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This Week in the Blackwater Tactical Weekly…Our thoughts and prayers are with the fallen Lakewood Police Officers, their families, and with all the men and woman of our military and law enforcement communities that put their lives on the line for all of us. God Bless them and their families. Sincerely, The BTW Staff
Afghanistan–Pakistan Developments
Homeland Security–First Responder
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| QUOTE OF THE WEEK |
| “If all the economists were laid end to end, they'd never reach a conclusion.” – George Bernard Shaw |
| WEEKLY SECURITY DEVELOPMENTS |
Cops: Suspect in Officer Executions May Be DeadFox NewsA suspect in the slaying of four police officers who were gunned down in a suburban coffee shop was surrounded by police at a Seattle house early Monday, wounded and possibly dead, police said. |
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| U.S. DEFENSE NEWS |
Major Revamp Possible for M4 CarbineArmy TimesThe Army is considering a major redesign of the M4 aimed at making the weapon shoot cleaner and longer — at high rates of fire. As the Army awaits Defense Department approval of a competition to find a new carbine, weapons officials have identified six fixes intended to address shortcomings in reliability, durability and handling of the Army’s inventory of more than 400,000 M4s. Full StoryTask Force Paladin Wages War Against Afghan IEDsStars and StripesIt was hour six on the convoy traveling through the quaint villages and apple orchards of the Tangi Valley and the armored vehicles were just minutes from their destination in the heart of insurgent territory. Then, suddenly, came the explosion, its sound unmistakable even inside a vacuum-sealed Buffalo vehicle two back in the convoy chain. “IED! IED! IED!” the radio erupted. The convoy had struck an improvised explosive device. Full StoryThe U.S. Army to Use Missiles to Shoot Spy-Drones Over Enemy TerritoryHomeland Security News WireAt times you need information about enemy troop movement in a hurry -- but spy drones or satellites or even fighter jets can be too slow to handle the job; the U.S. Army is examining the idea of placing reconnaissance UAVs over the enemy by getting them there on top of a missile. The U.S. Army wants to place eyes in the sky to watch over a potential enemy — and do so instantly. Trouble is, spy drones or satellites or even fighter jets can be too slow to handle the job. The answer: missiles that carry surveillance drones inside. Full StoryMQ-9 Reaper: The First Operational UCAV?Defense Industry DailyThe MQ-9 Reaper UAV, once called “Predator B,” is somewhat similar to the famous Predator. Until you look at the tail. Or its size. Or its weapons. It’s called “Reaper” for a reason – while it packs the same surveillance gear, it’s much more of a hunter-killer design. The Reaper is 36 feet long, with a 66 foot wingspan. Its maximum gross takeoff weight is a whopping 10,500 pounds, carrying up to 4,000 pounds of fuel, 850 pounds of internal/ sensor payload, and another 3,000 pounds on its wings. Full StoryAlong Came A Spider: The XM-7 REDDefense Industry DailyThe XM-7 Spider program was established to develop alternatives to persistent antipersonnel landmine in Korea along the de-militarized zone. Spider is more of a “remote explosive device” than a typical fire-and-forget land mine. It is detonated by soldier command, and that soldier can even use non-lethal canisters if those have been loaded. Full Story |
| INTERNATIONAL MILITARY NEWS |
China Promises New, Advanced FighterAviation WeekChina has the resources and technology--some of it obtained quasi-legally and illegally--to build a fifth-generation fighter, say U.S. Air Force and intelligence officials. But Beijing's aerospace industry may be missing key skills needed for it to match the performance of advanced, Western-built combat aircraft. Full StoryIran Starts Third Stage Air-Defense DrillsRia NovostiIran completed the first day of the third stage of an air-defense exercise, which saw the test firing of modern missile systems, the ISNA news agency said. Iran launched on Sunday a five-day drill, Sky of Velayat 2, designed to strengthen its aerial defense against potential attacks on its nuclear facilities. Full StoryChina Has Yet to Deploy Anti-Carrier Guided-MissilesROC Central News AgencyA Taiwan national defense official said that China has not yet deployed guided missiles aimed at preventing U.S. aircraft carriers from entering waters surrounding Taiwan. China, however, is studying the possibility of deploying such missiles, Major General Ching Yen-yuan, the executive officer of the Ministry of National Defense's information unit, said in response to a query by Legislator Lin Yu-fang. Full StoryFirst RAAF F-35 Joint Strike Fighter PurchaseMilitary Suppliers & NewsThe Royal Australian Air Force is set to purchase an initial wave of 14 Lockheed Martin F-35 JSF multirole fighters, with the first aircraft set to enter service in five years time, it emerged on November 25th 2009. Four years further down the line, in 2018, the RAAF’s initial F-35 Joint Strike Fighter squadron will be formally activated at New South Wales’ RAAF Williamtown, according to current plans. Full Story |
| AFGHANISTAN–PAKISTAN DEVELOPMENTS |
Latest U.S. Taliban-Fighting Tactic: Trash TalkWired Defense Blog – Danger RoomIn a small town at the western edge of Afghanistan’s Kandahar province, U.S. soldiers are trying a new tactic in the battle for hearts and minds: trash talking. Full StorySecret U.S. Plan to Support Afghan Militias Echoes Canadian General's IdeasCanadian PressA secret U.S. plan to support anti-Taliban militias, which is raising concerns about further destabilizing Afghanistan, echoes similar ideas being voiced by the head of Canada's army. Lt. Gen. Andrew Leslie, chief of land staff, has been arguing in recent interviews that tribal militias should be factored into Afghanistan's security architecture. Full StoryAfghanistan War: Why Helicopters Are Critical to US and NATO ForcesMcClatchy NewspapersIn one of the worst chapters of their casualty-marred deployment in Afghanistan, Canadian forces earlier this year lost 10 soldiers in 90 days to improvised bombs on one stretch of highway in Kandahar province. Then a US Army helicopter crew stalking Taliban insurgents who plant bombs at night spotted a five-man team, watched the insurgents through sophisticated optical gear until it was certain that's what the men were doing and got permission to kill them. Full StoryAhmed Rashid: Pakistan Conspiracy Theories Stifle DebateBBC NewsGuest columnist Ahmed Rashid reports on how the real problems facing Pakistan are being sidelined by a surge of conspiracy theories. |
| HOMELAND SECURITY–FIRST RESPONDER |
Could A Mumbai Style Terror Attack Happen in the United States?National Terror AlertA year ago, millions of people worldwide began watching a terror attack play out live for three days in Mumbai. Ten gunmen staving off the police, Special Forces, and army troops captured world attention while slaughtering 173 people and wounding more than 300. Full StoryNavy SEALs Face Charges In Capture of Wanted TerroristFox NewsAccording to a Fox News report, Navy SEALs have secretly captured one of the most wanted terrorists in Iraq, the alleged mastermind of the murder and mutilation of four Blackwater USA security guards in Fallujah in 2004. And three of the SEALs who captured him are now facing criminal charges. According the report, the three, all members of the Navy’s elite commando unit, have refused non-judicial punishment, called an admiral’s mast, and have requested a trial by court-martial. Homeland Security Preparing for Bio-TerrorismThe Providence JournalOne could be forgiven a little nostalgia for the 1950s and ’60s, when elementary-school students solemnly crawled under their desks in preparation for the impending mutually assured destruction of nuclear war with the Soviet Union. For the journalists here attending a Heritage Foundation conference last week on weapons of mass destruction, they seemed like the good old days. New Anti-Terrorism Technology Tool Uses Human LogicHomeland Security News WireA new interactive image-based software can be used on touch-screen table-top displays and other large-screen systems better to manage the huge amounts of data collected in connection with alleged terrorist plots. An intelligent decision-support system that is able to apply the logic used by detectives to identify suspicious behavior is hoped to become the latest tool in countering terrorist activity. The technology has received more than £2 million of U.K. government funding and over the next two years it will be the subject of a joint research project being undertaken by 10 British universities. |
| FROM OUR FRIENDS AT TOTAL INTELLIGENCE SOLUTIONS |
Radio Frequency Jamming to Increase in AfghanistanHighlights
The United States military in Afghanistan is set to increase the use of electronic radio frequency (RF) jammers. The goal is to decrease the effectiveness of radio controlled improvised explosive devices (RCIEDs) by interfering with the remote signal used to detonate them. Though RF jammers have proven an effective way to interfere with radio controlled explosive detonators such as cell phones, satellite phones, and long-range cordless telephones, some experts have voiced concerns over limitations these devices may cause for the US Army and the country overall. RF jammers can interfere significantly with communications systems; they must be turned off for long-range communications (LRCs) in Afghanistan to work consistently because LRC signals occur on similar frequencies to the frequencies jammed. Furthermore, as was seen in Iraq with the Warlock RF jamming system, RF jammers can also cause unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) sensors and remote operation systems to fail often. US increase of RF jamming equipment in Afghanistan indicates that the military is unsatisfied with current results in IED casualty prevention. Therefore, they have two options, barring the unlikely scenario of immediate advances in RF interference technology. The US military can limit the use of RF jammers, thus increasing the effectiveness of UAV operations and long-range communications systems in the country. However, they could also choose to increase the use of RF jammers, decreasing the effectiveness of unmanned drone operations near those using RF interference devices and decreasing the effectiveness of LRC systems. As Secretary of Defense Robert Gates has recently made it known that preventing casualties from IEDs is his number one concern, it is likely that the US will choose the former, and be forced to decrease the effectiveness of unmanned drone operations. While unmanned aerial vehicles and LRCs are an integral part of military and private operations in Afghanistan, we believe that due to the effectiveness of RF jammers, IED casualties will be significantly curtailed, making regions in which RF jamming technology is in use safer. RF JammersAn RF jammer is a device that operates by transmitting a high-powered signal on the same frequency of the device with which it is hoping to interfere. The signal then collides with signals sent to or from the device, effectively canceling them out, making the device believe that no signal exists. RF jamming is a form of denial of service (DoS) attack, and modern RF jammers cover a wide range of signal frequencies to jam RCIED detonators including: With a wide range of frequencies being jammed, signal pollution is maximized with modern equipment, and it is therefore not surprising that they interfere with unintended signals, such as those used to control and collect data from unmanned aerial vehicles or LRC devices. Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and Communication Systems InterferenceUAVs are used extensively in both reconnaissance and combat operations in Afghanistan. Some of the major functions include: UAVs’ extensive use of EM waves both for their control and remote sensor capabilities makes them especially vulnerable to interference through RF jammers. LRC systems generally operate on similar frequencies as the devices being jammed, as oftentimes the devices targeted are LRCs. Military operations’ susceptibility to interference was observed in Iraq in 2006, where UAVs and LRC systems were significantly interrupted by the Warlock RF jamming system, the same system currently being increasingly deployed in Afghanistan. Therefore, it is likely that the use of these devices will interfere with operations, just as they did in Iraq. Course of ActionExperts from the electronic warfare community have expressed concerns over the increased use of RF jamming systems, claiming that even now communications systems are being significantly hampered. Furthermore, they claim, if RF jamming technology use is increased in Afghanistan, signal interference will become a serious problem, even more so than in 2006 Iraq. Their reasoning is that the mountainous terrain of Afghanistan already causes significant EM wave interference, and that RF jamming will increase the problem enough that unmanned drone operations and LRCs will be significantly crippled. However, we believe that these voices of protest will not be heard by US military directors. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates has recently begun a new initiative to make IED casualty prevention a top priority. Thus it is likely that RF jamming technology will significantly increase in Afghanistan, decreasing the effectiveness of UAVs, rendering them somewhat crippled. Furthermore, LRCs will also become more difficult for anyone in the country, whether military or private, causing disruption of possibly important operations or business. On the other hand, US military infantry and others walking the streets will be significantly safer, and we expect casualties caused by IEDs to decrease. The preceding article is part of subscription service created byTotal Intelligence Solutions (TIS). For additional information, please contact Brad Slade at bslade@totalintel.com. |
| BUMPER STICKER |
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| FRANKS REVIEW |
Tactical Equipment EvaluationSigArms P2009 9mmA couple years ago I received a SigArms P2009 9mm pistol for T&E. It was an interesting handgun; different from the P226 I was experienced with and incorporating a few design changes that I had mixed feelings about. There was no denying that polymer parts in handguns was a growing industry standard and adjustable size grip frames were also a growing “fad”. Recently I had an officer at the range qualifying with a P2009 and I had to revisit my opinion about some of its features. Let me tell you how it performed…Full Story Can Be Viewed At: http://www.newamericantruth.com/reviews/guns/sigp2009.htm Recreational Equipment ReviewTry ScubaCourtesy of Deborah BorelliWhen I married my husband, some fifteen years ago, I knew he had been a scuba diver. I knew two other things as well: 1) he hadn’t been in a long time, and 2) the next time he went I wanted to be his dive buddy. Of course, back then I didn’t even know that “dive buddy” was the appropriate term. That came with dive lessons. Like many young marriages we were financially strapped at first, and scuba diving isn’t cheap. As a comparison I would say it probably costs about as much as snow skiing if you buy your own stuff.Full Story Can Be Viewed At: http://www.newamericantruth.com/reviews/scuba/tryscuba.htm |
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