2009/05/02

Interesting hardware stuff

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The video surveillance topic was a quite unpleasant one for me.
So I grant me an easy, fun topic for today.

A simple assorted collection of photos that make me (you?) think.
Just for the heck of it.

You certainly recall photos of thermal cameras mounted on rifles. These huge boxes usually make heavy machineguns look like their accessory.
There are finally some small ones available, a major step forward.
That, of course, doesn't prevent our infantry modernization program from showing off huge boxes. OK, I admit - they chose that thing in 2004.


A good reason for proper fixing of everything on deck...you never know whether the captain suddenly wants to dodge an incoming torpedo.


The Italians have a quite dysfunctional air force, but at least one of their pilots can do an impressive fly-by (Italian Panavia Tornado IDS).


V-22 Osprey haters were quick to point out downwash problems of those high speed rotors. This pretty much shows their point.



A main battle tank (T-72M2 Moderna) with two movable 20mm autocannons. That kept me thinking about the concept for a while. It's certainly interesting for suppressive fires, saving voluminous main gun ammunition and for close range air defence. The concept is about a decade old and was an unsuccessful T-72 modernization proposal for export. The reason for the lack of success was probably in the basic T-72 design.
My preliminary conclusion is that a bit testing and operational research would be advisable to understand the concept's potential.



A portable bridge to move from the roof of one house to another's, even to cross streets. The back side or the bridge segments double as assault ladder.
That's the kind of small innovation that can make a difference and is unlikely to be countered quickly in an arms race, unlike high-profile "revolutionary" weapons and vehicles.


An advertisement from the op-ed page of the New York Times of 26 September 2002, signed by 33 scholars of international relations. Cassandras of 2002 - maybe next time somebody will listen to them.
Yeah sure, I'm kidding myself here.


Wheels versus tracks, tracks versus wheels ... a never ending debate ... I wonder how reliable and durable these Mattrack kits are.
The performance looks good at least when it's ready for action and not requiring immediate maintenance.
They seem to be effective for light vehicles (up to 9.3 ton gross weight) and the company apparently survived for years in the market by selling them to civilians.


Freakishly small and cheap sensors. Now that's unfair.
An infantryman should have a chance - or at least be able to fool himself about it.
Future wars will suck.


Impressive IR signature reduction on otherwise normal vehicles. From here and here.


Leopard2 in camouflage on exercise. We need to get some flexible skirts to hide the shadowy running gear.


Vollmer Maschinenkarabiner M35. A reliable assault rifle ready for quantity production in 1938. The allies were lucky, gotta thank some German bureaucrats!


"Hyanide", a fully-tracked motorcycle with continuous track (concept). I'm not fully convinced that it would work until I see reports of prototype testing, but it's certainly interesting. Usually motorcyclists aren't happy about soft soil.


Wind power (Flettner rotor, Skysails, automated sails) - does propulsion get any more silent for ASW (anti-submarine warfare) ships?


Finally, specifically for my anonymous troll: ;-)



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