Slow-Motion Firearms

So beautiful that it's close to indecent.

For Very Tiny Wars

Guardian headline:

Brain will be battlefield of future, warns US intelligence report

Won't it get all squishy?

Key Fob Gun

Started out life as a Bulgarian pocket flare launcher and has ended up on the streets of Britain as a criminal's pocket derringer.

Compact, I'll grant you, but also clumsy, inaccurate and dangerous. Not surprising that the last time this thing showed up the nimrod shot himself by accident.

The Whistling Beer Cans of Death

Beer: Is there nothing it can't do?

Steve Rogers, Call Your Service

First it was powered exoskeletons and now DARPA is working on bioengineered super soldiers.

Someone has got to get those Marvel comics away from these guys or they'll blow the whole defence budget on vibranium shields.

Microwave Sound Projector

They're only jealous because the voices talk to me!

Lightning Guns

Not bad, but it still has a way to go before it can hold a candle to the electro-ray tank.

Moving Target

111 countries have signed a treaty agreeing to ban cluster bombs at the very moment that the United States, who are not a party, have come up with a kinetic system that does the same job without explosives and, therefore, isn't subject to the ban.

It works something like this:

All the advantages with none of the drawbacks and it annoys the hell out of the disarmament crowd. What more could you want?

Missing the Point

The Germans are working on an "environmentally friendly" bomb that won't hurt the environment.

No wonder I get migraines.

Laser Update

Boeing tests new ground attack laser system.


Jeff Vader was unavailable for comment.

Guardium

Israel unveils new robot soldier.

Sarah Connor cancels holiday in Tel Aviv.

Urban Security Suit

The answer to why no one in his right mind will allow fashion designers to develop NBC suits.

Could There Be a Connection?

Justin Webb looks at the "paradox" of the United States as a nation with 200 million guns and yet has a certain "tranquility and civility".

Mr. Webb's inability to see what is right before his face is taken to even greater heights by invoking the apparent contradiction of the Virginia Tech massacre (which occurred at a widely-publicised "gun-free zone") plus a resident of Washington DC who opposes the draconian firearms ban on the city being lifted by showing off nine gunshot wounds and claiming that lifting the ban would turn the capital into the "wild west". Mr. Webb does not ask him, "as opposed to what?"

Next up: Why the United States believes in military force despite defeating Communism and Fascism, has a record prison population despite a low crime rate, and grows vast amounts of food despite not suffering from famine.

.577 T-Rex

Ow.

Um...

Taiwan asked the United States for helicopter batteries and got nuclear warhead triggers instead.

In what is in the running for understatement of the century, the no. 2 at the American Defense Department called this development, "disconcerting".

Submachine Torch

At last someone has realised that the Agent Zero M Radio Rifle is more than just a dream.

"I Was a Sonic Blaster Guinea Pig"

Sharon Weinberger wins the Julius Caesar "Ides of March" foresight award.

Warbots of the World

Popular Mechanics looks at military robots fielded by other than the U.S. military.

The Trade Federation didn't make the cut.

1957 All Over Again

According to the Guardian, Iran's "peaceful" space programme is keeping pace with its "peaceful" nuclear programme. No doubt to be followed by a "peaceful" targeting programme and "peaceful" MIRV programme.

It's amazing how the Guardian's correspondent could spill so much ink on Tehran's ambitions to put a satellite into orbit without noting that the difference between an orbital booster and an ICBM is simply a matter of intent.

T800, Call Your Service

A gallery of images from the US Navy's robot lab.

It becomes self-aware at 2:14 a.m.

Popgun Quiz

Handgun and violent crime up in Britain because of despite a pointless, draconian ban on firearms? Do you :

1. Rescind the ban so that ordinary citizens can defend themselves while you go after the violent criminals who are the real problem in the first place?
2. Ban replica swords and deactivated guns with such enthusiasm that people start to wonder whether lengths of pipe and bits of wood will be next?

If you answered 2, congratulations! You're now the Home Secretary.

Iran to Build 19 Atomic Reactors

Iran declares that not only will it never stop its uranium enrichment programme, but it plans to build 19 nuclear reactors.

Who are you going to believe; the NIE or your lying eyes?

Bat Bombs & Others

Well, they seemed like a good idea at the time.

How to Arm A Nuclear Bomb

A bit of post-Cold War retroactive nervousness from the BBC.

At least they let the MOD get a word in on the subject. Translated into English, what they're saying is that decoding the "go" message and launching a Trident is so complex that you'd need a conspiracy by pretty much the entire boat to pull it off.

The Laser Avenger

For your Christmas wish list: A Humvee-mounted laser cannon.

Just let those kids try to get on my lawn now!

Space Guns

The Russians have been packing iron in their spaceships since 1982.

Unfortunately, lasers are not involved.

Davy Crockett

And now we present the smallest nuclear weapon ever fielded by the US Army: The Davy Crockett tactical nuclear system.

It had a range of only three miles, so it wasn't so much fire-and-forget as fire-and-run-like-the-clappers.

Nuclear Swings and Roundabouts

Remember, an enemy is just a misunderstood friend.

The good news: North Korea agrees to end its nuclear weapons programme.

The bad news: The same load of IAEA dimwits who allowed Dear Leader to get his first batch of bombs is monitoring the deal.

Sleep tight, everyone.

Hard Choices Now or Impossible Choices Tomorrow

A rundown of the last few days:

• The IAEA, the nuclear inspection agency with a learning curve as flat as Kansas, declared on Thursday that Iran is "cooperating" to "resolve outstanding issues."
• Today, Iran demonstrated that its idea of "cooperation" is to bring another 3000 centrifuges on line.
• Meanwhile, the Pentagon shows more realism and draws up plans for a three-day blitz that will take out Iran's entire military infrastructure in case the Mullah's get too close to lighting the blue touch-paper.

Every day I feel more like I'm living through a repeat of the late '30s with the IAEA playing the part of the umbrella. The words "Rhineland 1936" in two-foot letters should be tacked up on the wall of every Western leader.

Uranium? What Uranium?

International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors
discuss the Libyan uranium problem.

Less than a month after French President Sarkosy said that Colonel Gaddafi could be trusted with nuclear reactors, we discover that Libya has still to surrender 200 barrels of uranium as per its 2003 agreement to abandon its nuclear weapons programme in return for the West lifting sanctions.

Of absolutely no surprise to anyone, the handover of uranium was the responsibility of the IAEA, who never met an illicit nuclear weapons programme in the hands of a would-be Bond villain that it couldn't completely fail to do anything about.

Evening the Odds

Leave it to the French to bend logic until it breaks as President Sarkosy explains why his country is helping Libya to build nuclear power plants.

"Nuclear power is the energy of the future," he said. "If we don't give the energy of the future to the countries of the southern Mediterranean, how will they develop themselves? And if they don't develop, how will we fight terrorism and fanaticism?"

The president added that if the West considered that Arab countries were "not sensible enough to use civilian nuclear power", this would risk a "war of civilizations".

Aside from the fact that Libya already has plenty of oil to produce power, that Colonel Gaddafi is as flaky as a box of corn flakes, and that he has a track record of trying to get his hands on WMDs, if there is even the remotest chance of a "war or civilisations" wouldn't be prudent to forget appeasing our enemies in favour of making certain that they be kept as far from getting nuclear weapons as possible?

But then France wouldn't have anyone to surrender to.

So Near, Yet So Far

From The Register:

US wants trucks mounted with frikkin' laser beams

I was so disappointed to learn this wasn't about commercial haulers.

Axis of Evil? What Axis?

North Korea tested its new 3000-mile range Musudan missile-- in Iran.

Nothing to see here, folks. Move along.

Quote of the Day

From the Telegraph:

If the choice is them continuing [towards a nuclear bomb] or the use of force, I think you're at a Hitler marching into the Rhineland point. If you don't stop it then, the future is in his hands, not in your hands, just as the future decisions on their nuclear programme would be in Iran's hands, not ours.

John Bolton on Iran's nuclear weapons power programme.

China Destroys Satellite in Weapons Test

Nothing to worry about here. Nope. Nothing at all. Business as usual. Move along. Nothing to see.

Update: Defense Tech has a roundup on the subject.

And Now We Are Three

Good News: New Labour plans to keep the nuclear detterent force. Bad news: It's going to be with three submarines instead of four with only 150 warheads.

To paraphrase Bilbo Baggins, it's a bit thin, like butter spread over too much bread.