Unlike Patriot, LTAMDS can watch for drones, missiles, and planes coming from all directions at once. A single LTAMDS side panel is twice as powerful as the entire Patriot radar.
By Marcus Weisgerber, Defense One: "Unlike the current Patriot radar, which is also built by the Massachusetts firm, this one — which the Army calls the Lower Tier Air and Missile Defense Sensor — can see objects approaching it from all directions."
By Sydney Freedberg, Breaking Defense: "The Army is intensely interested in issuing the system to its foot troops, especially for urban warfare."
Will Require Rethinking How It Partners With Industry
By Dan Gouré, Lexington Institute: "The Pentagon and the Military Services want to modernize faster and cheaper. This means reforming all parts of the acquisition process, from requirements definition and engineering development to contracting, testing and life cycle management."
By Marcus Hellyer, The Strategist (ASPI): "While aerial refuelling can increase a fighter’s time on station, there are limits on how much it can increase range. Even with tanker support the maximum achievable range for the F-35A is between 1,000 and 1,500 kilometres."
Fragments Through a Straw, Darkly: Drone
By Olivia Garard, Strategy Bridge: "“Drone” is a fraught term. In ordinary language, the word refers to the gamut of flying robots. Acronym-less, unlike the unwieldy “unmanned aerial vehicle” (UAV) or the cumbersome “remotely piloted aircraft” (RPA), “drones” range from small commercial quadcopters to robust military aircraft. Outside military circles, the term evokes civilian casualties and unbounded American wrath, irrespective of sovereignty, as much as a seductive solution to wicked problems often kept hidden from the inevitable mess of public accountability."
By Sydney Freedberg, Breaking Defense: " The multi-million-dollar move will help Army Futures Command focus on new technology while Army Materiel Command focuses on sustaining the current force."
U.K. Successfully Tests SABRE Hypersonic Engine in Colorado
From The Engineer: "The UK’s Reaction Engines has tested the vital precooler of its SABRE engine in airflow conditions replicating speeds of Mach 5."
Russian Nuclear Force Expansion and the Failure of Arms Control
By Mark B. Schneider, RealClearDefense: "Today, there is a debate over whether we should extend the New START Treaty, amend it to eliminate the loopholes, or try to negotiate an expanded agreement."