Tuesday, July 20, 2010
I will be talking about the UAV(unmanned aerial vehicle) for this post. A UAV is an aircraft that flies without a human crew on board. The UAV is defined as a reusable, uncrewed vehicle capable of controlled, sustained, level flight and powered by a jet or reciprocating engine to distinguish it from missles. The earliest UAV was the "Aerial Target" developed by Archibald Low. It then advanced rapidly during the second world war.
However, these were mostly used for target practice and the first modern UAV was developed by Israel and used in the Yom Kippur war against Lebanon.
There are many applications of the UAV, though the most common applications are reconnaissance and combat.
A very commonly known UAV is the Predator drone. It has many advanced sensors and is fitted with missiles for combat. This drone has been used on countless missions by the USA and has succeeded many times. The main reason why the US use UAVs is that it is controlled miles away from the area that it is used, thus no one dies when the drone is shot down, as compared to an actual airplane. 
Shh, momma's only gone for the moment - 5:05 PM
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Please refer to the document in the link
Poem analysis
Shh, momma's only gone for the moment - 12:28 PM
Below is the poem for easy reference.
Children in the Darkness
There are children in the darkness
Who have not seen the light
There are children in the darkness
Who someone will teach to fight
Chalk and blackboards will not be
To this door there is no key
From this life they can not flee
And these children are not free
Could we simply light a candle
Could we give them half a chance
Could we teach them how to read
Could we teach them how to dance
Or will a war consume them
Their body and their soul
Will their life and blood be poured
Down some endless thirsty hole
Back into the darkness
From which there is no flight
Back into the darkness
Into which there shines no light
Henry M Bechtold
2010
Shh, momma's only gone for the moment - 12:26 PM
Poem chosen = Children in the darkness by Henry M Bechtold
The following is the author's introduction of the poem,
" I was in Vietnam in 1967 - 68 and again in 1969. I go back often because my soul lives in Vietnam and I go back to visit it from time to time.
I was sitting in my hotel room in Saigon just before Christmas 2009 and I was trying to write a poem about the girls who work in the park and how badly men treat them. I was angry but unable to write anything that did not sound trite or weak. I looked at the TV and the news was on. I did not know what the news reader was saying but in the background was a photo of a small boy with a helmet and an automatic rifle. This poem flowed out. The words just came to me and I typed as fast as I could to get it all down. "
The author got the inspiration from looking looking at the television, showing the news where a small boy was wearing a helmet and holding an automatic rifle. This poem is talking about the children born in the middle of a war and and their plight.
Sources: http://www.warpoetry.co.uk/2010warpoetry.html
Shh, momma's only gone for the moment - 11:13 AM
Monday, April 26, 2010
The nuclear bomb is the weapon that revolutionized the history of war.
Atomic power is power that is obtained by fusion(joining) or fission(splitting) of two atoms. This fusion or fission creates large amounts of energy which has been utilized for many different purpose, the most first and most significant use of which is the atomic bomb.
The picture above shows how nuclear power is obtained. First a neutron is fired at an atom, splitting it. This produces energy and the split atom gives out neutrons. The energy propels the neutrons towards other atoms. The chain reaction continues and a very large amount of energy builds up.
The history of the atomic bomb started with the German Nazis discovery of the splitting of an uranium atom. Many feared Hitler will create a nuclear bomb after word spread. However, Hitler persecuted Jewish scientists, many of which are extremely clever. This resulted in many scientists seeking asylum in the USA. One example is Albert Einstein. He, abandoning his belief of pacifism, urged then president Franklin Roosevelt to develop their own nuclear bomb. Roosevelt agreed and joined hands with the U.K and Canada to create the nuclear bomb.
This project was code named the Manhatten project. This race to create the first nuclear bomb was won by USA.
(a meeting among scientists working on the Manhatten project)
So far, the Japanese cities Hiroshima and Nagasaki were the only places where atomic bombs were dropped intentionally.
Throughout the years following the first nuclear bomb, nuclear technology has improved by leaps and bounds. Nuclear bombs now are 500 times more powerful than that dropped on Nagasaki.
This military development has proved to have advanced too fast and now world leaders are working one abolishing nuclear weapons.
Shh, momma's only gone for the moment - 8:29 PM
Thursday, April 8, 2010
The Phalanx CIWS consists of a radar guided Gatling gun mounted on a swiveling base. The picture above shows how a Phalanx looks like.
It is originally designed as an anti anti-ship missile defense system - that is, to shoot down anti-ship missles - by the General Dynamics Corporation, Pomona Di
vision, now Raytheon.
The Phalanx gun has gone through many evolutions and the newest version can fire up to 4500 rounds per minute, although the ammunition drum can only hold up to 1550 rounds.
It has a FLIR (Forward Looking Infrared Radar) which enables Phalanx to engage low, slow or hovering aircraft and surface craft. Additionally, the FLIR assists the radar in engaging some anti-ship cruise missles, bringing a greater chance of ship survivability.
The latest upgrade also uses a thermal imager and stablilization system that provide surface mode and electro-optic angle track. These allows day/night detection capability.
Shh, momma's only gone for the moment - 3:04 PM
