Recent posts

#11

Computer Gaming / Re: The Groginati Sales Thread

Last post by Gusington - Yesterday at 08:05:44 PM

^Thank you - will purchase when I get the chance. Still have some time to get the whole package for ~12.00.

#12

Current Events / Re: Russia's War Against Ukrai...

Last post by JasonPratt - Yesterday at 06:58:00 PM

As for the question of global conflict: France is still a Great Power I think, and they have definitely said they're sending forces into Ukraine now (presumably to guard the line at Belorus). Once/if Russia hits French forces, or vice versa, there will technically be a 'global' conflict.

More importantly (if possible), if Russia wins in Ukraine, they need to take Romania and something else NATOy nearby, which Putin has not been hiding the ball about, and once Russia starts this then we're in much much much worse trouble because Russia will be in much worse trouble after NATO starts hammering them, and that's a nuke situation. That's why, in the medium-run, we're trying to hold the line at Ukraine -- it's a big difference between France and Russia doing some sniping at each other in Ukraine, and Russia trying to take NATO in the teeth.

#13

Current Events / Re: Russia's War Against Ukrai...

Last post by JasonPratt - Yesterday at 06:52:32 PM

No relation to the prior quote, but Ukraine has started its big counterattack to push the Rus away from the border front north of Kharkiv.

#14

Computer Gaming / Re: Campaign Series Vietnam

Last post by Jason Petho - Yesterday at 03:15:55 PM

We started off with showing what I've been doing and asking for some feedback on some of those projects. Your feedback would be appreciated! After that we continued our advance into Hue with our poor ARVN parachutists. We are fighting block by block, winning some and losing some. It's still a hell of a lot of fun though! We have some US Marines arriving by helicopter, which I reminded views on the best practice for unsupported helicopter assaults.

#15

Current Events / Re: Russia's War Against Ukrai...

Last post by acctingman - Yesterday at 11:03:08 AM

NOT a political question at ALL!! 

I read this post a lot and follow the news a bit on the Ukraine/Russian war and I have a question for you all (who know WAY more than I do).

In your opinion on a scale of 1 (no way in hell) to 5 (a for sure YES) how likely do you see the Ukraine/Russian war spilling over to a global conflict?

Thanks

#16

Computer Gaming / Re: Falcon BMS

Last post by Jarhead0331 - Yesterday at 08:58:02 AM

4.37.4 (the fourth incremental update to 4.37) released over the weekend. This stuff is getting very impressive.

#17

Current Events / Re: Russia's War Against Ukrai...

Last post by Jarhead0331 - Yesterday at 08:53:56 AM

Here:

#18

Computer Gaming / Re: Loco-Friday

Last post by undercovergeek - Yesterday at 08:45:20 AM

As an aside - I know 'what are you playing this weekend' plans usually go out of the window and some random game is played or one you did not intend to - so far I have ticked the WARNO box and had a thoroughly enjoyable hour or so - I have watched that many let's plays and dabbled in easy skirmishes that my skills have seemingly grown and I did not realise I was playing on medium until the end - it's usually a mess of pauses, bullet time and miserable defeat but this game - the first since the last update was a joy - medium, normal speed with the occasional pause to see what just blew up

I played airfield dual - me v pact and unleashed the might of my own bespoke division - had a glorious time - will tweak the force and go again on another map

Good gaming so far

#19

Current Events / Re: Russia's War Against Ukrai...

Last post by Jarhead0331 - Yesterday at 07:31:47 AM

From this Sunday's issue of the Merge...

High Power Microwave

Tech advancements and the proliferation of drone capabilities are challenging the air domain in ways that are so disruptive that they have inverted the cost imposition and are challenging the entire notion that the US military (and its Allies) can protect forces on the ground from attack via the air littorals.
The heart of the issue is that defending against the rapid cost and capability improvements of drones is often relegated to using exquisite weapons that were never designed to counter this threat. Or worse, having no defenses at all and hoping that a military position won't get attacked.

The result: the extremely high cost of playing defense is simply no match for the extremely low cost of playing offense. To this point, the Navy expended $1 billion in weapons shooting down threats in the Middle East in the past 6 months.

Changing the Game

High-tech doesn't win, and low-tech doesn't lose—it's all about the 'right-tech.'
Right-tech is about creating and exploiting an asymmetric capability advantage—building a new strength and applying it directly to the opposition's weakest point.
Enter high-power microwave (HPM) weapons. These are directed-energy weapons that emit concentrated bursts of electromagnetic energy and neutralize drones by disrupting their electronic systems.

While HPM has been in various stages of R&D for generations, the combination of key technological leaps is finally bringing this capability to the field. Epirus is a venture-backed defense tech startup leading the way with its flagship HPM product called Leonidas.

On the front end, Leonidas leverages a Gallium Nitride-based radar antenna array, the same tech that all next-gen AESA radars are moving to—including the new Patriot radar and the new F-35 radar.
On the back end, it uses solid-state electronics similar to the EA-18G Growler's new jammer.

It's combined with software to create and adjust waveforms, like a radar jammer that gets rapid updates with new techniques. They also utilize neural networks (a type of AI) to analyze patterns and rapidly optimize the system's performance.

The Result

Epirus' Leonidas puts up a shield of energy that disables pretty much anything that flies into it.

Unlike laser systems or kinetic methods, which attack one target at a time, HPM can attack multiple drones simultaneously—a unique capability that's particularly valuable against swarming drone attacks that typically overwhelm traditional defenses. And it does it for just a few dollars per shot.

Fun Fact: HPMs like Leonidas don't fry electronics. They simply disrupt the flow of signals on the analog side of electronics, typically resulting in motors turning off and systems rebooting. This makes HPMs an ideal option for non-lethal drone defense around critical infrastructure, sporting events, etc.

Speeding to Field

The Army's Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office (RCCTO) has led the way with these next-gen HPMs. Epirus recently delivered 4 prototypes to the Army for testing and also completed developmental testing.

These systems are part of the Army's Indirect Fire Protection Capability (IFPC) program, specifically the IFPC-HPM layer. Almost immediately after Epirus delivered the fourth system, the Army revealed Leonidas HPMs were being deployed ASAP to the Middle East.

The results of this prototype deployment will determine the Army's next steps, but Epirus isn't waiting. They have preemptively invested in a 100,000 sq ft factory and inventory to scale production.

What Now

While the Army is leading the way, the Navy is also interested in using Leonidas to protect ships from drone boats. They will be zapping boats off the coast of California in a naval exercise this summer.

There is so much more to unpack in the podcast. We dive deep into how HPMs work, the operational environment, and how to integrate HPMs into layered defenses—plus some myth-busting about copper tape.

#20

Current Events / Re: Turkey's Nation Building M...

Last post by Uberhaus - June 01, 2024, 07:04:04 PM

Interesting partnership for the rebuilding of Somalia.

Also, interesting is that three doors down will be a Russian naval base in Sudan https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/africa-file-may-31-2024-russian-red-sea-logistics-center-sudan and in between an American base in Djibouti.