Lifeboat Foundation

WASHINGTON — The Space Development Agency announced Jan. 16 it selected L3Harris, Lockheed Martin and Sierra Space to build and operate 54 satellites equipped with infrared sensors capable of tracking hypersonic missiles in all phases of flight.

The satellites will be part of SDA’s Tranche 2 Tracking Layer, a network of satellites in low orbit 1,000 kilometers above Earth.

The three agreements are worth about $2.5 billion. Each company will produce and operate 18 satellites — the contract awarded to L3Harris is worth $919 million, Lockheed Martin’s is $890 million and Sierra Space’s is $740 million. The contracts include incentives for on-time delivery.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. needs to flex its space muscles in the face of China’s lunar ambitions, argues a new report from the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies released Jan. 17.

More specifically, the U.S. military should step up collaboration with NASA and support the development of infrastructure for scientific and economic activities in cislunar space, “as well as the means to secure those activities from potential threats such as territorial claims and irresponsible or hostile behavior,” writes Charles Galbreath, senior fellow for space studies at the Mitchell Institute.

Cislunar space — the region of space between Earth and the orbit of the moon — is becoming increasingly important strategically and economically due to potential lunar exploration, space mining and other commercial efforts poised to ramp up in the coming years.

Year 2017

North Korea claims it has again tested a hydrogen bomb underground and that it “successfully” loaded it onto the tip of an intercontinental ballistic missile, a claim that if true, crosses a “red line” drawn by South Korea’s president last month.

In a state media announcement, North Korea confirmed the afternoon tremors in its northeast were indeed caused by the test of a nuclear device, and that leader Kim Jong Un personally signed off on the test.

Continue reading “North Korea Claims Successful Hydrogen Bomb Test” »

These AI chips contribute to running complex machine-learning tasks and augmenting existing AI models.

In the last year, Chinese military groups, government-backed AI research institutes, and universities bought small amounts of Nvidia computer chips.

From blanket bans to specific prohibitions

Previously, OpenAI had a strict ban on using its technology for any “activity that has high risk of physical harm, including” “weapons development” and “military and warfare.” This would prevent any government or military agency from using OpenAI’s services for defense or security purposes. However, the new policy has removed the general ban on “military and warfare” use. Instead, it has listed some specific examples of prohibited use cases, such as “develop or use weapons” or “harm yourself or others.”

PLA scientists are reportedly using AI and large language models like Baidu’s Ernie to train a military AI system that can better predict the behavior of human adversaries.

Chinese scientists have allegedly combined AI and LLM to enhance the accuracy of predicting human behavior during military conflicts.

The test occurred at White Sands Missile Range, where the radar showed operational performance and readiness.

According to Chinese news sources, Chinese scientists have allegedly harnessed plasma to develop a working energy shield for drones and other military tech.

Chinese scientists have allegedly developed an energy shield to protect some of its military assets, the South China Morning Post (SCMP) reports. Utilizing a special kind of plasma, the energy shield is designed to resist potentially harmful microwaves from damaging delicate electronics. If the claims of its existence are true, the new shield is a significant leap in directed energy technology, especially in the ongoing aerial-to-anti-aerial arms race.

Continue reading “China develops ‘Star Wars’-style deflector plasma shield to defend drones” »

U.S. Defense and State Department officials aim to meet with delegates from at least 50 other nations by mid-2024 to discuss the nascent framework and standards doctrine they’ve recently signed onto, pledging to “responsibly” develop and deploy artificial intelligence and autonomous military technologies, according to a top Pentagon policymaker.

Originally produced in early 2023, State spotlighted the Political Declaration on Responsible Military Use of AI and Autonomy in November — and confirmed then that more than 40 countries formally endorsed it.

“We’re up to 51 now, including the United States, and we’re proud of the fact that it’s not just the usual suspects,” Michael Horowitz, deputy assistant secretary of defense for force development and emerging capabilities, said on Tuesday during a webcast hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies.