Air Force officials say the stealthy-looking Valkyrie could be configured for both surveillance and attack missions.
Here s What You Need To Remember: The aircraft already coordinate with drones to some extent - but the key difference is that, for the first time, they can be controlled through the aircraft itself, rather than relaying instructions through ground crews.
The U.S. Air Force’s “loyal wingman” plan for piloted fighter jets to control nearby drones took a large step forward recently. On December 9, a rocket-launched Valkyrie drone took off with an F-22 and F-35 together, a maneuver laying the groundwork for the fast-approaching day when fifth-generation stealth aircraft can control groups of nearby drones from the cockpit.
In the 1980s, the U.S. Army took the drastic step of arming its tank, the M1 Abrams, with the ultimate upgrade: a tank-killing round made of uranium, the heaviest naturally occurring element on Earth.
Two of the crew members were killed while a third was injured in the crash.
Here s What You Need To Remember: Some fifty air forces and air arms have operated different variants of the infamous aircraft that earned the nickname “flying tank.” The Mi-24 was first used in combat during the Ogaden War (1977-78) when it was flown by Ethiopian forces against Somalia and was operated extensively during the Soviet-Afghan War (1979-1989) when it was used to bomb Mujahedeen fighters.
It was reported recentlyly that a missile downed a Russian Mi-24 Hind military helicopter over Armenia, near the border with Azerbaijan. Two of the crew members were killed while a third was injured in the crash. The Russian aircraft was reportedly downed by a man-portable surface-to-air missile (MANPADS).
Russia May Not End Up Building Many T-14 Armata Tanks
It isn t just the profile of the Armata T-14 that sets this tank apart from its predecessors.
Here s What You Need To Remember: The T-14 is reported to offer up to STANAG 4569 Level 5 protection. The front hemisphere of the tank has reactive armor while the rear is fitted with bar armor that provides additional protections from anti-tank weapons such as an RPG.
Despite a reduction in Russian defense spending caused by lower oil prices, which came after the Kremlin opted not to cut production, the Russian military is charging ahead with its Armata combat vehicle program. It is being overseen by Rostec Corporation – the Moscow conglomerate that specializes in consolidating strategically important companies in Russia s defense sector.
Both Russia and the United States already routinely deploy bombers and spy planes on patrols skirting each other’s airspace for both political and military reasons.