Author: Matthew G. Saroff

Brazilian Defense Minister Doubts Sincerity of US Technology Transfer Promises

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He talks about extensive difficulties in getting essential technology transferred as a part of contractual obligations:

According to the minister, the most controversial matter among the suppliers is the technology transfer issue and he emphasized that, in this area, the United States doesn’t a have a favorable history.

“The trouble with the United States,” he stated, “are past issues. The past is a big example of technology transfer embargo. We experience this here today at the Cetex.”

Jobim revealed that during his visit to the technological center he heard reports by military men stating that American companies would supply technology for the finishing of military equipments, such as batteries and propellers, only in ten years.

While the quote is unclear, and I think intentionally so, I believe that this is a shot across the bow regarding the F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet’s AESA radar, the APG-79.

Truth be told, with the obvious issues with the Superbug’s aerodynamics, it’s the slowest of the three finalists, and the under-wing environment is noisy, hence the “splayed” arrangement of its stores pylons (see picture), required for safe stores separation, which increases drag.

Additionally, it’s significantly larger size vs. its competitors, about 20% more than the Rafale, and about double the Gripen, which necessarily increases the cost per flight hour, makes it clear that its sensor suite, and the ability for Brazil to modify these systems to meet its needs, becomes paramount to Boeing’s bid.

No, Mr. Bond, I Expect You to Die

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Click for full size

Where is the White Persian Cat?

Well, it appears that some sharp-eyed satellite imagery analysts have spotted what they think is a China’s anti-satellite laser installation in Google™ Earth™ pictures.

This conclusion is actually somewhat controversial, as there are any number of non-hostile applications, such as astronomy and precision satellite tracking (which would involve a low power laser range finder) that could explain these installation

You can find larger pictures here, which include two other similar Chinese installations.

Korea Shows Model of Stealthy UCAV

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Future Stealthy Korean UCAV

Video of Concepts, H/t The DEW Line

KAI showed off its latest UCAV concept at the Seoul air show last month.

It looks pretty much like just about every stealthy UAV out there, mostly because the way that air flows, and the way that radar bounces off of objects, works the same regardless of country of origin.

One of the dirty secrets of stealth is that not only are the basic principles public, but they have been since the beginning, having first been publicized in a Soviet unclassified scientific journal.

I think that we will see a lot of these systems, particularly in an anti-ship capacity, where deterring US aircraft carriers has a lot of value on the international arms market.

Ground-launched IRIS-T fired

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Click for Humongous Picture of IRIS-T SL Launch


MIM-72 Chaparral

Diehl BGT Defense has developed a ground launched derivative of its short range AAM IRIS-T.

The idea is that this system, IRIS-T SL, would be to the IRIS-T, as the Chaparral was to the Sidewinder.

One obvious difference here is that the IRIS-T has a lock after launch capability, and so does not need a trainable launcher, with the resulting savings in weight and complexity.

Additionally, the missile appears to be modified more than in the Chaparral, where the missile was basically a standard AIM-9D Sidewinder, while the IRIS-T SL uses a booster motor to get the missile out of the tube and up to speed, as well as an a shroud to protect it during the launch phase.

I’m kind of surprised that it’s not a vertical launch, but that may be a trade off of coverage versus complexity of the launcher.

What Krugman Said

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I’ll just quote his last ‘graph:

If the Democrats lose badly in the midterms, the talking heads will say that Mr. Obama tried to do too much, this is a center-right nation, and so on. But the truth is that Mr. Obama put his agenda at risk by doing too little. The fateful decision, early this year, to go for economic half-measures may haunt Democrats for years to come.

Actually, I am not entirely sure that this is true. There is a pat of me that believes that Obama’s agenda has always been very minimalist.

Just read the whole thing.

Here’s The Deal, Because You’re Sorry, You Get a Better Cell*

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John Reed, who was the architect of the merger between Citicorp and Travelers Group, has now admitted that he was wrong:

John S. Reed, who helped engineer the merger that created Citigroup Inc., apologized for his role in building a company that has taken $45 billion in direct U.S. aid and said banks that big should be divided into separate parts.

“I’m sorry,” Reed, 70, said in an interview yesterday. “These are people I love and care about. You could imagine emotionally it’s not easy to see what’s happened.”

He then makes a very good analogy:

“I would compartmentalize the industry for the same reason you compartmentalize ships,” Reed said in the interview in his office on Park Avenue in New York. “If you have a leak, the leak doesn’t spread and sink the whole vessel. So generally speaking you’d have consumer banking separate from trading bonds and equity.”

(emphasis mine)

I am tempted to quote Admiral David Beatty, “There seems to be something wrong with our bloody ships today,” when the Invincible and Queen Mary blew up in short order at Jutland

*Originally, I was going to say a nice long drop and a tight knot to ensure that your end is quick, but then I remembered that I oppose the death penalty….Drat.

Put a Fork in Frank Kratovil (DINO MD-1), He’s Done

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So, he has officially come out against healthcare reform:

Kratovil, a freshman Democrat from the Eastern Shore, ended months of uncertainty by announcing that he would vote against the House plan, which would extend health insurance to an estimated 36 million Americans who lack coverage. The Marylander, among the most vulnerable House members in the country in next year’s election, has long been skeptical of his party’s proposal but had left open the possibility of supporting it.

He already had a tough row to how, seeing as how Wayne Gilchrest’s endorsement won’t mean anything next time around, and now he’s going to discover that Harry S Truman’s old adage, “Given the choice between a Republican and someone who acts like a Republican, people will vote for the real Republican all the time,” is true.

What’s more, there was a lot of support from outside the district that will not be getting as a result of this decision.

If you are looking for where to put your time and money in the 2010 elections, look elsewhere.

Kos Owns Tom Tancredo

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Markos “Kos” Moulitsas slaps down Tom Tancredo.

When Tancredo claims that all the veterans hate the VA, and would much rather have vouchers, Kos responds, “I’m a veteran, I did not get a deferment because I was too depressed to fight in a war that I supported in Vietnam.”

Tancredo stormed off the set when Kos was not forthcoming with an apology.

Awww….Kos hurt his widdle feewings….Poor Tom Tancredo….He had to go off and cry.

It starts at about 2:50 in the video.

H/t What Would Jack Do for the vid.

They No Play-a daGame, They No Make-a da Rules*

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So, in order to pacify the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops which has been completely captured by the right-wing and hostile to Democrats for something approaching two decades, the House has agreed to a allow an amendment to be voted that would effectively ban all health insurance policies that pay for abortion services:

Under the agreement, anti-abortion Democrats will be permitted to offer an amendment on the House floor to the health-care overhaul bill. The amendment would prohibit a new government-run insurance plan created by the health-care bill from offering to cover abortion services, congressional sources said. It would also block people who received federal subsidies for the purchase of health insurance from buying policies that offered coverage for abortions.

No doubt about this: by excluding these plans, it will cause their extinction, because it effectively bans such plans from the new insurance exchanges.

I think that the House Leadership should have told Bart Stupak (D-Vatican) to go Cheney himself, and perhaps a fuller application of criminal conspiracy laws, against people like, for example, U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, who actively conspired to conceal child abuse by clergy is in order too.

[update]

That piece of sh$# amendment passes, 240-194, a little bit after 10:00pm.

*I’m paraphrasing Nixon administration Secretary of Agriculture, and notable bigot, Earl Butz, and yes, I can understand how it’s potentially offensive, but far less offensive than members of the clergy attempting to dictate policy.