The Military Thread

It's a little puff compared to the recoil of a tank shell or the full blast from the rocket motor. I wouldn't be surprised if they eventually tried to wrap a rocket motor around a DU rod to try and extend the range/add some guidance systems to the KEP.

I remember that they had an idea for that, but it was cancelled in favor of a chemical-energy munition. Personally I'd think a wraparound ramjet might be a good way to sustain velocity but, well, theories into practice and all that.

Deboss: From the vids I have seen of gun launched missiles little puff is an understatement to say the least.

Rocket boosting a KEP round also has additional challenges like ensuring accuracy from when the booster ignites to impact. I would think your starting to head into guided munition territory if want to try something like that. Especially if we want to keep the high level of accuracy we already have with KEP rounds.

Also the explosive shaped charge projectile has the advantage of not needing direct impact to function.

From what I've gotten, it would also take a while to build up the speed so it would have to be a mid or long range round compared to a ballistic projectile. But with an explosive driven projectile, you get a much simpler device, no chance of the rocket motor flying apart half way there and just the general issues you see whenever rockets are compared to projectiles.

I'm curious if suspended penetrator style AP rounds scale as well as explosively formed projectiles do.

Something along that line of rocket boosted projectiles was sort of the idea behind the LOSAT system. Granted it is no longer around but we still were testing the idea.

LOSAT

Successor Program CKEM

Both Canceled. I am sure you could make something like them that fired from a tank gun if you wanted to.

As for Scaling of the RAUFOS style ammo. It would be like using the Tank round we mentioned earlier with an incendiary component and an explosively drive penetrator.

Well, current rounds are usually Explosively Formed Penetrator based, I was curious if creating a suspended penetrator would improve performance (or allow different functionality with equivalent performance against armor).

I have doubts it would peform better or even on par with an EFP or a KEP round.

Suspended penetrators are probably best compared to WWII-era APCR rounds. They did not fare as well as sabot rounds, and were subsequently replaced. APDS rounds for the 12.7mm BMG do exist, and they have better penetration figures than the Raufoss, but their combined effect is not nearly as impressive.

The Rafous is also highly specialized for specific selections of targets and situations. Ie equipment, vehicles, and targets behind heavy cover.

Army Uniform Designed for Women Now for All

For decades, female soldiers have had to wear combat uniforms designed with the male body in mind. But turnabout is fair play. The Army is now testing on men combat uniforms designed for women.

Some 300 male soldiers wore the new "Army Combat Uniform — Alternate" last month on bases in Georgia and Texas to fit-test the garments. Results are expected next month, according to officials at the Program Executive Office Soldier at Fort Belvoir, Va.

Thoughts?

I hate looking like a pregnant midget in my ACU's

edited 29th Sep '12 7:38:24 PM by TairaMai

I don't think it is worth the cost.

I on the other hand do. Uniforms serve more than one purpose. An incorrectly tailored uniform, be it made to suit the male or the female figure looks dog-sick ugly. If you feel like you look like seven pounds of crap in a two pound bag it will affect not just your mood but your attitude to your work and your working environment to a negative extent. If, on the other hand, you feel like you are (in the British vernacular) smart as a carrot, you will have a more positive self image and hence have a greater pride in yourself, your work and your working environment.

I approve, therefore, the greater range of uniform sizes and shapes. It is a good thing. And if you think it is just women who like taking pride in their appearance, you haven't seen young men on their passing out parade in their Number 2 Dress suits and hats, (in the British Army) or their equivalent dress uniforms in other armed forces.

I have. I was one. And I felt ten feet fucking tall.

Hmm, I see. Those are perspectives I failed take into account.

USS George Washington, USS John C. Stennis Carrier Strike Groups Patrol Western Pacific

ROTC Returns to the Ivies

By JONATHAN E. HILLMAN

Cambridge, Mass.

It was the strangest of Harvard sights: camouflage in the classroom. Flip-flops and sneakers replaced by combat boots, T-shirts and baseball hats by battle fatigues.

As a graduate student only there to observe, I felt like I'd stumbled into a black-tie event wearing a Speedo. It didn't help that despite arriving 10 minutes early, I was, comparatively speaking, late. My casual "How's it going?" was met with a professional "Good morning" from seven new cadets in the Army Reserve Officers' Training Corps, or ROTC. A few minutes later, at 0800 hours on Sept. 13, the first military-science class held on Harvard's campus since the Vietnam War was in session. Yes, ROTC has had an office on campus since the fall of 2011, but this was the first real class.

edited 30th Sep '12 3:15:12 AM by TairaMai

Good shit.

I'm cool with a female uniform, but the Army needs to stop doing that whole "Oh it's not female, it's alternate." That's right up there with that "Fresh New Guy" bullshit.

Ah, more of the Ivies? That's cool. I heard that they brought NROTC back to Yale awhile ago.

edited 30th Sep '12 10:16:15 AM by HouraiRabbit

ROTC, ah, so that's what it's called.

Random question.

How likely is that a spec ops commando develop a PTSD after one mission after witnessing one of his squadmates (is this a word?) die?

edited 3rd Oct '12 7:18:21 PM by dRoy

@ D Roy, it would depend on the solider, their friend, and the nature of their mission.

PTSD doesn't have a good checklist. Soliders can get PTSD from being so prepared for combat and then not getting that chance, like a spring tightened with the promise of release, but then someone locks it in a case forever without that release. The pressure just boils them down.

This is actually a subject of some discussion on other websites where these kinds of people congregate. Check out this discussion, especially the post by HOLLiS. I don't think anyone is immune; even if you're in a special operations unit doing mainly door kicking and VBSS, not getting hit by IEDs, I'm sure it could still happen.

Just one of the many risks you accept when you choose to go into combat arms.

Now that I think about it, South Korea's footprint in the GWOT(tm) seems to be pretty minimal (no disrespect intended). You almost never hear about them in comparison to countries like Poland.

edited 3rd Oct '12 9:11:38 PM by HouraiRabbit

I don't think GWOT is a priority for South Korea; after all, there haven't been any jihadist attacks in East Asia (unless you count the regional troubles in Xinjiang, and even then those are overwhelmingly driven by ethnic nationalism, not Islamic fundamentalism). Poland might feel threatened as part of Europe, but the South Koreans are more focused on their deranged neighbor to the north.

I think it is safe to say that South Korea has more or less nothing to do with terrorism. There is this one time where one of my country's citizen got kidnapped and ultimately executed, but now when we speak of terrorism, it usually has to do with Counter-Strike.

Now many of us treat North Koreans like a rabid dog; we are pretty sure we can kick its ass, perhaps even without America's help (do correct me if I am wrong), but damn it, if it starts barking it is annoying as hell.

By the way, what is the rocket launcher that is shown in this (fucking awesome) clip?

edited 4th Oct '12 12:52:44 PM by dRoy

It's actually a recoilless rifle, IIRC. I can't name it off-hand, however.

Wait, that is a rifle? Really?

A rifle technically refers to the rifling in the barrel: after all, a tank gun can be a rifle

Here's The Other Wiki's article on Recoilless Rifles.