#naval firepower

[glitchyrobo]

Deneb's Dawn

Animation of the Terran Battlecruiser CNS Deneb's Dawn being ensnared by Affini capture vines (Audio warning!)

Whoops apparently I haven't posted this one here yet! I'm still very happy with it!

From early 2023

As always, description, fiction, and attribution under the break! (It's a long one this time, you might want to open this in a new tab)

Video Description

A stylized animation of a terran warship being exhibited; then later ensnared by vines from an unseen affini ship

The video is composed of 3 sections

The 1st features slow camera motions showcasing the ship, the CNS Deneb's Dawn, with associated text about its characteristics appearing on screen. The cut to the next section is abrupt and snappy with the music intensifying & a glitchy effect

The 2nd section is some years later, and the now battle-scarred ship fires lasers vainly in an attempt to ward off incoming vines, some of which hold the ship steady while another pierces through the ship, disabling it as the music reaches its peak. After numerous smaller vines burst from the hull of the ship, the screen glitches to dark blue

After a moment, white glitchy text reading "Signal Lost" appears, along with a Terran Icon above it. Within a few seconds, the text has changed to "Signal Found" in deep pink, along with an affini icon above it

Video Fiction

Excerpt from History of pre-Domestication Terran Warships, §672.3, Late Terran Accord & Pacification Program Era Battlecruisers, authored in 2570 by Eltrin Yne, 47th Bloom, xe/xem, Elly Yne, 26th Floret, et al {Click here to view all}.

Design of the Koncerz-class began in 2533CE, largely at the behest of the heads of the Altair Conglomerate, seeking a vanity warship class to commemorate their would-be heirs; most ships of this class would be named after their many offspring. Indeed, the practice of gigacorporations ‘sponsoring’ Cosmic Navy vessels was fairly common during this period of time.

In the nearly 12 years between its initial conception as a long range heavy artillery cruiser and the first of its class being laid down in 2545, its development quickly spiraled out of control & budget (a common occurrence with Terran military projects). Originally designed to supplement battleships or siege barges as required, the Koncerz-class’ already substantial spaceframe was lengthened to 500 meters with increased armor, medium range weaponry, and point defense lasers systems added alongside the extant superheavy mass drivers.

The frustrated engineers allegedly in charge of the project lodged formal complaints at the sullying of their efficient design but were overruled by the military bronze.

Much to their dismay, various interests in both the The Office of Naval Research, private contractors, and the Altair Conglomerate continued to ‘suggest’ changes to the design, including a ‘luxury’ hab ring, several redesigns of the class’ profile to appear ‘more intimidating’, and most significantly, the removal of ventral superheavy weaponry to be replaced with a semi-modular equipment rack.

Due to the first vessels of this class having already having been laid down by the time this final major modification came in, the engineers had no choice but to strip much of the ventral armor on the forward hull to accommodate this rack.

Capable of holding a variety of payloads, including cargo/fuel, guided weaponry, sensor equipment, or even corvettes & small frigates, the rack finalized the transformation of the Koncerz-class from a specialized heavy cruiser to an overgeneralized battlecruiser.

Outgunned in direct ship-to-ship warfare by most vessels its displacement or bigger, yet still vulnerable on its ventral surface to even medium warships, and only capable of bringing its full firepower to bare in optimal situations, the Koncerz-class had all the makings of a massive naval embarrassment.

However, with the arrival of the Affini Compact in 2551, the vessels of this class found a new lease on life as makeshift mobile bases. The modular rack, previously a liability in ship-to-ship combat, became a valuable method for feralist forces to ferry valuable equipment, ships, and even cargo with military-grade precision. As even the strongest Terran Accord armor schemes had little value against Compact boarding vines and weaponry, the ventral weakness was no more vulnerable than the rest of the vessel.

The first Koncerz-class vessel was the CNS Deneb’s Dawn, which was formerly ordered in 2543, laid down in 2545, launched in 2548, commissioned in 2549, and finally captured by an Affini armada in 2555.

Its slightly unusual naming scheme was the result of its original namesake falling out of favor with the Altair family. (Luckily, her exile had her in the right time & place to be rescued as part of the Terran Cotyledon program, and she now lives under the care of her two loving owners!)

The Deneb’s Dawn began its military service in 2549, spending most of its time relegated to serving as a transport for various dignitaries & corporate spokespeople. However, with the arrival of the Affini Compact in 2551, it was reassigned to the 8th Battlefleet.

It was present for numerous battles against various Compact armadas, avoiding capture often only by virtue of the caution that Compact vessels display in order to avoid feral vessels panicking and behaving even more self destructively.

Following the signing of the Terran Domestication Treaty & subsequent armistice in 2554, the Deneb’s Dawn refused the stand-down order, and aligned itself with the feralist Terran Sovereignty Pact. Following the splintering of that faction later that year, the vessel aligned itself with at least 3 other feralist groups, including the Free Terranist Coalition™, Sol Restoration Force, and the Alderamin Militia.

Infighting, as is common among post-domestication militant feralist factions, resulted in the Deneb’s Dawn receiving various battle damage prior to its capture by Compact forces in 2555. The warship was found alone, unescorted. It was speculated at the time that this may’ve been a diversionary tactic to allow their compatriots time to flee, but examination of the ship, as well as testimony from crew members later indicated that it was, in fact, that the captain of the vessel had been scorned by the leadership of the Alderamin Militia for being insufficiently hard-line. This was confirmed when said leadership was found several days later, alongside their notes of sabotaging the Deneb’s Dawn’s hyperspace drive.

Today, the Deneb’s Dawn has been disarmed, and is now part of the museum fleet in the former Luna orbital shipyards in Sol.

Attribution

Music: Lifelike by AlexiAction

Romanesco font by Astigmatic

Minimal5x7 font by kheftel

Achieve font by Isosceles

My friends, for their support & encouragement 💜

[synchodai]

It's very important to me that Jacaerys Velaryon is not perfect. He suffers from the same affliction Robb Stark and most young, inexperienced commanders do — that despite being good at short-term strategic planning, his decisions in the book absolutely suuuuck long-term.

He wanted to send himself and his brother instead of ravens because he wanted to prove to the lords that they could ride dragons.

“We should bear those messages,” he said. “Dragons will win the lords over quicker than ravens.” His brother Lucerys agreed, insisting that he and Jace were men, or near enough to make no matter. “Our uncle calls us Strongs, but when the lords see us on dragonback they will know that for a lie. Only Targaryens ride dragons.”

They were so insistent on proving themselves as "Targaryen men" that they couldn't foresee the obvious danger of how easy it would be for some lord to take them hostage or sell them out to the greens.

It was his decision to send Aegon the Younger and Viserys II to Pentos while leaving Joffrey in the Vale.

The Prince of Dragonstone also had to care for the safety of his half-brothers, Aegon the Younger and Viserys, aged nine and seven. Their father, Prince Daemon, had made many friends in the Free City of Pentos during his visits there, so Jacaerys reached across the narrow sea to the prince of that city, who agreed to foster the two boys until Rhaenyra had secured the Iron Throne.

In this part, you could tell he saw Daemon's children as seperate from the brown-haired sons and made the unwise decision of relying on a foreign connection that he himself couldn't vouch for. He reaches out to a foreign ally he never spoken to and suddenly the brothers who he sends off to the Free Cities are targeted by Free City warships? It's uncertain if he was betrayed, but this tragedy could have been avoided if Jace wasn't so complacent about the Pentoshi prince's loyalty to Daemon and Corlys's naval dominance remaining uncontested.

And finally his biggest achievement/blunder was calling for the dragonseeds. Yes, it gave them the raw firepower needed to take King's Landing, but it also had the worst long-term affects on House Targaryen as a whole. It gave a bunch of untrustworthy randos access to their most powerful weapons and shattered the already crumbling mystique of Targaryen Exceptionalism. Not to mention how it burned and killed scores of their own men who tried their luck at claiming.

Like a lot of his decisions, this is a reckless gamble that only seems like a solid plan if you don't spend too long thinking about the possible consequences.

His poor decision-making isn't as obvious on the show because they gave a lot of his wartime contributions to Rhaenyra, probably since she's their designated main character and they had to give her something to do, but it leads to the unfortunate outcome of fans thinking Jace was this noble, put-upon boy who had the wisdom and temperance his peers lacked.

That's not only untrue, but also flattens his character by putting him up on the "perfect prince" pedestal that is so clearly his albatross. A lot of his choices were motivated by hubris and the desperation to prove himself as a man and prince. Once Rhaenys died and Corlys was instated as Hand (with Jace convincing him), Jace was empowered to make such decisions and act as the de facto head of the blacks — and almost every one of those decisions eventually come back to bite them.

He was a smart young man, that was clear by how he was responsible for securing key alliances. But he was also a foolhardy and inexperienced boy who modeled himself after a peerless adventurer and a rogue prince. Corlys and Daemon's rashness was ultimately tempered by their age and experience, but Jace didn't have the luxury of living through his mistakes.

[zvaigzdelasas]

Detailed tests on the damage capability of kinetic energy weapons against US military armour have found it could be possible to take out a tank in one shot – even if it does not look like any damage has occurred.

That was the conclusion of Chinese scientists who conducted the in-depth assessment of kinetic weapons through experiments and numerical simulations.

They found that a solid sphere, weighing 20kg (44lb) and hurtling towards its target at about four times the speed of sound, could spell disaster for advanced tanks manufactured to US military standards.

The kinetic energy carried by such a projectile would be around 25 megajoules. This value may seem large, but when converted into electrical energy it is less than 7 kilowatt-hours, scarcely more than the energy it takes to cook two turkeys for Christmas.[...]

it was found that bolts connecting important equipment to the inner cabin wall could fracture. Even if the crew survived the impact, they would be unable to return the tank to its normal combat state.[...]

“Under high-speed kinetic projectile impact, certain typical locations in the armoured target exhibit impact response spectrum lines with amplitudes at certain frequencies exceeding the safety limits recommended by the US military standard MIL-STD-810,” Huang’s team wrote.

“Components at these locations have a high probability of failure due to overload damage,” they said.[...]

high-speed kinetic projectiles have the potential to achieve lethal damage even upon grazing contact, and their launching methods can be diverse.

Chinese naval scientists recently claimed that they have installed an electromagnetic coil gun on to a land-based wheeled platform and conducted rapid consecutive firing tests. This coil gun has the ability to accelerate heavy spheres to incredible speeds in the blink of an eye. Photos of this new weapon circulated on Chinese social media, sparking much speculation and excitement.

While the mobile coil gun might have appeared primitive, just as the early tanks did, some military experts believed it to be a game-changer. If electricity replaces gunpowder as the driving force behind lethal weapons, the landscape of future warfare will never be the same.[...]

Tank crews often point the front of the vehicle towards the energy, as this section is designed to be the most rugged and able to withstand the most firepower. But a kinetic projectile hitting this section would send destructive stress into the tank’s interior, potentially causing catastrophic damage to its firepower capabilities.

“The grip of the tank gun stabiliser console can be shaken off, the wiring base of the console pulled out completely, all connections between the fire control computer and the turret severed, resulting in a substantial loss of firepower,” the researchers said.

1 Jan 24

[usafphantom2]

IMAGES: Swedish and F-35 Danish Gripen perform first inter-ally exercises of 5ª generation

Fernando Valduga By Fernando Valduga 15/03/2024 - 18:16in Military

For the first time as NATO Allies, Danish F-35 fighters and Swedish JAS39 Gripen fighters flew air combat training exercises in Danish airspace on March 11 and 13.

The training missions showed close military cooperation between the Danish and Swedish air forces and also demonstrated efforts to integrate and interact with different generations of fighters in the Nordic countries. The exercises were mainly conducted in separate training areas on the waters of Kattegat. They consisted of one-on-one fighter maneuvers and coordinated flight of Danish F-35s from the Skrydstrup Fighter Wing and two JAS39 Gripen from 'Blekinge Flygflottilj' in Ronneby, near Karlskrona, in southern Sweden.

Cooperation is based on a mutual interest of the two nations through the Oresund, making use of experience and skills to strengthen the combined power of air warfare.

"Because we are neighbors and close allies, using each other's capabilities not only provides great training value for pilots and personnel, but is also visible proof of the ambition to be able to operate effectively together," says Major General of the Danish Air Force, Jan Dam.

The training exercises involving the JAS39 produced by Sweden and the F-35 produced by the United States highlight the need to ensure that existing and new combat aircraft fleets are able to cooperate and interact on the modern battlefield.

"The Gripen and F-35 belong to two different generations of combat aircraft and therefore have different characteristics to contribute to the battlefield. As a fifth-generation combat aircraft, the F-35 has the special ability to collect and process huge amounts of data, which it can later share with other allies and actors," explains Lieutenant-Colonel Casper Borge Nielsen, head of the Combat Flight Department of the Allied Air Command.

He went on to say that the integration between the F-35 and the Gripen increases the combined operational capabilities, because the F-35 is able to generate and share an unprecedented situational image, from which the Gripen can also benefit. On the other hand, the Gripen represents an advanced combat aircraft that brings more firepower to combat. This will benefit both fifth and fourth generation combat aircraft and, in a broader perspective, will give land and naval forces the opportunity to operate with more freedom and efficiency.

"Performing this type of exercise flying with another type of aircraft provides different challenges and experiences than when it is normally practiced against our own units," said Lieutenant-Colonel Erik Almquist, Commander of the 172º Swedish Air Force Fighter Squadron. “Cooperation with Danish pilots has been very easy and uncomplicated. The biggest challenge was to decide whether we should speak English or Danish/Swedish on the phone during the briefing and debriefing,” he said, adding that on the air, radio communications are made, of course, in English. "This week's exercises were the beginning of an increased cooperation where the proximity of the divisions in Skrydstrup and the simplicity of the cooperation provide good conditions for us to develop and strengthen our ability to fight together as a 'Nordic Air Force'," he concluded.

"We found our Swedish colleagues in Danish airspace to fly Basic Fighter Maneuvers (BFM), also known as 1-on-1 air combat training," says TRI, one of the Danish F-35 pilots of the Skrydstrup Fighter Wing in southern Jutland. He added that this creates different requirements and challenges when training against an unknown opponent. "Most of the time, we fly BFM against our own F-35 pilots. The Gripen and the Swedish pilots fly differently, so a 1-on-1 match against them is a professional challenge. We can test elements of our own tactics that we don't normally do. It's amazing! And of course it's great to meet the Swedes in Denmark," concluded TRI.

In the fall of 2023, Denmark received the first four F-35 fighters on Danish soil, while six aircraft are still located in the US for training flights. In total, Denmark has invested in 27 F-35 fighters, of which the remaining 17 are expected to be delivered in the coming years.

Tags: Military AviationF-35 Lightning IIFlygvapnet - Swedish Air ForceJAS39 GripenNATO - North Atlantic Treaty Organization

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Fernando Valduga

Fernando Valduga

Aviation photographer and pilot since 1992, he has participated in several events and air operations, such as Cruzex, AirVenture, Dayton Airshow and FIDAE. He has works published in specialized aviation magazines in Brazil and abroad. He uses Canon equipment during his photographic work in the world of aviation.

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[mariacallous]

Ukraine’s daring attack on a major Russian warship in occupied Crimea in the small hours of Dec. 26 was one more episode in Kyiv’s strategy to deny Russia control over the Black Sea. With most of its ships driven out of its home port in Sevastopol, the Russian Black Sea Fleet can no longer find safe haven anywhere along the Crimean Peninsula. All ports there are now vulnerable to attack.

The Institute for the Study of War tells the story with data, showing that Sevastopol saw a steady decline in the number of Russian naval vessels in port between June and December 2023; by contrast, Novorossiysk on the Russian mainland farther east showed a steady gain. While Russia has been going all-out to attack Ukraine’s infrastructure, its risky move to deploy ships and submarines armed with Kalibr missiles in the Black Sea is exposing them to potential Ukrainian attack. It is a tacit acknowledgment that Russia can no longer depend on Crimean ports and launch sites.

Ukraine’s success has been due to domestically produced missiles and drones, sometimes launched using Zodiac boats or jet skis. But its most potent attacks have come from the air, where Ukraine has used its Soviet-era fighter aircraft to launch both domestically produced and NATO-supplied missiles. These attacks have taken place with the protection of Ukraine’s advanced air defenses—including newly supplied foreign ones—which are regularly shooting down the majority of Russian missiles and drones destined for Ukrainian targets.

Ukraine thus has made significant strides denying Russia control of both the sea and airspace over and around its territory, thereby preventing the Russian Navy and Air Force from operating with impunity. But is that enough for Kyiv to win? To many Western observers, victory doesn’t seem possible in the face of wave after wave of Russian troops grinding down Ukrainian defenders. Ukraine’s strategy to deny Russia free use of its sea and airspace may be working, but as things stand, it cannot defeat the Russian army on the ground, nor can it defend against every missile striking civilian targets.

Indeed, the current conventional wisdom in large parts of the West is that Ukraine is losing the ground war, leaving no pathway to victory for the country as Russia pounds Ukrainian civilians into submission. Kyiv might as well call for a cease-fire and sue for peace.

The trouble with this scenario is that it spells defeat not only for Ukraine, but also for the United States and its allies in Europe and Asia. It would embolden both Russia and China to pursue their political, economic, and security objectives undeterred—including the seizure of new territory in Eastern Europe and Taiwan.

But is the conventional wisdom right—or does Ukraine’s clever success at sea and in the air suggest that a different outcome is possible? Perhaps the Russian army can be defeated by making use of Ukraine’s willingness to fight in new ways. If you asked a U.S. military professional, the key to dislodging the Russians is to subject them to relentless and accurate air attacks that are well synchronized with the maneuver of combined arms forces on the ground. While the Ukrainians are admirably using the weapons at hand to strike Russian forces both strategically, as in Crimea, and operationally, as in hitting command and logistics targets, success at the tactical level has remained elusive. To achieve a tactical breakthrough on the ground front that leads to operational and strategic success, they will need to be more effective from the air.

For power from the air to be decisive in 2024, the Ukrainian Armed Forces must create temporary windows of localized air superiority in which to mass firepower and maneuver forces. Given the Ukrainians’ success in denying their airspace to Russia at points of their choosing, such windows are possible using the assets they already have at hand. More and better weapons tailored to this scenario would make them more successful across the entire front with Russia.

Gen. Valery Zaluzhny, the commander of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, acknowledges that to break out of the current positional stalemate—which favors Russia—and return to maneuver warfare, where Ukraine has an advantage, Ukrainian forces need air superiority, the ability to breach mine obstacles, better counter-battery capability, and more assets for electronic warfare. Specifically, he argues for three key components. First, armed UAVs that use real-time reconnaissance to coordinate attacks with artillery (which could include properly armed Turkish-built TB2s, MQ-1C Gray Eagles, MQ-9 Reapers, or bespoke cheap and light UAVs capable of employing the necessary weapons). Second, armed UAVs to suppress enemy air defenses, as well as medium-range surface-to-air missile simulators to deter Russian pilots. And third, unmanned vehicles to breach and clear mines.

Although the technologies are new, this combination of capabilities recalls the method U.S. and allied NATO forces practiced during the Cold War in West Germany to confront numerically superior Warsaw Pact ground forces protected by layered air defenses. The Joint Air Attack Team (JAAT) was developed to synchronize attack helicopters, artillery, and close air support by fighter planes to ensure a constant barrage of the enemy in case of a ground force attack. Pooling NATO assets in this way was designed to give the alliance’s forces the mass, maneuverability, and flexibility needed to overcome superior numbers, avoid a war of attrition, and escape the type of bloody slugfest that characterizes the current stalemate in Ukraine.

In Ukraine’s case, a modernized JAAT would encompass, among many things, armed UAVs carrying Maverick and Hellfire missiles, loitering munitions, precision-guided artillery shells, and extended-range standoff missiles fired by aircraft. These systems would be coordinated in an electromagnetic environment shaped by Ukrainian operators to dominate the local airspace, saturate the battlefield with munitions, and clear mines to open the way for a ground assault. This updated JAAT—let’s call it electronic, or eJAAT—would create a bubble of localized air superiority that would advance as the combined arms force advances under the bubble’s protection.

Given Russia’s willingness to endure significant casualty rates, the eJAAT could be even more effective on defense: Massing firepower against advancing troops through an eJAAT might result in a stunning rout of the attackers, opening opportunities for Ukraine to strategically exploit the sudden change of fortunes.

Zaluzhny has made it publicly clear that “the decisive factor will be not a single new invention, but will come from combining all the technical solutions that already exist.” Like all good commanders, Zaluzhny is painfully aware that the 2023 campaign didn’t work as well as he had intended. Even so, and to their advantage, the Ukrainians have clearly demonstrated their innovative talents, willingness to exploit Western methods, and total commitment to victory. U.S. and European assistance to work with them on how to better manage operational complexity and combine technology, information, and tactics in more dynamic ways, coupled with security assistance tailored to the eJAAT approach, would return movement to the now-static battlefield and give Ukraine a fighting chance.

If Ukraine can achieve the momentum in the ground war that evaded it during its failed summer offensive, Kyiv will have a real pathway to victory. That pathway will run through Ukraine’s demonstrated prowess at sea and in the air, joined to an embrace of a sophisticated combination of techniques on the ground. It will be a pathway to victory not only for Ukraine, but also for the United States and its allies.

[ltwilliammowett]

Ship of the line - Frigate - East Indiaman

Since I keep mentioning these three here, here is a short explanation. I have already explained Unrated Vessels and you can read about them here.

Ship of the line

A ship of the line was a type of  warship built from the 17th to the mid-19th century. The ship of the line was designed for the naval tactic known as battle array, in which the two columns of opposing warships manoeuvred to fire with the guns on their broadsides, but it was also important that these ships had several decks.

Ship of the line - HMS Victory 1765 (x)

In conflicts where both ships could fire from the broadside, the one with more guns - and thus more firepower - usually had the advantage. Since these battles were almost invariably won by the heaviest ships with the most powerful cannons, it made sense to build sailing ships that were the largest and strongest of their time.

Frigate

A frigate is a warship that had only one armed deck, while the unarmed deck below was used to house the crew. (There are exceptions here as well, because there were also large frigates with 50 guns).

Frigate - HMS Rose 1757 (x)

In the 17th and early 18th centuries, the term frigate was used to describe any fully rigged ship designed for speed and manoeuvrability and intended to be used for reconnaissance, escort and patrol. The term was loosely applied to ships that differed greatly in design. In the second quarter of the 18th century, the "true frigate" was developed in France. This had two full-length decks. Usually, only the armed decks were counted in warships - so although the frigate had two through decks by design, it only had one armed deck and is thus considered as a one decker. ��

At the end of the 19th century (British and French prototypes were built in 1858), armoured frigates were developed as powerful armoured ships, which were given the designation frigate because of their single gun deck. Later developments in the field of armoured ships made the designation frigate superfluous and the term fell into oblivion. It was later resumed, however, and still exists today.

Man O'War - also Man-of-war or Man-of-Warr

Is the term for a warship. Even though ships were considered female, warships were in this sense a Man O' War and not a female of war. Because women don't fight, according to the earlier view. But after the battle, the ship was a proud lady again.

East Indiaman

East Indiaman was a general term for all sailing ships commissioned or licensed by one of the East India trading companies of the great European trading powers of the 17th to 19th centuries. The term is used for ships of the Austrian, Danish, Dutch, English, French, Portuguese or Swedish companies.

A portrait of the East Indiaman ‘Triton’ (1793) off the coast of China, by William John Huggins, 1839 (x)

They were the largest merchant ships regularly built in the late 18th and early 19th centuries and generally had a deadweight capacity of 1100 to 1400 tons (bm). The ships carried both passengers and goods and were armed to defend themselves against pirates. Originally, East Indies ships were built to carry as much cargo as possible, not to sail fast. Later they were based on the plans of ship of the lines and were often a merchant vessel in the guise of a ship of the line to scare off potential attackers.

[ftafp]

Historically, staffs were favored by war mages for their versatility and ease of use. On top of the obvious advantage of magical firepower over bows, wands, and slings, a staff could serve as a walking stick or balancing pole or while marching, and could be used alongside a shield for defensive formations like the phalanx. Even at distances where fireballs couldn't be used without potentially catastrophic friendly fire, a staff could be easily be fitted with a spearhead or other comparable polearm

That said, a crucial weakness still remained: using a staff as anything other than a melee weapon required extensive training in the arts evocation, making only suitable for elite warmage troops. In addition, gifted mages were few and far between, with most candidates lacking sufficient mana for a prolonged firefight. It was because of this weakness, combined with the growing popularity of cannons, that the first magegonnes were introduced. These simple firearms were often nothing more than a metal barrel affixed to the end of a staff, which could be packed with spark powder, and anything from lead bullets to small stones. While still largely impractical, even a half-trained mage could create a sufficient spark to ignite the powder with very little mana, and the force will still great enough to pierce armor made of bronze or leather

Of course, the difficulty of loading magegonnes with a shield strapped to one's arm meant they were never anything more than a novelty in warfare. However, this was when the second big innovation came into play. with cheaper production of paper came the powder packet, which could more quickly be loaded into a smaller barrel. these packets, inserted into the barrels of rods and wands, could also be pre-loaded and kept in holsters and bandoliers without the shot or powder falling out. Initially a sidearm among soldiers, their popularity quickly spread to naval forces, as they required less space to wield than swords, knives, or belaying pins, and could be fired at range without a risk of igniting one's own vessel.

From there, refinements by gnomish artificers soon quite literally exploded. bored barrels, aerodynamic bullets, ergonomic handle and more. From a simple staff, the humanoid races had at long last created a weapon they could scarcely have imagined: the magelock, a weapon that would change the course of warfare forever.

[workersolidarity]

[ 📹 Hospital staff and those sheltering inside Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Yunis pass water tanks on to civilians outside the complex using a rope mechanism and cart to avoid being shot by Israeli soldiers. Previously, as can be seen from the puddles of blood on the ground, a woman attempting to enter the hospital earlier in the day was shot and killed by Israeli snipers on the rooftops, who openly fire on anything that moves near the hospital.]

🇮🇱⚔️🇵🇸 🚨

💥VIOLENT FIREBELTS IN RAFAH AND KHAN YUNIS ON 124TH DAY OF ISRAEL'S WAR OF GENOCIDE💥

Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) launched several violent firebelts across the southern Gaza Strip Wednesday, on the 124th day of Israel's ongoing war of genocide against the Palestinian population of the Gaza Strip.

Occupation aircraft launched a series of intensive firebelts on the western and eastern sections of Rafah, resulting in the deaths of at least 12 citizens and the wounding of several others, while additional victims remain missing under the rubble.

IOF warplanes launched violent raids on the Al-Zuhur neighborhood, north of Rafah, targeting a civilian residence that killed a mother and daughter, while at the same time, occupation naval forces fired shells towards the city's coastline.

Meanwhile, the United Nations is warning that the Israeli occupation intends an invasion of Rafah governate, with the UN Office of Humanitarian Affairs is quoted in local media as saying, “any move by Israel to expand its comprehensive invasion of the Gaza Strip to include the densely populated southern city of Rafah may lead to war crimes that must be prevented by all means.”

At the same time, occupation warplanes launched several intensive air raids on the Qaizan al-Najjar neighborhood of Khan Yunis.

In another war crime by the IOF, a woman was killed by Israeli snipers after attempting to enter the Nasser Hospital complex in Khan Yunis City, in the southern Gaza Strip.

As a result of the siege on the Nasser medical complex, and the sniper fire killing anyone trying to enter or exit the compound, hospital staff and humanitarians on the premises give water to thirsting local residents by sending carts with small tanks from the hospital's well across the street by rope to the displaced civilians sheltering outside the hospital grounds.

Meanwhile, the Israeli occupation army continues with the shelling and bombing of Khan Yunis, where occupation aircraft bombed the Jasser building along with the Bilal Mosque, destroying the mosque completely.

At the same time, back in Khan Yunis, the Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) is reporting the death of a 77 year-old senior citizen as a result of a shortage of oxygen tanks at the hospital amid an ongoing siege by Israeli soldiers and armored vehicles. Today marks the 16th consecutive day the hospital remains under siege.

PRCS also reported the transport of 8 casualties as a result of Israeli artillery shelling targeting a civilian residence in the al-Burka neighborhood, south of Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip.

As Israel's Zionist army continues massacreing innocent civilians in the southern Gaza Strip, the Hamas Islamic resistance movement says it has submitted to the Israeli entity its terms for a "framework agreement," known as the "Paris Document" for a hostage release swap, demanding a complete "cessation of [the Israeli] aggression, withdrawal from [the Gaza Strip], and the reconstruction [of the Gaza Strip]," according to Lebanese media.

According to sources, after a meeting with top officials from Egypt, Qatar and France in Paris, Hamas laid out its demands for a prisoner exchange deal, which reportedly includes a framework for a ceasefire, reconstruction in Gaza, and the demand that the United Nations act as guarantor of the first stage of the agreement, when Gaza's displaced are to be given shelter, food and other humanitarian aid, while Hamas says its own firepower will be the guarantor that any agreement not be breached by the occupation army.

In a statement, Hamas added that "No one can dictate to us how the day after the war will be," adding that, "We are steadfast in the basic position of stopping aggression, withdrawal, relief, reconstruction, and lifting the siege, and we await the enemy's response."

As discussions between Hamas, Israel and mediators were ongoing in Paris, the Israeli Occupation Forces launched a barrage of missile strikes towards Syria, targeting several sites in Homs and the surrounding countryside.

According to the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), “At approximately 00:30 at dawn on Wednesday, the Israeli enemy launched an aerial attack with missiles from a direction northern of Tripoli, targeting a number of points in the city of Homs and its countryside, and the army air defenses intercepted the aggression’s missiles and shot down some of them.”

Reports in Syrian media say the Israeli missile strikes resulted in the deaths and wounding of several civilians, as well as some losses and damage of public and private property.

As a result of Israel's ongoing war of genocide against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, in excess of 27'585 civilians, mostly women and children, have been martyred in Israeli strikes, while another 66'978 civilians have been wounded and more than 8'000 Palestinians remain missing under the rubble of their homes.

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@WorkerSolidarityNews

[whencyclopedia]

Battle of Waxhaws

The Battle of Waxhaws (29 May 1780) was a small engagement during the southern theater of the American Revolutionary War (1775-1783) that nevertheless had a significant psychological impact on the Patriots. During the battle, Lt. Colonel Banastre Tarleton and his infamous British Legion allegedly slaughtered Patriot soldiers who were trying to surrender, increasing the perception of British soldiers as ruthless.

Charleston Under Attack

In March 1780, the chaos and destruction of the Revolutionary War came to South Carolina. Over 10,000 British and German soldiers, under the command of Sir Henry Clinton, had landed at Drayton's Landing, 12 miles (19 km) to the north of the city of Charleston. On 29 March, the army crossed the Ashley River and dug in outside the city's landward defenses, beginning to lay siege. Meanwhile, Royal Navy vessels had entered Charleston Harbor, having slipped past the sandbar that was supposed to prevent such a movement; the panicked American commodore in charge of the city's naval defenses decided to scuttle his eight ships rather than face the firepower of Royal Navy warships. In the ensuing weeks, the British siegeworks inched closer to the walls of Charleston, undeterred by the incessant fire of the American artillery. It was only a matter of time, it seemed, before the Union Jack flew above the walls of Charleston.

Major General Benjamin Lincoln, in charge of the American army within the city, was aware of the direness of his situation. Charleston was, at the time, the jewel of the American South. It was not only the largest city in the South but also the economic center of the region; indigo and rice, two of the most profitable crops grown on South Carolinian plantations, were exported from Charleston docks, the sale of which was used to help fund the United States' war effort. If the city were to fall, the British would not only gain an important foothold in South Carolina but could also more easily control the trade flowing out of the American South, thereby crippling the US economy. Civilian officials begged General Lincoln not to surrender the city, no matter the cost to his army. Lincoln did his best to comply but knew his situation was growing bleaker every day. On 14 April, his route of retreat across the nearby Cooper River was cut when a detachment of British dragoons, led by Lt. Colonel Banastre Tarleton, surprised and defeated the American outpost at Monck's Tavern. Hours later, the energetic Tarleton had captured all major crossing points over the Cooper within 6 miles (10 km) of Charleston. Now, Lincoln's army was well and truly trapped.

Though growing dimmer by the day, Lincoln's situation was not entirely hopeless. General George Washington, commander-in-chief of the American forces, was busy leading the main army in New Jersey and could not come to Lincoln's aid himself; Washington did, however, send two Continental regiments under the Bavarian-born General Johann de Kalb to aid in Charleston's defense. At the same time, Colonel Abraham Buford and the 380 soldiers of the 3rd Virginia Regiment had marched down from Virginia to help protect the Carolinas from the British. By 5 May, Buford's men arrived at Lenud's Ferry, on the northern side of the Santee River, 40 miles (64 km) from Charleston. Here, the Virginians encountered a small party of American troops under Colonel Anthony Walton White and Colonel William Washington (a second cousin of the general). White and Washington had gathered the survivors of Tarleton's raids along the Cooper River and regrouped at Lenud's Ferry.

Continue reading...

[bethanythebogwitch]

Original aquatic Digimon

I've been making fakemon (Pokemon oc) for a bit including my own very bad drawings, so why not do Digimon too. I have several Digimon OCs in mind so I tried drawing one evolution line. Since I'm a big marine biology fan, I went with the aquatic line first. All of them are Data-attribute.

Starting at the Child/Rookie level is Yadokarimon. Yadokari is Japanese for hermit crab and that's exactly what Yadokarimon is. Its pincers are powerful, but its exoskeleton is weak, leaving it defenseless. To survive, it stole the shell of a ShellNumemon and uses it as armor. The shell slows it down, but it can roll around at high speeds for short periods of time. Yadokarimon lives in the intertidal zone of the Net Ocean and is comfortable on land or in water. Its attacks are Shell Roller, where it retracts into its shell and rolls into the enemy and Little Pincer, where it attacks with its claws.

Yadokarimon evolves to CannonCrabmon. This is the only name of the group I'm not super fond of, so let me know if you have a better idea. CannonCrabmon is a mercenary that works for any force in the Net Ocean that will pay it. It wears the shell of a Shellmon that it defeated in battle. One of its claws was lost in battle, but it attached a cannon salvaged from a sunken ship to the stump. With one powerful claw and one cannon, CannonCrabmon can fight at both short and long range and its shell gives it great defenses, making it a powerful underwater combatant. The only downside is that the shell is so heavy it cannon swim. Its attacks are Crustacean Cannon, where it fires cannonball at the foe and Crushing Claw, where it attacks with its claw.

CannonCrabmon evolves to Frigatemon. It grew so large that it had to steal a Hookmon's ship to use as a shell. Thanks to the ship, it can now sail both above and below the waves, in contrast to its previous forms who couldn't swim. The ship is bristling with powerful cannons and its claws can crush diamonds, making Frigatemon a feared fighter whose only weakness is attacks from above. Frigatemon acts as a pirate and mercenary and its ship proudly waves the Jolly Roger. Its attacks are Full Broadside, where it produces cannons from the ship and fires them at its enemies and Ocean Crusher, where it grabs its enemy with its claws and crushes them. In the picture the mast couldn't fit in frame so I had to split it off, but the two parts pictured are supposed to be connected.

The final form of Yadokarimon is Dreadnoughtmon. Its ship shell has been upgraded into a powerful battleship to make it the ultimate naval combatant. With a combination of powerful cannons, anti-air guns, torpedoes, depth charges, and claws that can crack Chrome Digizoid, Dreadnoughtmon can attack foes at any angle in a hail of military-grade firepower. The hull of its shell is as hard as Chrome Digizoid, making it impervious to normal attacks. An arrogant pirate sure of its power, the only being Frigatemon respects is Neptunemon and Leviamon is the only thing it fears. Its attacks are Naval Destroyer, where it fires off the weapons on its shell ship in a barrage of destruction and Hull Cracker, where it crushes its foes to death with its mighty claws.

Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed my OC Digimon. I have more ideas in mind to draw sometime.

[lothlorienlover]

What is considered the most powerful battleship in history in terms of firepower, size, and protection?

That would be the famous Japanese battleship Yamato. She was the largest battleship ever built at 863 feet (263 meters) long, 128 feet (39 meters) wide, and displacing 72,808 tons. This massive size was done to support her capabilities, as Yamato was also the most powerfully armed and armored battleship ever built, nicknamed a super battleship for a reason.

Nine 18.1-inch (46 cm) guns served as Yamato’s main battery, housed in three 3-gun turrets, two forward and one aft. These were the largest and most powerful guns ever built in history, each capable of firing a 3,220 pound shell up to 26.1 miles to penetrate up to 20-inches (51 cm) of reinforced armor. Accuracy was very good, Yamato’s weight and beam were an amazing gun platform, she used ripple firing, and combined with the innate accuracy of a larger weapon gave Yamato a shell dispersion of just 440–550 yards at max range. These main guns were supported by six 6.1-inch (155 mm) guns in two 3-gun turrets, one forward and aft, twenty four 5-inch (127 mm) dual guns in twelve twin turrets, six on each side, and up to 162 1-inch (25 mm) automatic cannons (which were called moral boosters for a reason).

Armor was equally good, a 16.1-inch (41 cm) main belt sloped at a 19 degree angle and a 7.9–9.1–13.4-inch (20–23–34 cm) deck protected their citadel, which was the thickest armor ever produced for such armor. Yamato’s 25.6-inch (65 cm) turret armor was proven to be immune to all naval guns at all realistic battle ranges, and it’s safe to assume to 22-inch (56 cm) barbette armor carried a similar effect. This undoubtedly gave Yamato the best armor of any battleship ever built. Even the most powerful 1,000 pound AP bombs deflected off their deck, while Yamato was capable of just eating up torpedoes. During her final battle, even by at least 7, but probably 9 torpedoes, she was still making 18 knots, and only listing at 10 degrees (albeit all void spaces had been flooded, making further counter flooding impossible without drastic measures).

Yamato was designed to make 27 knots, but proved capable of 28.2 knots on sea trials, and fire control was pretty good. Four sets of massive 49 foot (15 meter) optical systems decked the ship, three in each main battery gun turret and one on top the pagoda mast. Advanced electromagnetic calculators served as the main fire control system, and this was supported by a basic set of fire control radar.

[snapmite1998]

Crimson Dawn Fleet Breakdown: Vessel Classes and Their Capabilities

Crimson Dawn’s naval fleet is a critical component of its military strength, combining advanced technology, strategic versatility, and overwhelming firepower. Each class of vessel within the fleet is designed to fulfill specific roles, ensuring that Crimson Dawn maintains dominance in both defensive and offensive operations.

Cruiser Classes and Capabilities

1. Crimson Reaper

- Role: Command Ship

- Capabilities:

- Enhanced Command and Control Systems: The Crimson Reaper is outfitted with state-of-the-art command and control centers that facilitate seamless coordination of fleet operations, real-time tactical decisions, and comprehensive battlefield management.

- Advanced Sensor Suite for Intelligence Gathering: Equipped with cutting-edge sensors, the Crimson Reaper excels at long-range detection, surveillance, and electronic warfare, providing critical intelligence and situational awareness.

- Heavy Armor for Sustained Engagements: Built with reinforced armor plating and redundant systems, the Crimson Reaper can withstand prolonged assaults, serving as a resilient focal point in major battles.

2. Blood Vanguard

- Role: Heavy Assault Cruiser

- Capabilities:

- Powerful Turbolaser Batteries and Missile Launchers: The Blood Vanguard boasts an array of turbolaser batteries and missile launchers, capable of delivering devastating firepower in sustained barrages that can break enemy formations and defenses.

- Excellent Shield Systems: Outfitted with superior shield generators, the Blood Vanguard is designed to endure significant damage while maintaining offensive operations on the front lines.

- Frontline Engagements: Its combination of firepower and defensive capabilities makes the Blood Vanguard ideal for direct confrontation, spearheading assaults against fortified positions.

3. Scarlet Tempest

- Role: Interdiction Cruiser

- Capabilities:

- Equipped with Gravity Well Generators: The Scarlet Tempest plays a crucial role in controlling the battlefield by generating gravity wells that prevent enemy ships from escaping via hyperspace. This ability is essential for trapping enemy fleets and securing strategic positions.

- Advanced Defensive Systems: The Scarlet Tempest features advanced defensive systems, including reinforced shields and rapid-repair modules, ensuring it can sustain prolonged engagements and fulfill its interdiction role effectively.

- Fighter Launch Bays for Support: With multiple fighter launch bays, the Scarlet Tempest can deploy squadrons of starfighters and bombers to provide additional firepower and cover, supporting both offensive and defensive maneuvers.

Role and Strategic Importance within the Fleet

1. Crimson Reaper: The Command Center

- Strategic Coordination: The Crimson Reaper serves as the nerve center of Crimson Dawn’s fleet, coordinating multi-faceted operations and providing strategic oversight.

- Fleet Command: Its advanced command and control systems ensure that fleet commanders can effectively manage and adapt to dynamic battle conditions, making it an indispensable asset in any large-scale engagement.

2. Blood Vanguard: The Heavy Hitter

- Offensive Powerhouse: As the primary assault vessel, the Blood Vanguard’s firepower can shape the course of battles. Its ability to deliver sustained, powerful attacks makes it a key player in offensive campaigns.

- Frontline Defense: The ship’s robust shield systems and heavy armor allow it to absorb enemy fire, protecting more vulnerable vessels and holding strategic points during engagements.

3. Scarlet Tempest: The Battlefield Controller

- Tactical Advantage: By preventing enemy retreat and maneuvering, the Scarlet Tempest grants Crimson Dawn a significant tactical advantage, enabling the fleet to pin down and destroy opposition forces.

- Support Role: Its ability to deploy fighters and provide defensive cover makes it versatile, enhancing overall fleet cohesion and operational effectiveness.

Integration and Coordination

- Unified Command Structure: Each class of vessel operates under a unified command structure led by high-ranking officers of Crimson Dawn. This unity ensures that strategic goals are met through precise coordination and execution.

- Complementary Roles: The cruisers’ capabilities are designed to complement each other. The Crimson Reaper oversees and strategizes, the Blood Vanguard delivers heavy firepower and holds the line, while the Scarlet Tempest controls and secures the battlefield, preventing escapes and providing critical support.

- Versatility and Adaptability: By integrating these varied capabilities, Crimson Dawn can adapt to a wide range of combat scenarios, from large-scale fleet engagements to targeted strikes and blockade operations.

Conclusion

The fleet of Crimson Dawn, characterized by the Crimson Reaper, Blood Vanguard, and Scarlet Tempest cruisers, represents a formidable blend of command, firepower, and tactical control. Each vessel class is meticulously designed to fulfill its role within the broader strategy, ensuring that Maul’s vision of dominance through strength and versatility is realized on the galactic stage.

By harnessing the strengths of each vessel type and ensuring seamless coordination between them, Crimson Dawn’s fleet stands as a powerful instrument of war, capable of delivering decisive blows to the Republic and any other adversaries that stand in their path.

[zvaigzdelasas]

The closest international airport that doesn’t require Raneem to make the dangerous and expensive journey from the Houthi-controlled areas where she lives to those under the authority of the Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) is in the city of Sana’a. A Saudi-led military coalition, which includes the United States, bombed that airport multiple times during the war, and closed it to commercial flights. In April 2022, Saudi Arabia entered into a truce with the Houthis and, working with the United Arab Emirates, another country on the Saudi side of the war, established the PLC. This eight-member council came to power without an election, replacing President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi. The United States now considers this the “internationally recognized government” of Yemen. The truce was supposed to reopen Sana’a airport to commercial air travel, a development that has been touted by the Biden administration as proof of progress in a humanitarian crisis for which the US bears considerable responsibility. But there are so few flights that the truce hasn’t changed anything for Raneem’s family. The PLC permits only three round-trip flights a week from Sana’a airport (down from six in June). They are all operated by a single airline, Yemenia Airways, which charges around $720 for a round-trip ticket to Jordan. (Yemenia is partially owned by the Saudi government.) [...] Of Yemen’s 30 million people, an estimated 80 percent “require some form of humanitarian or protection assistance,” according to the United Nations. [...] The PLC obtains its legitimacy and firepower from the Saudi-led military coalition that bombed Yemen for eight years, and imposed an aerial and naval blockade on the country. The Biden administration says that this blockade does not exist. “For one year, Yemenis have benefitted from a halt to airstrikes, regular civilian flights from Sana’a airport, enhanced and unrestricted humanitarian and food assistance, and the increased flow of fuel to northern Yemen,” said Vedant Patel, principal deputy spokesperson for the State Department, in an April 2023 statement marking the first anniversary of the truce. And while some incremental improvements have been made, particularly with respect to fuel and food imports, they fall far short of meeting the needs of a country devastated by a war in which the Saudi-led coalition repeatedly targeted civilian infrastructure like mosques, schools, hospitals, and markets. Today, Yemen is the site of one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises: 21.6 million people need humanitarian assistance; 17 million are food insecure; and 2.2 million children under 5 need treatment for acute malnutrition, according to the World Food Programme.[...] According to the Health Ministry of Sana’a (where the Houthis are the dominant power), some 71,000 cancer patients and 8,000 kidney-failure patients need care outside of Yemen. In August 2019, the Norwegian Refugee Council, a humanitarian organization, reported that in the three years since Sana’a airport was closed to commercial flights (starting August 9, 2016), “as many as 32,000 people may have died prematurely because they were unable to travel abroad for treatment, according to the Ministry of Health in Sana’a.” The extremely limited United Nations mercy flights permitted to leave Sana’a airport in 2020 barely began to meet these needs. [...] There are other airports in Yemen that have international flights, but these are in areas that are under the control of the PLC. The biggest such airport is in Aden, but distances are far and expensive to traverse, and the travel comes with risk and hardship. For those who live in Houthi-controlled areas, which account for roughly two-thirds of Yemen’s population, traveling to airports in PLC territory may not be an option.[...]

Throughout the war, the Saudi-led coalition repeatedly bombed hospitals. (The United States provided arms, intelligence, training, maintenance, and political support for the coalition. While the Biden administration said it suspended support for “offensive” operations in 2021, the United States continued to send arms.) In November 2015, the International Committee of the Red Cross said that it was aware of “close to a hundred” incidents where the Saudi-led coalition attacked health-care facilities over an eight month period. In January 2016, an MSF-supported hospital in Razeh, in northern Yemen, was hit with a coalition projectile, killing six people. Another bombing of an MSF-operated hospital in Hajja province in August 2016 killed at least 11 people.[…]

“The health system in Yemen has completely collapsed,” he said. “Very few public hospitals are operational.”[…] Key materials used to treat cancer are either unavailable or in extremely limited supply. For example, Dr. Alhadi said radioactive iodine, commonly used to treat thyroid cancer, “is not widely available in Yemen due to the ongoing conflict and blockade.”[...]

The Health Ministry of Sana’a told us that radioactive iodine has been banned from import into Houthi-controlled areas.When we reached out to the State Department to confirm this ban and to request a full list of items that are prohibited from import, a spokesperson referred us to the United Nations Verification and Inspection Mechanism (UNVIM) for Yemen.

UNVIM, which did not respond to a request for comment, is the UN inspection body tasked with facilitating the transport of non-humanitarian goods into Houthi-controlled parts of Yemen, by verifying that these goods do not violate United Nations Security Council Resolution 2216. That resolution, which was drafted by Saudi Arabia, places an arms embargo on the Houthis. Once UNVIM grants clearance, the “internationally recognized government of Yemen,” now the PLC, gets the final say over which goods can enter ports in Houthi-controlled areas.

Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have exerted considerable influence over the “internationally recognized government of Yemen” since this resolution was implemented at the start of the war. The resolution has been a key means these countries have used to impose the blockade, alongside the bombing of airports and ports, and the placement of Saudi warships in Yemeni waters.

Shireen Al-Adeimi is an academic and nonresident fellow at the Quincy Institute who has campaigned to end US support for the Saudi-led war and blockade. She said that, given the role of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in influencing the PLC, and given past coalition action to block humanitarian aid, this amounts to foreign control over what goes into and out of Yemen’s ports in these areas. “A blockade is an act of war,” she said.[...]

The war has been defined by a lack of accountability and transparency, including from the United States, a fact acknowledged by the US government’s own internal watchdog. A June 2022 report from the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that the departments of Defense and State “have not fully determined the extent to which US military support has contributed to civilian harm in Yemen.”[...]

There have been some reports that the United States may be “slow-walking” peace negotiations by introducing conditions for a deal. The Biden administration, meanwhile, has signaled that it remains a partner of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, and in August 2022 approved $5 billion in total arms sales to both countries. This comes on top of at least $54.6 billion in military support to these countries from 2015 to 2021, according to the GAO.[...]

With a presidential campaign ramping up, Biden has an incentive to emphasize relief and openness in Yemen; the US role in the humanitarian crisis—including rolling out the red carpet for Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman last year, and ongoing weapons sales—goes against the president’s claims to embrace human rights as a foreign policy principle.

27 Jul 23

[usafphantom2]

#onthisday in 1941, flying from Fairey's Great West Aerodrome and with Flight Lieutenant Christopher Staniland at the controls, the Fairey Firefly prototype made its maiden flight.

@classicwarbirds via X

Fairey Firefly | Classic Warbirds

The Firefly was designed by Herbert Chaplin and his team to meet Air Ministry Specification N.5/40 which called for a two-seat reconnaissance fighter to replace the Fairey Fulmar. This new aircraft had increased firepower and speed over the Fulmar and 200 Fireflys were ordered on the 12th June 1940 and four production aircraft would be used for testing.

On the 22nd December 1941 flying from Fairey's Great West Aerodrome, and piloted by Fairey test pilot Flight Lieutenant Christopher Staniland, the Fairey Firefly made its maiden flight. A second Firefly flew the following year on the 4th June 1942. Tragedy then struck the project when on the 20th June 1942 the second prototype crashed killing the pilot Flight Lieutenant Staniland, this led to minor changes to the third aircraft before it flew two months later on the 26th August 1942. By the end of 1942 carrier trials on the new aircraft had been carried out aboard HMS Illustrious (87).

The Firefly Mk I was at first powered by the 1,730-hp Rolls-Royce Griffon IIB although during the aircraft's production run a number of changes were made, including the removal of a two man dinghy in the rear fuselage and the installation of the 1,990-hp Rolls-Royce Griffon XII engine. This gave the aircraft a top speed of 316 mph, range of 1,300 miles and a service ceiling of 28,000 ft. Armament was four 20mm cannons and either 2,000lb bombs or rocket projectiles.

On the 1st October 1943 the Firefly Mk I started to enter service with No. 1770 Naval Air Squadron, based first at RNAS Yeovilton before embarking on HMS Indefatigable (R10), being the first to receive this new aircraft. It would not be until nine months later on the 17th July 1944 when the Firefly would become operational, taking part in the attack against the German Battleship Tirpitz based in Norway, known as Operation Mascot, where they would provide air cover. The first aerial victory for the type was achieved by Lieutenant Dennis Levitt of No. 1770 Naval Air Squadron when on the 2nd January 1945 he shot down a Nakajima Ki-43 'Oscar'.

A number of Fireflys also had ASH radar installed in a pod under the engine and were known as the Firefly FR Mk I. With the installation of A.I Mk 10 radar and the fuselage increased by eighteen inches the Firefly NF Mk II night fighter appeared although all 37 Firefly NF Mk IIs were converted back to Firefly Mk I specification.

The Firefly Mk III was to be powered by the Rolls-Royce Griffon 61 engine and only a prototype of this was produced during 1944 despite an order for 100 of the type placed. Instead thoughts turned to the Firefly Mk IV which featured a four-blade propeller, clipped wings and power supplied by the 2,100-hp Rolls-Royce Griffon 74 engine. With a top speed of 386 mph it was 70 mph faster than the Firefly Mk I, its range was 1,300 miles with a service ceiling of 31,900 ft. Armament consisted of four 20mm cannons and 2,000lb bombs or rocket projectiles. 160 Firefly Mk IVs would be produced but would not see service during the Second World War (1939 - 1945) with deliveries beginning in July 1946.

The Fairey Firefly Mk 5 followed and flew for the first time on the 12th December 1947. This was powered by the 2,245-hp Rolls-Royce Griffon 74 engine. Top speed was 386 mph, range 760 miles, its service ceiling was 31,900 ft. Armament was four 20mm cannons and either 4,000lb bombs or rocket projectiles. On the 23rd March 1949 the first production version of the Firefly AS.6 flew for the first time, the Firefly AS.6 and Firefly AS.7 featured a larger bulged canopy to house two radar operators. Powered by the same Griffon 74 engine as its predecessor its top speed, range and service ceiling were identical. Its armament was 4,000lb bombs or rocket projectiles. It would be No. 817 Royal Australian Naval Air Squadron, RNAS St Merryn who were first to be equipped with the Firefly AS.6 when they received theirs on the 25th April 1950.

Continuing development of the type led to the Firefly AS.7 which flew for the first time on the 22nd May 1951. Powered by the 1,925-hp Rolls-Royce Griffon 59 engine this would be the slowest Firefly variant with a top speed of 300 mph, range of 860 miles with a service ceiling of 25,500 ft, although most would end up as Firefly T. Mk 7 observer training aircraft.

The final two variants were the Firefly U.Mk 8 and Firefly U.Mk 9 which were both target drones.

By the time production ended 1,700 Fairey Fireflys had been built serving in a number of different roles including training and target tug roles and as well as seeing service during the Second World War the Firefly would also participate in the Korean War (1950 - 1953) and would serve with air forces around the world including the Royal Australian Navy's Fleet Air Arm, the Royal Canadian Navy and the Dutch Naval Aviation Service.