L115A3 Sniper Gun that Can Kill over a Mile

Often termed as the best sniper gun of 2010, the L115A3, fires a heavier bullet to much longer ranges and has a state-of-the-art telescopic sight with twice the magnifying power of the old version. More than 500 are on order from the British manufacturers, Accuracy International.

Since British forces moved into Helmand Province two years ago to take on the Taliban, demand for snipers has soared and 120 a year are now passing through the specialist training school at Warminster in Wiltshire.
One said: “It’s a huge step forward. I’ll be using the new rifle in Afghanistan this summer.

“It’s a little heavier to carry, but the extra power is worth it. The improved telescopic sight can cut through the heat haze, which was preventing us from spotting targets at longer ranges.”

Sniping is proving a hugely-important tactic in Afghanistan, where the difficulty of fighting among maze-like compounds and thick vegetation necessitates attacking the enemy at long range.

The controversy over so-called “collateral damage” from devastating airstrikes killing innocent civilians adds to the advantages of a pinpoint attack.

A senior officer at the Weapons Support School in Warminster said: “With the new rifle we now expect to be able to engage a target at 1,500 metres. With the old version it was about 1,000 metres.
“That makes a massive difference. You can keep the enemy at arm’s length with snipers. Or you can have several of them firing simultaneously.

“It is devastating for an enemy’s morale if a number of their fighters are suddenly shot at the same instant, and they can’t even see where the firing is coming from. They tend to withdraw fast.”

Training an infantryman to become a sniper can take up to a year, and only the most talented soldiers are allowed even to start the demanding courses.

First a candidate must master the technical aspects of shooting, learning to judge the strength of the wind extremely accurately using a variety of clues, and to adjust aim accordingly.

Just as importantly a sniper must learn to track his prey, move into position with extreme stealth, camouflage himself perfectly whether in natural cover or a battle-scarred city, and then disappear just as stealthily.

The senior officer said: “There is a long waiting list. Battalions are desperate to send soldiers here for training, and every soldier wants to be a sniper.

“They’re held in extremely high regard. This new rifle will make them even more effective.”

Bangladesh Army Mutiny (2009)

A mutiny by Bangladesh's border guard unit, the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR), resulted in heavy combat in the capital city of Dhaka on February 25, 2009, as the mutineers battled against troops loyal to the government. The reasons for the revolt were speculated to involve issues of pay and living conditions, though a new government took office in January of 2009, and the rebellion may be politically motivated. The BDR is a military force of some 42,000 troops whose main task is to guard the nation's very long border.
By the end of the first day of the mutiny, the government reported nearly 50 deaths as a result of the fighting, including senior commanders of the Bangladesh Rifles. The officers apparently died as lower-ranking soldiers took the officers hostage at the beginning of the mutiny.The rebel troops also took control of a shopping mall near their Dhaka barracks. By Thursday, the second day of the rebellion, reports indicated that the mutiny had spread across the country to involve military barracks throughout Bangladesh.
As the violence spread, mutineers rebelled in the southern town of Tekhnaf early Thursday, forcing the unit commander to flee. Violence also erupted at Bangladesh Rifle bases in Cox's Bazar, Chittagong and Naikhongchari in the south, Sylhet in the northeast, Rajshahi and Naogaon in the northwest. Bangladeshi television stations reported border guard rebellions in 12 of the 64 border districts where the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) is stationed.


After the government sent armored units of the army into the capital, the rebels in Dhaka surrendered, but reports of continued violence around the country continued.
By the end of the second day, violence ended as the mutineers surrendered. At least 148 people died, most of them military officers.

Mig-29

chinese aircraft carrier

Type 79 Submachine Gun

Srilanka SLNS Prathapa (P 340)

in 1988, the Dvora Class Patrol Boats joined the growing Israel Navy fleet. While the ship was constructed according to the Dabur Class Patrol Boat design, its two meters longer and much quicker in speed. The troops serving in the Dvora boats are imbued with a spirit of comradeship, pride and high levels of motivation.

                                                                

Mig-21 Take off failure and pilot safe ejection

SHENYANG J-11D/E RENAMED TO "J-16"

J-11D/E stealth aircraft performance data:
　　Crew: 1 pilot
　　Length: 19.4 m
　　Wingspan: 14.25 m
　　Height: 5.35 m
　　Wing area: 79.04 m2
　　Empty weight: 14,879 kg
　　Normal takeoff weight: 25,457 kg
　　Maximum Takeoff Weight: 36,899 kg
　　Engine: two domestic 10B turbofan engines, each with a maximum output after the fuel 155. 7 kN
　　Speed: 2.35 Mach (1,600 miles / hour, 2,518 km / h)
　　Cruising speed: 1.85 Mach (1,320 miles / hour, 1,987 km / h)
　　Flight range: 1,700 miles (1,940 nautical miles, 3,160 km), plus two drop tanks hanging
　　Maximum ceiling: 21,000 m
General)
　　Maximum G limits: -3. 1G / +9. 2 G
　　Take-off roll distance: 598 m
　　Landing run distance: 895 m
　　Combat radius: 2875 km
　　The maximum dive speed: 2.68 Mach
　　Front and rear track: 6.35 m
　　Maximum Payload: 15,340 kg
　　Maximum takeoff weight: 28,273 kg
Empty weight: 14,235 kg

VX-31 Dust Devils Celebrate Naval Aviation's Centennial With Retro-Painted F/A-18 Hornet

Throughout 2011, the Centennial of Naval Aviation (CONA) will be celebrated across the nation. Last year, Vice Admiral T.J. Kilcline, former commander of Naval Air Forces (CNAF) put the Navy’s year-long celebration plan in context when he said, “By supporting this important milestone each organization's hard work will serve to honor tens of thousands of naval aviation personnel and their families spanning many generations." Rear Admiral Mat Winter, commander of the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division (NAWCWD), challenged his military and civilian team members to honor the aircraft and the weapons that made them so successful in combat. Like many other Navy squadrons around the globe, Air Test and Evaluation Squadron THREE ONE (VX-31) painted one of its aircraft in a special commemorative paint scheme--one that pays homage to the rich heritage of NAWCWD China Lake, Ca., and the significant flight test contributions to our warfighting capability. “The entire China Lake workforce played a pivotal role in the history of naval aviation and we wanted to honor those achievements,” said Cmdr. Brady Bartosh, VX-31 Commanding Officer. “The aircraft known as COSO 101 was chosen because it accumulated over 4,000 flight hours. The F/A-18 is the Navy’s primary strike fighter aircraft, serving in combat operations over Iraq, Kosovo and Afghanistan.”

Cmdr. Ian Anderson, VX-31 Executive Officer and military aviation history buff, researched China Lake’s history for a design concept that would evoke this facility’s rich heritage. “We focused on the 1960s,” Anderson said, “which saw the development and introduction of innovative new weapons technologies that revolutionized air warfare and increased the combat potential of carrier aircraft during the Vietnam conflict and the Cold War.” After settling on a design concept, Anderson contacted his longtime friend, Capt. Rich Dann, CONA Director of History and Outreach for CNAF. Dann is also a published aviation historian, artist and a recognized expert on naval aviation paint schemes. Based on Anderson’s concept, Dann created a template that gave COSO 101 the look of a Douglas A-4C Skyhawk (China Lake’s primary weapons test aircraft) as it appeared during the late 1950s through the mid-1960s. 

Two months later, Chief Warrant Officer Chris Obenland and volunteers from VX-31’s Contract Oversight Team put the plan into action. Chief Petty Officers Kenneth Smart and Paul Williams, along with Mr. Sean Corcoran, spray-painted the historic colors onto COSO 101. This is the second NAWCWD aircraft to receive a retro-paint scheme as part of the commemoration. A few months earlier, an S-3B Viking from Air Test and Evaluation Squadron THREE ZERO (VX-30) at Point Mugu, Ca., was painted to match the colors of the Navy’s SBD “Dauntless” dive bombers that were flown during the Battle of Midway in 1942. Both NAWCWD squadrons reside within NAVAIR, led by Vice Adm. David Architzel.

On May 5, 1947, Armitage Field was commissioned under the official title U.S. Naval Air Facility (NAF), U.S. Naval Ordnance Test Station, Inyokern, Ca. Even in the late 1940s era of post-war drawdown, NAF operated nearly every carrier-based aircraft type, including the first wave of Navy jets. 

From 1958 through 1969, China Lake’s NAF Flight Test Branch developed and tested a wide array of new conventional weapons on A-4 Skyhawks. The Snakeye, Walleye and Rockeye bombs, and the Shrike anti-radiation missile tested here were all used in Vietnam. 

In December 1976, China Lake’s NAF aircraft and flight test mission were reorganized into the new Aircraft Department of the Naval Weapons Center Test and Evaluation Directorate. The Aircraft Department was disestablished in May 1995. Its personnel and functions were incorporated into the newly created Naval Weapons Test Squadron (NWTS) China Lake, part of Naval Test Wing Pacific. At that time, the iconic "Dust Devil" was adopted as the squadron logo and mascot. In 2002, NWTS was redesignated the VX-31 “Dust Devils.”

This retro paint scheme is a great way to acknowledge our rich history and remind ourselves of the importance of what we do on a daily basis,” said Cmdr. Bartosh. “As long as NAWCWD has such dedicated, talented artisans and relevant aircraft like COSO 101, naval aviation will continue to be the premier power projection enterprise as we move into our next 100 years of service.”

VX-31’s CONA commemorative paint scheme evokes the look of China Lake’s mid-1960s A-4 Skyhawks.

 

VX-31 Dust Devils Celebrate Naval Aviation's Centennial With Retro-Painted F/A-18 Hornet

By Lt. Brian Culver, VX-31 Public Affairs Officer

Throughout 2011, the Centennial of Naval Aviation (CONA) will be celebrated across the nation. Last year, Vice Admiral T.J. Kilcline, former commander of Naval Air Forces (CNAF) put the Navy’s year-long celebration plan in context when he said, “By supporting this important milestone each organization's hard work will serve to honor tens of thousands of naval aviation personnel and their families spanning many generations." Rear Admiral Mat Winter, commander of the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division (NAWCWD), challenged his military and civilian team members to honor the aircraft and the weapons that made them so successful in combat. Like many other Navy squadrons around the globe, Air Test and Evaluation Squadron THREE ONE (VX-31) painted one of its aircraft in a special commemorative paint scheme--one that pays homage to the rich heritage of NAWCWD China Lake, Ca., and the significant flight test contributions to our warfighting capability. “The entire China Lake workforce played a pivotal role in the history of naval aviation and we wanted to honor those achievements,” said Cmdr. Brady Bartosh, VX-31 Commanding Officer. “The aircraft known as COSO 101 was chosen because it accumulated over 4,000 flight hours. The F/A-18 is the Navy’s primary strike fighter aircraft, serving in combat operations over Iraq, Kosovo and Afghanistan.”

Cmdr. Ian Anderson, VX-31 Executive Officer and military aviation history buff, researched China Lake’s history for a design concept that would evoke this facility’s rich heritage. “We focused on the 1960s,” Anderson said, “which saw the development and introduction of innovative new weapons technologies that revolutionized air warfare and increased the combat potential of carrier aircraft during the Vietnam conflict and the Cold War.” After settling on a design concept, Anderson contacted his longtime friend, Capt. Rich Dann, CONA Director of History and Outreach for CNAF. Dann is also a published aviation historian, artist and a recognized expert on naval aviation paint schemes. Based on Anderson’s concept, Dann created a template that gave COSO 101 the look of a Douglas A-4C Skyhawk (China Lake’s primary weapons test aircraft) as it appeared during the late 1950s through the mid-1960s. 

Two months later, Chief Warrant Officer Chris Obenland and volunteers from VX-31’s Contract Oversight Team put the plan into action. Chief Petty Officers Kenneth Smart and Paul Williams, along with Mr. Sean Corcoran, spray-painted the historic colors onto COSO 101. This is the second NAWCWD aircraft to receive a retro-paint scheme as part of the commemoration. A few months earlier, an S-3B Viking from Air Test and Evaluation Squadron THREE ZERO (VX-30) at Point Mugu, Ca., was painted to match the colors of the Navy’s SBD “Dauntless” dive bombers that were flown during the Battle of Midway in 1942. Both NAWCWD squadrons reside within NAVAIR, led by Vice Adm. David Architzel.

On May 5, 1947, Armitage Field was commissioned under the official title U.S. Naval Air Facility (NAF), U.S. Naval Ordnance Test Station, Inyokern, Ca. Even in the late 1940s era of post-war drawdown, NAF operated nearly every carrier-based aircraft type, including the first wave of Navy jets. 

From 1958 through 1969, China Lake’s NAF Flight Test Branch developed and tested a wide array of new conventional weapons on A-4 Skyhawks. The Snakeye, Walleye and Rockeye bombs, and the Shrike anti-radiation missile tested here were all used in Vietnam. 

In December 1976, China Lake’s NAF aircraft and flight test mission were reorganized into the new Aircraft Department of the Naval Weapons Center Test and Evaluation Directorate. The Aircraft Department was disestablished in May 1995. Its personnel and functions were incorporated into the newly created Naval Weapons Test Squadron (NWTS) China Lake, part of Naval Test Wing Pacific. At that time, the iconic "Dust Devil" was adopted as the squadron logo and mascot. In 2002, NWTS was redesignated the VX-31 “Dust Devils.”

This retro paint scheme is a great way to acknowledge our rich history and remind ourselves of the importance of what we do on a daily basis,” said Cmdr. Bartosh. “As long as NAWCWD has such dedicated, talented artisans and relevant aircraft like COSO 101, naval aviation will continue to be the premier power projection enterprise as we move into our next 100 years of service.”

VX-31’s CONA commemorative paint scheme evokes the look of China Lake’s mid-1960s A-4 Skyhawks.

A VX-31 Contract Oversight Team member applies “glossy gull gray” paint to COSO 101. U. S. Navy photo by Mike McGinnis

 An A-4C Skyhawk from NAF China Lake test fires a Shrike anti-radiation missile in the 1960s. U. S. Navy photo.

 VX-1's retro-painted COSO 101, seen on China Lake's flight line, evokes memories of the base's historic contributions to naval aviation