I expect to transition all the archives over to the WordPress version of Songs of Space and Nuclear War in the next week or so. That site is up and is working better than I anticipated.
Once I get that done, this site will fade to black.
Enjoy it there!
Monday, October 19, 2009
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Beta Songs of Space & Nuclear War
WordPress offers lots of advantages...like spell check.
While Google Blogger has been good, expect full migration to the site in the link in the next month or so.
Unless something goes wrong!
While Google Blogger has been good, expect full migration to the site in the link in the next month or so.
Unless something goes wrong!
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Seasons Don't Fear The Reaper; Russian Doesn't Fear A Nuclear Iran
Well after hitting the missile defense reset button, it looks like Russia may be, er, reevaluating their position regarding Iranian sanctions.
Surprised?
Russia will do whatever it thinks it needs to do to improve its position in the region, and if possible, the world. Glory days, brother, like when the Spetsnaz, was ten feet tall, bulletproof, and invisible.
Unrest is good for fuel prices, and chaos is great. And Russia sells fuel. It seems to be a congenital weakness that Russia is unable to look beyond the present.
Surprised?
Russia will do whatever it thinks it needs to do to improve its position in the region, and if possible, the world. Glory days, brother, like when the Spetsnaz, was ten feet tall, bulletproof, and invisible.
Unrest is good for fuel prices, and chaos is great. And Russia sells fuel. It seems to be a congenital weakness that Russia is unable to look beyond the present.
Monday, October 12, 2009
That's My Story And I'm Sticking To It
Root cause analysis of the rolled transporter-erector at Minot: a bug flew in the cab, distracted the driver, and caused said driver to lose control.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Peace, Nuke Is Thy True Name
David Von Drehle wastes little time in getting to the money line: "As long as a nukeless world remains wishful thinking and pastoral rhetoric, we'll be all right."
The persuasive arguement is that industrial-age warfighting has wrought industrial-sized death and destruction on mankind. But we haven't had many world wars lately? What keeps many of today's conflicts from tipping into massive chaos?
Brace yourself: nuclear weapons.
So far, nuclear weapons have been possessed by rationale nation-state actors and held with sufficient survivability and in sufficient numbers (to prevent the benefits traditionally reaped from suprise). As such, history correlates decreased death and destruction with the advent of nuclear weapons.
It seems many are more enamored by the idea of a nuclear free world than they are by the observations of history before their existence.
Of course the effects of deterrence are limited. "Leaders" like Stalin and Mao were still going create death and destruction of an industrial scale, but they did it with their own peoples.
The persuasive arguement is that industrial-age warfighting has wrought industrial-sized death and destruction on mankind. But we haven't had many world wars lately? What keeps many of today's conflicts from tipping into massive chaos?
Brace yourself: nuclear weapons.
So far, nuclear weapons have been possessed by rationale nation-state actors and held with sufficient survivability and in sufficient numbers (to prevent the benefits traditionally reaped from suprise). As such, history correlates decreased death and destruction with the advent of nuclear weapons.
It seems many are more enamored by the idea of a nuclear free world than they are by the observations of history before their existence.
Of course the effects of deterrence are limited. "Leaders" like Stalin and Mao were still going create death and destruction of an industrial scale, but they did it with their own peoples.
Friday, October 9, 2009
Funding Issues for Son of SBIRS and MUOS
A third-generation infrared satellite system is already in the works in the USAF FY2010 budget request.
While the Senate appropriators have fully funded the effort, the House version cut the program request by about 30 percent.
An infrared demonstration payload will be launched on a commercial satellite next year, a prudent effort to show initiative in preempting some of the software and hardware challenges that have tormented SBIRS.
The Navy's MUOS satellite system, with its recently revealed one year slip, is fully funded in the Senate's appropriations version and will only have to reconcile less than $5M with the House version. However, about $150M of MUOS funding will be put on withhold until the Navy addresses how they will address a rapidly emerging narrowband shortfall.
Options include using ORS and the Tacsat-4 satellite. Probably more likely solutions include placing a military comm payload on a commercial satellite.
While the Senate appropriators have fully funded the effort, the House version cut the program request by about 30 percent.
An infrared demonstration payload will be launched on a commercial satellite next year, a prudent effort to show initiative in preempting some of the software and hardware challenges that have tormented SBIRS.
The Navy's MUOS satellite system, with its recently revealed one year slip, is fully funded in the Senate's appropriations version and will only have to reconcile less than $5M with the House version. However, about $150M of MUOS funding will be put on withhold until the Navy addresses how they will address a rapidly emerging narrowband shortfall.
Options include using ORS and the Tacsat-4 satellite. Probably more likely solutions include placing a military comm payload on a commercial satellite.
NASA Administrator Says U.S. Risks Losing Leadership Role in Space
There is no revelation here.
The issue rather is what to do about the problem. Issue identification we have skills at; problem resolution and implementation, not so much.
This thrash has been going on since 1998, plus or minus about two years.
The issue rather is what to do about the problem. Issue identification we have skills at; problem resolution and implementation, not so much.
This thrash has been going on since 1998, plus or minus about two years.
The Coming Boom In Commercial Space-Based Radar
Radar is of course useful in seeing through clouds.
Restrictions have been loosened from 3-meter resolution to 1-meter.
Restrictions have been loosened from 3-meter resolution to 1-meter.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Iran's Plan To Launch A Sea Of Satellites
OK, Iran wants to launch a sea of satellites with the next one planned to fly around the end of March 2010.
Stated purpose: aid natural disaster management programs and improve telecommunications.
Real purpose: development of an Iranian ICBM program?
Iran talks about flying satellites from 50 to 150 km. That's about 30 to 90 miles, which is low. I bet they will fly a bit above that.
Check out this youtube of last year's launch.
Stated purpose: aid natural disaster management programs and improve telecommunications.
Real purpose: development of an Iranian ICBM program?
Iran talks about flying satellites from 50 to 150 km. That's about 30 to 90 miles, which is low. I bet they will fly a bit above that.
Check out this youtube of last year's launch.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Intelligence Authorization Bill Held Up by Spy Satellite Issue
It is somewhat befuddling how an NRO buy of satellites that are less expensive and less sophisticated can be reasonably called "untested and therefore riskier."
If you want to say it’s riskier because our security needs mandate we have a mix of satellites including some that provide exquisite capabilities which the Senate bill (and the less expensive satellites cannot provide) does not allow for, I can see that, but I don't think that's the assertion being made.
GeoEye? DigitalGlobe? Radarsat (just kidding...a little).
If you want to say it’s riskier because our security needs mandate we have a mix of satellites including some that provide exquisite capabilities which the Senate bill (and the less expensive satellites cannot provide) does not allow for, I can see that, but I don't think that's the assertion being made.
GeoEye? DigitalGlobe? Radarsat (just kidding...a little).
Gates Hints at More Secret Nuke Sites in Iran
As a former spy-guy, you would expect the SecDef to say something to the effect "I can neither confirm nor deny the U.S. knowledge of any additional clandestine Iranian nuclear program sites." Of course, that would have to be converted into diplo-speak, otherwise it has the sound of a droning Cold War automaton.
But he didn't say that.
Certainly our national technical means are pretty good (actually, you’d probably say they were exquisite), but they get much better when we have Iranian insiders who can confirm our thinking or tell us where (and why) we've gone off course.
One issue from the link that makes no sense is that the SecDef is bluffing and there are no other covert Iranian sites. That would just cause Iranian leadership to look at each other and say (in Farsi, and with glee) "He doesn't know."
But he didn't say that.
Certainly our national technical means are pretty good (actually, you’d probably say they were exquisite), but they get much better when we have Iranian insiders who can confirm our thinking or tell us where (and why) we've gone off course.
One issue from the link that makes no sense is that the SecDef is bluffing and there are no other covert Iranian sites. That would just cause Iranian leadership to look at each other and say (in Farsi, and with glee) "He doesn't know."
Monday, October 5, 2009
The AFA's New Name for UAVs
The mishap report following the 22 Feb crash of an MQ-1B Predator was just released, and electrical failure was the cause.
However, the Air Force Association, instead of calling the Predator an "unmanned aerial vehicle" or "unmanned aircraft system" like the ACC fact sheet calls it, instead appears to prefer the term RPV for "remotely piloted vehicle."
What's in a name?
The Befuddling Cluelessness of Bruce Ackerman
The integrity of General Stanley McChrystal has been attacked. According to the writer, Bruce Ackerman, McChrystal has grievously violated the concept of civilian control by 1) having his Afghanistan assessment leaked and 2) making a speech in which all salient points were already known and much discussed. What’s really going on in Ackerman's article?
Let’s start by looking at what the oath of office actually says.
"I, _____, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God."
So how was the oath violated? Clearly, it wasn’t.
A better question would be who leaked the report and why? Ackerman has apparently used his powers of ESPN (that’s a joke, not a typo) to accomplish a mind-meld investigation of McChrystal and determined he’s the leaker. I don’t know how big McChrystal’s staff is, but I’m guessing it’s pretty big, so there are plenty of potential leakers to run to ground. Likewise, there are those outside his staff who would have had access to the same. So why does Ackerman blame McChrystal?
Does Ackerman want McChrystal to provide his best military advice or to be a voice actuated switch? Voice actuated switch seems to be preferred.
Finally, McChrystal didn’t pick himself for this job. According to previously published reporting, the SecDef and CJCS thought McChrystal was the right man to lead this challenging endeavor. Chances are excellent that General McChrystal didn’t get to be a four-star by ignoring the oath of office, classification guidelines, common sense, civilian control and yes, politics.
Let’s start by looking at what the oath of office actually says.
"I, _____, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God."
So how was the oath violated? Clearly, it wasn’t.
A better question would be who leaked the report and why? Ackerman has apparently used his powers of ESPN (that’s a joke, not a typo) to accomplish a mind-meld investigation of McChrystal and determined he’s the leaker. I don’t know how big McChrystal’s staff is, but I’m guessing it’s pretty big, so there are plenty of potential leakers to run to ground. Likewise, there are those outside his staff who would have had access to the same. So why does Ackerman blame McChrystal?
Does Ackerman want McChrystal to provide his best military advice or to be a voice actuated switch? Voice actuated switch seems to be preferred.
Finally, McChrystal didn’t pick himself for this job. According to previously published reporting, the SecDef and CJCS thought McChrystal was the right man to lead this challenging endeavor. Chances are excellent that General McChrystal didn’t get to be a four-star by ignoring the oath of office, classification guidelines, common sense, civilian control and yes, politics.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Clown Arrives at Space Station
Finally a mission for the ISS?
The clown "reportedly paid $35 million to become the world's seventh space tourist. "
The clown "reportedly paid $35 million to become the world's seventh space tourist. "
Friday, October 2, 2009
Ash Carter Nails It
Regarding the defense industry, AT&L's Ash Carter provides a totally on-target money quote (emphasis added):
“At the end of the day we are totally dependent on that defense industry. The government doesn’t make our weapons, private industry makes our weapons.”
The goal of acquisition is for the government to get what it needs, when it needs it, and to pay a fair price for the product. Simultaneously, the government should want industry to make a fair profit.
If industry isn't making a fair profit, they will tend to do other things, which will reduce competition, product selection, and ideas. It all seems pretty straightforward, doesn’t it?
Carter is paraphrased as saying he like as much competition as possible. I bet his real intent is to have as much competition as is useful. There is a point of diminishing, and even negative, returns.
“At the end of the day we are totally dependent on that defense industry. The government doesn’t make our weapons, private industry makes our weapons.”
The goal of acquisition is for the government to get what it needs, when it needs it, and to pay a fair price for the product. Simultaneously, the government should want industry to make a fair profit.
If industry isn't making a fair profit, they will tend to do other things, which will reduce competition, product selection, and ideas. It all seems pretty straightforward, doesn’t it?
Carter is paraphrased as saying he like as much competition as possible. I bet his real intent is to have as much competition as is useful. There is a point of diminishing, and even negative, returns.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
SBIRS Slip Slaps Space
Groan. Confirmation.
See if you can use the acronyms "SBIRS" and "GAO" with the words "trouble-plagued," "chronic," and "problem" in one sentence. Bonus points if you can weave in "optimistic" and "award fee."
Would anyone in the defense industry be willing to take on a SBIRS-like effort under a firm fixed price contract?
See if you can use the acronyms "SBIRS" and "GAO" with the words "trouble-plagued," "chronic," and "problem" in one sentence. Bonus points if you can weave in "optimistic" and "award fee."
Would anyone in the defense industry be willing to take on a SBIRS-like effort under a firm fixed price contract?
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