000 and 7,200 rounds per minute or it’s depend  on individual settings and performance requirements.

M203 40mm Grenade Launcher

           M203 40mm Grenade Launcher is used while attached to an M16A2 5.56mm rifle. It is a lightweight, compact, breech loading, pump action, single shot launcher. The launcher consists of a hand guard and sight assembly with an adjustable metallic folding, short-range blade sight assembly, and an aluminum receiver assembly which houses the barrel latch, barrel stop and firing mechanism. The launcher is capable of dismissal have variety low velocity 40mm ammunition.

The launcher also has a quadrant sight which may be attach to the M16A2 carrying knob and is used when precision is required out to the maximum effective range of the weapon.

XM -25 Sniper Rifle

The XM -25 fires 25 mm grenades that are set to explode in mid-air at or near the target. A laser rangefinder in the weapon is used to determine the distance to the target. The user can manually adjust the detonating distance by up to 10 feet (3.0 m) shorter or longer; XM25 mechanically transmit the detonate distance to the grenade in the firing chamber. The grenade tracks the distance it has traveled by the number of spiral rotations after it is fired then detonate at the proper distance to produce an air burst effect. These features make the XM25 more effective than usual grenade launchers at the task of hitting targets that are behind cover or dug into the ground. One of the weapon's developers, Richard Audette, believes that the XM25 is a big leap forward because it is the first small arms weapon to use smart technology.

Tornado Fighter Jet

Tornado fighter jets were developed by an international consortium in the 1970s for the British, German, and Italian air forces. The jets are used for both air combat and reconnaissance missions and may be equipped with bombs, air-to-air missiles, and air-to-surface missiles.

U-2 Reconnaissance Aircraft

The U-2 reconnaissance plane can fly at altitudes up to about 30,000 m (90,000 ft). It carries high resolution cameras and specialized radar to provide intelligence information to United States military and political leaders.