The V-280 Valor tiltrotor will become the main helicopter of the US Army. The V-280 won the tender, which also included the Defiant X helicopter, developed by Sikorsky and Boeing. The US will replace 2,000 Army UH-60 Black Hawk utility helicopters with one unified Bell V-280. The V-280 Valor tiltrotor was developed by Bell Helicopter and Lockheed Martin. The V-280 has an all-composite fuselage, superior flight performance and lower cost than the competition. The V-280 Valor does not have a removable rotary wing, which significantly reduces the weight of the machine, and there is no rotary engine - only the propeller rotor changes the position. By using dual motors with common drive shafts, both rotors can be powered by the same motor in the event of a mechanical failure. The tiltrotor crew consists of four people and can carry up to 14 paratroopers with heavy weapons. The tiltrotor has a cruising speed of 520 km/h, a service ceiling of 1800 meters and a combat range of up to 1480 kilometers.
US Armed Forces
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Northrop Grumman in the United States tested the Hatchet loitering ammunition launched from the MQ-1C Gray Eagle heavy UAV. Hatchet ammunition can hit objects with an accuracy of up to 2 meters, and its weight of 2.7 kilograms allows the Gray Eagle UAV to take on board up to 12 such loitering charges. The aerial bomb uses two versions of the guidance system, one uses GPS signals, the other is combined, using satellite navigation and a semi-active laser homing head. Ammunition "Hatchet" is packed in a launch container, after the release of the bomb from the container, the control surfaces are revealed. In this case, three sensors are activated, detecting a laser “spot” of target designation. The planning aerial bomb "Hatchet" has a high-explosive fragmentation warhead, the power of which is enough to defeat manpower and unprotected enemy equipment. The price of ammunition "Hatchet" has not yet been reported.
The United States conducted another test of the Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile, the missile was launched from the Vandenberg base in California. Minuteman III is the only land-based intercontinental ballistic missile currently in service with the United States since 1970. The Minuteman III missile has three warheads and is capable of hitting a target at a distance of up to 13,000 kilometers. The Minuteman III missile is one of the fastest nuclear missiles in the world, its speed reaches 30,000 km per hour, at the moment it is faster only by Russia's Avangard strategic hypersonic complex, which we talked about earlier. The United States currently has about 450 Minuteman III missiles in service, some of them used for testing. The missiles will expire in 2030.
Footage of the incident of the Russian Su-35S aircraft and the US MQ-9 Reaper UAV in Syria. The US Air Force released footage of the July 5 incident involving a Russian Su-35S fighter jet and an American MQ-9 Reaper UAV in Syria. According to the US Air Force, the Russian fighter actively maneuvered near the UAV, including the afterburner, used heat traps to change the flight of the US drone. According to Russian media reports, the US MQ-9 Reaper UAV entered the closed area where the Russian-Syrian exercises were held, the Su-35 fighter did not use airborne weapons.
The American B-21 Raider bomber, worth $700 million, made its first flight. This is reportedly the world's first sixth-generation bomber. The B-21 Raider long-range stealth bomber was developed as part of the Long Range Strike Bomber program. Northrup Grumman Corporation received a contract for its development in October 2015. The US Congress in its report said that the new B-21 Raider should by 2040 completely replace the fleet of old strategic bombers - the B-1 Lancer, created almost 50 years ago, and the B-2 Spirit, which was created more than 30 years ago.
The United States has tested the promising operational-tactical missile PrSM, which will replace the ATACMS missile. Lockheed Martin did not provide any details, but it is noted that the missile is capable of “neutralizing” targets at a range of up to 400 km, the estimated missile range is up to 499 km. Preliminary test results showed that the Precision Strike Missile Increment 1 missile confirmed its nominal performance. The missiles are planned to be used on the M270A1 and M142 HIMARS MLRS. Lockheed Martin reported that the corporation received three new contracts for the production of missiles. In the future, the new missile should replace all MGM-140 ATACMS operational-tactical missiles.
The US Missile Defense Agency and Boeing have tested the Ground-Based Midcourse Defense missile defense system. A GMD missile successfully intercepted a medium-range ballistic missile in space. During the test, the upgraded GBI interceptor released an exoatmospheric kinetic device while the rocket's second boost stage was operating in a three-stage flight. Now, with the help of the third stage, you can adjust the operation of the interceptor, which makes it possible to hit a target that could not be immediately intercepted. Ground-Based Midcourse Defense is a missile defense system of the United States of America designed to intercept intercontinental ballistic missiles outside the earth's atmosphere. The system was put into operation in 2005. According to the latest data, 44 anti-missile installations are deployed in the United States.
The American company General Atomics Aeronautical Systems showed a new reconnaissance UAV XQ-67A. The UAV was created as part of the Off-Board Sensing Station (OBSS) program, which provides for the placement on the slave UAV of various sensors of the leading aircraft, this will significantly increase the range of the reconnaissance capabilities of the aircraft. The main focus of the OBSS program is on passive infrared sensors that are immune to electronic countermeasures and can detect targets that are subtle to radar. Several drones with such sensors can be combined into a network controlled by the lead aircraft.
The US Department of Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency DARPA showed tests of the RACER unmanned heavy transport platform. The RACER Heavy Platform autonomous robotic transport vehicle weighs 12 tons and expands the US autonomous vehicle series, which already includes the lightweight two-ton RACER RFV. The test was carried out in Texas, testing the drone's ability to follow a route on rough terrain. RACER RHP uses the Textron M5 base platform, used in US Army campaigns and designed for testing robotic vehicles.
The Mesquite military plant in the United States will supply shells to Ukraine. The first video from the new US military plant in Mesquite, Texas. The plant is run by General Dynamics but owned by the Pentagon. The plant is designed to produce metal shell shells with calibers from 60 mm to 155 mm. The Universal Artillery Projectile Lines (UAPL) plant has a high degree of automation and is capable of producing up to 30,000 155 mm artillery shells per month. Some of the shells are planned to be sent to Ukraine. The shells will be filled with explosives at a military plant in Burlington, Indiana. Currently, metal shell casings in the United States are produced at two plants in Pennsylvania; they produce 36 thousand units of shells per month. We have already shown one of the military factories. By 2025, the United States plans to produce up to 100 thousand 155-caliber shells every month. It also became known that the United States initiated negotiations with Turkey on increasing purchases of Turkish-made TNT for use as an explosive filler in American-made ammunition.
Joint Armenian-American military exercises “Eagle Partner 2024” have started in Armenia. In the footage, US Ambassador Christina Quinn and Armenian Defense Minister Suren Papikyan accept the parade. The Armenian-American maneuvers Eagle Partner 2024 involve practicing an operation to stabilize relations between certain conflicting parties. The main goals of the exercises are to increase the level of interoperability, interaction and combat readiness of Armenian units, exchange of best practices in the field of management and tactical interaction. As well as preparation for participation in international peacekeeping missions. In his speech, Suren Papikyan highly praised the work of the US Army servicemen in Europe and Africa, and the Kansas National Guard, which has been a partner of Armenia for more than two decades.
American company Lockheed Martin presented a new cruise missile AGM-158 XR, known as JASSM XR. The new missile has an increased range. This is achieved by an additional fuel tank, which led to an increase in its length while maintaining the existing warhead, control systems and engine. The weight of the missile warhead is about 450 kilograms. The range of the AGM-158 XR missile is estimated at 1,600 kilometers, which is comparable to the range of Tomahawk cruise missiles. Previous generation missiles have a range of 370 and 980 kilometers. Due to the increased size of the missile, not all aircraft modifications will be able to use it. The cost of the AGM-158 XR missile is about $ 1.5 million, the current rate of production of missiles is presumably about 5 pieces per month.