The Dash and Dots Code

Before any telephone, walkie-talkie or citizen's band radio (CB Radio) was invented, telegraph was the device than can send through messages through a great distance. Though telegraph was used by military purposes, normal civilians or citizens are also allowed to use at that time to send messages back to their hometown.

At early 1836, American artist Samuel F.B. Morse, American physicist Joseph Henry, and Alfred Vail had developed an electrical telegraph system. This telegraph was first used in about 1844, when it was designed to make markings or indentations on a paper tape once the electric currents were received.

Morse's original telegra

ph receiver has a mechanical clockwork to move the paper tape. Its works when electrical current received, an electromagnet engage an armature that

pushed a stylus onto the moving paper tape, making an indentation on the tape.

If the current was being interrupted, the electromagnet retracted the stylus, which caused that portion of the moving tape remained empty or unmarked.

The Morse Code was developed so that operators could tra

nslate the indentations marked on the paper tape into text messages. Due to the complexity, Alfred Vail expand the code to include letters and special characters, therefore making the code of the indentation to be generally and easily understandable.

For more informations:

http://www.rod.beavon.clara.net/morse.htm

http://www.omniglot.com/writing/morsecode.htm

Minesweeper : MINEX 4.600 Metal / Mine Detector

Most people are familiar with a game called, Minesweeper. Always click depends on their calculation, intuition and luck on each box. Wrong click, poff.. Game over.

Well, it's not just a game, but in reality, it does exist before the game was created.

The famous minesweeper is the Mine Detector (Polish) Mark I. This mine detector was develop during World War

II in order to detect land mines.

In the late 1941 to early 1942, Lieutenant Józef Stanislaw Kosacki devised a final project, based partially on the earlier device (which might not be a good detector). His discovery was not patented and instead, he gave it as a gift to the British Army.

In return, the King, gave him a "thank you" letter for his actions. As time passes, many of the mine detector has improved and trying to perfect it in many different countries as well.

The MINEX 4.600 Metal / Mine Detector, designed from Foerster group in Germany, is one of the improved detectors. This mine and unexploded ordnance (UXO) detection systems can be use for EOD units of the Armed Forced and non-governmental civilian and humanitarian organisations.

The MINEX 4.600 Metal / Mine Detector was considered a brand new handheld metal / mine - detector based on superior two frequency continuous wave technology. These dual frequency method is that one from the transmission coil and the other from the differential receiver coil. Though it is a high detection sensitivity for all metals, there also can be false positive for mine detection. If those mines are not made of metal which is rare, it would be a crisis for the operator to detect that particular mine.

For further informations:

http://www.foerstergroup.com/MINEX-Detection.137.0.html

http://www.idexuae.ae/page.cfm/Action=Exhib/ExhibID=1258

Night Vision Devices

Night Vision Devices (NVD) is an optical instrument that allow images to be produced in levels of light approaching in total darkness.

Though these devices are often used by military and law enforcement agencies, there are available to civilian users as well.

Night vision devices were first used during the World War II. It was later then widely used during the Vietnam War.

The term for a complete unit of a night vision device are including an image intensifier tube, a protective and generally water-resistant housing, and some type of mounting system. The night vision devices also capable of working in 2 different ways, depending of their type.

Image enhancement - works by collecting the tiny amounts of light, including the lower portion of the infrared light spectrum, that are present but may be imperceptible to our eyes, and amplifying it to the point that we can easily observe the image.

Thermal imaging - operates by capturing the upper portion of the infrared light spectrum, which is emitted as heat by objects instead of simply reflect as light. Higher temperature objects such as warm bodies, emit more of this light than lower temperature objects such as trees or buildings.

It is said that, proper night vision equipment, can see a person standing over 200 yards (183 m) away on a moonless, cloudy night.

For further information:

http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/gadgets/other-gadgets/nightvision.htm

http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/gadgets/other-gadgets/nightvision3.htm

I CornerShot I

Most of the time when the special forces or the SWAT team try to neutralized the terrorist forces, there's always casualties or death during the cross fire. This is because the body of the operator was exposed and most likely to get injured or death during the crossfire incident.

At the Early 2000s, a weapon is designed to

minimized such casualties and death. It is more likely a weapon accessory invented by Lt. Col. Amos Golan of the Israeli Defense Forces in cooperation with American investors; the CornerShot.

This CornerShot is designed for the SWAT teams and special forces in such situation that usually involving terrorists and hostages, or dangerous crossfire. The purpose of this weapon is similar to the wartime periscope rifle; allowing the operator to both see and attack and armed target without exposing the body of the operator when counter attack.

A standard version of a CornerShot, a pistol is mounted in the front end of the weapon that bends horizontally about sixty-degree both side from a mid-gun. Digital camera and a flashlight is attached to the barrel in the bayonet position. The butt side of the hinge is where the trigger, camera screen (which is on a horizontal hinge just like the mid-gun hinge but it is off of the left side of the gun), and controls for the camera and light.

For further information please log on to:

http://www.cornershot.com/default.asp?catid={A1DD3745-5BFC-4EBA-A94A-FB490B3E92DA}

Predator From the Sky - MQ-9 Reaper

MQ-9 Reaper is also known as the General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper (the Predator B).

MQ-9 Reaper is an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) that is developed by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI). These aircrafts are used by the United States Air Force, The Royal Air Force and the Italian Air Force.

MQ-9 Reaper is referred as Remotely Piloted Vehicle / Aircraft (RPV / RPA) by the U.S. Air Force to indicate their human ground controllers. It is the first hunter-killer UAV designed for long-endurance, high-altitude surveillance.

General Characteristics
Primary Function: Unmanned hunter/killer weapon system
Contractor: General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc.
Power Plant: Honeywell TPE331-10GD turboprop engine
Thrust: 900 shaft horsepower maximum
Wingspan: 66 feet (20.1 meters)
Length: 36 feet (11 meters)
Height: 12.5 feet (3.8 meters)
Weight: 4,900 pounds (2,223 kilograms) empty
Maximum takeoff weight: 10,500 pounds (4,760 kilograms)
Fuel Capacity: 4,000 pounds (602 gallons)
Payload: 3,750 pounds (1,701 kilograms)
Speed: Cruise speed around 230 miles per hour (200 knots)
Range: 1,150 miles (1,000 nautical miles)
Ceiling: Up to 50,000 feet (15,240 meters)
Armament: Combination of AGM-114 Hellfire missiles, GBU-12 Paveway II and GBU-38 Joint Direct Attack Munitions
Crew (remote): Two (pilot and sensor operator)
Unit Cost: $53.5 million (includes four aircraft with sensors) (fiscal 2006 dollars)
Initial operating capability: October 2007
Inventory: Active force, 47; ANG, 1; Reserve, 0

This aircraft is capable to stay airborne up to 14 hours fully loaded. The AN/APY-8 Lynx II radar is employed into the MQ-9 Reaper, a robust sensors to automatically find, fix, track and target critical emerging time sensitive targets.

For further information, please link to :

http://defense-update.com/products/p/predatorB.htm

http://www.af.mil/information/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=6405

# S - O - N - A - R #

SONAR also known as SOund Navigation And Ranging, a technique that requires sound propagation underwater (generally) to navigate, communicate or to detect other vessels.

There are two kinds of sonar that are known as active sonar and passive sonar. Sonar can be used as a means of acoustic location as well. Radar used acoustic location in air, while sonar used in air for robot navigation. SODAR, on the other hand is used for atmospheric investigation.

The term "SONAR" is used for the equipment used to generate the sound and received the echo sound that bounces back. The frequencies used in the sonar systems vary from infrasonic to ultrasonic. Hydroacoustics can be also known as the study of underwater sound.

Principle of an Active Sonar - Send and Return Pings

Although during early history, animals such as dolphins and whales use sound for communication and object detection, and the use by human is first recorded by Leornado Da Vinci in 1490. It is said that, a tube is inserted into the water was used to detect vessels by placing an ear to the tube.

How Sonar Works

- Red Dot Sight Scope -

From the scope, the sights that use dot reticles are nearly invariably measured in minute of angle (MOA). The most common reticles used, is the red dot sight; is a small dot, covering 5 MOA (1.5 mrad), illuminated by a red light from the LED. Therefore, it is given the common term, "red dot sight".

MOA is a convinient measure for shooters using English units. Since 1 MOA from the scope is about 1.0472 inches at a distance of 100 yards (91.44m). Generally, it would be rounded up to 1 inch at 100 yards, which made the MOA a h

andy unit to use in ballistics.

Many reticle illumination and pattern options are available as well. Common light sources used in reflex sights requires battery powered lights, fiber optic light collectors, and even tritium capsules. Some other reflex sights are specially designed to be visible when view through night vision devices.

The colour of a reflex sight reticle are commonly red or amber for visibility against most backgrounds, as for green colour, it is also sold in the market and become widely available. Reticle shapes doesn't always stick to dots, but also some use chevron or triangular pattern. These patterns also help aid the precision of aiming and range estimation, and still others provide selectable patterns and holographic reticles.

Underwater Missiles - TORPEDO

Generally, most of the people assume that torpedo can only launched from a submarine or a U-boat. But not all torpedoes can be launched from a submarine. This is because a light torpedo can be dropped by an aircraft for a close attack, while the heavy torpedo, a standoff weapon are launched by submerged submarines.

Torpedo is a self-propelled mechanism, explosive projectile weapon. It can be launched above or below the water surface. These torpedoes will propelled underwater towards a target, and is designed to detonated either on contact with the target or in proximity with the target.

Back about in 1900, "torpedo" has been used strictly to designate an underwater self-propelled missile. The first working prototype of the modern self-propelled torpedo was created by a commission placed by Giovanni Luppis with a blue print of it, and Robert Whitehead perfects it to be a self-propelled torpedo in 1866.

Modern torpedoes are the Homing Torpedo type. These torpedoes can be used as passive or active guidance, or a combination of both. The passive acoustic torpedoes home in on emission from a target, while the Active acoustic torpedoes home in on reflection of a signal, or "ping", from the torpedo or its parent vehicle. The disadvantage about the signal is that it gives away the presence of the torpedo.

During semi-active mode, a torpedo can be fired to the last known position or calculated position of the target, which is then acoustically illuminated ("pinged") once the torpedo is within attack range.

In the Second World War, the German torpedoes, G7 es torpedoes; were designed to have acoustic (homing) guidance systems. Pattern-following and wake homing torpedoes were also developed during that era. After the Second World War, the basis for torpedo guidance for acoustic homing torpedo was formed.

Torpedo Hits A Destroyer

# Teet teet # - Incoming Missile Detected -

Strategic and Tactical missile detection require basically two functions. One of these functions is that the detection of the missile being launch and the burning fuel from the propellant during the acceleration into ballistic trajectory. The other will be the tracking of the missile on where it is targeted.

Normally, strategic and tactical missile launch detection and tracking systems use infrared surveillance techniques that employed by satellite sensors.

Satellite sensors are required to view the entire whole earth at one time, because the missiles could be launched from any location at any time. Furthermore, it is a must for the satellites sensors to detect where the missile probably going and, from the trajectory, to find where the missile would preferably hit with a high proba

bility detection.

Many known missile detection systems sense

infrared radiation in a single band. This band contains information about the missile as well as unwanted background. On the other hand, the composite signal contains actual, but weak, target signals which are less than the threshold over a portion of the detection band. It is to say that, when the threshold level is raised too high, many actual targets would remain undetected, that would cause a false alarm due to false detection.

Military Spy Satellite

First of all, Spy Satellites is referred as military reconnaissance and surveillance satellites. Though these Spy Satellites operate in many parts of the electromagnetic spectrum, these military satellites provide intelligence of the enemy capabilities and their activities.

The first generation of spy satellites was Corona and Zenit. During the development of these satellites, it was officially requested and demanded by the United States Air Force dated March the 16^th, 1955.

The main purpose of the demands was to have a continuous surveillance of some areas of some potential enemies in determining the weapons-making capabilities. Between the year of 1957 and 1999, about 4000 satellites were launched into space without fail, and about 50 percent of these satellites, will be used for specifically military purposes. Other functions of the satellites are such positioning and navigation, analyzing and recording information about the terrain (remote sensing), geodesy, research and meteorology. Though other satellites such as civil commercial satellites were used at times for several military tasks, which includes command assistance and military logistics support; a satellite with purely military uses, have certain capabilities and multiple systems that is specify for military uses that differs from the commercial ones.

NAVSTAR GPS (Navigation Signal Timing and Ranging Global Positioning System), is one of the best example of a military satellite that is operated by the US Air Force. It was first launched in 1978, but for the system to be fully operational was declared in April, 1995. The NAVSTAR satellites are arranged in six planes, each orbit back to the same spot on earth in a 12 hour, 20,000km high orbit. Each of the satellite will broadcast out two L-band radio signals containing ranging codes, ephemeris parameters, and Coordinate Universal Time (UTC) synchronization information. Other military users such as civilian users are able to receive, decode, and process the signals that receive from the NAVSTAR-GPS, to gain 2D or 3D position, velocity and time information. Civilian receivers then to lack of ability to read coded portions of the satellite transmissions.

References:

David Darling - The Internet Encyclopedia of Science: Satellites & Space Probes, “NAVSTAR (Navigation Satellite Time and Ranging)” [Online] Available from http://www.daviddarling.info/encyclopedia/N/NAVSTAR.html [Accessed on 17th January 2011]

Charlie Leonard (1999) – Introduction to NAVSTAR GPS. [Online] Available from http://people.csail.mit.edu/rudolph/Teaching/Lectures07/L8-navstar-2.pdf [Accessed on 17th January 2011]

Nicholas M. Short – RST, Introduction Technical and Historical Perspectives or Remote Sensing “Military Intelligence Satellites”. [Online] Available from http://rst.gsfc.nasa.gov/Intro/Part2_26e.html [Accessed on 17th January 2011]

Jason C. Chacis (2010) – BrightHub, Space Technology “Military Satellites: Meaning and Purpose”. [Online] Available from http://www.brighthub.com/science/space/articles/26768.aspx [Accessed on 17th January 2011]