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.