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Epiphyte posted:Check out Dead Hand Blistex posted:Everyone needs to read "Sled Driver: Flying the World's Fastest Jet". It's about the SR-71 and you can usually pick up used copies on Amazon for pretty cheap.
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Feb 23, 2016 17:59
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Dead Reckoning posted:The cheapest one is $350 right now. You're better off trying inter-library loan. Or hunting in used book stores, sometimes they don't know what they have. You can buy the re-release directly from Brian Shul for less than that: http://galleryonepublishing.com/ There are even limited editions with signatures and extra crap. I fully intend to buy the limited edition set one of these days. e: it's still expensive as gently caress, but at least the money is going directly to the author?
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Feb 23, 2016 18:03
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Dead Reckoning posted:From what I understand, Dead Hand is far more speculative and not nearly as well sourced as Command & Control. Not surprising, given the Russian/Soviet governments' penchant for secrecy. Dead Hand covers something that is still ongoing - the Soviet bioweapons program, so yeah, the dude doesn't get to talk to people currently involved. It also won a pulitzer prize.
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Feb 23, 2016 18:19
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USAF did a minuteman footshot http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...os-Angeles.html
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Feb 23, 2016 18:29
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https://www.dropbox.com/s/7rjed4ikc5p6vre/For%20goons.rar?dl=0 So here's the photos. I was going to give you all of them, but that clocked up at 1.6gb  and that's just a bit much. So here I have culled quite a few to give you a much more reasonable 700mb.
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Feb 23, 2016 21:54
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Doctor Grape Ape posted:You can buy the re-release directly from Brian Shul for less than that: http://galleryonepublishing.com/ There are even limited editions with signatures and extra crap. I fully intend to buy the limited edition set one of these days. A couple (hundred?) pages back somebody posted a PDF of it that was floating around the internet.
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Feb 23, 2016 22:02
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Blind Man's Bluff is really good and about Cold War shenanigans.
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Feb 23, 2016 23:24
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Not directly air power or Cold War but I enjoyed The Sword and the Shield: The Mitrokhin Archive and the Secret History of the KGB. The writing is dry as hell, but it's amazing (and a bit scary) how effective the KGB was pre and during-WW2. E: There's plenty of Cold War stuff in there too, but the book makes it seem like bureaucracy took a lot of the initiative away post-WW2 and made the spies less effective. goatsestretchgoals fucked around with this message at 00:41 on Feb 24, 2016 |
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Feb 24, 2016 00:39
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Nebakenezzer posted:Dead Hand covers something that is still ongoing - the Soviet bioweapons program, so yeah, the dude doesn't get to talk to people currently involved. It also won a pulitzer prize. The book Biohazard by Ken Alibek was pretty god drat terrifying, and he lead the drat program for years before loving off to the USA. There's a good part in there where a fermenter breaks down and he's walking ankle deep in a soup of rabbit fever, catches it, stays home for a few days taking crash doses of tetracycline then heads back to work without telling anyone. The Biopreparat is scary as hell.
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Feb 24, 2016 03:16
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Munnin The Crab posted:The book Biohazard by Ken Alibek was pretty god drat terrifying, and he lead the drat program for years before loving off to the USA. There's a good part in there where a fermenter breaks down and he's walking ankle deep in a soup of rabbit fever, catches it, stays home for a few days taking crash doses of tetracycline then heads back to work without telling anyone. Alibek was the "First Deputy Director" of Biopreparat, and after his defection he's embraced capitalism so much that not a single major news outlet will touch him. Even during the Ebola scare, he got no screentime, as he gave up his shot at being a serious biowarfare/infectious disease expert to shill his "immunity formula" to Preppers. So aside from the poo poo he told the CIA and USAMRIID to get asylum and citizenship, which is probably still under TS-SCI, pretty much take whatever else he says with a grain or twenty of Brian Williams-grade salt. He will do or say anything to get mentioned or referenced in an article, book, or paper. But yes, aside from that, Biopreparat is scary as gently caress, mostly because they have and work with the India-1 strain of Smallpox, which has a higher incidence rate of turning hemorrhagic and thus is wayyyyyy more lethal than the Harper strain the CDC bases most of its research and study on. BIG HEADLINE fucked around with this message at 07:55 on Feb 24, 2016 |
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Feb 24, 2016 03:34
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The stuff the USAMRIID guys say about Bioprepat in The Hot Zone was creepy enough, and they saw it after the wall fell and they tried cleaning up/hiding the worst of the poo poo A Higher Form of Killing is a good overview of the birth of chemical/biological weapons and has some good info on the later Western programs, but only a few anectdotal Soviet stories. The Brits got up to some mindblowing poo poo involving human testing
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Feb 24, 2016 04:02
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Smiling Jack posted:Blind Man's Bluff is really good and about Cold War shenanigans. Yeah, Blind Man's Bluff is quite good, some really neat sub stuff. I tried Dead Hand but got bogged down in all the Saint Reagan fellating. It wasn't nearly as engaging as Command and Control.
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Feb 24, 2016 04:03
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quote:The Brits got up to some mindblowing poo poo involving human testing
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Feb 24, 2016 04:23
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Flipswitch posted:Mind expanding on this a little bit? This is a topic I know almost nothing about but am rather interested. The very tl;dr version is that the Brits: -extensively tested live chemical and biological weapons on unwitting soldiers for decades, and they killed or permanently disabled a shocking number of them in the process; -when the families of said dead soldiers sought answers/compensation, they were basically told "OFFICIAL SECRETS, gently caress OFF FOREVER"; and -rendered an entire island potentially uninhabitable for centuries with anthrax testing. There are a lot of other terrible things they did too in their chemical/biological weapons programming., but these are the big ones that came to mind immediately.
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Feb 24, 2016 04:39
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MrChips posted:-rendered an entire island potentially uninhabitable for centuries with anthrax testing. Wikipedia seems to think that Gruinard Island has been effectively decontaminated. I guess nobody is going to be in a rush to actually live there, but apparently sheep have been living there without issue since 1990. Unless you mean that they didn't know at the time that they'd be able to clean it up afterwards, which would be entirely reasonable.
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Feb 24, 2016 05:04
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Yes, it's like a lava lamp.
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PittTheElder posted:Wikipedia seems to think that Gruinard Island has been effectively decontaminated. I guess nobody is going to be in a rush to actually live there, but apparently sheep have been living there without issue since 1990. Unless you mean that they didn't know at the time that they'd be able to clean it up afterwards, which would be entirely reasonable. Sounds good, you move there first!
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Feb 24, 2016 05:12
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Well time to check in with how the Canadian Surface Combatant project is going to replace the destroyers and frigates..The Ottawa Citizen posted:On Monday, Public Services Minister Judy Foote announced that Steve Brunton has been selected as “expert advisor” to assist the government on the National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy. Well poo poo Article here: http://www.ottawacitizen.com/News/11738845/story.html
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Feb 24, 2016 05:34
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priznat posted:Well time to check in with how the Canadian Surface Combatant project is going to replace the destroyers and frigates.. Is there something specifically bad about Brunton being chosen to advise, or is it a general "RN ship building has been a dumpster fire, now Canada's gonna catch it" joke?
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Feb 24, 2016 05:46
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Davin Valkri posted:Is there something specifically bad about Brunton being chosen to advise, or is it a general "RN ship building has been a dumpster fire, now Canada's gonna catch it" joke? Pretty much the latter. Because of the Queen E. The Type 45 seems alright but I don't like it because it looks doofy as all hell. He'll probably bring in BAE to gently caress us up the butt.
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Feb 24, 2016 05:52
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priznat posted:Pretty much the latter. Because of the Queen E. The Type 45 seems alright but I don't like it because it looks doofy as all hell. Eh, you might get lucky and just get a modified FREMM or one of the Scandinavian boats though. As far as I know (not much more then technical specs) they are pretty capable boats. I'd certainly see more value in something like the Iver Huitfeldt for open water work than I do the current LCS.
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Feb 24, 2016 07:29
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priznat posted:He'll probably bring in BAE to gently caress us up the butt. Next from Chuck Tingle: Pounded in the Butt by My Own Byzantine Procurement System
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Feb 24, 2016 08:13
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priznat posted:Pretty much the latter. Because of the Queen E. The Type 45 seems alright but I don't like it because it looks doofy as all hell. Type 45 has had some - almost LCS - issues: http://www.ft.com/fastft/2016/01/29/refitting-royal-navys-combat-ship-engine-to-cost-tens-of-millions/ But I can see where a GCS type ship could be a great solution for a lot of NATO navies if you want to add capability. 12 strike length cells that can shoot ASROC/tomahawks/LSRAMs plus shorter cells for ESSMs. I think I read somewhere that the block 2 version is going to add an active seeker. Otherwise it seems a FREMM type solution would be great too. Shame the LCS is so meh for the export market. Why we didn't include regular VLS...
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Feb 24, 2016 10:02
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jadebullet posted:Hey guys, I finally managed to catch up to the end of the thread after months of reading. The Dead Hand. E,f,b.
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Feb 24, 2016 12:29
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Mazz posted:Eh, you might get lucky and just get a modified FREMM or one of the Scandinavian boats though. As far as I know (not much more then technical specs) they are pretty capable boats. I'd certainly see more value in something like the Iver Huitfeldt for open water work than I do the current LCS. http://www.janes.com/article/58286/harpoon-set-for-lcs-live-fire-test-at-rimpac-2016 All of the blue water problems for the LCS will be solved now! 
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Feb 24, 2016 14:18
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The LCS needs at least an 8 cell VLS before I can see it doing anything more than shooting at speed boats. Half the modules for its specialized roles either still don't exist or have been cut back significantly (IIRC). This is especially true since that Harpoon replacement missile is going to be VLS required in block 2 or whatever. It is a start though, I guess. Too bad we've already built like 10. Mazz fucked around with this message at 19:15 on Feb 24, 2016 |
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Feb 24, 2016 19:00
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http://www.189aw.ang.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123469559 So this is pretty sweet, someone strapped a LITENING precision targeting pod to a C-130.
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Feb 24, 2016 22:50
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Prop Wash posted:http://www.189aw.ang.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123469559
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Feb 24, 2016 23:13
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It opens a lot of doors, several of which are mentioned near the end of the article. NTISR is probably another idea that might actually give it a chance at getting funded.
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Feb 24, 2016 23:24
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Godholio posted:It opens a lot of doors, several of which are mentioned near the end of the article. NTISR is probably another idea that might actually give it a chance at getting funded. Every time someone says, "I know, lets take a mobility asset and give it <capability> for ~*~Non-Traditional Missions~*~!!!", I die a little on the inside. Yeah, let's hang a JDAM on the wing of every KC-135 and KC-10 over Afghanistan, that way we'll have 24/7 CAS coverage when they're just sitting there making left turns. Nothing can go wrong with this idea!
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Feb 24, 2016 23:37
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standard.deviant posted:Apparently to support JPADS or something like it? Yeah basically. If you can use those pods to drop bombs accurately, you can use them to drop almost anything else accurately too. It would in theory be best for jpads (which is itself similarly stolen from fighters) but it works with anything. It's strange that they're fielding it with the H models instead of the J, because the J can make much better use of the data it provides. At least, it's strange until you realize that it's Guard tails getting modded and oh hey a new ISR capability throw money at us. Still, from a purely airdrop perspective, it's a method of making airdrops more precise than ever before, at a much lower cost.
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Feb 24, 2016 23:42
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Feb 25, 2016 00:17
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^Holy poo poo  Prop Wash posted:Yeah basically. If you can use those pods to drop bombs accurately, you can use them to drop almost anything else accurately too. It would in theory be best for jpads (which is itself similarly stolen from fighters) but it works with anything. They had two H model tails that were already pylon-ready from a previous test program. DR while I agree kinetic mods are ridiculous in most cases, everything flying should have the ability to soak up something, whether it's imagery or signals.
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Feb 25, 2016 01:34
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Godholio posted:DR while I agree kinetic mods are ridiculous in most cases, everything flying should have the ability to soak up something, whether it's imagery or signals. It's loving sad this isn't the case -- it's entirely technically possible but politics and the crusty aerospace establishment will never allow it.
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Feb 25, 2016 01:56
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movax posted:It's loving sad this isn't the case -- it's entirely technically possible but politics and the crusty aerospace establishment will never allow it.
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Feb 25, 2016 02:05
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movax posted:It's loving sad this isn't the case -- it's entirely technically possible but politics and the crusty aerospace establishment will never allow it.  
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Feb 25, 2016 02:10
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We already fly over countries with planes that have a variety of ESM systems on it. Why would that be an issue? EDIT: I cant find a list of planes with an AN/ALR or AN/ALQ something on it but it seems like any of those should be capable of sigint as is or with minor upgrades. CarForumPoster fucked around with this message at 02:25 on Feb 25, 2016 |
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Feb 25, 2016 02:20
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standard.deviant posted:Also good loving luck getting diplomatic clearance for overflights if you put collection suites on every plane in the fleet. That's not as much of a problem as you might think (at least, not right now). The countries that would throw a fit are the ones we're not asking to overfly anyway. That said, not getting dip clearances is a pain in the dick. Just ask NATO how much fun it was trying to get their Luxembourg-registered jets around all the countries that don't recognize Luxembourg for some loving reason.
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Feb 25, 2016 02:44
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Prop Wash posted:Yeah basically. If you can use those pods to drop bombs accurately, you can use them to drop almost anything else accurately too. It would in theory be best for jpads (which is itself similarly stolen from fighters) but it works with anything. lol yeah this is really nothing more than NGB's latest attempt to avoid having all their -H model units get shut down in a few years when AMP dies again (or is it back to being dead? I can't keep track) cool idea/capability though
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Feb 25, 2016 03:14
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standard.deviant posted:Also good loving luck getting diplomatic clearance for overflights if you put collection suites on every plane in the fleet. Actually, after posting that, I thought about a tiny-rear end little pod you could chuck onto civilian airliners at-will and end up with a network of thousands of airborne snoops at any given time. Sip a little bit of electrical power (or self-generate it), dump data to NSA/whatever SIGINT agency on landing. Pay the airlines some dough to carry it around and call it good. But, that goes down a very slippery road that gets your now civilian "spy planes" shot down. 
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Feb 25, 2016 05:22
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standard.deviant posted:Also good loving luck getting diplomatic clearance for overflights if you put collection suites on every plane in the fleet. CarForumPoster posted:We already fly over countries with planes that have a variety of ESM systems on it. Why would that be an issue? Godholio posted:DR while I agree kinetic mods are ridiculous in most cases, everything flying should have the ability to soak up something, whether it's imagery or signals. movax posted:It's loving sad this isn't the case -- it's entirely technically possible but politics and the crusty aerospace establishment will never allow it. S.D. pointed out a big problem as well. We fly through and land in a lot of countries that aren't NATO allies. Some of them are OK with logistics & airlift flights, but won't allow combat missions or American Spy Planes for political reasons. Once you start putting a kinetic or collection capability on all your aircraft, it's going to get significantly more difficult to get that sort of cooperation. Look how much trouble a FLIR ball got a HC-130 crew in. (Apologies for the IGN link, the original article is nowhere to be found on airforcetimes.com anymore.)
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Feb 25, 2016 05:24
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