Advanced Hypersonic Weapon: Third Time's the Charm

choi

(1) Press release: Department of Defense Announces Successful Test of Army Advanced Hypersonic Weapon Concept. DOD, Nov 17, 2011 (No 958-11)
http://www.defense.gov/releases/release.aspx?releaseid=14920

Note:
(a) For Advanced Hypersonic Weapon, see DARPA Falcon Project
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DARPA_Falcon_Project
(The prototype Hypersonic Technology Vehicle 2 (HTV-2) first flew on 22 April 2010; the second test flew 11 August 2011. Both flights ended prematurely)
(b) 3 (number)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3_(number)
(The phrase "Third time's the charm" refers to the superstition that after two failures in any endeavor, a third attempt is more likely to succeed)            

(2) Carpet Bombing Died For Our Sins. Strategy Page, Nov 18, 2011.
http://strategypage.com/htmw/htairw/articles/20111118.aspx

Quote:

"Keep in mind that during the peak six years of the Vietnam War, 6.7 million tons of bombs were dropped. That was the same rate they were dropped during the major bombing campaigns of World War II. Much of those bombs were dropped in large quantities, all at once ('carpet bombing').

"But in ten years of fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq, less than 45,000 tons have been dropped. Thus, while during World War II or the Vietnam War, a million tons were dropped a year, for the war on terror, less than 6,000 tons a year was dropped. That means a reduction of over 99 percent. Even when you adjust for the different number of U.S. troops involved, that's still over 97 percent fewer bombs dropped. It's not only been fewer bombs and missiles, but smaller ones.

(3) Ralph Jennings, Taiwan-China Peace Accord Unlikely. VOA, Nov 17, 2011 (blog)
http://www.voanews.com/tibetan-e ... kely-134043463.html
("The Taiwanese official in charge of the ministry overseeing policy with Beijing [Lai Shin-yuan, minister of the Taiwan government’s Mainland Affairs Council] says her government lacks the trust in China to pursue a peace accord with its rival of more than 60 years. The island’s president, Ma Ying-jeou, hinted last month that a deal might be possible in the next decade")

My comment: I wonder if the Ma administration backpaddles due to the tightening of Taiwan polls. See
王寓中、王貝林, 藍老農津貼急轉彎 綠譏拿香跟拜; 馬昨晚決定316元加碼為1000元. Liberty Times, Nov 18, 2011
http://www.libertytimes.com.tw/2011/new/nov/18/today-p1.htm
(總統府發言人"范姜泰基說，老農津貼從新台幣六千元調整為七千元；經過「一次調足」後，未來這八項社福補助與津貼，都將按照物價上漲指數，每四年進行制度化調整")

(a) "Every four years"--if enacted into law (which is likely in view of KMT-controlled Legislature--means on eve of general elections, this year and in the future. It is pork barrel.
(b) T$6,000 (about $200) is monthly, not annual.

(4) Josh Rogin, Cornyn Threatens Hold on Lippert Nomination Over Taiwan Arms Sales. Foreign Policy, Nov 18, 2011 (blog; in the page of The Cable)
http://thecable.foreignpolicy.co ... r_taiwan_arms_sales
("Sen John Cornyn (R-TX) threatened today to place a hold on the nomination of President Barack Obama's confidant Mark Lippert, who has been nominated as the Pentagon's top official for Asia: * * * assistant secretary of defense for Asian and Pacific affairs")

(5)
(a) Rajat Pandit, Eyeing China, India to Enter ICBM Club in 3 Months. The Times of India, Nov 17, 2011
(Agni-V, with a strike range of over 5,000-km)
(b) Jay Menon, India To Launch Agni V In February‎. Aviation Week, Nov 18, 2011
("The Agni V's range is just 500 km short of that of an intercontinental ballistic missile")
(c) Intercontinental ballistic missile
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intercontinental_ballistic_missile
( ballistic missile with a long range (greater than 5,500 km or 3,500 miles) typically designed for nuclear weapons delivery)

(6) Adam Entous, Leon Panetta Makes Foreign Policy Gaffe. Washington Wire (a brand of WSJ), Nov 17, 2011
http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/20 ... herman-cain-moment/

(7) Editorial: Caught Between Two Giants. Sydney Morning Herald, Nov 19, 2011 (available now)
http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/po ... 20111118-1nnai.html

Quote:

"After all the congratulations, no-one seems to want to take the credit for the latest deployment of US Marines.

"The chief of the US Pacific Command, Admiral Robert Willard, said this week the idea came from the Australian side.

"But the next day, a senior Australian official told reporters in Canberra that, no, the admiral was wrong. It had not come from the Australian side at all. But it hadn't come from the American side either, he said.

(8) Bradley Perrett, An Edge, for Now; Some in the Chinese maintenance sector see te country's competitiveness slipping. Aviation Week, Nov 14, 2011.

Note:
(a) The report deals with military and civilian airplane MRO of China. See Maintenance, repair, and operations
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maintenance,_repair,_and_operations
(b) In the table of contents in print, A photo caption says, "At some point, the rising cost of personnel within the Chinese economy will make it [the economy] too sophisticated to be competitive globally in the labor-intensive business of heavy airframe maintenance."
(9) Bradley Perrett, Reward Thrust; The great challenge of aero-engine development are not deterring China from trying. Aviation Week, Nov 7, 2011 (title in print).
http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/j ... .jsp?headLine=China

Note: In the table of contents, this was said, "Two new aircraft engine programs coming to light as China's propulsion industry increases in ambition.