«The Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Triton is an American high-altitude long endurance unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) under development for the United States Navy as a surveillance aircraft. In tandem with its associated ground control station, it is considered an unmanned aircraft system (UAS). Developed under the Broad Area Maritime Surveillance (BAMS) program, the system is intended to provide real-time intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions (ISR) over vast ocean and coastal regions, continuous maritime surveillance, conduct search and rescue missions, and to complement the Boeing P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft. Triton builds on elements of the RQ-4 Global Hawk; changes include reinforcements to the air frame and wing, de-icing systems, and lightning protection systems. These capabilities allow the aircraft to descend through cloud layers to gain a closer view of ships and other targets at sea when needed. The current sensor suites allow ships to be tracked over time by gathering information on their speed, location, and classification.» [Fonte]
*
Lo MQ-4C Triton drone ha un costo unitario ufficiale di circa 186 milioni Usd, ai quali dovrebbero essere aggiunti i costi della sala controllo e delle relative telecomunicazioni.
Ufficialmente, potrebbe volare fino ad altezze di diciassette kilometri, con una velocità di crociera di poco più di 600 km/h.
*
La sua progettazione, costruzione e messa in linea è stata seguita con tripudi di gioia da tutta quella generazione americana allevata nei videogiochi e nell’idea che i robot avrebbero alla fine surrogato l’essere umano.
Quando si scorre la lista dei dispositivi elettronici di bordo ci si domanda come si sia potuti riuscire a mettere così tanta roba in un così piccolo spazio.
Poi, l’intelligenza artificiale vi regna sovrana: fa tutto o quasi tutto lei.
Nei suoi primi impieghi militari nella guerra civile mediorientale lo MQ-4C Triton svolse molto bene i suoi compiti di ricognizione, e tutta la stampa occidentale inneggiava a questo gioiello della tecnologia. Nel chiuso delle loro enclavi tutte queste brave persone si congratulavano a vicenda, dandosi titoli altisonanti e pomposi.
*
Però lo MQ-4C Triton ha un problema non da poco:
lo si abbatte con una cerbottana.
Fino a tanto che lo si usa per perlustrazioni in tempo di pace, funziona benissimo. Già per sorvegliare i guerriglieri islamici in Siria non era poi il meglio possibile.
Ma mandarli a sorvegliare il Mare di Hormuz oppure anche ad addentrarsi nella regione del Hormozgan è un altro paio di maniche. Anche se non dotata di contraeree allo stato dell’arte, l’aviazione iraniana te li abbatte senza fare nessuna fatica.
Se poi li si volessero utilizzare contro una grande potenza aerea, quali la Cina o la Russia, quelli li distruggerebbero pochi istanti dopo il decollo. Droni e tutte le illusioni ad essi legate.
Ma mica che questo sia il primo!
«The U.S. military has in recent days confirmed an attempt by Iran to shoot down a U.S. drone last week as well as the successful shooting down of one on June 6 by Iran-aligned Houthi forces in Yemen.»
Iran has shot down a U.S. drone which the elite Revolutionary Guards said on Thursday was flying over southern Iran, raising fears that a major military confrontation could erupt between Tehran and Washington.
Guards website Sepah News said the “spy” drone was brought down over the southern Iranian province of Hormozgan, which is on the Gulf.
While Iran’s state news agency IRNA carried the same report, identifying the drone as an RQ-4 Global Hawk, a U.S. official said a U.S. Navy MQ-4C Triton had been shot down in international airspace over the Strait of Hormuz.
The MQ-4C Triton’s manufacturer, Northrop Grumman, says on its website that the Triton can fly for over 24 hours at a time, at altitudes higher than 10 miles, with an operational range of 8,200 nautical miles.
Earlier, a spokesman for the U.S. military’s Central Command, Navy Captain Bill Urban, said no U.S. aircraft were flying over Iran on Wednesday.
The U.S. military has in recent days confirmed an attempt by Iran to shoot down a U.S. drone last week as well as the successful shooting down of one on June 6 by Iran-aligned Houthi forces in Yemen.
A senior Iranian security official said on Wednesday Iran would “strongly respond” to any violation of its airspace.
“Our airspace is our red line and Iran has always responded and will continue to respond strongly to any country that violates our airspace,” the semi-official Tasnim news agency quoted the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security council as saying.
Tension between Iran and the United States has spiked since last year when President Donald Trump withdrew from a 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and major powers and reimposed sanctions on it.
Concern about a military confrontation has increased since attacks on two oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman last week and on four tankers off the United Arab Emirates on May 12, both near the Strait of Hormuz, a major conduit for global oil supplies.
The United States and its regional ally, Saudi Arabia, blamed Iran for the incidents. Iran has denied responsibility.
The U.S. military has sent forces, including aircraft carriers, B-52 bombers and troops to the Middle East. However, Trump said he does not seek war with Iran.
Iran said last week that it was responsible for the security of the Strait of Hormuz, calling on American forces to leave the Gulf.
In protest at Trump’s “maximum pressure”, in May Iran said it would start enriching uranium at a higher level unless other European signatories to the nuclear deal protected its economy from the U.S. sanctions within 60 days.
Il segreto militare più gelosamente custodito dal Kremlin è come faccia Mr Putin a sfornare in continuazione sofisticati sistemi d’arma, allo stato dell’arte, ma spesso anche precursori, spendendo quattro rubli.
Il 23 aprile è stato varato il Belgorod, Project 09852 KC-139 Belgorod (KS-139 “Белгород”).
Covert Shores ne riporta il dettaglio tecnico sia di questo sottomarino sia del suo armamento.
«One of the largest submarines in the world, the unique Project 09852 KC-139 Belgorod (KS-139 “Белгород”) will play a key role in building military infrastructure deep under the Arctic as well as carrying the new Poseidon Intercontinental Nuclear-Powered Nuclear-Armed Autonomous Torpedo. She is an unfinished OSCAR-II cruise missile submarine which is being converted to serve as a Special Missions host submarine (known as Project 09852). It will be crewed by the Russian Navy but operated under GUGI, the secretive Main Directorate Deep Sea Research organization. In order to conduct covert special missions, it will carry a deep diving midget submarine, large payloads and the new KANYON (Status-6) strategic nuclear torpedo weapon. The project started in 2010, with the refit commencing in 2012, and is expected to be completed this year.»
Operating depth: Estimated as 500-520 meters per OSCAR-II SSGN
Propulsion: nuclear (2 x pressurized water reactor OK-650M.02 with a capacity of 190 MW driving two steam turbines and twin screws. Plus at least two outboard thrusters.
Crew: TBC. estimated 110
Armament: 6 x Poseidon (KANYON) nuclear torpedoes (if fitted), 6 x 533 mm (21″) torpedo tubes with up to 28 torpedoes»
* * *
«Russia has launched the Project 09852 Special Mission Submarine KC-139 Belgorod at the Sevmash Shipyard, located in Severodvinsk in northern Russia, on April 23»
*
«It is reportedly the first nuclear-powered submarine capable of carrying the nuclear-capable underwater drone “Poseidon,” alternatively referred to as an unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV), autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV), or simply an intercontinental-range, nuclear autonomous torpedo»
*
«The Belgorod is slated to enter service with the Russian Navy in 2020 following nuclear reactor and dockside trials»
*
«The submarine, based on the 949A Oscar II-class nuclear-powered guided missile submarine (SSGN), while crewed by the Russian Navy, will be operated by the Main Directorate Deep Sea Research (GUGI) organization»
The Defense Ministry Main Directorate of Deep-Sea Research 10th Department (or the submarine intelligence service) was established in 1976, responsible for Russian ‘underwater engineering’. Hydronauts [“Deep-sea spetsnaz”] is a term that is relatively new, even to long-time students of Russian military affairs. A check of sources within the Russian military indicates that the topic is rarely discussed in the open press, if at all. The force, which uses submarines, is an Army and not a Navy unit. The force’s focus is to bug communications cables, install movement sensors, and collect the wreckage of ships, aircraft, and satellites from the seabed. These divers work at depths of 3000-6000 meters in miniature submarines.
These submarines were officially referred to as “nuclear deep-water station” and abbreviated AU. Sailors call them “kids” – assigned to the Ministry of Defense and worked on the instructions of the Main Intelligence Directorate. Only the 1986 were the submarines added to the lists of the navy. However, the management of their activities was still carried out directly from Moscow.
Project 1910 nuclear powered deepwater stations were designed to perform specific tasks in the depths of the oceans, and were intended to replace the previous generation of deep-towed vehicles “Seliger”.
In 1979, for basic maintenance and operation of the ACS carriers at the Northern Fleet at Gadzhiyevo [Bay of deer] initiated the formation of the 29th separate brigade of submarines.
According to the site editor MilitaryRussia Dmitry Kornev, in 1980-2000 years of the machine with the main management of deep-sea research carried out special missions in the Japan Sea, the North Atlantic and the Arctic. The 45707 military unit was stationed in the city of Peterhof Leningrad region. Structurally related to the General Directorate of the Russian Defense Ministry deep-sea research.
Izvestiya was told by former naval officer and hydronaut Vladimir Ashik that his colleagues’ job was to collect intelligence information about enemy equipment, protect and service Soviet deep-water communications lines, and bring up from the bottom the wreckage of secret equipment left behind after tests or accidents.
In the early 2000s the Defense Ministry’s special center in Moscow was reorganized to form the Main Directorate of Deep-Sea Research, whose work was classified.»
*
Solo a scopo esplicativo del lavoro svolto:
«According to figures from the Comptroller’s Office auditors, the hydronauts were the most highly paid employees in the military — they were receiving 500,000-600,000 [rubles] a month. For comparison, the commander of a motorized rifle brigade in Siberia and the Far East receives no more than 80,000 rubles a month, while the commander of a strategic bomber base with the rank of colonel receives no more than 180,000.»
*
Ufficialmente, questo nuovo sommergibile servirà per una migliore esplorazione pacifica dei fondali oceanici e per la preservazione delle specie animali che vi albergano.
Ciò che farà non interessa nulla a nessuno: è per questo motivo che non si rilasciano particolari.
The first nuclear-powered submarine reportedly capable of carrying the Poseidon underwater drone was launched on April 23.
*
Russia has launched the Project 09852 Special Mission Submarine KC-139 Belgorod at the Sevmash Shipyard, located in Severodvinsk in northern Russia, on April 23. It is reportedly the first nuclear-powered submarine capable of carrying the nuclear-capable underwater drone “Poseidon,” alternatively referred to as an unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV), autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV), or simply an intercontinental-range, nuclear autonomous torpedo.
The Belgorod is slated to enter service with the Russian Navy in 2020 following nuclear reactor and dockside trials. The submarine, based on the 949A Oscar II-class nuclear-powered guided missile submarine (SSGN), while crewed by the Russian Navy, will be operated by the Main Directorate Deep Sea Research (GUGI) organization. The submarine, according to the website Covert Shores, will carry a deep diving midget submarine for covert special missions. It is expected to be deployed under the Arctic and used for the covert installation of a Russian underwater sonar network.
During the April 23 launch ceremony, Vice-Admiral Alexei Burilichev, Head of the Main Directorate of Deep-Sea Research of the Russian Ministry Defense (MoD), specifically singled out the Arctic as a future area of operations for the sub: “With the advent of this ship in the fleet, the Russian Federation will increase its ability to study the oceans, including the Arctic,” he was quoted as saying by TASS news agency.
The submarine was laid down at the Sevmash Shipyard in July 1992 but its construction was suspended in 1997. Work on the unfinished 949A Oscar II-class SSGN began again in 2012 following a redesign of the sub undertaken by the Rubin Central Design Bureau in St. Petersburg as a special purpose submarine. With a reported lengths of 184 meters, the Belgorod is set to become the Russian Navy’s largest submarine by its length. (The sub has a reported displacement of around 15,000 tonnes when surfaced.)
There is no official confirmation that the new sub will carry the Poseidon UUV, also known under Ocean Multipurpose System Status-6 or “Kanyon” by the U.S. intelligence community. As I reportedly previously, the Russian Navy is expected to receive up to 30 Poseidon UUV with the first batch slated for delivery in the late 2020s. It remains unclear the UUV serves only as a nuclear-warhead delivery platform or could be used for other purposes including intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions.
According to a Russian defense industry source, the Project 09852 submarine will be able carry up to six Poseidon UUVs, although as mentioned previously, some sources cited eight. “Two Poseidon-carrying submarines are expected to enter service with the Northern Fleet and the other two will join the Pacific Fleet,” a Russian defense industry source told TASS news agency in January. “Each of the submarines will carry a maximum of eight drones and, therefore, the total number of Poseidons on combat duty may reach 32 vehicles.”
The second Poseidon-carrying sub will reportedly be the Project 09851 submarine Khabarovsk, purportedly a downsized variant of the Borei-class of nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines. The sub is slated to be launched in the spring of 2020 and handed over to the Russian Navy in 2022, according to another source.
Il caccia cinese J-20 è un aereo da caccia stealth di quinta generazione sviluppato dall’azienda aeronautica cinese Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group negli anni duemila e dal 2016 in fase di preproduzione. Ha una velocità massima di 2,100 km/h con velocità di crociera di mach 1.83 Mach. Il raggio di azione varia dai 1,300 ai 1,700 km, con una velocità di salita di 300 ms.
Si riporta che dovrebbero essere quasi equivalenti agli F-35 americani, che però continuano a presentare molti malfunzionamenti.
Secondo alcune fonti, la Cina avrebbe già schierati quasi cento J-20.
«Il caccia da superiorità aerea di quinta generazione Chengdu J-20 in Cina continua a dominare i titoli sin dall’entrata in servizio nel marzo 2017, anni prima che gli analisti occidentali prevedevano fosse pronto al combattimento e recenti informazioni indicano che circa 100 aviogetti da combattimento d’élite potrebbero aver già lasciato linee di produzione. Il J-20 rappresenta il primo caccia di quinta generazione stealth ad entrare in servizio fuori degli Stati Uniti, ed è un analogo diretto dell’F-22 Raptor statunitense entrato in servizio nel 2005. La struttura della piattaforma da caccia bimotore fu progettata per facilitare lunga autonomia, carico utile elevato, quota operativa elevata, alta velocità e manovrabilità, ottimizzandolo così per le missioni di combattimento aria-aria avanzato, come il Raptor. Il J-20 è uno dei tre caccia cinesi della nuova generazione dell’Aeronautica dell’Esercito di Liberazione del Popolo (PLA), insieme al caccia multiruolo leggero di 4.ta++ generazione J-10C e al cacciabombardiere J-16, con comparabili sistemi di guerra elettronica, di avionica e armi, ma privi dell’avanzato profilo dalla ridotta sezione radar del J-20. Questi tre aviogetti svolgono ruoli altamente complementari e la loro sinergia darà al PLA una capacità operativa considerevolmente maggiore della loro mera somma.»
* * *
«J-20 deployments would mean ‘greater threat’»
*
«China may declare its first stealth fighter operational this year as it also develops long-range bombers capable of carrying nuclear weapons»
*
«Fielding the J-20 would add to what’s already the region’s largest air force and world’s third largest, with more than 2,500 total aircraft including 1,700 combat fighters, strategic bombers, tactical bombers and multi-mission tactical and attack aircraft»
*
«Chinese engineers report successful testing of a solid-fuel ramjet missile engine, and they suggest this will enable the J-20 to carry future Mach 5, 300 kilometer-range air-to-air missiles»
* * * * * * * *
Questa notizia dovrebbe essere incastonata in altre, di simile importanza.
– Head of Air Force’s Pacific Command sees China testing limits
– J-20 deployments would mean ‘greater threat,’ Brown says
*
China may declare its first stealth fighter operational this year as it also develops long-range bombers capable of carrying nuclear weapons, part of a regional buildup by Beijing that the U.S. is closely monitoring, according to the U.S. Air Force’s Pacific commander.
General Charles Brown, the head of Pacific Air Forces, said the stealthy J-20 fighter could “possibly” be operational this year, a move he said would signal “greater threat, greater capability” for China in the Pacific. He went on to emphasize that U.S. efforts to counter those developments include rising deployments of next-generation F-35 jets and continuing overflights of strategic areas such as the South China Sea.
“My sense of the way the Chinese operate is somewhat incremental,” Brown said in an interview this week at Bloomberg’s headquarters in New York. “They’ll continue to push the envelop to figure out does anybody say or do anything — if you don’t push back it’ll keep coming.”
Fielding the J-20 would add to what’s already the region’s largest air force and world’s third largest, with more than 2,500 total aircraft including 1,700 combat fighters, strategic bombers, tactical bombers and multi-mission tactical and attack aircraft, the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency said in a report earlier this year.
In its annual report on China’s military, the Pentagon said that “the J-20 may have begun active service in small numbers, possibly with a testing and training unit.”
“Chinese engineers report successful testing of a solid-fuel ramjet missile engine, and they suggest this will enable the J-20 to carry future Mach 5, 300 kilometer-range air-to-air missiles,” according to the report published Thursday.
China’s J-20 fighter is part of a modernization effort that’s been “closing the gap with Western air forces across a broad spectrum of capabilities, such as aircraft performance, command and control and electronic warfare,” according to Defense Intelligence Agency report.
Brown also said he thinks China is moving to develop dual-use bombers that would be “similar to our bombers” in terms of being able to carry nuclear weapons and non-nuclear precision-guided weapons. “I don’t think it would be too far off the mark to say they could do that as well,” Brown added, without indicating whether China may have a stealth bomber capability.
Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan, in a statement Wednesday for the House Defense Appropriations subcommittee, said a Chinese long-range bomber “if successful, would make it only one of three nations” to “possess a nuclear triad” of land, sea and air-based nuclear capabilities.
Combat Experience
The U.S. has a number of ways to counter China’s build up, Brown said. That includes being unpredictable in deployments of the B-1B, B-52 and B-2 bombers. The B-1B, Brown said, is now qualified to carry a new Lockheed Martin Corp. anti-ship missile, a few of which have been stockpiled in the Pacific region.
Brown, a four-star general who has logged more than 130 combat flight hours out of 2,900 overall, was on the U.S. East Coast this week to speak with Asia experts about the challenges facing his command. He started in the job more than eight months ago after serving as deputy commander of U.S. operations in the Middle East and head of the air war against Islamic State in 2015-2016.
A key issue for Brown in his latest post is “how do I gain a greater understanding of how China operates — not only their equipment capability — but how they operate, how they command and control. I want to understand what makes their blood pressure go up” so as to avoid miscalculations.
“Their propensity to fly out over the water has increased over the years,” he said.
Taiwan’s F-16s
It’s not just the U.S. noticing the increased Chinese capability, Brown said. He touched briefly on the State Department and Pentagon’s review of a potential sale of new F-16s to Taiwan. President Donald Trump’s advisers encouraged Taiwan to submit a formal request for the jets. That request would need to be converted into a formal proposal by the Defense and State Departments, and then Congress would have 30 days to decide whether to block the sale.
“There’s been a little increase in tension there recently, which may be the impetus” behind Taiwan’s request, Brown said. The Beijing government considers Taiwan’s fate a “core interest” — more important than almost any other issue, and has increased pressure on countries and multinational companies to avoid actions that could imply sovereign status for the island.
The U.S., wary of antagonizing China, hasn’t sold advanced fighter jets to Taiwan since President George H.W. Bush announced the sale of 150 F-16s in 1992. The Obama administration rejected a similar Taiwanese request for new jets, agreeing in 2011 to upgrade the island’s existing fleet.
Brown has more than a passing familiarity with the F-16 — he said it’s his favorite military aircraft of the numerous ones he has piloted. In addition to the F-16, he has flown the AH-64 Apache attack helicopter, V-2 tilt-rotor Osprey, AC-130U gunship, B-1B, B-2A and B-52H bombers, C-130J transport and KC-135 tanker, among others.
«U.S. President Donald Trump warmly welcomed Viktor Orban to the White House on Monday, saying the far-right Hungarian leader was “respected all over Europe.”»
*
«The pair sat down for talks about NATO and trade, less than two weeks before European parliamentary elections in which far-right parties are expected to make a strong showing»
*
«Orban’s hardline stance against migrants has attracted criticism from other European leaders, but appeared to find a more sympathetic audience in Trump»
*
«You have been great with respect to Christian communities, …. You have really put a block up and we appreciate that very much»
*
«People have a lot of respect for this prime minister, he’s a respected man. He’s done the right thing, according to many people, on immigration.»
*
«Don’t forget they’re a member of NATO, a very good member of NATO»
*
«The two leaders were due to discuss Hungary’s plan to buy medium-range missiles from the U.S.»
* * * * * * *
Secondo le ultime prospezioni elettorali il partito popolare europeo e quello socialista assieme dovrebbero perdere circa un centinaio di eurodeputati. Se così sarà, avrebbero perso la maggioranza, subendo una severa batosta.
Stranamente, sembrerebbe che a ben pochi possa interessare il cercare di capire come abbiano fatto ad inimicarsi e disaffezionare una così larga quota di Elettori.
Il comportamento tenuto nei confronti dell’Ungheria di Mr Orban spiegherebbe molto della mentalità che ha portato a questo risultato.
Stretta osservanza ideologica, rigidità comportamentale ed una tediosamente fastidiosa supponenza sono stati elementi cardini che hanno portato alla disfatta: quanti non la pensassero come loro sarebbero bollati di comportamento eretico e bollati con l’ostracismo.
Ma senza Realpolitik ci si condanna alla estinzione: una eutanasia ben poco ‘eu‘ e molto ‘kakà‘. Una morte tormentosa e tormentata.
*
Non solo.
Un’altra caratteristica dei liberal socialisti è un esasperato solipsismo, che impedisce loro sia di guardare il futuro sia la realtà.
Fossero diversi, non andrebbero incontro alla disfatta elettorale.
Quindi, ci si curi ben poco di quanto affermano al momento gli eurodirigenti uscenti di carica e gli eurodeputati, ben pochi dei quali potranno ritornare nel parlamento europeo o sulle poltrone della Commissione: il parere degli sconfitti non conta poi più di tanto.
*
Un tema da sempre glissato dagli eurocrati è la divisione del mondo tra le superpotenze atomiche: ed ora alla America ed alla Russia si è unita anche la Cina.
Si voglia o meno, la Nato ha costituito elemento calmierante la pace mondiale, che si manterrà sotto la condizione che i diversi gruppi atomici restino in equilibrio.
Sotto questo punto di vista, di non poca importanza, se è vero che al momento l’Ungheria fa parte dell’Unione Europea, sarebbe altrettanto doveroso ricordarsi che essa è incardinata nella Nato, di cui funge da postazione avanzata, unitamente ad altri paesi dell’ex est europeo.
Mr Orban gradirebbe anche ospitare sistemi missilistici a medio raggio americani, magari anche comprandoli.
L’Unione Europea non dispone di forze armate degne di quel nome, non ha forze atomiche e neppure dispone di missili anti-missile. L’armamento atomico inglese è ben poca cosa, e quello francese ancor meno, sempre poi che riescano a farlo funzionare.
Che poi gli Stati Uniti brucino dalla voglia di difendere questa Europa sarebbe cosa tutta da dimostrare.
Ma senza forze armate efficienti è impossibile esercitare una sia pur minima politica estera.
Vedremo come i nuovi eletti, Commissione Compresa, affronteranno codesta situazione, ma intanto gli anni sprecati non saranno recuperati facilmente.
U.S. President Donald Trump warmly welcomed Viktor Orban to the White House on Monday, saying the far-right Hungarian leader was “respected all over Europe.”
The pair sat down for talks about NATO and trade, less than two weeks before European parliamentary elections in which far-right parties are expected to make a strong showing.
Orban’s hardline stance against migrants has attracted criticism from other European leaders, but appeared to find a more sympathetic audience in Trump.
“You’re respected all over Europe. Probably like me a little bit controversial, but that’s okay,” Trump told Orban at a brief news conference. “You’ve done a good job and you’ve kept your country safe.”
In 2015, Orban erected a razor-wire fence the length of Hungary’s southern border to prevent migrants, most of whom travelled from Muslim countries, entering from Serbia.
“You have been great with respect to Christian communities,” Trump told Orban. “You have really put a block up and we appreciate that very much.”
Hungary missile plan
Asked if he shared European concerns about Hungary backsliding on democracy, Trump said: “People have a lot of respect for this prime minister, he’s a respected man. He’s done the right thing, according to many people, on immigration.”
Orban said: “From the people, by the people, for the people, this is the basis for the Hungarian government. We are happy to serve our nation. We have a new constitution accepted in 2011 and its functioning well.”
Trump interjected: “Don’t forget they’re a member of NATO, a very good member of NATO.”
The two leaders were due to discuss Hungary’s plan to buy medium-range missiles from the U.S.
Sotto il cancellierato Merkel la Germania ha mostrato ripetutamente di non voler avere contati politici e commerciali con i paesi che non si siano adeguati ai suoi standard di ‘human rights’ e, più in generale, alla sua Weltanschauung.
Diciamo come questo modo di pensare non attiri certo nuove amicizie e sottomini quelli esistenti.
Clamoroso è stato l’embargo nei confronti dell’Arabia Saudita.
Frau Merkel mette spesso in atto una serie di misure politiche apparentemente contrastanti.
Usualmente assume la veste di una puritana immarcescibile: non si parla, non si commercia, non si tratta con quanti non aderiscano alla sua Weltanschauung, alla sua scala valoriale, che vorrebbe imporre a tutto il mondo.
Ma ogni tanto si autoassolve per aver fatto alcuni peccatucci:
Il Nord Stream 2 prosegue nonostante che la Russia sia stata coperta di sanzioni, tanto per fare un esempio.
* * *
Il problema diventa però più complesso ancora quando la Germania vieta alle nazioni, con le quali aveva collaborato con progetti congiunti, di esportare sistemi di arma che contengano tecnologia tedesca.
«Germany manufactures key components of European defense projects, amplifying the effect of its export bans. Britain’s foreign secretary warned that the Saudi arms export ban damages common European defense policy.»
*
«Prior to the meeting, German magazine Der Spiegel reported that Hunt had sent a letter to Maas on February 7 warning him that Germany’s ban undermined common European defense projects and the ability of NATO allies to fulfill commitments»
*
«Germany decided in November to stop arms exports to Saudi Arabia — one of the world’s largest weapons markets — after the assassination of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the kingdom’s consulate in Istanbul.»
*
«Germany accounts for a small fraction of Saudi weapons imports, but it makes vital components for other countries’ arms industries to fulfill contracts.»
*
«In the letter seen by Der Spiegel, Hunt said British defense firms would not be able to fulfil several contracts with Riyadh, including the delivery of Eurofighter Typhoon and the Tornado fighter jet. Both are made with parts produced by Germany’s arms industry.»
*
«It is imperative that you immediately remove major European defense projects such as the Eurofighter and the Tornado from the arms embargo, …. a loss of confidence in the credibility of Germany as a partner»
*
«This letter shows how Germany’s arms export practices are costing it the ability to partner with its closest European allies»
*
«Germany’s unilateral arms export policy was damaging plans for a common European defense policy and undermining the arms industries of NATO allies.»
*
«for example, helicopters, the German side gives itself the right to, for example, block the sale of a French helicopter»
*
«the company might need to develop “German-free products” in the future»
* * * * * * *
Due sono i punti sensibili:
«a loss of confidence in the credibility of Germany as a partner …. practices are costing it the ability to partner with its closest European allies»
*
«to develop “German-free products”»
* * * * * * *
Non tutti condividono la pulsione tedesca al suicidio.
Più la Germania di Frau Merkel si erge a paladina della propria scala valoriale, peraltro solo da lei condivisa, e meno riesce a proporla agli altri e si isola sempre più profondamente, anche a costo di alienarsi i pochi amici internazionali che le sono rimasti.
La perdita di credibilità è forse l’aspetto peggiore: ci si mette una vita a costruirsi l’immagine di persona affidabile, ma bastano pochi istanti per perderla definitivamente.
Che poi inglesi e francesi convengano sulla necessità di costruire “German-free products” la conta davvero lunga.
Infine l’aspetto più grottesco che tragicomico è quanto il popolo tedesco non riesca a comprendere cosa stia facendo Frau Merkel a suo danno.
Le Forze armate russe hanno dispiegato batterie di sistemi antiaerei e per la difesa antimissile S-400 nella regione di Leningrado “ai fini della protezione delle strutture militari, statali e civili” nell’area di San Pietroburgo. Lo ha reso noto nella serata di ieri, 12 marzo, l’agenzia di stampa russa “Tass”. Dal 15 marzo prossimo, gli S-400 verranno schierati anche nell’enclave russa di Kaliningrad.
«I russi hanno un segreto che nessuno è mai riuscito a violare.
Come siano riusciti a concepire, progettare, costruire e rendere operativi un così grande numero di sistemi missilistici allo stato dell’arte ed il tutto in così poco tempo. Le sigle sono note, o dovrebbero, però cercheremo di sintetizzare.»
Però negli ambienti solitamente bene informati si vocifererebbe che in effetti i russi si siano dotati senza troppi clamori di versioni ben più sofisticate degli S-400.
L’S-400 è stato progettato come sistema d’arma capace di intercettare e colpire aerei da guerra e missili balistici e da crociera che volano a una velocità fino a 4,8 km/s (17.000 km/h). Il sistema può individuare fino a 36 obiettivi contemporaneamente (80 nelle nuove versioni) in un raggio che va da 30 a 400 km in base al tipo di missile utilizzato (quest’ultima distanza viene raggiunta con il missile 40N6 con compiti ABM e anti AWACS).
Se la gittata massima dovrebbe essere i 400 km del sistema 40N6, da più parti si vocifera che i russi abbiano a disposizione sistemi con portata ben maggiore.
Similmente, sempre le voci suggerirebbero che i sistemi 48N6 abbiano velocità vicine a Mach 6.
Nota.
I sistemi S-400, essendo missili contraerei od anti-missile, sono tipicamente armi di difesa.
Di conseguenza, il loro schieramento ai confini non costituisce di per sé una minaccia aggressiva.
Denota piuttosto il fatto che i russi si aspettino che la Nato schieri missili d’attacco in posizioni ravvicinate ai confini.
Nell’immaginario collettivo il lavoro di intelligence è spesso raffigurato nei termini delle missioni di James Bond.
Nulla di più differente.
La corretta lettura dei media e le intercettazioni telefoniche sono una fonte incredibile di informazioni.
Di norma, anche le password più gelosamente custodite viaggiano poi con stupefacente facilità su media e conversazioni. Cosa questa che facilita in modo sostanziale il lavoro dello spionaggio elettronico.
L’imbecillità umana rasenta sempre l’incredibile: gli esseri umani son ben più fessi di quanto vogliano ammettere.
«Security concerns have been raised after a fitness tracking firm showed the exercise routes of military personnel in bases around the world.
Online fitness tracker Strava has published a “heatmap” showing the paths its users log as they run or cycle.
It appears to show the structure of foreign military bases in countries including Syria and Afghanistan as soldiers move around them.
The US military was examining the heatmap, a spokesman said.
How does Strava work?
San Francisco-based Strava provides an app that uses a mobile phone’s GPS to track a subscriber’s exercise activity.
It uses the collected data, as well as that from fitness devices such as Fitbit and Jawbone, to enable people to check their own performances and compare them with others.
It says it has 27 million users around the world.»
*
Lo spionaggio avverso può così facilmente seguire persona per persona, militare per militare.
Poi, il clou è quando i soldati usano i loro telefonici quando siano in azione.
È una vera manna dal cielo per gli avversari, che non sono poi così sprovvidi come si vorrebbe fa credere.
* * * * * * *
«Russia’s parliament has voted to ban soldiers from using smartphones while on duty, after their social media use raised issues of national security»
*
«The bill forbids military personnel from using a phone with the ability to take pictures, record videos and access the internet»
*
«Soldiers also cannot write about the military or talk to journalists»
*
«More than 400 of 450 lawmakers in Russia’s lower house of parliament, the Duma, backed the law on Tuesday »
*
«Phones with basic calling and messaging facilities could still be used, but tablets and laptops would also subject to the new ban»
*
«Soldiers’ social media data has allowed open-source journalism sites like Bellingcat to expose secret military activity by Russian forces, sometimes in real time»
* * * * * * *
A parere di molti, le comunicazioni smartphone di soldati russi intercettate dagli occidentali altro non erano che controinformazioni artatamente propalate dai servizi segreti russi.
Russia’s parliament has voted to ban soldiers from using smartphones while on duty, after their social media use raised issues of national security.
The bill forbids military personnel from using a phone with the ability to take pictures, record videos and access the internet.
Soldiers also cannot write about the military or talk to journalists.
More than 400 of 450 lawmakers in Russia’s lower house of parliament, the Duma, backed the law on Tuesday.
Phones with basic calling and messaging facilities could still be used, but tablets and laptops would also subject to the new ban.
Soldiers’ social media data has allowed open-source journalism sites like Bellingcat to expose secret military activity by Russian forces, sometimes in real time.
The bill must now be considered by the upper house of parliament, the Federation Council, before being signed into law by President Vladimir Putin.
Why is there a ban?
Russian officials said the move was necessary to protect military information from foreign intelligence services.
In recent years, social media posts by servicemen have revealed Russia’s military presence in eastern Ukraine and Syria, sometimes contradicting the government’s official claim of not having troops there.
Since 2017, Russian soldiers have been warned against sharing any information online, including selfies.
Russia is not the first country to take steps to introduce stricter digital practices for military personnel following security issues.
I tempi degli archibugi sembrerebbero essere passati. Poi, quanto il nuovo effettivamente funzioni sul campo di battaglia sarà tutto da verificare. Tenendo anche conto che alcune notizie sembrerebbero essere state tratte da libri di fantascienza.
La notizia che si stesse studiando un’arma di queste caratteristiche era già nell’aria da circa una decina di anni, ma erano in molti a ritenere che fosse una notizia sparsa ad arte, non aderente ai fatti.
Nel 2014 comparve questo articolo, cui era allegato un breve film.
«Good news for America’s snipers, bad news for other snipers
DARPA’s self-steering bullet is, if acronyms are enough to go by, supposed to have razor-fine precision. Extreme Accuracy Tasked Ordnance, or EXACTO, is a bullet that chases its target, adjusting course mid-flight to make sure it hits exactly what or who it is supposed to hit. In February, DARPA tested the bullet against moving targets, and yesterday they released a video from those tests. The video itself looks like an obscure home console video game from the mid-1980s, where players trace out a path to a robot which then runs away. Tracked on screen are the projected path of the bullet, and then the actual flight path EXACTO takes, bending and turning its trajectory to follow a sideways-sprinting target. Over several shots, EXACTO improves on the aim of both experts and novices, sending .50 caliber doom to its mark each and every time. An earlier video, released last summer, showed the bullet adjusting to hit a fixed target that the shooter missed.
EXACTO is specifically designed for combat in places like rural patrols in Afghanistan, where fighting is at long range and the weather can interfere with snipers’ accuracy. It is, as the name hints, a weapon specifically for edge cases. Most of what snipers do, this won’t change, but in the instances where having a self-correcting bullet could matter, DARPA wants to make sure that the American military has a weapon that can do what its opponents can’t.
Little information about the technology is publicly available, but despite fears to the contrary, its unlikely we’ll see this on American streets anytime soon, if ever. The XM25, another new infantry weapon designed to get around cover, costs around $25,000, which is small potatoes for a military customer but pricey for private buyers, and we can assume that EXACTO systems will come at a steep price, too. Even so, rifles are used in only a fraction of crimes in the United States involving guns. A more accurate sniper round is unlikely to change that.»
«Called the Extreme Accuracy Tasked Ordnance (or EXACTO), the .50 caliber bullet is meant for use in combat in areas such as Afghanistan, where visibility and changes in wind and weather can throw bullets slightly off their course, according to an article in Popular Science.
How the ammunition works is, of course, secret. A video put out by DARPA shows the bullet adjusting its trajectory to hit a moving robot target.
“This live-fire demonstration from a standard rifle showed that EXACTO is able to hit moving and evading targets with extreme accuracy at sniper ranges unachievable with traditional rounds,” said DARPA program manager Jerome Dunn, in a statement. “Fitting EXACTO’s guidance capabilities into a small .50-caliber size is a major breakthrough and opens the door to what could be possible in future guided projectiles across all calibers.”»
*
Tre anni dopo, nel 2017, comparve questo articolo:
«Just when you thought the American Military Industrial Complex couldn’t be any more terrifying than it already is, may we humbly present a bullet that can change direction mid-air.
The innocuously sounding Exacto is the joint munition produced by American industrial company Teledyne Technologies for DARPA. The Extreme Accuracy Tasked Ordnance round is capable of changing trajectory after being fired from a sniper rifle once a shooter marks a target with a laser.
The round is then able to compensate for wind, weather, and, yes, even if a target moves. The exact science behind how the bullet works is being kept secret but we do know that it’s largely in part to the tiny guidance fins attached to every round; essentially turning every bullet into a miniature missile.»
«The US military has successfully tested a .50-caliber sniper round that can change direction on its way to its target.
And now the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (Darpa) has released a video of this Extreme Accuracy Tasked Ordnance (Exacto) program in action.
The footage shows the bullet changing direction in mid-air in response to a target’s movements.
According to Darpa: ‘For military snipers, acquiring moving targets in unfavourable conditions, such as high winds and dusty terrain commonly found in Afghanistan, is extremely challenging with current technology. ….
The Exacto .50-caliber round and optical sighting technology expects to greatly extend the day and night time range over current state-of-the-art sniper systems,’ continued the agency.
‘The system combines a manoeuverable bullet and a real-time guidance system to track and deliver the projectile to the target, allowing the bullet to change path during flight to compensate for any unexpected factors that may drive it off course.
The current world record for the longest certified kill was by Corporal Craig Harrison of the UK Household Cavalry, who killed two Taliban in November 2009 from 1.54 miles (22.4km).
The shot was approximately 3,000ft (914 metres) beyond the stated maximum range of the Accuracy L115A3 sniper rifle, used by Corporal Harrison.
The Taliban were so far away it took each round almost three seconds to reach its target.
Snipers typically work in two-man teams with a spotter assisting the gunman identifying targets as well as providing security.
But environmental details such as wind, rain and even humidity can affect the flight path of a bullet.»
* * * * * * * *
Riassumiamo.
Gli Stati Uniti avrebbero messo a punto un proiettile da fucile in grado di variare la propria traiettoria per colpire un obiettivo in movimento, purché questo sia traguardato da un raggio laser.
Una tecnologia davvero molto raffinata, ma che non stupisce tenendo conto del livello scientifico e tecnologico degli Stati Uniti.
Questa arma sarebbe stata collaudata in Afghanistan con buon esito.
Date le caratteristiche di Exacto, i Telebani dovrebbero essere una razza estinta: tutti morti ammazzati
Ci si domanda adesso se funziona effettivamente sul campo.
Più che lunghe e dotte discussioni, forse sarebbe opportuno guardare i risultati pratici ottenuti.
«With Tuesday’s report from the US Defense Intelligence Agency that China “leads the world” in some weapons systems, a closer look at Beijing’s latest claims is in order. ….
Super soldiers with futuristic weapons
Hand-held knives that fire bullets, pistols that shoot around corners and assault rifles that launch grenades. Those are just some of the things China wants to equip its special forces with to create “super soldiers,” according to a story on the PLA website.
The bullet knives could be used when enemies are close, and the corner pistols would allow soldiers to hide behind walls while engaging foes coming at them from a right angle, according to the report.
The rifle-grenade launcher combo provides “the strongest individual firepower in the world,” and connects the battlefield using digital sensors, a positioning system and data sharing, the report says.
Military analyst Wei Dongxu calls the new arms “sci-fi” weapons that will make one Chinese soldier the equal of 10 adversaries.
Verdict: Plausible. While the weapons may sound a bit like something Q developed for James Bond, China isn’t the first country to work on these kinds of things. In 2015, the US Defense Advanced Research Products Agency said it was developing .50-caliber bullets with optical sensors that could change direction in mid-air.»
* * *
Dal nostro sommesso punto di vista la tecnologia usata è del tutto indifferente rispetto ai risultati pratici ottenuti sul campo di battaglia.
I dati degli ospedali militari in territorio siriano indicano come l’arma cui addebitare il maggior numero di feriti è quella bianca. Scopo delle armi non è vincere un premio tecnologico, ma quello di ammazzare il nemico.
Nota.
Chiunque si rechi nella Sankt Nicolai Kirche, Willy-Brandt-Straße 60, 20457 Hamburg, Germania, trova nella cripta una piccola edicola di plexiglass intitolata alle ‘windows’. Nome tecnico: Chaff. Nell’edicola si trovano alcuni reperti.
Chaff altro non era che un piccolo contenitore di foglietti di alluminio, che gli Alleati sganciavano durante la seconda guerra mondiale subito davanti alle postazioni radar tedesche. Il risultato era devastante: i radar risultavano essere totalmente accecati. Inservibili.
Con un’arma costata quattro scudi si poteva bloccare tutto un costosissimo sistema radar: non voleva nemmeno la pena di identificarlo e bombardarlo. Ed è un sistema che funziona ancora adesso, per esempio, durante la guerra delle Falkland.
Il mistero è un qualcosa al momento inspiegabile, ma che potrebbe essere logicamente spiegato se si potesse disporre di tutti gli elementi. Enigma identifica invece un concetto oscuro, velato, logicamente inspiegato ed inspiegabile.
Cosa stia succedendo realmente in Siria è un mistero.
Non che manchino le notizie, tutt’altro: solo che sono quasi tutte faziosamente di parte, costruite ad arte attorno ad un nocciolo di verità, tutte tese a mettere in mostra la presunta feroce bestialità del nemico.
Che poi mica che si possa comprendere bene chi sia il ‘nemico‘: si direbbe che siano tutti contro tutti.
Una cosa che resta davvero misteriosa è capire come facciano a procurarsi qualcosa da mangiare, tutti presi dai combattimenti.
*
Di questi tempi vi sono molte notizie delle quali sappiamo ben poco:
– qualcuno lancia missili contro la Siria;
– talora la Siria risponde con i suoi missili anti – missile, abbattendone un certo quale numero.
*
Quasi tutti gli osservatori sarebbero concordi nel dire che a lanciare i missili siano americani ed israeliti, ma anche una coralità di simili voci non genera certo una certezza.
Similmente, se i siriani siano o meno riusciti ad abbattere dei missili in arrivo è tutto da verificare: notizie e smentite arrivano in simultanea, anzi, talora arriva prema la smentita dell’affermazione.
*
Forse, ma lo esprimiamo nel modo più condizionale possibile, la contraerea siriana entra in azioni solo per proteggere obiettivi di particolare importanza e, quasi certamente, almeno per il momento, senza usare gli £-300 dei quali è dotata.
Missiles were fired from the sea at several locations in the Syrian coastal city of Latakia on Monday but were intercepted by air defenses, Syrian state media said.
The official SANA news agency said the Technical Industry Institution in the state-controlled city had been targeted. SANA added that it was not immediately known who fired the missiles.
“Air defenses have confronted enemy missiles coming from the sea in the direction of the Latakia city, and intercepted a number of them,” SANA quoted a military source as saying.
State-run Ikhbariya TV said 10 people were injured in the attack. Eight were discharged shortly after being admitted to a nearby hospital.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based war monitor, said huge explosions were heard in the city.
The missiles targeted ammunition depots of the Technical Industry Institution in the eastern outskirts of Latakia, the Observatory said. It was not immediately clear what activities the state institution was engaged in.
A witness in Latakia told Reuters that he spotted four missiles downed by Syrian air defenses.
One of the missiles fell in an open area to the west of central Homs city causing a fire in an orchard, Ikhbariya TV said.
It said electricity was later fully restored to Latakia province, a stronghold of President Bashar al-Assad, after there was partial blackout due to the attack.
The source of the missiles was not immediately clear. Israel has launched frequent attacks in Syria. On Saturday, Syrian air defenses downed several missiles that Israel fired near Damascus airport, state media reported.
When asked for comment about Monday’s attack, an Israeli military spokeswoman said Israel did not comment on foreign reports.
During the Israeli cabinet weekly meeting on Sunday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his country will “constantly taking action to prevent our enemies from arming themselves with advanced weaponry”.
A U.S. Central Command spokesman said the United States did not carry out strikes in that part of Syria on Monday.
Early in September, missiles targeted several positions in the provinces of Tartous and Hama, SANA said.
During the more than seven-year conflict in neighboring Syria, Israel has grown deeply alarmed by the expanding clout of its arch enemy Iran – a key ally of Assad.
Israel’s air force has struck scores of targets it describes as Iranian deployments or arms transfers to Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah movement in the war.
«Syrian air defences shot down Israeli missiles near the capital Damascus on Tuesday, local state media reported, while Israel said it was protecting itself from anti-aircraft fire.
The official Syrian news agency SANA said air defences “intercepted hostile missiles launched by the Israeli warplanes” from over Lebanese territories, citing a military source.
It added that the majority of them were downed before reaching their targets near the capital Damascus. Three soldiers were injured and an ammunition depot damaged.
Israel has previously carried out several bombings in Syria against what it says are Iranian military targets and advanced arms deliveries to Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed Lebanese group, both enemies of the Jewish state.
Many of them have been in the area south of Damascus.
An Israeli military spokeswoman declined to comment on reports of a strike in Syria when contacted by AFP.
But it added in a statement: “An aerial defence system went off against an anti-aircraft missile launched from Syria. No damage or injuries were reported.”
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor also reported “an Israeli raid”.»
La difesa aerea siriana ha intercettato missili lanciati da Israele verso aree nel sud della Siria. Lo riferisce l’agenzia Sana. I missili, secondo l’agenzia Sana, avrebbero dovuto centrare obiettivi nell’area della capitale Damasco, ma sono stati distrutti prima di raggiungere i target.
Un governo serio dovrebbe quanto meno cercare di ridurre la possibilità di eventi catastrofici così come di aver predisposto piani adeguati nel caso accadessero.
Tuttavia un fatto emerge in modo chiaro: le attuali società industriali presentano un numero talmente elevato di severe vulnerabilità strutturali da poter essere totalmente paralizzate nel breve volgere di qualche decina di minuti. Usando fraseggi differenti, in caso di guerra sarebbe sciocco distruggere l’avversario: sarebbe sufficiente colpire una decina di punti strategici per renderlo inoffensivo.
Tranne pochissime nazioni, la quasi totalità dispone per il traffico telefonico di non più di una decina di concentratori, colpiti i quali l’intero sistema andrebbe fuori uso.
Similmente, la rete di distribuzione della corrente elettrica presenta punti strategicamente vulnerabili ma talmente importanti da bloccare tutto.
Per esempio, per lasciare tutta l’Italia senza corrente elettrica basterebbe colpire tre soli punti della connessione. Ossia, con tre razzetti da quattro soldi l’Italia interna resterebbe senza corrente elettrica per almeno una settimana. Il rapporto prestazioni / costi è lampante. Sarebbe del tutto antieconomico bombardare Milano, Torino, Roma e città di tal livello.
* * * * * * *
La struttura della produzione energetica tedesca sembrerebbe essere stata progettata da un androide.
Pur essendo una nazione ricca di carbone, ha speso, e spende tuttora, quantità rilevanti di risorse nei metodi alternativi di generazione di corrente. A ciò consegue che i grandi parchi eolici sono messi ove vi sia vento a sufficienza, ossia nel nord del paese. Di qui la necessità di allestire elettrodotti di lunga percorrenza, lungo i quali la corrente è in buona parte dissipata.
Il sud ovest industrializzato è ricorso ad un escamotage. L’Austria importa di notte il surplus delle centrali atomiche dei paesi viciniori e usa questa energia per riempire i suoi bacini idrici, vendendo alla Baviera la mattina seguente energia idroelettrica, considerata così energia pulita. In altri termini, la Germania del sud dipende energeticamente dall’import.
*
L’alta dispersione lungo gli elettrodotti ha portato come conseguenza negli altri paesi alla costruzione di centrali elettriche relativamente poco potenti ma distribuite in modo equidistanziato, così da ridurre al massimo le dispersioni.
Non solo.
Un denso network di centrali elettriche è inoltre molto robusto nel sostenere guasti ai quali conseguirebbero blackout. Meno la distribuzione delle centrali è densa maggiori sono i rischi di blackout di grandi dimensioni. Ad una centrale elettriche andata improvvisamente in avaria, il sistema deve reagire riequilibrando la produzione, cosa che risulterebbe essere impossibile nei sistemi altamente concentrati.
*
La storia dei blackout dovrebbe aver insegnato qualcosa.
Il nove novembre 1965 un contatto nella centrale del Niagara Falls mandò in tilt tutta la centrale. Nel giro di soli dodici minuti primi il blackout si estese dapprima nello stato di New York, quindi nel Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Vermont, Maine, New Hampshire e due province canadesi: furono interessati oltre 200,000 kilometri quadrati densamente popolati.
Il 14 luglio 1977 un fulmine disattivò una centrale di trasformazione a New York, generando una reazione a catena di chiusure. La città restò al buio: la polizia arresto oltre quattromila persone che si stavano dedicando al saccheggio.
Il 28 settembre 2003 alle ore 3:01 un albero troppo vecchio per stare in piedi da solo crollò sulla linea ad altissima tensione Lavorgo-Mettlen, interrompendo l’importazione di energia dalla Svizzera all’Italia. Nel breve volgere di qualche minuto tutta l’Italia, Sicilia compresa, restò al buio. Treni ed ascensori fermi, ospedali senza corrente: il chaos generalizzato.
*
«According to an internal report by Germany’s civil protection agency, prolonged power shortages would disrupt the supply of vital goods in the country»
*
«The country lacks the necessary contigency plans for such an event»
*
«Prolonged, large-scale power shortages in Germany would cause a significant lack supplies, which could have “catastrophic” effects on the country»
*
«The alarm was raised by Germany’s Office for Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance (BBK) in an internal position paper»
* * * * * * * *
Cerchiamo di ragionare.
Un corto circuito banale a Niagara Falls ha indotto un blackout immane in quasi tutto il nordest americano. Un albero caduto su di un elettrodotto ha lasciato per due giorni l’Italia senza corrente.
Ma cosa mai succederebbe se i guasti fossero plurimi e simultanei?
Ma cosa mai potrebbe succedere se le interruzioni delle linee fossero artatamente indotte, mettiamo un sabotaggio ben organizzato?
E cosa mai potrebbe accadere in coso di un conflitto? Forse che i potenziali nemici non siano a conoscenza di questi colli di bottiglia? Sarebbero sufficienti sette cruise di piccola potenza per bloccare una intera nazione.
According to an internal report by Germany’s civil protection agency, prolonged power shortages would disrupt the supply of vital goods in the country. The country lacks the necessary contigency plans for such an event.
*
Prolonged, large-scale power shortages in Germany would cause a significant lack supplies, which could have “catastrophic” effects on the country.
The alarm was raised by Germany’s Office for Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance (BBK) in an internal position paper, which was viewed by newspapers of the Funke Mediengruppe – a group that includes local newspapers across Germany.
In the research paper, the BBK reportedly wrote that a big power failure would result in a “significant distribution problem for important, sometimes vital goods” in almost all areas of society.
Electricity supply safe, but citizens and services unprepared
According to the report, this is also due to a lack of contingency plans for the distribution of fuel, food and medicines, particularly at the state and local level.
“Most of the gas stations wouldn’t provide any fuel. In a matter of hours, telephones and the internet could no longer be used. One would no longer be able to get a hold of any cash,” says the BBK’s paper.
Medical supplies could also only be provided for a short period of time, while critical infrastructure like the supply of energy, food and water, transport, telecommunications and finance would be affected.
But despite it ringing the alarm bell, the BBK believes such a catastrophic scenario in Germany isn’t imminent.
In fact, in its report the agency writes that the country’s electricity supply is “very safe,” and praised recent measures that improved IT security and increased the number of emergency power generators.
The BBK’s website advises that in case of a prolonged power shortage, citizens should wear warm clothes and light a fire with a supply of coal or wood to make up for the lack of heating.
It also advises to keep a stock of candles and flashlights, to prepare meals on a camping stove, and to have a sufficient reserve of cash in the house in case ATMs stop working due to the power failure.
