For all us Warbird aficianadoesaficianados fans...
Greek military divers Friday successfully raised the wreckage of a German World War II Stuka bomber from the sea off the eastern island of Rhodes, the air force said. The Junkers-87 dive-bomber was shot down in 1943 and will be conserved and displayed at the air force museum at an airport near Athens, air force spokesman Col. Ioannis Papageorgiou said.
Papageorgiou said there was no trace of the two airmens bodies. "The plane was raised a couple of hours ago, and I dont know yet whether there are any remains inside," he told The Associated Press. He said part of the planes tail section appeared to be missing.
The two-seaters wreckage was located two years ago by a trawler, which caught it in its nets seven miles offshore at a depth of 492 feet, and dragged it close to the islands southern coast.
Air force experts believe the plane was part of a Luftwaffe squadron operating from Rhodes that lost several Stukas to allied ships and aircraft on Oct. 9, 1943. "Once we locate the serial number, we will be able to identify the plane, what squadron it belonged to and the crew," Papageorgiou said.
Fitted with a screaming siren for maximum psychological effect, the gull-winged, single-engine Stuka was a feared symbol of Nazi military power. Used in action in the Spanish Civil War, it played a major role in the German invasions of Poland and France, but was outdated and severely outgunned by allied fighters by 1943.
Out of some 6,000 aircraft produced between 1936 and 1944, only two survive intact in museums, while the wrecks of three more Stukas have been salvaged.
Regular cups of tea can help speed recovery from stress, researchers from University College London (UCL) said yesterday. Men who drank black tea four times a day for six weeks were found to have lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol than a control group who drank a fake tea substitute, the researchers said in a study published in the journal Psychopharmacology.
The tea drinkers also reported a greater feeling of relaxation after performing tasks designed to raise stress levels. Andrew Steptoe, of UCL's department of Epidemiology and Public Health, and one of the report's authors, said the findings could have important health implications. "Slow recovery following acute stress has been associated with a greater risk of chronic illness such as coronary heart disease. "Although it does not appear to reduce the actual levels of stress we experience, tea does seem to have a greater effect in bringing stress hormone levels back to normal."
Posted by: Fred ||
10/06/2006 00:00 ||
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#4
And what about those of us who can't drink the caffine? Is that what is affecting the SHL, or is it something else in black tea? And if so, is that 'something else' present in other teas, like ginger tea (Yeech! Drink it anyway) or gunpowder green tea (Ymmmmm!)?
Oh and TW, please note that I took your advise. Hopefully the lack of numbers will elevate my standing in the eyes of the Rantburg ladies!
Posted by: Evil Elvis ||
10/06/2006 13:07 Comments ||
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Unfortunately yes EE, I am a human with acid-reflux. Caffine is a major trigger, if you get my drift.
I am still waiting for the Rantburg ladies to chime in!
Professor Andrew Steptoe, UCL Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, says: This is one of the first studies to assess tea in a double-blind placebo controlled design that is, neither we nor the participants knew whether they were drinking real or fake tea. This means that any differences were due to the biological ingredients of tea, and not to the relaxing situations in which people might drink tea, whether they were familiar with the taste and liked it, and so on.
We do not know what ingredients of tea were responsible for these effects on stress recovery and relaxation. Tea is chemically very complex, with many different ingredients. Ingredients such as catechins, polyphenols, flavonoids and amino acids have been found to have effects on neurotransmitters in the brain, but we cannot tell from this research which ones produced the differences.
Nevertheless, our study suggests that drinking black tea may speed up our recovery from the daily stresses in life. Although it does not appear to reduce the actual levels of stress we experience, tea does seem to have a greater effect in bringing stress hormone levels back to normal.
Green teas and herbal teas did not have the same effect.
#13
lopt: Thank you for that post. Looks like I will have to stick to the ginger tea. Four cups of black at this point would make me climb the walls. TW: You are making a grown man blush!
#16
I stumbled upon Starbuck's "Sumatra" ground (coffee)taken black and unsweetened about a year ago; a skoshi pricey, but superb.
I like the rituals involved in brewing hot tea; but mostly it's just a bag dipped in some nucked H2O. That bag would be Twinnings Earl Grey (if on sale) and the standard brands of Green bagged teas, which are quite nice, but are probably just some high-elevation S.W. Asia warehouse floor-sweepings. That's OK. Still quite pleasent. I've read so much good stuff about the benefits of Green tea, that I'll take my anti-oxidant chances and swill at will! (at)
#17
There are some lovely decaffeinated teas out there, for those of us who're sensitive to caffeine. Twinings does a nice decaf Earl Grey, and Celestial Seasonings has decaffeinated green tea, although lotp's excerpt says that green tea doesn't make the cut for de-stressing. ;-)
Poor Barbara. You'll just have to figure out another way to relax, I guess. Perhaps those lovely handicrafts you do. I definitely agree with you about the efficacy of diet Coke, though, taken medicinally of course.
From Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, an article by Ron Synovitz
At the Nagashand Fine Arts Gallery in the northern Afghan city of Mazar-e Sharif, women laugh and joke with their faces exposed as they play musical instruments and sing in the country's first all-women's music school. The project, funded by a $9,000 grant from the European Commission, is implemented by the United Nations Assistance Mission for Afghanistan.
Masoma Mazari is a 25-year-old Afghan woman who heads the six-month-old project. She says the school's 18 students relish their newfound freedom. "Music is needed by our souls," she said. "We can relax through music. We can express our views. We can bring peace. Finally, I can say that everybody has a certain need for music."
All of the students lived for years in Iran as refugees. Like millions of other Afghan refugees, they have experiences that could help break down barriers for women and lead to cultural changes in the conservative religious society. By contrast, women who stayed in Afghanistan over the last 20 years are reluctant to join such classes.
Indeed, the only student in the program who stayed in Afghanistan through its years of civil war and Taliban rule decided to quit the classes after just a few weeks. She made the decision after winning third place in a televised music competition in Kabul. She says she was harassed because of her performance when she returned to Mazar-e Sharif.
Conservative Islamic clerics in the city tell their followers that it is a crime against Islam for women to sing or perform music. ... Islamic cleric Mullah Abbas ... says he is unhappy about the new music school in his city. "According to Islamic Shari'a law, women's voices should not be heard by men," he said. "Therefore, I can say that a woman cannot be a musician. They should not try to learn it."
In Kabul, UN spokesman Aleem Siddique says the United Nations is not trying to fuel religious debates about music and women. "The musical traditions of Afghanistan have been here for as long as Islam has been in Afghanistan," he said. "[But] the United Nations would never preach to people what is Islamic and what is not Islamic. It is not for us to dictate to anybody. That's a choice that people have to make for themselves. .... Culture within a society has a vital role in giving people a voice and confidence to express themselves .... The United Nations is playing a leading role in helping to strengthen civil society within Afghanistan. Our project in Mazar is a music school helping young women to learn how to play instruments that have been played for generations in Afghanistan, and also to revive the tradition of singing amongst minority communities in Mazar. We are giving women in northern Afghanistan their voice in society again."
Both teachers at the music school are men. Khalil Bakhtari and Nadair Kharimi teach about 10 instruments, ranging from Western instruments like the saxophone and electric keyboard to instruments that are used for Afghan classical music like the tabla, harmonium, and rabab -- a traditional Afghan lute. The students study Persian, Arabic, and Hindustani traditions as well as classical Afghan music.
Russia warned the United States on Tuesday against basing elements of a planned missile defense system in Poland, saying this would undermine strategic stability and require a "corresponding" response from Moscow, Interfax news agency said. "This could have a negative impact on strategic stability, regional security and the relations between states," Interfax quoted ministry spokesman Mikhail Kamynin as saying in an interview. "Such a new situation objectively requires corresponding measures from us," Kamynin said.
He did not specify what those measures would be. Russia, however, announced earlier this year that it was supplying Belarus -- an ex-Soviet republic wedged between Russia and Poland -- with its sophisticated S-300 anti-aircraft defense system.
The United States has for years been planning and testing elements of a new global anti-missile defense system that would combine space-based elements capable of detecting hostile missile launches with ground-based rockets that would track and destroy those missiles.
Posted by: Captain America ||
10/06/2006 1:42 Comments ||
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". . . saying this would undermine strategic stability and require a "corresponding" response from Moscow the Kremlin the Politburo the Soviet Premier . . ."
#4
Oh yeah, like it would make them work to undermine the US any faster. Just another convenient excuse to sell arms to support a f&*^ed up economy and culture of corruption. They would be farther ahead if they just settled down and did the work they needed to do to fix their economy rather than try to improve their relative ranking by pulling those around them down.
And if they are serious about this, the whole problem would go away if they stopped thinking paranoid thoughts.
#9
Maybe Pootie-Poot's worried that if we set up a functional ABM system that protects the rest of Europe from the Muzzies, the crocodile might not eat him last after all.
Aw, they're just pissy because it means they would have to retarget some missiles and they can't find the programming manuals. Hint: try and buy back the manuals off Ukrainian eBay.
#14
Poland is not in the trajectory of Russia to US missiles (which would go over the North Pole. Either the translation of Pole confused some vodka addled appratichnik or the Russians think missile defence might slow their missile sales to Iran.
From Compass Direct
Born on June 18 to a Christian family in northern Azerbaijan, three-month-old Ilya Eyvazov still has no official name. Local authorities in the town of Aliabad at first refused to issue a birth certificate when the babys father, Novruz Eyvazov, tried to register his sons birth on June 21.
Impossible, city administration officials told Novruz Eyvazov when they saw his sons name was the Russian form of Elijah.
They said it was because it was a Christian name, said the Baptist church member. The father of five told Compass that he was not surprised by the difficulties because he had faced the same problem with his last two children. God knows what he wants and we trust him for everything.
NEW YORK (AP) -- Spain is set to boost its participation in the France-based Airbus project, with an eye to a larger stake in the A380 superjumbo and in designing future generations of aircraft, the two countries' foreign ministers said Thursday. "Spanish industry is very important for Airbus and Spain aims to boost its participation in Airbus," said French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy at a press conference.
Spain reportedly hopes to increase its 5.5 percent stake in European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co. (EADS) to 10 percent.
The French minister said that Airbus was the largest industrial cooperation project in Europe and it hoped to begin researching "tomorrow's aircraft" with increased Spanish participation.
Spanish Prime Minster Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero and French President Jacques Chirac are to meet on Nov. 16 in the northeast Spain city of Gerona to discuss bilateral issues, the ministers said.
Posted by: Steve White ||
10/06/2006 00:00 ||
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#1
Spanish taxpayers to lose more money on Flying-Turkey.
#3
Hey cut them some slack: I mean look how experienced they in in that "rolling over to appease" thingy.....First the Mooselimbs, now the real losers(EADS)
No sooner did Congress authorize construction of a 700-mile fence on the U.S.-Mexico border last week than lawmakers rushed to approve separate legislation that ensures it will never be built, at least not as advertised, according to Republican lawmakers and immigration experts.
GOP leaders have singled out the fence as one of the primary accomplishments of the recently completed session. Many lawmakers plan to highlight their $1.2 billion down payment on its construction as they campaign in the weeks before the midterm elections.
But shortly before recessing late Friday, the House and Senate gave the Bush administration leeway to distribute the money to a combination of projects -- not just the physical barrier along the southern border. The funds may also be spent on roads, technology and "tactical infrastructure" to support the Department of Homeland Security's preferred option of a "virtual fence."
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: ed ||
10/06/2006 8:24 Comments ||
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Yep, I just read this on msn.com and was going to post it but am glad 'geek beat me to it.
This fence situation (or lack there of) disgusts me to no end. These F*cking cowards in congress -time to throw them all out and rebuild the parties. They could give a sh*t about our sovereignty or the posterity of this country. Virtual fence - my ass.
Take the money and run you bunch of amphibian fecal matter eating bottom dwellers. Democrats do not deserve to be elected and Republicans do not deserve to be re-elected. Bush has done extremely poor on this. I expected much better from the GOP. I'll go all the way to Iraq to help secure their border and my gov't & president can't even find the common sense or political will to secure our own f*cking border. F*ck congress.
Posted by: Frank G ||
10/06/2006 9:40 Comments ||
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The split between GOP leaders hungry for a sound-bite-friendly accomplishment targeting immigration and others who support a more comprehensive approach
There are no Dems looking for a sound bite? Or do all the Dims "want a more comprehensive approach"? Or is this one of their little secrets, until after they get elected?
Posted by: Bobby ||
10/06/2006 9:53 Comments ||
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#6
Both the Republicans and the Democrats are just begging to have an open revolt and overthrow on their hands, aren't they?
#7
" and that key players -- including the administration, local leaders and the Mexican government -- oppose a fence-only approach..."
Ohfercrisakes! MSNBC tips its cards once again. Nobody is proposing to simply erect a barrier and then calling it a day. Then again, Comprehensive Immigration Reform sounds much more dramatic then a Fence Only Approach, dont you think. And BTW, exactly who considers the fuckin Mexican Government a key player if, when, and how the US decides to build the fence anyway?
#11
The GOP needs some time in the wilderness. I would like to see the House of Reps. go to the Dems this election with GOP control (such that it is) of the Senate remain. I doubt that the Dems can do TOO much damage in two years. And it just might serve as a wake up call for all the fence sitters and surviving Rebublicans.
Please, save the invective. Something drastic has to happen to wake these turd heads up or there will be open revolt eventually. Everywhere my eyes settle, I see illegal aliens. Everywhere! Not a day goes by that I do not have Mexicans knocking on my door wanting to know if they can perform some service, in spite of the fact I have a "No Soliciting" sign in English and Spanish.
Whole neighborhoods that were nice places when I was in my teens are now slums and "no go" areas. This invasion has caused me to develope a deep and powerful hatred towards Mexicans (from Mexico).
The left and their RINO allies are actively working to turn this country into a socialist 3rd world shit hole, I have been to some 3rd world socialist shit holes, and I have NO DESIRE to see my beloved Nation turned into one. The left must be made to pay for their treachery!
#14
"The left and their RINO allies are actively working to turn this country into a socialist 3rd world shit hole, I have been to some 3rd world socialist shit holes, and I have NO DESIRE to see my beloved Nation turned into one."
So you want the House to go to the Dems? I fai to see the logic. I'm sorry, but I think "Speaker Pelosi" and her cadre of America haters could do quite a bit of damage in two years, not the least of which is to obstruct any and all funding for the WoT. We cannot let that happen. "Teaching the Republicans a lesson" will have to wait for another day.
#15
So you want the House to go to the Dems? I fai to see the logic.
I didn't say it wouldn't be painful. I think it is exactly what the Nation and the GOP needs to: Wake! The! Fuck! Up! The Dems would go about their evil desires and finally --if they did enough harm-- the somnambulent masses might just open thier eyes. Then, the next go around could be the death nell for the Dems.
Something really drastic HAS to happen to yank the Repubs out of their dream world. I'm hoping Newt finds a way to run in '08. The Dems must be crushed, but only after the Repubs have a behind-the-woodshed, come-to-Jesus moment.
The last thing I want to see is another Civil War or open armed revolt in this country, but it looks to me as if it is unavoidable. It would be the end of the Nation, and leave us open to our enemies. The external enemies that is.
#16
Heck, theoretically speaking, maybe we need another revolution. Not all, but many (imho) in gov't have lost their respect for our sovereignty and our posterity. They mince & parse words and deeds like back woods lawyers, hiding behind loop holes, exploiting technicalities and catering to whoever will pay the most to get them re-elected. I do not call these people patriots, patriots do what's right by the country no matter the personal cost. Our current slew of politicos know not the meaning of sacred honor, they have become whores of the worst echelon.
#17
the only sensible thing that I could see to this woul be using "virtual fence" as a part of a "honeypot" strategy, but again, thats lot's to assume considering the blatant stupidity I see out of washington on a daily basis.
#18
Maybe the smart thing to do here is send Chertoff letters explaining that we citizens don't appreciate Bush appeasing Fox. First, Mexico has it's own problems which they will not address, and we citizens are the same people mentioned in the Preamble. Chertoff, do it right and do it post haste for us; for the people.
WE have given Mexico a major leg up with NAFTA, we don't need to breast feed them as well.
#19
More Congress snail mailing from me today. to date NO MONEY I've only sent Bush Pesos to the entire Senate, more house members left to go. Plus others.
Front
#23
In much the same way as, say, cutting off one's nose to teach one's face a SERIOUS lesson.
You have another proposal? Let's hear it! The GOP is counting on the base to hold their nose and vote Repub, even though the bastards deserve to be thrown out. They'll never get the message if isn't delivered. The Nation could weather two years of the Dems in the House, and then maybe they would wake up.
#25
We are going to have to hold our nose and vote to make the statement that even though the GOP disgusts us, the Dems disgust us even more. If it's border control you want, then the Dems aren't going to give it to you, they will just use that money to put up welcome signs and water stations.
But then we need to target these GOP losers for the next race and make sure they get defeated in the primary.
#26
Screw the Dems and Pubs-begin voting third and fourth party candidates. The only wasted votes are those you place for people who don't fight for what's best for this country. Encourage friends and family to stop supporting ethicless politicians on both sides. Enough already-we need to act to bring a new political dynamic. American disgust needs to go beyond complaining.
#27
Ahhh, the protest vote thingy only works if it doesn't matter which loser wins. I did it once - realized it was stupid and now just choose the lesser of two evils. The time to get angry and show some action is in the primary. Doing it now just means you are being manipulated not to vote for the best worst choice.
#29
Jules it would be suicide to vote for the Dems now.
That doesn't mean we can't make our dissatisfaction felt and pressure for change.
If there were a core of old Democrats like Sam Nunn, Scoop Jackson, Mendel Rivers, Bennett, Rayburn, Eastland, Russell, Stennis, etc. then we would be safe to vote Democrat again.
#30
Vote for someone whose ideas you support
or vote for someone whose ideas you don't support
Jules, I'm not sure if I don't get your point or if you don't get mine.
Are you planning on voting for a candidate who you support who can win? Then go for it.
I've done it. I suppose every voter does it at least once in their life. I protest voted against George Bush I. I lived with Clinton for 8 years. My vote was worse than useless.
#31
think of it like a horse race for your future. Betting on an unlikely longshot just cause he's the prettiest horse in the race usually won't pay you dividends.
Democrats must gain six seats in the November 7 election to recapture U.S. Senate control, and they lead in three of the seven most vulnerable Republican-held states, according to a Reuters/Zogby poll released on Thursday. Democrats lead Republican incumbents in Montana, Rhode Island and Pennsylvania. Republican incumbents lead in Virginia and Missouri, the polls found, with races in Republican-held Ohio and Tennessee deadlocked. The polls of at least 600 likely voters in each state have a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/06/2006 00:00 ||
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Republicans lead in 4 of 7 most vulnerable states
#2
Um, no, two have very modest Republican leads, within the margin of error in the polls (New Joisey and Missouri), and two are deadlocked (Ohio and Tennessee), with divided polls. Most polls I read, however, put the Dhimmis ahead in Ohio.
I fear that if the election was held today the Repubs would lose them all save New Jersey.
Posted by: Steve White ||
10/06/2006 1:20 Comments ||
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You might be right today, but this page scandal looks set to backfire. The donks have presented no rational policy alternative in a year when they should have been able to make substantial gains.If they end up not taking either house, they're going to look like the Paleos of politics.
Headlines like this crack me up, but I guess journalists have a better sense of propaganda than statistics. Just remember that it's bad luck to be behind at the end.
A Pakistani cleric has been arrested for running a private jail to which he lured dozens of drug addicts from Britain by offering a spiritual cure in return for money.
In a raid this week, police found 113 people, aged between 12 and 50, bound in chains and shackled together at a madrassa, or religious school, in a remote village in northern Pakistan. At least seven were British nationals of Pakistani origin.
Many prisoners, whose relatives consigned them to the care of Maulana Ilyas Qadri hoping they would be cured, claimed to have been sexually assaulted, beaten and starved.
The alarm was raised when two men shackled together escaped and told the police. Abdul Majeed Afridi, the area police chief, said: "We were not mentally prepared for such a scene when we entered the madrassa. It seemed something out of a drama rather than reality. "They were utterly terrified of him and the guards. They were beaten black and blue and claimed it was a jail, not a rehabilitation centre."
These will be my old friends at the 20 FW at Shaw, with the 55th FS getting the first planes. They had a full-size F-35 mockuup at the base last year, and it was surprising how big the Lightning is - definitely a bit larger than an F-16.
(Washington) October 4, 2006 - US Rep. John Spratt (D-SC) said Wednesday that Shaw Air Force Base and McEntire Air National Guard Base will be getting the Air Force's newest fighter. The F-35A Lightning II is also known as the 'Joint Strike Fighter.'
In a news release, Spratt said the Air Force is planning to announce on Thursday that it will begin the initial basing process for the fighter at seven bases, including Shaw and McEntire. Spratt also said that Shaw/McEntire will gain an active operational squadron.
According to Spratt, the other initial 'Joint Strike Fighter' locations include Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, for primary maintenance and flight training; Nellis AFB, Nevada, and Edwards AFB, California, for flight-testing; and Hill AFB, Utah, and Kadena Air Base, Japan, for operational squadrons.
Spratt said the Air Force is expected to start taking delivery of F-35A aircraft in 2009 with planned deliveries continuing beyond 2025.
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski ||
10/06/2006 14:01 ||
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For those interested, here is a size comparison b/t the F-16, F-35 and F-22.
#2
Thanks for that link mjh; i particularly like the phantom ( not a pun) cutaway showing the 'general weapons layout.' Finally an aircraft that doesn't have more drop tanks than ordnance (think Lawn Dart).
IIRC, one of the objections about the F-4 was its lack of ammo for in-close dogfighting. Yes, I know, the idea is to avoid that, but 180 rounds? Seems inadequate.
Posted by: no mo uro ||
10/06/2006 20:04 Comments ||
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I'm thinking of something a little less high tech, like a bug repellent for jihadists.
Posted by: Captain America ||
10/06/2006 6:03 Comments ||
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..This was actually a pleasant surprise, as I've thought for several years now that there'd never be another manned bomber for the USAF. I'm still not sure that it'll ever happen, though.
Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski ||
10/06/2006 6:23 Comments ||
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Let's hope a better job is done than with the B-2.
Posted by: ed ||
10/06/2006 8:20 Comments ||
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Let's hope a better job is done than with the B-2.
#5
B-2 seems like a good aircraft except for a couple of problems. 1) It's real 'fragile' - have to pamper it a lot between missions. 2) It costs zillions of dollars. Unfortunately, these are not trivial problems.
#6
It was also build decades ago with the technologies available then. Not surprising that something that pushed the state of the art so hard needed special care.
#7
And hypersonic with people aboard for absolutely no conceivable reason isn't pushing the envelope? This is just a dumb idea that sends $$$ to the districts of key appropriations committee members and feeds the egos of bomber generals who should be retired now. When you look at the needs and opportunities for developing systems for the grunts on the ground that will be foregone for this Spruce Goose with the runs, it is simply unconscionable.
#9
Number one complaint is cost. Spent $45 billions (1990's dollars) developing the B-2 and then only buy 21, therefore guaranteeing the need to spend even more for another platform in the near future. At a flyaway cost of $350 million, each B-2 has a $2.2 billion R&D cost. That's just crazy to spend that much R&D without buying hundreds of B-2s.
But that is part of my general bitch of the proliferation of the number bleeding edge weapons designs (50-80% of program costs) while buying few or none of the weapons themselves. Classic cases: B-2, F-22, Comanche, Crusader. Better to buy large quantities of smaller numbers of platforms. A case in point: F-22 and F-35. Even with the very low production rates of the F-22, flyaway cost is $100 million. Program cost of the less capable F-35 is already over $100 million each. And the F-35 is presented as the bargain of the 21st century. Other weapons compare MUCH worse.
For the new bomber, I prefer a F-22 derivative for the penetration role. Since there is no expectation to penetrate Russian airspace after scrambling from US bases, intercontinental penetration bombers are not needed. An F-22 bomber with a 5-6000 mile range is enough to take care of any enemies. In addition such an aircraft could be ready in a few years. For the WoT role, since we are fighting primitives (and that goes for the governments themselves), I prefer bomber conversions of airliners. A 787 can carry a lot of ordnance a long ways. As a bonus, moving the engine pylons back and over the wings will likely give it low signature to ground radar.
Posted by: ed ||
10/06/2006 12:01 Comments ||
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IIRC, The B2 was intended to be a redirectable, recallable, survivable nuclear deterrent, not a conventional bomber. Comparing it's cost to a conventional bomber is comparing (gold plated)apples to oranges. If it did find a role as a conventional bomber, that is out of necessity or desire, not design.
At this point is it seriously questionable whether manned military aircraft have any future at all.... Should we be making doctrine decision based on foolish procurement?
"The B-2 development program was initiated in 1981, and the Air Force was granted approval in 1987 to begin procurement of 132 operational B-2 aircraft, principally for strategic bombing missions. With the demise of the Soviet Union, the emphasis of B-2 development was changed to conventional operations and the number was reduced to 20 operational aircraft, plus 1 test aircraft that was not planned to be upgraded to an operational configuration. Production of these aircraft was concurrent with development and testing." from Globalsecurity.org
Posted by: Mark E. ||
10/06/2006 12:18 Comments ||
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...What really IS needed is a bomb 'dumptruck', with modular bays and pylon mounts - picture a modified C-17. ed's right, we don't need a new penetrator, and if we do, it needs to be an upgraded F-22. We need something that can take on the B-52's current role: something that can deliver huge explosive payloads under conditions of US air superiority.
Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski ||
10/06/2006 13:59 Comments ||
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#12
Much rather see a new super-tits A-10 ground support airframe and new Specter like gun ships. More ammo longer loiter time etc.
#13
Mark E. is right, both about the mission around which the B-2 was designed and about the future for UCAVs.
Re: the mission - it's easy to say the B-2 was overpriced, but in order to do so you have to ignore the victories it has won for use. Two at least come to mind. First, its presence in our arsenal was one reason the Soviet Union fell. They didn't get all the specs on the thing or its technology but they sure as hell knew more or less that it existed (especially after the B1-B) and they couldn't spend to try to counter it.
And second, do you for one minute think the Bush administration could have kept up the WOT if we had lost a plane over Baghdad in 2003??? Even if we only flew 10 sorties in the life of this plane, if they were critical wins enabled by the technology, that benefit must be counted when you consider the cost.
Consider that an investment that was well spent, by and large. And why build more than you need? Build what you need, ensure that the production line can be reactivated if need be in the future. R&D well spent.
Re: unmanned combat aerial vehicles (i.e. pilotless bombers, fighters) - they will come.
As with all such decisions, there are tradeoffs to be made between new systems and procuring more of older systems that fit our current mission and/or tactical doctrine. But note that that can be a trap, if it locks you into old ways of fighting that are not the most efficient for the current threat -- or if it keeps you from looking forward to the coming threat.
#16
The scramjet hypersonic designs being studied are SSTO, but as the general said, it's not clear the mission benefit is there yet. Hence the focus on metals, AI software and some other key technologies to understand that cost/benefit better.
If USAF wants to know where China is going they should look at where the USAF is. Because stealing what we have developed is how they will get their advanced systems for the forseeable future. The Chinese can't even manufacture an export grade automobile. And they're developing systems that justify a boondoggle like this? Someday perhaps. I'll warn my grandson to worry about it when he's born.
This thing is a solution desperately in search of a problem. And it's not China. What conceivable target would this attack in China under what circumstances?
China is ultimately a naval problem, unless someone is suggesting we should invade insted of leaving that to the Indians. Instead, we are in the process of attriting our blue water naval forces because the admirals are almost as focused on their naval aviation navels as the Air Force generals are with their manned bombers, and the Navy's apparent contribution to GWOT is de minimis.
But we can't even afford to develop and deploy lethal a standard rifle or sidearm for our infantry. This kind of thinking is what gave rise to the term clusterflight.
#18
Hypersonic is sooo yesterday; we have already developed that technology if you believe the persistent Aurora stories. And the earlier comment about a bomb dump truck is just about right, but you can bet the between now and 'whenever' the requirements page will get so loaded up that the cost will spiral way out of control. give us a B-52 V 2.0 type of thing; leave the stealth to the fighters and escorts; they can neutalize the threats or blind the radars and then when BUFF Jr. comes calling and levels about 3 zip codes worth of bad guy country, they will then know who and what hit them. And lets dump that precision ordnance crap and go back to carpet bombing; Mass quantities of dumb bombs are more fun and the smoke looks so much more impressive and would help demoralize the citizenry of the bad guy's country. Cut out their desire to fight and you win.
Posted by: Mark E. ||
10/06/2006 16:11 Comments ||
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#20
And hypersonic with people aboard for absolutely no conceivable reason isn't pushing the envelope? This is just a dumb idea that sends $$$ to the districts of key appropriations committee members and feeds the egos of bomber generals who should be retired now.
At present? Absolutely. Manned hypersonic craft are a ridiculous waste of money. So long as we utilize carrier-based aircraft to project power, hypersonic crewed vehicles are unnecessary and represent a very poor return on investment. Take a moment to consider how hypersonic aircraft could obviate the need for those insanely expensive aircraft carriers and things begin to snap into focus. But that is decades down the road, if only because we need to milk out all of our expenditure on these costly naval platforms.
Now, as to hypersonic guided missiles, that is something we need to pursue immediately. R&D into this weapons format will drive all of the prototyping needed for eventual deployment of crewed hypersonic vehicles. I envision hypersonic missiles as the ultimate bunkerbuster. With properly shaped penetration profiles their burrowing capability should be the stuff of legends. Additionally, hypersonic guided missiles will be able to start displacing some of our carriers in projecting small-scale force for one-shot solutions. This will enable us to eventually de-emphasize the need for building any more of these expensive boats.
An F-22 bomber with a 5-6000 mile range is enough to take care of any enemies. In addition such an aircraft could be ready in a few years. For the WoT role, since we are fighting primitives (and that goes for the governments themselves), I prefer bomber conversions of airliners. A 787 can carry a lot of ordnance a long ways.
Great post, ed. I agree with you and Mike about the need for a "bomb dump-truck". However, I draw the line at scaling back on smart munitions. Future sorties will require an emphasis on avoiding unnecessary demolition of surrounding infrastructure, if only to save us from financing any rebuilding. It also makes us look good by not creating excessive collateral loss of civilian life, unless we so desire. Additionally, massive bombing runs create their own obscuring atmospheric conditions that interfere with second pass efficacy.
All in all, smart ordnance allows us to adopt a much more economical policy of just dropping by to break the bad boy's toys without deployment of occupying ground forces or spending a cent on any reconstruction afterwards. This is an operations profile that must become standard procedure as we go forward. We can always use dumb munitions when there is a need for simple catastrophic destruction, but JDAMs own the future. Id also be interested in seeing some sort of fuel-air vacuum bomb with minimal explosive force but maximum enemy casualties. Perhaps a columnar detonation profile would create the isobaric drop without the massive peripheral blast damage. I want us to have a way of deading lots of terrorists without making boatloads of rubble.
On Saturday, October 7, 2006, Northrop Grumman Newport News will christen the nations 10th and final Nimitz-class aircraft carrier, George H. W. Bush (CVN 77). The ships namesake and 41st President of the United States, George H. W. Bush, is scheduled to attend the ceremony along with his wife Barbara and their daughter, Doro Bush Koch, Mrs. Koch also serves as the ships sponsor and will do the traditional honor of breaking a bottle of American sparkling wine across the ships bow during the ceremony. Employees of Northrop Grumman Newport News and their families are invited. The general public is also invited to the ceremony. Visit the links below for additional information.
Posted by: Captain America ||
10/06/2006 01:32 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[11134 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
As much as I respect the former president, I disagree with naming ships after politicians. It might get the ship built... but the name doesn't have an American soul like the Hornet, Enterprise, Yorktown, Wasp, etc.
Posted by: mac ||
10/06/2006 10:08 Comments ||
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#7
Newport News, VA (Oct. 7, 2050): On Saturday, October 7, 2050, Northrop Grumman Newport News will christen the nations newest aircraft carrier, the USS Joeseph Mendiola...
#9
Methinks the USS Joe Mendiola would permanently "prowl" the waters around Guam, with an occasional incursion into the Indian Ocean. Of course, no one (not even the Navy) would know where it was heading next and how it would get there. And, oh yeah, the cap'n has to SHOUT EVERYTHING as if all seamen are DEAF!
Posted by: BA ||
10/06/2006 10:58 Comments ||
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#10
Don't know what a 'USS Joseph Mendiola' would look like either. Perhaps a command & communication ship :).
#11
Congratulations on both counts, mcsegeek1. If you would be so kind as to do a back of the napkin preliminary sketch of the USS Joseph Mendiola? It'll want big kitchens for the BettyCrockercrats to bake things in... a computer room, a big screening room for television and movies... someplace where JosephM can hang out with all the interesting people he somehow manages to know. And all the weaponry needed to prevent the One World Government people from taking over. ;-)
#13
It would need a VERY>=LARGE room to DECIPHER&+TRANSLATE to the minion sailors the MARXIST/ISLAMOSFAISTS connections in a way that only Joseph Mendola could.
Posted by: 49 Pan ||
10/06/2006 13:05 Comments ||
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#14
JosephM truly is a special Rantburg treasure. We're lucky to have him.
#15
Hear, hear, TW! Of course, the Navy would have to work out that whole internet on the ocean thingy, so that JoeM could post to Rantburg at all hours, lol!
Posted by: BA ||
10/06/2006 13:34 Comments ||
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#21
Personally, I have no problem with the Bush name on a carrier. Heck, being the youngest pilot in the Navy and getting shot down in the process should give you a little respect.
I don't have any problem with Reagan's name on a carrier. Damn sight better than an airport. "Peace through strength."
And I think that honoring Carter with a sub is okay, too. Now, Clinton ...
#23
Please, God, don't let them ever name an aircraft carrier after that asshole...
Posted by: Dave D. ||
10/06/2006 19:15 Comments ||
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#24
Would Mr. Clinton want to be so openly associated with the military he'd always despised?
What? Naming an aircraft carrier after him?
Shit, that egomaniac would sport more wood over that then Monica ever got him. Probably would want to borrow it on the weekends...
After nine days in secret police custody, Reza Montazami and his wife, Fereshteh Dibaj, were released on bail this morning by order of a Revolutionary Court in Mashhad, Iran. ... [His] parents were required to turn over the title deed for property worth $25,000 on bond. Within hours, Montazami and his wife, leaders of an independent house church in Mashhad, were released by police officials and allowed to return home. ....
Two days ago, Montazamis parents were ordered to sign a document promising that no more Christian meetings for worship, prayer or Bible study would be held in the couples home. Their apartment is owned by Montazamis mother. It is not known whether Montazami and his wife also were required to sign a similar pledge as a condition for their release. In similar cases in recent months against Iranian Christians subjected to arrest and interrogations, those released have been restricted to virtual house arrest or ordered to stay within their city limits.
Prior to their arrest, Montazami and his wife led an independent house church in Mashhad, the capital of the northeastern province of Khorasan. .... The couple had been arrested at their home on the morning of September 26, when police searched the premises and confiscated their computers and all Christian materials they found. ....
After searching for hours on the day of their arrest, the couples family finally confirmed that they were being held by the intelligence branch of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Relatives who attempted daily to learn the reason for the couples arrest were reportedly rebuffed by police and judicial authorities, who said that such information concerned only investigators pursuing the case. ....
From a well-known Mashhad family, Montazami, 35, had converted to Christianity in his 20s. His wife Fereshteh is the youngest daughter of the Rev. Mehdi Dibaj, a Protestant pastor martyred for his faith in 1994. After nine years in prison, her father was given the death penalty for apostasy leaving Islam. Six months after international protests prompted his release, he was abducted and killed. ....
#2
I posted today's articles with my true name Mike Sylwester, but they appear with the name Thrineque Glorong3348.
Posted by: Mike Sylwester ||
10/06/2006 8:45 Comments ||
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#3
"Others were tried by mocking and scourging, yes, moreover by bonds and imprisonment. They were stoned. They were sawn apart. They were tempted. They were slain with the sword. They went around in sheep skins and in goat skins; being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated (of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts, mountains, caves, and the holes of the earth."
#5
His wife Fereshteh is the youngest daughter of the Rev. Mehdi Dibaj, a Protestant pastor martyred for his faith in 1994.
Wha? How did this news get out of the Middle East, without using their term for "martyr," that being what we'd call "murder" in the West? My surprise meter must be broken.
Posted by: BA ||
10/06/2006 9:59 Comments ||
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#8
gee, #2 mike - i'm sorry you lost your cookies.
feeling better now? ;-p
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
10/06/2006 19:13 Comments ||
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#9
Oh goody, Mikey and Jihad Unspun back.
The Eternal Golden Braid of pointless prosaic palevorous niggling nongermane nonsensical nitwit nitpicking hypercritical hairsplitting hoary hackneyed tenuous tedious treadmill threads returns.
I can't wait to have a day's worth of someone's posts collected into a mishmash and reposted as "proof" of something or other only visible to the dreary dean of dolts.
The federal budget deficit estimate for the fiscal year just completed has dropped to $250 billion, congressional estimators said Friday, as the economy continued
The Congressional Budget Office's latest estimate is $10 billion below CBO predictions issued in August and well below a July White House prediction of $296 billion.
The improving deficit picture -- Bush predicted a $423 billion deficit in his February budget -- has been driven by better-than-expected tax receipts, especially from corporate profits, CBO said.
The 2005 deficit registered $318 billion; the record $413 billion deficit was posted in 2004.
At $250 billion, it would be the lowest since the $158 billion figure in 2002, the first deficit following four years of surpluses.
The CBO estimate continues a positive trend on the deficit after a grim deficit performance during President Bush's first term, and comes despite soaring war costs and $50 billion in emergency spending for hurricane relief.
House Budget Committee Chairman Jim Nussle, R-Iowa, credited the improving deficit numbers to "a responsible budget blueprint and pro-growth policies," even as Democrats pointed out that at $250 billion, the deficit is still one of the largest in history.
"Though today's estimates for 2006 are not as pessimistic as some earlier estimates, it is clear that the budget remains on the wrong track," said top budget panel Democrat John Spratt Jr. of South Carolina. "The Congressional Budget Office and even the Bush administration are estimating that deficits will be even larger next year."
But when measured against the size of the economy, which is the comparison economists think is most important, the deficit picture looks even better.
Snacks sold in schools will have to cut the fat, sugar and salt under the latest crackdown on junk food won by former President Clinton.
Just five months after a similar agreement targeting the sale of sodas in schools, Clinton and the American Heart Association announced a deal Friday with several major food companies to make school snacks healthier - the latest assault on the nation's childhood obesity epidemic.
"By working with schools and industry to implement these guidelines, we are helping to give parents peace of mind that their kids will be able to make healthier choices at school," said Dr. Raymond Gibbons, president of the heart association.
The agreement with Kraft Foods Inc., Mars Inc., Campbell Soup Co., Groupe Danone SA and PepsiCo Inc. sets guidelines for fat, sugar, sodium and calories for snack foods sold in school vending machines, stores and snack bars. Those companies make everything from M&M's, yogurt and granola bars to Frito-Lay potato chips, Snickers bars and canned soups.
Under the guidelines, most foods won't be permitted to derive more than 35 percent of their calories from fat and more than 10 percent from saturated fat. There will be a limit of 35 percent for sugar content by weight.
An example of a snack that would be banned is a Snickers bar, which has 280 calories, 130 of them from fat. The candy bar has 30 grams of sugar out of 58.7 total grams.
Gibbons said Thursday the guidelines are based on the recommendations of leading scientists "as to what we should be doing to provide more nutritious foods for our kids."
Charles Nicolas, a spokesman for PepsiCo, which owns Frito-Lay and Quaker, said Frito-Lay already has products that meet the guidelines, such as baked potato chips and reduced-sugar chewy bars.
"We're going to change a few recipes so that more snacks meet those guidelines as well," he said.
The William J. Clinton Foundation teamed up with the heart association to form the Alliance for a Healthier Generation in 2005. The alliance was formed to combat childhood obesity, which has been blamed for an increase in early-onset diabetes and other ills.
In May, the alliance announced an agreement with beverage industry leaders to sell only water, unsweetened juice and low-fat and nonfat milk in elementary and middle schools. Diet sodas and sports drinks are still being sold in high schools.
Officials said that agreement covered 87 percent of the soft drink market in public and private schools.
Bob Harrison, executive director of the alliance, said the snack-food industry is not as concentrated as the beverage industry, so the reach of this agreement will not be as wide as the earlier one.
But he said the five companies participating in the new agreement are market leaders and their influence will be felt.
Hand wringing and panic over what goes into student's mouths, and no regard for what goes into their brains. Typical, but insane.
#4
I'm guessing that in a while these will go the way of Low-tar cigarettes...
Basically people smoke more low tar cigarettes when you reduce the content.
I think manufacturers know that they will sell more units as the sugar content is reduced (for them and their competitors). Watch out for complaining lefties in a few years.
Of course, the main problem is not sugar in, it's the low number of excercise calories used up.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
Regular cups of tea can help speed recovery from stress, researchers from University College London (UCL) said yesterday. Men who drank black tea four times a day for six weeks were found to have lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol than a control group who drank a fake tea substitute, the researchers said in a study published in the journal Psychopharmacology. 
Russia warned the United States on Tuesday against basing elements of a planned missile defense system in Poland, saying this would undermine strategic stability and require a "corresponding" response from Moscow, Interfax news agency said. "This could have a negative impact on strategic stability, regional security and the relations between states," Interfax quoted ministry spokesman Mikhail Kamynin as saying in an interview. "Such a new situation objectively requires corresponding measures from us," Kamynin said.
NEW YORK (AP) -- Spain is set to boost its participation in the France-based Airbus project, with an eye to a larger stake in the A380 superjumbo and in designing future generations of aircraft, the two countries' foreign ministers said Thursday. "Spanish industry is very important for Airbus and Spain aims to boost its participation in Airbus," said French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy at a press conference.
No sooner did Congress authorize construction of a 700-mile fence on the U.S.-Mexico border last week than lawmakers rushed to approve separate legislation that ensures it will never be built, at least not as advertised, according to Republican lawmakers and immigration experts.
Democrats must gain six seats in the November 7 election to recapture U.S. Senate control, and they lead in three of the seven most vulnerable Republican-held states, according to a Reuters/Zogby poll released on Thursday. Democrats lead Republican incumbents in Montana, Rhode Island and Pennsylvania. Republican incumbents lead in Virginia and Missouri, the polls found, with races in Republican-held Ohio and Tennessee deadlocked. The polls of at least 600 likely voters in each state have a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.
Snacks sold in schools will have to cut the fat, sugar and salt under the latest crackdown on junk food won by former President Clinton.
