Tag Archives: Popular Mechanics

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Weapon Wednesday – YouTuber Taste-Tests Military MRE Rations

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YOUTUBE/STEVE1989MREINFO

A YouTuber dedicated to reviewing soldier rations, past and present, has finally run into one pack of military chow even he can’t eat.

Steve1989MREInfo has reviewed rations from the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries, in conflicts from the American Civil War (believe it) to those feeding troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. He’s reviewed scores of military rations from countries as diverse as the U.S., Russia, Spain, the U.K., South Korea, Belarus, France, New Zealand, Finland, Canada, Japan, Slovenia, and Indonesia. “Steve” has eaten it all…or tried to. read more

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Weapon Wednesday – U.S. Army’s First New Submachine Gun Since WW II

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YouTube

The U.S. Army has officially selected the Brugger and Thomet APC9K to outfit its Personal Security Details.

The APC9K is the first new submachine gun for the U.S. Army since the M3 “Greasegun” of World War II. The service will buy 350 of the compact automatic weapons for $2.5 million, with an option to buy 1,000 more. The B&T APC9K beat out guns from more than ten other companies, including Colt and Heckler and Koch, as well as guns based on the M-16 and MP-5 weapons platforms.

The APC9K is an entirely new submachine gun developed in conjunction with and for EKO Cobra, Austria’s counterterrorism unit. The gun uses a closed-bolt blowback system, has a maximum rate of fire of 1,080 rounds per minute, and weighs just 5.9 pounds with 30-round magazine, foregrip, and Aimpoint micro red dot aiming sight. It’s chambered in 9-millimeter Parabellum and comes standard with two 30-round translucent magazines.

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Weapon Wednesday – Textron’s Grizzly Pack-bot

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TEXTRON SYSTEMS

The modern solider is overburdened, so defense researchers have been trying to invent new ways to lighten the load, such as wearable exoskeletons that shoulder some of the weight. Now, here comes the latest possible solution, a tracked robot designed to operate with Army ground forces, carrying important, heavy gear. read more

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Weapon Wednesday – Marines New Plywood Supply Drone

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LG-1K, developed by Logistic Gliders Inc under contract with DARPA and the U.S. Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory, is meant to be a very low-cost drone capable of being released from fixed-wing aircraft or helicopter. The plywood and aluminum drone is 10.4 feet long with a 23=foot wingspan. The LG-1K can carry up to 700 lb.s of supplies. It’s now flown twelve missions demonstrating its ability to glide—in some cases autonomously—to a landing zone with GPS precision.

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Weapon Wednesday – Dressing Up Russian Tanks

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A new video on YouTube shows a how U.S. troops train to operate against enemy mechanized forces, in this case Russian tanks. U.S. soldiers at a base in southern Germany have several aging armored personnel carriers modified to impersonate Russian tanks, giving units the ability to train against opponents that kinda, sorta look Moscow’s finest. read more

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Weapon Wednesday – Lockheed’s Newest Fighter Jet – the F-21

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LOCKHEED MARTIN

Lockheed Martin has announced a fighter jet it calls the F-21. The single-seat fighter is packed with missiles, modern sensors, and can engage in both air-to-air and air-to-ground combat. It’s not exactly “new” though—the rest of the world knows this plane as the F-16 Fighting Falcon. read more

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Weapon Wednesday – Navy’s New Orca Unmanned Submarine

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BOEING

The U.S. Navy has awarded a contract to Boeing for four Extra-Large Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (XLUUVs). In other words: giant drone subs.

The unmanned submarines, called Orcas, will be able to undertake missions from scouting to sinking ships at very long ranges. Drone ships like the Orca will revolutionize war at sea, providing inexpensive, semi-disposable weapon systems that can fill the gaps in the front line—or simply go where it’s too dangerous for manned ships to go. read more

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U.S. Rolls New Low Yield Nuke

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USS Nebraska Successfully Tests Trident II D5 Missile

U.S. NAVY PHOTO BY MASS COMMUNICATION SPECIALIST 1ST CLASS RONALD GUTRIDGE/RELEASED

The Trump Administration is racing to field a new nuclear weapon designed to counter Russia and enhance nuclear deterrence.

The W-76-2 warhead will be delivered to the U.S. Navy for deployment on ballistic missile submarines in late 2019. Proponents claim the new warhead will enable the U.S. to respond to Russian nuclear weapons proportionately, but critics claim the W-76-2 is just another nuclear weapon and similarly dangerous. read more

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Weapon Wednesday – D-30 Howitzer Making a Comeback

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SPC Nicholas Vidro

U.S. troops tasked to advise and equip armies in smaller developing countries are learning how to operate an older, Soviet-era artillery piece. The Texas-based 3rd Security Force Assistance Brigade is learning to operate the D-30 howitzer, a light artillery piece widely distributed during the Cold War so it can in turn train foreign militarizes on how to use it. read more