Skip to ContentRecent satellite photos of nuclear test sites in the United States, Russia, and China indicate that all three countries are taking steps to refurbish their nuclear weapons testing sites. None have conducted tests since the 1990s, but all three have viable reasons for resuming testing. One major obstacle to the resumption is the diplomatic and political fallout that would accompany such a test, as the rest of the world would condemn it.CNN asked experts to review images of U.S., Russian, and Chinese nuclear test sites taken from commercial Planet satellites. The experts...…Skip to ContentRecent satellite photos of nuclear test sites in the United States, Russia, and China indicate that all three countries are taking steps to refurbish their nuclear weapons testing sites. None have conducted tests since the 1990s, but all three have viable reasons for resuming testing. One major obstacle to the resumption is the diplomatic and political fallout that would accompany such a test, as the rest of the world would condemn it.CNN asked experts to review images of U.S., Russian, and Chinese nuclear test sites taken from commercial Planet satellites. The experts...WW…

A out of China suggests that the People’s Liberation Army Ground Forces—otherwise known as the Chinese Arm—is still using tried and true flamethrowers. An invention dating back to World War I, the PLA is one of the world’s few holdouts, though their use against China’s own “murder hornet” population might prompt the U.S. Army to break out its own flame projectors., the Chinese Army is keeping its flamethrowers just as it is modernizing its force structure. Flamethrowers are still part of the table of organization and equipment for the combat engineering companies of the army’s new combined...…A out of China suggests that the People’s Liberation Army Ground Forces—otherwise known as the Chinese Arm—is still using tried and true flamethrowers. An invention dating back to World War I, the PLA is one of the world’s few holdouts, though their use against China’s own “murder hornet” population might prompt the U.S. Army to break out its own flame projectors., the Chinese Army is keeping its flamethrowers just as it is modernizing its force structure. Flamethrowers are still part of the table of organization and equipment for the combat engineering companies of the army’s new combined...WW…

Congress is poised to order the U.S. Navy to add a key new weapon system to its beleaguered class of destroyers. The House of Representatives plans to mandate that the Navy add the new Conventional Prompt Global Strike hypersonic missile to the Zumwalt-class destroyers. The order would beef up the firepower of a class of destroyers hobbled by a lack of ammunition for their high-tech guns.Get Caught UpAccording to , the House of Representatives’ 2021 defense budget will carry a provision ordering the Navy to begin integration of Conventional Prompt Global Strike (CPS) onto the Zumwalt class...…Congress is poised to order the U.S. Navy to add a key new weapon system to its beleaguered class of destroyers. The House of Representatives plans to mandate that the Navy add the new Conventional Prompt Global Strike hypersonic missile to the Zumwalt-class destroyers. The order would beef up the firepower of a class of destroyers hobbled by a lack of ammunition for their high-tech guns.Get Caught UpAccording to , the House of Representatives’ 2021 defense budget will carry a provision ordering the Navy to begin integration of Conventional Prompt Global Strike (CPS) onto the Zumwalt class...WW…

The U.S. Air Force is finally pushing into the world of robot combat drones, vowing to fly the first of its “Skyborg” drones by 2023. The service envisions Skyborg as a merging of artificial intelligence with jet-powered drones. The result will be drones capable of flying alongside fighter jets, carrying out dangerous missions. Skyborg drones will be much cheaper than piloted aircraft, allowing the Air Force to grow its fleet at a lower cost.The Air Force, , will award a total of $400 million to one or more companies to develop different types of Skyborg drones. The drones will be...…The U.S. Air Force is finally pushing into the world of robot combat drones, vowing to fly the first of its “Skyborg” drones by 2023. The service envisions Skyborg as a merging of artificial intelligence with jet-powered drones. The result will be drones capable of flying alongside fighter jets, carrying out dangerous missions. Skyborg drones will be much cheaper than piloted aircraft, allowing the Air Force to grow its fleet at a lower cost.The Air Force, , will award a total of $400 million to one or more companies to develop different types of Skyborg drones. The drones will be...WW…

In the near future, U.S. troops could trade in their night vision goggles for a direct eye injection that allows them to see in the dark. The process, being developed by scientists in both the U.S. and China, has already proven successful in laboratory mice. The researchers are confident it would work in humans, too.Read ThisToday, U.S. troops wear large goggles to see in the dark. The devices use infrared sensors to pick up on heat sources, painting an image of a person’s surroundings based on radiated warmth. Night vision goggles (NVG), while effective, are expensive, bulky, and require...…In the near future, U.S. troops could trade in their night vision goggles for a direct eye injection that allows them to see in the dark. The process, being developed by scientists in both the U.S. and China, has already proven successful in laboratory mice. The researchers are confident it would work in humans, too.Read ThisToday, U.S. troops wear large goggles to see in the dark. The devices use infrared sensors to pick up on heat sources, painting an image of a person’s surroundings based on radiated warmth. Night vision goggles (NVG), while effective, are expensive, bulky, and require...WW…

The U.S. government sought to have two scary, albeit non-lethal weapons on hand during this summer’s protests in Washington, D.C., according to an . The and Active Denial System (ADS) are designed to produce instantaneous pain, causing crowds to disperse and allowing authorities to reimpose order. Experts, however, claim the weapons are “too scary to use,” and people can become too incapacitated to move out of the pain zone. ➡ YOU LOVE top-notch defense stories (otherwise you wouldn't be here). U.S. military authorities asked the District of Columbia National Guard if it had the LRAD and...…The U.S. government sought to have two scary, albeit non-lethal weapons on hand during this summer’s protests in Washington, D.C., according to an . The and Active Denial System (ADS) are designed to produce instantaneous pain, causing crowds to disperse and allowing authorities to reimpose order. Experts, however, claim the weapons are “too scary to use,” and people can become too incapacitated to move out of the pain zone. ➡ YOU LOVE top-notch defense stories (otherwise you wouldn't be here). U.S. military authorities asked the District of Columbia National Guard if it had the LRAD and...WW…

The U.S. Air Force revealed this week that it has a new prototype fighter jet. The fighter, about which we know virtually nothing, has already flown and “broken records.” (The image above is Air Force concept art from 2018). The Air Force must now consider how it will buy the new fighter as it struggles to acquire everything from intercontinental ballistic missiles to bombers. ✈ You love badass planes. So do we. The Air Force’s head of acquisition, Will Roper, made the announcement yesterday in an , in conjunction with the Air Force Association’s virtual .The Air Force built the new fighter...…The U.S. Air Force revealed this week that it has a new prototype fighter jet. The fighter, about which we know virtually nothing, has already flown and “broken records.” (The image above is Air Force concept art from 2018). The Air Force must now consider how it will buy the new fighter as it struggles to acquire everything from intercontinental ballistic missiles to bombers. ✈ You love badass planes. So do we. The Air Force’s head of acquisition, Will Roper, made the announcement yesterday in an , in conjunction with the Air Force Association’s virtual .The Air Force built the new fighter...WW…

The toilets on America’s two newest aircraft carriers, USS Bush and USS Ford are experiencing clogging problems, and the only way to keep the pipes draining is to use a special, extremely expensive acid solution. The two carriers toilet plumbing system, modeled on the plumbing system installed on airliners, clog frequently requiring the Navy to regularly service them with an acid that costs $400,000 per use.The problem, , is mentioned in a General Accountability Office (GAO) report on sustainment costs for Navy ships. The GAO report that the Navy used a brand new toilet and sewage system...…The toilets on America’s two newest aircraft carriers, USS Bush and USS Ford are experiencing clogging problems, and the only way to keep the pipes draining is to use a special, extremely expensive acid solution. The two carriers toilet plumbing system, modeled on the plumbing system installed on airliners, clog frequently requiring the Navy to regularly service them with an acid that costs $400,000 per use.The problem, , is mentioned in a General Accountability Office (GAO) report on sustainment costs for Navy ships. The GAO report that the Navy used a brand new toilet and sewage system...WW…

Soldiers at Fort Hood, Texas, are using a massive-multiplayer online (MMO) game to learn tank tactics and flex their real-life skills. The tankers of D Troop, 6th Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division are training in-game, maneuvering their vehicles and using real-life procedures. The tankers are currently tankless in the real world, waiting for new tanks and are stuck in “force protection.” That's what civilians would call social distancing, making video games an ideal solution.The U.S. military is not immune to the COVID-19 pandemic with...…Soldiers at Fort Hood, Texas, are using a massive-multiplayer online (MMO) game to learn tank tactics and flex their real-life skills. The tankers of D Troop, 6th Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division are training in-game, maneuvering their vehicles and using real-life procedures. The tankers are currently tankless in the real world, waiting for new tanks and are stuck in “force protection.” That's what civilians would call social distancing, making video games an ideal solution.The U.S. military is not immune to the COVID-19 pandemic with...WW…

Skip to ContentOne of the strangest outcomes of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine came last month when North Korean leader Kim Jong-un decided to visit Russia. Kim’s six-day tour stoked fears that he and Russian President Vladimir Putin have agreed to munitions and technology transfers that would affect not only Ukraine, but the regional balance in East Asia at large. What exactly does each leader stand to gain from the other? Popular Mechanics breaks it down. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un walks out of his armored train after arriving at the North Korea-Russia border in Khasan, Russia,...…Skip to ContentOne of the strangest outcomes of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine came last month when North Korean leader Kim Jong-un decided to visit Russia. Kim’s six-day tour stoked fears that he and Russian President Vladimir Putin have agreed to munitions and technology transfers that would affect not only Ukraine, but the regional balance in East Asia at large. What exactly does each leader stand to gain from the other? Popular Mechanics breaks it down. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un walks out of his armored train after arriving at the North Korea-Russia border in Khasan, Russia,...WW…