How could two submarines end up colliding in the middle of the ocean? British military types are blaming excessive stealthiness, and the French claim they didn’t realise what had happened for days.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber, an occasion that can only be properly immortalised by the crew at Orange County Choppers, apparently.
The Gadget: EyeClops Night Vision Infrared Stealth Goggles, the cheapo-version of the spy favourite that’ll allow you to go exploring, play wargames, or stalk your ex-girlfriend in the dark. galleryPost("eyeclopsgoggles", 3, "");
The next-generation stealth bomber from Boeing/Lockheed Martin is out. Developed by Phantom Works, the large diamond-shaped body, with long wings and razor-sharp nose, resembles a long-range B-2 Spirit bomber that has been retrofitted at Darth Vader’s garage: from the front, it looks kind of evil and menacing. Unlike Northrop Grumman’s proposal, which is like the stealth bomber that eats too many Snickers.
One place where “if you build it, they will come” doesn’t always apply is in military hardware. After constructing two Zumwalt class DD(X) stealth destroyers at US$2.6 billion apiece, the Navy has scrapped its plan to build up the rest of its intended 313-ship fleet–turns out, the demand for a ship whose primary mission is to obliterate large land targets with guided artillery and Tomahawk missiles doesn’t suit the smaller-scale anti-terror missions most of the armed forces are currently faced with. Now the Pentagon just has to decide what to do with the almost $1 trillion it just freed up in its budget. I’m sure they’ll have no problem with that. [AP]
Do you remember the US$1.2 billion B-2 Stealth Bomber that crashed during take-off? Well now a video has been released of the event. But let me warn you—it’s really, really hard watching so much taxpayer cash wastefully go up in flames, especially when the travesty unfolds so slowly. Apparently the plane’s sensors were fooled by the presence of water and convinced the vehicle to pitch up on take-off. Luckily both pilots ejected safely. [via Wired]
To commemorate the golden jubilee of America’s Defence Advance Research Projects Agency—formed these 50 years ago in response to a little traveller called Sputnik—New Scientist has come up with a short list of 10 DARPA inventions: five that changed the world, and five that fell flat:
A German inventor has developed a paint called AR 1 that can hide a vehicle from radar, and most importantly, “all militarily relevant frequencies.” How it works is unclear, though one test researcher proposes it’s either by reflecting radar waves in a pattern so they cancel on another out, or by utilising microscopic magnets to absorb radar radiation. And no, it won’t get you out of speeding tickets.
It appears that the geniuses at the Defence Department have been asleep at the wheel of their new Joint Strike Fighter program, leading some to believe that its super valuable aviation and weapons technology may have been compromised. The crux of the problem involves the fact that the Pentagon’s Defence Security Service (DSS) has had a difficult time monitoring the contractors working on the aircraft. While no specific breaches have come to light regarding the classified information, an audit has uncovered that the DSS cut corners and the DoD suffered lapses in its controls designed to evaluate and protect the sensitive information from unauthorised access.
The Zero-G Defy Xtreme Stealth by elite watchmaker Zenith is one of the most lust-worthy timepieces we’ve seen in recent history. Modelled after the famous Stealth Bomber, this blackened titanium watch (utilising a PVD coating process) is specially crafted to keep time without extreme gravity throwing off your appointments. Featuring a titanium strap with Kevlar inserts, hop out of your matching stealth jet, go for a dive down to 1,000 feet and stop a bullet with your wrist—all for what looks to be an increasingly reasonable US$500,000. [zenith via coolhunting]
