Drone-hunting robot ‘tank’ could be US Army’s new workhorse
The United States is gearing up for a potential fight with China. For the Navy, Air Force and Marines, that mainly means robotic aircraft, boats and submersibles. For the U.S. Army, it’s robotic combat vehicles (RCVs) like the TRX SHORAD from General Dynamics Land Systems.
The TRX SHORAD is a diesel-electric hybrid tracked vehicle with short range air defense capabilities. It was recently named “Best New Product” at the Association of the U.S. Army’s annual convention — and for good reason.
TRX stands for Tracked Robot 10-ton. It serves as the base chassis for a growing list of payloads. As the name implies, it weighs about 10 tons — significantly less than every main battle tank currently in use by world militaries. The TRX can be transported on a CH-47 Chinook helicopter or a C-130 airplane.
The TRX is also able to generate what GDLS describes as “exportable power.” Essentially, whatever power a payload may require, the TRX will be able to meet the need.
In the SHORAD variant, it’s armed with a 30 mm cannon and eight Stinger missiles. Stingers were originally designed as shoulder-launched heat-seeking missiles. They are effective against helicopters, low-flying planes and drones. The 30 mm cannon will take care of smaller unmanned aerial systems, like the ones being used in Ukraine.
The TRX SHORAD can provide close air support for soldiers trying to operate in contested environments. The 30 mm cannon is also effective against enemy ground troops and some lightly armored vehicles.
GDLS said in a post on X that the “TRX SHORAD is designed to bring a new dimension of combat power in SHORAD battalions and provides autonomy within a tiered, layered air defense.”
The TRX boasts a class-leading 1:1 payload capacity ratio. So, aside from the SHORAD configuration, GDLS said the TRX can carry just about any configuration the Army wants.
For instance, a promotional video from GDLS shows a TRX configured to carry what appear to be 24 tube-launched Switchblade 600s made by AeroVironment. Switchblade 600s are precision strike loitering munitions, designed to take out tanks and other armored vehicles.
The TRX is one of four robotic platforms the Army is reviewing for its Robotic Combat Vehicle Competition. GDLS will submit two prototype variations of the TRX during Phase 1 of the open competition. The prototypes are scheduled to be delivered to the Army in August 2024.
“We are honored to have been chosen to continue to work with the Army on the Robotic Combat Vehicle program,” said GDLS Vice President and General Manager for U.S. Operations Gordon Stein. “TRX features innovative thinking, ranging from its AI-enhanced design to advanced, lightweight materials and a hybrid-electric propulsion system. Its power and size make it an ideal platform for multirole Human Machine Integration on today’s battlefield.”
In a similar fashion to how the Navy and Air Force want Collaborative Combat Aircraft to fly in formations with human pilots, the Army wants robotic vehicles to maneuver at speed with human soldiers as well, a concept called Manned Unmanned Teaming (MUM-T).
Recently, the Army Science Board performed an independent analysis of the M1 Abrams tank and found it won’t be able to dominate the 2040 battlefield. The Army hopes smaller RCVs like the TRX can help the U.S. maintain its position as the world’s foremost land force.
Tech guru Hillel Fuld talks about Hamas terrorist attacks in Israel
Saturday, Oct. 7, was the single deadliest day for the Jewish people since World War II. More than 700 people in Israel are dead: Jews, Arabs, Europeans, Americans and others.
A compilation of Hamas clips shows how the terror group invaded southern Israel yesterday. First they bombed Israeli observation towers and weapons systems on the border, then fired hundreds of rockets as terrorists on paragliders flew over the border. Moments later, Hamas… pic.twitter.com/D4iIoCV51q
In a nation as small as Israel, there can’t be an attack like this without every resident being personally impacted in some way. Hillel Fuld is one of those Israelis.
Fuld is a guru in the tech world and one of Israel’s most ardent supporters. One of his brothers was killed by a Palestinian terrorist five years ago. Another brother works in the Knesset, Israel’s legislative body.
Like most in Israel, Hillel served in the military. He also has four sons, one of whom could be drafted in the next few months.
Straight Arrow News’ Ryan Robertson had the opportunity to speak with Hillel briefly on Monday, about 48 hours after attacks, to gain his insights about what’s unfolding in Israel.
Below is a transcript of the conversation that has been slightly edited for clarity.
Robertson: Hillel Fuld. Thank you so much for joining us today. Take me back to Saturday morning, if you would. You know, here in the states, we woke up and it was just crazy, but it’s different in Israel.
It was Shabbat morning. It’s Sukkot, it’s a holy day. Simchat Torah was starting that evening, it’s a time of joy. People were celebrating, and you woke up to this, this tragedy. Just take me back to that and kind of walk me through it.
Fuld: So let me just correct you first. In Israel, Simchat Torah, is actually combined with Shemini Atzeret, two holidays that are combined in Israel. So, Saturday morning was actually Simchat Torah, and we were dancing with Torah scrolls, which is what Jews do on Simchat Torah. And mid prayers, as we hugged the Torah scrolls, there’s a screech from the women’s section, “Azakah!” Which means alarm, which means siren.
On the way to synagogue five minutes before that with my kids, I had heard Iron Domes above me, which, sadly to say is not something that’s so uncommon, it by no means there’s a war starting. And so, I didn’t really make much of it. And when they screamed that there’s a siren, that was strange. And we all obviously rushed to the bomb shelter.
Smoke and flames rise following Israeli strikes in Gaza, October 9, 2023. Source: Reuters.
Fuld: The problem is that because it was a holiday, there were hundreds of people in synagogue and the bomb shelter was not created for hundreds of people. And so, there was not even close to enough space there. So, the woman went in the men stood by walls and tried to protect ourselves the best we can. And that was just the beginning. And then, siren after siren after siren after siren. Members of communities, sons getting called up one after the other, one after the other. Rabbi’s son gets called up one after the other. And we knew something was very, very serious.
The rumors started to circulate, obviously. As far as observant Jews, we don’t use our phones. So, we were all basing on rumors. And that’s very dangerous. And so, I kind of wanted to believe inside that the rumors could not be true, because how could that – How could that have happened, what people were saying? And for whatever reason, everyone around me was trying to kind of calm me down. I was like, how do I calm down? What happens if these rumors are true? What happens if I come back from Sabbath, I turn on my phone, and there are 75 casualties. For some reason, that number was the craziest number I could imagine. 75 dead, like I….Well, you know. You know what happened. And it’s, it’s been an absolute zoo since.
A crowd gathers after a rocket, launched from the Gaza Strip landed in the Israeli settlement of Beitar Ilit, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank October 9, 2023. Source: Reuters.
Fuld: And I, on a personal level, just kind of made it my role to try to spread as much optimism as I can. And maybe that’s me, you know, using that as a coping mechanism. I don’t know, I’m not a psychologist, but that’s what I’ve been occupying myself with. But it’s, to say it’s tragic is the understatement of the century. I mean, the deadliest day since the Holocaust, as far as the Jewish nation is concerned. And, you know, people talking about the Yom Kippur War, the deadliest Day in the Yom Kippur War, I think was 310 casualties. We’re at 800. So just for perspective, this is this is a historic, historic tragedy.
I just know one thing. What you see is not what you get. This is not what it seems.
Hillel Fuld
Robertson: This is not your first experience with terrorism. You have personal, many people in Israel have personal experience with it. But you and your story are somewhat unique. Can you kind of just explain a little bit, your backstory with your brother?
Fuld: Sure. So, we’re from New York originally, been in Israel for 30 years. My older brother… We’re five boys. Ari was one older than me. So, I’m number four. I have a younger brother number five, who’s in the Knesset, in the Parliament. And Ari was one above me, and he was a very outspoken Israel advocate for many years with millions of people who read and watched this stuff. And on the eve of Yom Kippur, five years ago, he was shopping for his family, about 20 minutes outside of Jerusalem and a 16-year-old Palestinian kid came and stabbed him in a main artery in his neck.
Ari ran after the terrorist, basically with no blood in his veins. Quite supernaturally. And he chased the terrorist and got in a shooting position. Jumped over a wall first and got in a shooting position and shot him. He did not kill him, but he saved a woman who the terrorist was about, I don’t know a few inches from, which was his intended next victim. And then Ari obviously dropped dead. And he got a national hero award from the State of Israel.
The stories five years later still flow in like, you know, the amount of people that he touched in his life and influence and impacted. He really, one person I would say, really changed the lives of millions of people. And it’s, on the one hand, obviously, tremendous tragedy on a personal and family level and for the nation of Israel. But I’m not going to lie and say that there is not some serious pride here. My grandmother, rest in peace, was a survivor of Auschwitz. And I always say if I told her one day that your grandson would be a national hero of the State of Israel, your other grandson would be in the Parliament of the State of Israel and your other grandson would be whatever, however you want to describe me. She wouldn’t know what to do with that information.
And so, it’s historic times we’re living in. I’ve got to take a wider perspective, despite the personal pain. We’re doing what we can, but we’re dealing with savage — I don’t want to say animals, because it’s highly offensive to animals, but savage beings that have no humanity. Period. And they will stop at nothing. They are driven 100% by killing as many Jews as possible. And I think if I am going to try to maybe squeeze some lemonade here out of the lemons, I’ll say that at least now the world sees their true face. And I want to believe that is something I hope that the world will not forget; in two days or three days or four days when Israel hopefully does what it needs to do in Gaza.
Robertson: Based on what you just said, I think I know what your answer is going to be for this next question, but it kind of leads me into it. There is some debate in Western media about the proper terms to use for Hamas soldiers, are they militants? Are they terrorists? What’s the right term?
Fuld: The answer to that question is: by the very question, we know that the moral compass of Western society has gone out the window a long time ago. The fact that we’re even discussing people that abduct women, children, Holocaust survivors, and we’re even discussing what to call them? Like, what – there’s no discussion. They’re terrorists. Period, full stop, and anybody who has any debate about that needs to seriously check their moral compass.
Robertson: I want to get back to something you said earlier. You said when you were at synagogue, you’re on your way there and you heard Iron Dome going off. And as sad as it is, that’s part of life in Israel: hearing the Iron Dome intercepting missiles. It wasn’t necessarily a cause of alarm for you.
A lot of observant Jews, they’re not connected to social media during that timeframe. What sort of concerns do you have, as far as like, is the Israeli government’s ability to secure borders and protect its people based on what happened Saturday morning? I mean, there’s people on gliders like, you know, ultralight gliders coming in, fences were blown up. There’s now reports of terror tunnels, and some of the connections ….
Fuld: I’m not equipped to answer that question. If I’m being honest. We don’t know anything yet. I could tell you what kinds of conspiracies, I’d rather not. I just know one thing. What you see is not what you get. This is not what it seems. That I could tell you unequivocally. Because any soldier that’s ever been on the border with Gaza knows that if a bird flies by, they are alerted.
Israel’s Iron Dome anti-missile system intercepts rockets launched from the Gaza Strip, as seen from the Israeli side of the border with Gaza, in southern Israel, October 9, 2023. Source: Reuters.
Fuld: There is no way that 400, or however many hundreds of Palestinians on tractors, blowing up the border wall came through without anybody noticing. It’s just not a thing at all whatsoever. Zero percent chance that happened. So, I don’t know what happened. I know that Hamas pulled one over everyone. For two years, they’ve been planning this. I know that there were the Egyptians tried to warn… again because I don’t know. What I do know is that it is not what you think is… what you see is what you get, because there is no way this happened without something more than just Hamas’ sophisticated abilities. Which, you know, they are sophisticated.
What they’ve developed in years of us just letting them be, they’ve definitely developed very sophisticated weapons. But that was not enough to pull this off. I don’t know the answer to that question. But we’re going to find out soon.
Robertson: You bet. This morning, the military, I mean, it’s mobilized. Reserves, hundreds of thousands of reserves are being called up. Just from a like a boots on the ground perspective for folks in the West who haven’t seen anything like that, don’t know what that looks like, kind of walk me through that process from a citizen of Israel.
Fuld: What specifically are you asking about?
Robertson: Well, I mean, are you seeing soldiers? Are tanks rolling down the street? Or is your neighbor packing up his bag to go serve? I mean, what sort of impacts personally has the mobilization had on your life and on your family’s life?
Every five minutes I’m hearing about another person that I know that was killed.
Hillel Fuld
Fuld: I mean, I live in a town in between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, there are no tanks on the streets. Butnevery five minutes I’m hearing about another person that I know that was killed.
I just heard about a childhood friend’s son was killed. I just heard about my late brother’s best friend’s son was killed. You know, so if terror didn’t touch most people in the country till now, now everybody knows someone who was killed. You know, someone did ask me, “Are you planning on leaving Israel?” That thought did not even crossed my mind, and it wouldn’t ever cross my mind.
Despite everything that’s going on, I still believe Israel is the safest place for a Jew to be today. I know it’s a funny thing to say. But it’s statistically true. It’s historically true. There’s no debate about it whatsoever. Even with the horrible tragedy that we’re experiencing right now. But other than that, other than hearing about friends who are losing their relative and loved ones, and obviously hearing the booms, hearing the Iron Dome, hearing the bombing of Gaza, it’s not necessarily deeply impacting my kids. They’re here in my house, thank God. One of my kids was away for the Sabbath, so I had to go pick them up which is a little scary, but thank God. I mean it hasn’t, I don’t want to jinx anything but, we’re here at home safe. When someone knocks on the door, I definitely check twice before I open it. But other than that, thank God we’re safe.
Robertson: In America obviously there’s the Second Amendment. In Israel, there’s been an increase of purchase certificates for personal weapons at home. Have you felt a need to arm yourself? To protect yourself from, the potential threat of more Palestinians invading?
Fuld: My brothers are all armed. They all officially live over the green line, you know, in the quote unquote settlements. I am not armed. I never owned a gun, and I have no intention of owning a gun. If I’m being totally kind of transparent and honest with you, I don’t like guns. You know, we all fight our battles. My battle, I view, is in front of the keyboard.
I was in the Army. I served in the military; I was in artillery. I dealt with shooting cannons, and, from my perspective, for as long as I live, I never want to smell that gunpowder again. Because it’s, I don’t want to use the word trauma, but it’s not something I want in my life ever again.
Smoke rises following Israeli strikes in Gaza, October 9, 2023. Source: Reuters.
Robertson: Israel has mandatory service, you have two sons, correct?
Fuld: I have four sons.
Robertson: Four sons. Sorry. As a dad. I mean, what’s going through your mind right now? This war is starting, you have four sons?
Fuld: I mean, listen, at some point. I have to, I have to look up to the heavens, right? I have to, I have to tap into my faith. Because if I’m going to only look at this from a, let’s call it “human perspective,” then I won’t be able to deal with the anxiety, right?
My oldest son is 19. He’s in a pre-military academy. Now, he’s probably drafting in the next couple of months. To say I’m not terrified, that would be a lie. My second son, you know, is not far off, about a year. My twins are 12. They have some time. But the thought is paralyzing. It’s terrifying, of course.
Robertson: Before Saturday, from an outside observer, there was a lot of divide in Israel about, you know, you said, quote, unquote, settlements earlier. There’s this idea of the two-state solution. And there’s just a lot of division within Israel. What to do with the Palestinians? What to do with West Bank, and what to do with Gaza? Like, do we deal with them together or separate? What’s the feeling now? Is there more of a unified feeling now?
Fuld: I think the feeling here is no different than the feeling globally, and that is that the Palestinian cause is rest in peace. Thank God. So, if I’m going to find a little cup half full of perspective, I don’t think anyone in their right mind — and when I say that, I don’t mean “anyone.” There are people, there are still people marching the streets of New York supporting the Palestinian cause — excuse me for saying it this way — but if you’re supporting the cause of people that just abducted old women and children, and I don’t even want to think what they did to them, then you are a terrorist. Full blown. I’m not even ashamed to say that anymore. I would have said it a little more moderately about three weeks ago. And I would have said, “You’re supporting terror.” But now if you’re supporting the Palestinian cause, today, after what you’ve seen, that’s just full-blown terror support. I don’t think anyone in their right mind thinks that two-state solution is on the table.
I think everyone understands the reality, which is what I’ve been screaming and yelling, and Ari, my older brother, late brother, used to say all the time, which is this is not about land. If they wanted land, they would have had land years ago. W gave them Gaza, they had land. This isn’t about land. They say it. It’s about time we listen to them. This is about dead Jews, period. I think the world now understands that.
And again, maybe this is me trying to be cup half full, but to me, maybe that’s something positive that came out of out of all of this. Which is the mask that the Palestinian people have worn for so long, has now been removed and the world sees it just as clearly as I see it, as my brother saw it. And I think that that’s extremely important diplomatically and politically.
Robertson: Bibi Netanyahu said, we’re committed to it. There’s support within the U.S. I mean, Nikki Haley and other presidential candidates have said, you know, “finish them.” President Biden has said, “Israel has the right to support itself from terrorists. Full stop.”
Is this unfortunately, the tragedy that needed to happen and you kind of spoke to a little bit of it, the cup half full? Is this the tragedy that needed to happen in order for Israel to kind of take the gloves off, go into Gaza and clean house?
Fuld: I mean, I can answer that from a few different perspectives. As a Jew, I want to believe that we are a nation of mercy and of compassion. And we pray in our prayers 100 times a day for peace. Peace is the most fundamental pillar of Judaism. And so, I believe, somewhere deep down, we’ve been naive. We’ve been really naive thinking, maybe they’ll change. Maybe there’ll be a moderate leader. Maybe there’ll be an uprising. Maybe, maybe they’ll change. And so, you know, the thought of going into Gaza and flattening Gaza, that’s not a Jewish concept. Right? And so, I think we’ve kind of avoided the topic altogether. And just the whole disengagement. I mean, I could talk about this for hours. It’s an absolute travesty, and a historic mistake of unprecedented proportions, as far as I’m concerned.
But unfortunately, this is what needed to happen. And I still don’t know if we’re going to do what needs to be done. I hope to God that we do. I don’t even know what needs to be done, because I’m not a military strategist. And, the one thing that people need to understand is that in every war in history, innocent people are killed.
No one would claim that World War II was unjustified. There were millions of innocent Germans killed. No one’s going to say, “Oh, but they were innocent.” And you know what? It’s sad when innocents are killed. There’s no question. But as you know, there’s that famous video, the silent majority is irrelevant.
It doesn’t matter how many of these Palestinians dance in the streets and give out candies, there’s many hundreds of thousands — if not more, it doesn’t matter. Because even if the majority does want peace, if they’re sitting there letting Hamas, electing Hamas… then as far as I’m concerned, they’ve gotten their death wish. And unfortunately, they’re going to be innocents who are killed. But that’s, like I said, every war.
I hope we do what we need to do. And again, I’m not going to say what we need to do, because I’m not a military strategist. I don’t know. I know what my heart and my emotions tell me what we need to do. But obviously, that’s not the way to run and conduct a war. So, I hope that we have the smartest people in this country, and I hope that we make the right decision to do what we need to do. Finally. It’s unfortunate that this had to happen for us to reach that conclusion.
Robertson: What else do we need to know? Hillel, what else? What else does that world not know?
Fuld: I mean, this is the deadliest days since the Holocaust for the Jewish people. We need to understand the proportions here. And you know, if you pray, pray. And if you don’t pray, pray. You know, just say the words. Just say the words. It doesn’t hurt. Just say it. We need it. We need it badly.
You know, I’m sitting here talking to you on my phone is exploding from all the infiltrations that have got to Israel from Gaza, from the north from the south. It’s all over the place, and it’s not stopping. So, we need prayers. You know, we do have the strongest, one of the strongest armies in the world. We do know what we need to do, but we still need prayers. So, I guess that’s the last thing I could say is just pray for us because we really do need it.
Robertson: Hillel thanks so much for joining me today. I really appreciate it.
US military completes several nuclear weapons tests from sea and air
The USS Louisiana is out of the shop and ready to return to work patrolling the seas for the United States Navy. There’s no better way for the crew of an Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine to prove their worth than with a test launch of their most valuable weapon, the Trident II.
The test launch had been previously scheduled, and was not meant as a message to any particular country. Launches like this are part of what the Navy calls a Demonstration and Shakedown Operation (DASO). During DASO 32, the Trident II missile the Louisiana launched was just a test munition, meaning it wasn’t armed. It was the 191st successful launch of the Trident, proving the unmatched reliability of the weapon system.
The Louisiana and other nuclear-armed submarines make up part of what’s called the nuclear triad. It’s a layered approach that the United States uses to project power globally, and hopefully to keep enemies in check.
The sea-based leg of the triad accounts for around 70% of U.S.-deployed strategic nuclear weapons. The Air Force takes care of the other two legs of the triad, which include land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles and long-range strategic bombers, like the B-52 Stratofortress.
B-52s first started flying in the 1950s, but they’ve been upgraded multiple times since then. The latest variant under development is the B-52J. Its new kit includes an upgraded radar system to better track air and ground targets. The new B-52J will rely on eight new Rolls Royce engines to achieve flight.
The Air Force’s modernization of the nation’s nuclear bomber fleet doesn’t stop at just the planes, though. Now, USAF’s nuclear-capable cruise missiles are getting an upgrade, too.
A newly released report from the Pentagon shows the Air Force and Defense contractor RTX completed at least nine tests of the new, and still mostly classified, Long-Range Standoff missile. AirandSpaceForcesMagazine broke the story.
Images of the new LRSO aren’t publicly available, but it is known that the missile successfully performed the basic tasks of a cruise missile: separating from the plane, powering up, arming, and then flying to a designated target.
According to the Selected Acquisition Reports for 2022, which was just released in September, “the first full-system integrated test demonstrating design, manufacturing, and navigation maturing” was completed in October, 2022 by RTX and the USAF. The B-52 was the test platform of choice.
The LRSO will replace the AGM-86B Air-Launched Cruise Missile. The B-52 will be the first U.S. bomber to carry the weapon. The B-21 Raider will also carry LRSO missiles. The B-21 is the newest stealth bomber to join the triad. Aside from a handful of images, there isn’t much known about the bomber.
It’s reasonable to assume, like the B-21, the new LRSO will be stealthier than its predecessor. It’s also reasonable to assume that it will be able to communicate with the plane that launched it, and other assets in the battlespace, to sense and potentially avoid threats as necessary.
These capabilities already exist in conventional cruise missiles, but putting them on a nuclear device sends a clear message to would-be enemies: Don’t.
Ukraine’s drones dropping Russian mines on Russian soldiers
It looks like Ukraine’s Armed Forces found a new source of explosives. The Ukrainians are literally mining Russian minefields, repurposing recovered TM-62 anti-tank mines, and giving them back to their former owners by dropping them from drones.
This war is full of great examples of battlefield engineering, but this new strategy certainly tips the scales in terms of ironic ingenuity.
Russian defensive doctrine calls for minefields with a depth of 120 meters. In Ukraine, the Russians adjusted their doctrine and quadrupled minefield depths up to 500 meters.
In August, Oleksiy Danilov, the former secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, told reporters at CNN the density of Russia’s minefields was “insane.”
“On average, there are 3-4-5 mines per square meter,” Danilov said. “Imagine how difficult the work is to remove them to allow our military to move afterwards. And if earlier there were hopes that this could be done with the help of equipment provided by our partners, today our units are doing a very difficult job on foot in many parts of the frontline at night.”
Russian artillery and defensive trenches are certainly formidable, but the complexity of Russia’s minefields was far and away the biggest challenge to Ukraine’s three-month-old counteroffensive. Now, they might be a primary source of new munitions for Ukraine.
A video circulating on social media shows how the Ukrainians modified commercial drones to carry their new payload. The explosive is equipped with a grenade fuse and then put on a platform on the drone’s underside. When the drone is over its target, the pilot releases the platform and drops the mine. Designed to stop tanks, the air-dropped mines make quick work of softer targets.
Ukraine’s ability to use commercial drones on the battlefield is a large part of why it’s still in the fight. Ukraine’s drone pilots are getting so good, one almost took down a Russian Ka-52 attack helicopter with an FPV racing drone carrying an artillery shell. Video of the incident is also making the rounds on both Ukrainian and Russian social media channels.
Larger unmanned aerial systems are also flying more now. In just the last week or so, Ukrainian skies saw the return of Turkish made Bayraktar TB-2 drones. Bayraktars achieved cult-status in Ukraine during the early months of the war, but seemed to disappear once Russia’s air defense systems were established.
In August, Ukraine crippled those air defense systems with attacks on Russian sites in Crimea, so now Bayraktars are back in action. Russia will likely be facing many more of the drones in the future since Ukraine and Turkey inked a deal to build Bayraktars in Ukraine.
The Western think-tank The Institute for the Study of War said Ukraine made strategically significant gains to start September, passing Russia’s first defensive line, liberating Robotyne, and entering the trenches of Russia’s second defensive line near Verbove.
Most Western intelligence outlets agree Russia spent most of its time fortifying the first defensive line. So, there is hope Ukraine’s counteroffensive can now pick up the pace and push south to the Azov Sea before winter sets in and stalls the fighting once again.
‘World’s best AI pilot’ can fly swarm of V-Bat drones
The war in Ukraine is showing, in vivid and deadly detail, drones are now a permanent fixture on the battlefield. The United States military wants swarms of drones at its disposal in the event of future conflicts. But operating swarms of drones in the wars of tomorrow means building that capacity today.
The defense technology company Shield AI is working toward that goal, and just completed a major step along the way. Shield AI touts its artificial intelligence agent, called Hivemind, as the best AI pilot in the world.
Up until now, Hivemind has only flown one aircraft at a time. However, Shield AI recognized if someone is creating something called Hivemind, it really needs a hive.
In August, the company announced the successful completion of what it called an “autonomous teaming demonstration.”
The Hivemind AI pilot launched three V-Bat craft and flew them in a scenario to monitor virtual wildfires. The V-Bat is a vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL), unmanned aerial system (UAS). The U.S. Navy and Marines currently use V-Bats for a variety of missions.
Source: Shield AI.
During the August test flight, the team of three autonomous craft, flown by a single AI pilot, conducted detect, identify, locate, and report (DILR) missions.
Shield AI worked with the Air Force Research Lab and AFWERX to field the drone teaming technology. Shield AI said in a release on its website the successful testing puts the company on a path to deploy V-Bat teaming capabilities in GPS-and-communications-denied environments in the next year.
“Intelligent, affordable mass that can see everything on the battlefield, execute the mission even when GPS and comms are denied or degraded, and put all our adversaries’ military assets at risk at all times is the holy grail of deterrence. This milestone brings us closer to achieving that reality,” said Brandon Tseng, Shield AI’s president, co-founder and former U.S. Navy SEAL. “We had many customers from across the DOD enterprise attend the event and my favorite customer quote was ‘Wait, you’re flying those three aircraft, doing the recon, and at the same time briefing us?!’ The customers genuinely appreciated that this isn’t merely talk, or just computer simulations, or a science project leading nowhere. This represents real autonomy on actual aircraft that, most importantly, will be deployed imminently.”
The Hivemind is also platform agnostic, meaning it can be taught to fly a slew of aircraft in use by the Department of Defense, not just V-Bats.
Hivemind learned how to fly on small quadcopters, but it also successfully flew an F-16 for a few hours.
Hivemind can be trained to carry out a variety of different missions like breaching an enemy’s air defense network, hunting for mobile missile launchers, countering enemy aircraft, or extending a fleet’s attack range.
When it comes to carrying out military missions, a human is still involved for the most critical decisions; like whether to engage with an enemy. Now, with its ability to fly in teams, Hivemind really is on another level compared to other AI pilots.
And that’s good news for the U.S. military, since it will be the biggest benefactor of Shield AI’s breakthrough. Current and potential conflicts, coupled with the rise of highly mobile cruise missiles, are forcing virtually every branch of the U.S. armed services to rethink how it would conduct a war.
In addition to spreading out lethal assets, the U.S. military also wants to add mass, lots of mass, and quickly. The only real way to do that is with unmanned systems. But one pilot operating one drone at a time isn’t conducive to this strategy, which makes the breakthrough in teaming capabilities Shield AI just had that much more important.
US military equipment left in Afghanistan now in hands of Pakistani militants
Pakistani officials are warning that U.S. military equipment left behind during the United States’ withdrawal from Afghanistan is now in the hands of a militant group that is threatening Pakistan. The high-tech munition was abandoned by the U.S. in order to get troops out of the region quickly.
Pakistan Interim Prime Minister Anwar ul Haq Kakar expressed serious concern over the firepower, helicopters, guns, ammunition and other military equipment now belonging to terrorists associated with Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
TTP is closely linked to al-Qaida and the Afghan Taliban, which overtook Afghanistan’s government following the United States’ departure.
It is unclear how much high-tech weaponry was left behind during the withdrawal, however U.S. defense officials have confirmed it was a “significant” amount.
The Pakistani government officials who spoke to The Associated Press say the TTP’s threat to the region has increased significantly since gaining access to modern military equipment. According to their sources, TTP fighters can now target Pakistani troops from a distance because of the new weaponry.
The caretaker prime minister is calling for a plan-to-action to tackle the challenge of U.S. leftover equipment.
It is unknown how the TTP gained control of the U.S. equipment, but the Pakistani Taliban has posted videos online boasting newly found guns with laser and thermal sighting systems
Two security officials told the AP that the Afghan Taliban likely sold the equipment or gifted it to their allies.
This is the latest ramification of the U.S. withdrawal, which is still widely criticized two years later.
Thirteen U.S. service members and over 100 Afghan civilians were killed in Kabul after a deadly bombing at the airport during the early days of the Biden administration.
Pakistan became a key ally of Washington in its war against terror after the 9/11 attacks in the United States.
Congress returns to Capitol Hill: The Morning Rundown Sept. 5, 2023
Congress returns to Capitol Hill with a chock-full agenda, and a community in mourning following a mass shooting gets a little relief. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2023.
Congress returns to Capitol Hill, looks to avoid shutdown
Lawmakers were set to return to Capitol Hill Tuesday as Congress resumes its work following its summer recess. While there are several priority items Congress will look to address, perhaps the most pressing is avoiding a government shutdown.
The House of Representatives is scheduled to meet for just 11 days before the end of the fiscal year at the end of the month. By then, Congress will have to pass a short-term funding measure in order to keep government offices fully functioning.
House Republicans have tried loading their spending proposals with conservative policies, including blocks to abortion coverage, transgender care and diversity initiatives. These proposals are likely to fail in the Democrat-controlled Senate.
“This year, it looks like they’re not going to be able to adopt a new budget or even adopt some continuing resolutions to carry things forward,” Paul Helmke, a professor of practice at Indiana University, said. “There are members of the Republican caucus that want to use this process as a way to advance some of their agenda items. With such a slim majority in the House, it puts the entire process at risk. So we’ll just have to wait and see what happens after Oct. 1.”
The sentencing hearing in the Jan. 6 case against former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio was scheduled for Tuesday. Federal prosecutors have sought 33 years in prison for Tarrio.
More than 1,000 people have been charged with Jan. 6-related offenses, making it the largest prosecution in American history. While 600 people have either pleaded guilty gone to trial, six have become wanted fugitives by the FBI after missing court proceedings.
Ken Paxton impeachment trial begins
The Texas State Senate was set to begin the impeachment trial of Attorney General Ken Paxton Tuesday. The State House voted to impeach Paxton in May of 2023 over claims from former deputies of Paxton that he used his power to help a wealthy donor in exchange for favors.
The 20 articles of impeachment against Paxton include abuse of public trust, unfitness for office and bribery. Paxton has decried the impeachment as a “politically motivated sham” with the goal of disenfranchising his supporters.
Lawyers for Paxton said he won’t testify at the trial. Paxton has said he expects to be acquitted.
U.S. believes North Korea, Russia will conduct arms deal
U.S. government officials said they believe there is a planned meeting between North Korea and Russia this month. According to the officials, this meeting could result in North Korean Leaders Kim Jong Un putting weapons in the hands of Russia for their ongoing war with Ukraine.
The U.S. National Security Council warned arms negotiations between Russia and North Korea have been advancing over the past several months. Under the potential deals, North Korea would supply Russian troops with “significant” quantities and multiple types of weaponry and ammunition.
This wouldn’t be the first shipment of war supplies from the North to Russia. North Korea also supplied Wagner Group forces with rockets and missiles in late 2022. Russia has also received military assistance from Iran.
The U.S. has had increasing concerns over Russia’s relationship with North Korea, Iran and China. The four countries each have their own tensions with the U.S.
Burning Man attendees begin exodus from muddy desert
Some of the tens of thousands of Burning Man festivalgoers were finally get out of the Nevada desert on Monday, Sept. 4. They were stranded there for days after a downpour of rain muddied the roads and parking lots surrounding the event.
Video captured slow-moving cars and RV’s forming lines of stalled traffic with wait times of up to seven hours. Some attendees trekked by foot through the mud, sometimes ankle deep, to get to the main drag.
There were still more than 60,000 festival attendees at Black Rock City as of midday Monday. Thousands were expected to travel out Tuesday.
Dollar General donates to Jacksonville following shooting
Dollar General announced it is donating $2.5 million to the city of Jacksonville, Florida after a gunman killed three people at one of its stores in August of 2023. A 19-year-old store employee was among those killed.
Dollar General said the donation will go toward “efforts focused on healing and hope for Jacksonville,” including support for impacted employees. The store will be fully remodeled and reopen in late September or early October.
Ukraine using ‘Three Fingers of Death’ to swat Russia
The “Three Fingers of Death” are on tour in Ukraine. We’re not talking about the surviving members of the world’s most brutal band – Dethklok. No, these “Fingers” belong to an air defense system designed by the Soviets, upgraded by the Czechs, and now on the hunt to poke Russians in Ukraine.
Back in May, Petr Pavel, the president of the Czech Republic, promised Ukraine two batteries’ worth of the launchers, officially designated 2K12M2 Kub-M2.
A recently posted image shows the Kub-M2 finally in service in Ukraine. The launcher is based on a Soviet design from 1958. At the time, the U.S.S.R. wanted an air defense system for low and medium-altitude threats. The end result was a tracked vehicle that fires three rather large 3M9 surface-to-air missiles. A Kub battery typically includes four launchers, a radar vehicle and two trucks carrying spare missiles. After launching its payload, a Kub is reloaded by crane in about 15 minutes.
According to Popular Mechanics, Kub launchers underwent multiple upgrades over the years to stay relevant, and their mobility gives them an edge over other static air defense systems.
Russia sends a steady supply of cruise missiles and drones against Ukrainian targets, and most of Ukraine’s air defense systems are tied up protecting civilian populations. Since the Kubs can move, they can follow advancing troops at the frontlines using their “fingers” to swat at Russian drones, cruise missiles and of course helicopters and jet fighters.
There’s no getting around the fact the Kub launchers are dated. But if you take care of your weapons system, your weapons system will take care of you.
The Kub-M2 launchers donated by the Czechs were upgraded by RETIA. Not only did the Kubs get general improvements to its body and cabling systems, the Czech-based company upgraded the communication system as well to be compatible with NATO standards. The new Kubs also come with added creature comforts like air conditioning.
RETIA made its mark in radars though, so of course they spent time upgrading the outdated Kub radar system. With the Czechs bringing the Kub into the digital age with improved radar and tracking systems, the aging stockpiles of 3M9 missiles collecting dust in European warehouses can keep flying for a while longer.
If, for whatever reason, Ukraine runs out of 3M9 surface-to-air missiles, all is not lost. The Czechs already test fired Western-made missiles from modified Kub launchers. With some modifications here and there, Ukraine could use U.S.-supplied Sparrow missiles to give Russia the finger, or three fingers, of death.
Throughout the war in Ukraine, the Biden administration’s position was and is to supply the Ukrainians with the weapons and tech they need when they need it. Right now, the U.S. thinks Ukraine needs swarms of Black Hornets.
Ukraine’s slow-moving counteroffensive is being hampered by miles of Russian minefields. Clearing the mines is painstakingly slow. Dealing with the explosives themselves is dangerous enough, let alone when Russian artillery is raining down on the crews trying to clear the mines.
In the early days of Ukraine’s recent counteroffensive, it lost a sizeable number of Western-supplied tanks and armored vehicles. Now, instead of using the armor to charge in, Ukraine’s military leaders changed tactics.
Using artillery as cover, armored vehicles insert small groups of soldiers into contested areas. Those soldiers then take on the arduous task of clearing Russian positions and trenches.
The fighting is chaotic and intense. Russian soldiers had months to prepare their defensive positions, making the task of clearing out the embedded enemy all the more difficult for Ukraine.
In these conditions, small personal reconnaissance systems like the Black Hornet Nano drones aren’t just game changing. They’re lifesaving.
The Black Hornet was specifically designed with foot soldiers in mind. It measures around four inches by one inch and weighs about an ounce. They can be individually deployed, or from a system mounted to vehicles. The Black Hornets can go deploy in under a minute and have a battery life around 25 minutes. The micro helicopter is almost silent when flying and will transmit video or still images to its operator from over a mile away.
The Black Hornet uses thermal imaging technology for day and nighttime operations. Instead of poking their heads out of a trench or around a corner, soldiers can let the Black Hornet assume the danger and spot the target.
The user receives the image on a handheld terminal which is linked to the drone on an encrypted, frequency-hopping signal.
The Hornet’s aren’t invincible, though. A wind gust over 20 knots or counter unmanned aerial system devices (CUAS) like electromagnetic rifles can disable the Hornets. Still, the ability to provide near instant situational awareness to dismounted soldiers can come in handy when squads are clearing hard-to-navigate areas like buildings, trenches and tree lines.
The Black Hornets are native to Norway, manufactured by Teledyne FLIR. The Norwegians and British already gave some Black Hornet Nanos to Ukraine, and with the recent aid package announced in late July, the U.S. will also ship some swarms overseas.
Reuters contributed to this report.
US Navy, Marines ready to protect merchant ships from Iran
The United States is sending a clear message to Iran’s navy: stop acting like pirates or face the consequences. To make sure its message hits home with Iran, the U.S. military is taking the unprecedented step of offering to station Marines on foreign merchant vessels. It’s the latest sign the U.S. is still very much committed to establishing safe sea routes in the Middle East.
Forces from the Bataan Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) and 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) arrived in the Middle East this week. The ARG/MEU joins a host of other U.S. military assets in the region, all meant to deter Iran from harassing or seizing any more merchant vessels.
In the last two years alone, there were at least 20 instances of Iranian vessels firing on, harassing, or taking foreign ships and vessels sailing the Strait of Hormuz. Around 20% of the world’s crude oil passes through the narrow naval chokepoint.
Some of the Marines from the 26th MEU were flown to Bahrain ahead of time.
A U.S. official told ABC News the Marines were there to train in anticipation of being placed aboard commercial ships transiting the region. The official said the Marines’ mission would be to defend the ships, but that they’d have the right to defend themselves as necessary.
There are a host of bureaucratic hoops to jump through before United States Marines are likely to be seen on foreign ships, though. The Marines and Navy sailors would only provide the security at the request of the ships involved. Also, any deployment of U.S. forces on foreign vessels would require the approval of the country for which the ship is sailing, as well as the owner of the ship itself.
John Kirby, the White House National Security Council spokesman, said, “The Strait of Hormuz is a vital seaway that has a huge impact on seaborne trade around the world. It’s a critical chokepoint in the maritime world, and we have seen threats by Iran to affect that chokepoint.”
Iranian armed forces spokesperson Brig. Gen. Abolfazl Shekarchi said the U.S. military isn’t needed in the region.
Iranian media quoted Shekarchi as saying, “What do the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman and the Indian Ocean have to do with America? What is your business being here?”
In addition to 3,000 U.S. Navy sailors and Marines, the ARG/MEU brings with it the dock landing ship USS Carter Hall and the amphibious assault ship USS Bataan, which can carry a couple dozen rotary and fixed-wing aircraft. Dock landing ships like the Carter Hall can also carry aircraft, but perhaps their biggest asset is the ability to carry tactical and amphibious combat vehicles.
In its buildup to deter Iran, the U.S. previously sent a guided missile destroyer to the region in addition to fighter jets like F-16s, F-35s, and even some A-10 Thunderbolts, more affectionately known as “Warthogs.”
While they made a name for themselves busting tanks on land, the Pentagon thinks Warthogs could offer a nice countermeasure to the go-fast boats Iran’s navy likes to use while harassing ships.
Iran is also trying to beef up its presence in the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz. Iranian state media reported the Revolutionary Guards’ navy was outfitted with a host of drones and missiles with a 600-mile range.
