It now looks as if the “user” who posted these videos removed them from YouTube…if anyone knows how to dig up cached versions please let me know and we’ll post again.

This is one of the most fascinating lectures I’ve seen in a long time.

Remember when the aviation press (and we) splashed across their pages the fact that the Indian Air Force had scrubbed the floor with US Air Force F-15s and F-16s in their shiny new export Su-30s back in 2005?

Well, this guy flew in a more recent air training battle with the Indians out at Red Flag and talked about the ins and outs of the Su-30 vs the F-15. I won’t pretend to try and explain his comments for you, take the time to watch his presentation and see for yourself the treasure trove of information on one of Russia’s most impressive combat aircraft.

He also talks about some of the reasons why the US did so poorly in ’05 over in India.

(And make sure to watch minute 8:18 on part one for a look at how to kill a Raptor)…

(NOTE: New Link)

And Part II…(REMOVED FROM YOUTUBE)

(Gouge: NC)

– Christian

This is Nicholas Weaver’s second article on the military impact of the spread of technology.
America owes a big chunk of its military superiority to what it can make the tools, facilities, and expertise needed to put together sophisticated planes, ships, and weapons. So what happens when much of the high-precision manufacturing behind Predators and F-22s can belocated anywhere and owned by anyone?
The day isn’t as far off as it might seem. Twenty years ago, if a designer wanted a new, high-precision part, he constructed a design and handed it to a skilled (and expensive) machinist, who would produce a prototype. If more than a handful of handmade parts were needed, an even more expensive set of tooling would be created.
Today, the same designer develops his plan on a computer and then emails the design to the machine shop, which uses an assortment of CNC (Computer Numeric Controlled) machine tools to produce the prototype. CNC lathes can turn effectively arbitrary radially symmetric parts, cutters can create 2D shapes, and CNC mills can cut a 3-dimensional part to extremely tight tolerances. And as long as the designer only needs a few dozen (or even a few hundred) parts, the shop just feeds more material into the CNC machines and out pops more parts.
All it takes is a few shipping containers, a power hookup, and a source of refined metal ingots to produce high precision parts and designs from a high-technology mobile factory. And if that doesn’t seem like it’s got much to do with the military, think again. A major reason why the AK-47 is a “Weapons of Slow Mass Destruction” is it’s easy-to-make design. Any country with a factory base up to the low standards of Russia circa 1947 can stamp them out en masse and wreak havoc. Think of the possibilities when small jet turbines or piston engines for cheap unmanned planes become so simple that anyone can stamp them out and build their own drone air force.

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