1st THAAD Operational Test Successful

choi

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Press release: THAAD Weapon System Achieves Intercept of Two Targets at Pacific Missile Range Facility. Lockheed Martin, Oct 5, 2011
http://www.lockheedmartin.com/news/press_releases/2011/MFC_100511_THAADAchievesIntercept.html
("During the mission, the first THAAD missile intercepted an air-launched short-range ballistic missile target. The second THAAD missile intercepted a sea-launched short-range ballistic missile target a short time later. Since 2005, the program has completed 12 flight tests, with nine-for-nine intercepts.")

Note: Missile Defense Agency (www.mda.gov) also issues a press release ("THAAD Initial Operational Test and Evaluation Conducted"), which says, "Today's event was THAAD’s first Operational Test and Evaluation (IOT&E)."


--------------------------------Separately
(1) B-1B Rules The High Seas. Strategy Page, Oct 5, 2011
http://strategypage.com/htmw/htnavai/articles/20111005.aspx
("A US Air Force B-1B has successfully used laser guided JDAM bombs against moving naval targets")

Note:
(a) Lockheed Martin Sniper XR
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_Martin_Sniper_XR

My comment:
(i) In the first two photos of the Wiki page, Sniper is the one--there is only one each airplane--directly below the body (not wings) of the airplane. Sniper is a gray tube whose front end is cut at the top and bottom ~45 degrees.
(ii) In this manufacturer's page
Sniper Pod. Lockheed Martin, undated
http://www.lockheedmartin.com/products/Sniper/index.html

, check out in the right column:
* The top illustration for the shape,
* The first video clip (top left) underneath the category "Sniper Pod Videos" to see what the pod sees.
* Further down, in the category "Sniper Pod Microsite[:] Sniper ATP Supports Mission Success," see the first several seconds of the video clip to comprehend where the single pod is located in the airplane.

(b) For "Mk-62 'Quickstrike'", see naval mine
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naval_mine
(section 6.1 US Mines: MK65 Quickstrike, where MK or Mk stands for "mark")


(2) LRAD Conquers The Naval World. Strategy Page, Oct 5, 2011
http://strategypage.com/htmw/htweap/articles/20111005.aspx
("LRAD can also broadcast speech for up to 3,000 meters, or pain for up to 300 meters" when a target subject's "head was touched by this beam * * * while [a]nyone standing next to them heard nothing")

My comment:
(a) Long Range Acoustic Device
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_Range_Acoustic_Device
(LRAD)
(b) One day China's fishermen around Senkaku islands may find themselves on the receiving end.

(3) Smart Phones At War. Strategy Page, Oct 5, 2011
http://strategypage.com/htmw/htiw/articles/20111005.aspx

(4) 韩国新海军基地不允许美舰长期停泊. VOA Chinese, Oct 5, 2011
http://www.voanews.com/chinese/news/20111005-South-Korea-Naval-Base-131140093.html
("国军方官员也同意韩国官员的说法。美国官员说，美方并没有让美国舰船和导弹系统在这里停泊或落户的计划")

(5) 日本向中日争议岛屿增派巡逻舰. VOA Chinese, Oct 5, 2011
http://www.voanews.com/chinese/news/20111005-JAPAN-CHINA-ISLANDS-131127238.html
("在这片由日本控制的岛屿附近游弋的中国船只数量已经超过去年碰撞事件后船只数量的一倍")

(6) 美官员称售台武器未与中国咨商. VOA Chinese, Oct 4, 2011.
http://www.voanews.com/chinese/news/20111004-Capitol-Hearing-Why-Taiwan-Matters-131098218.html

(7) 俄称中国男子搜集导弹情报被逮捕. BBC Chinese, Oct 5, 2011
http://www.bbc.co.uk/zhongwen/simp/chinese_news/2011/10/111005_china_russia_spy.shtml
("俄国联邦安全局说，中国官方翻译童胜勇（Tong Shengyong或Tung Shengyun的音译）试图获取俄国S-300地对空导弹的机密文件 * * * 此人是中国官方代表团的翻译，为中国国家安全部工作，试图从俄国人手中国购买有关导弹的资料")

Note:
(a) 俄国联邦安全局  Federal Security Service (FSB)
(b) The announcement is made on the eve of Russia prime minister Vladimir Putin's visit to China.

(8) 分析：中国对利叙危机的考量与摇摆. BBC Chinese, Oct 5, 2011
http://www.bbc.co.uk/zhongwen/simp/chinese_analysis/2011/10/111005_any_china_syria.shtml
("有评论人士认为，中国在利比亚问题上非常失策，既没有随大流赞同在利比亚设禁飞区，也没有坚持一贯的外交原则投反对票，阻止武力干预利比亚，却投了弃权票，使中国现在处于两头不讨好的尴尬地位，所以这次在叙利亚问题上态度鲜明强硬，是吸取了上次的教训")

(9) 台湾彩券巨额头奖双包案作出判决. BBC Chinese, Oct 5, 2011
http://www.bbc.co.uk/zhongwen/simp/chinese_news/2011/10/111005_taiwan_lottery_case.shtml
("这笔巨额奖金冒出双包中奖人，起因是这名台商在中国大陆期间，通过电话或手机简讯委托其认识的一对经营彩券投注站夫妇为其下注，而在彩券中头奖后，这对夫妇宣称彩券是其自行购买出面领奖")

My comment: Similar incident occurred in Massachusetts.
(a) Woman Fights Lottery Agent On $21 Million Ticket. Chicago Tribune, Feb 18, 1998.
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1998-02-18/news/9802180164_1_paraskeve-kantges-lottery-officials-computer-records-show
(A window Paraskeve Kantges regularly selected numbers and placed telephone orders for lottery tickets to store owner Narbeh Havan-Oroomieh, who went  by the name of Nick Havan. A ticket won a $21 million jackpot.)
(b) Lottery Claimants Agree To Split Pot. Chicago Tribune, Aug 19, 1998.
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1998-08-19/news/9808190265_1_nick-havan-paraskeve-kantges-million-lottery-jackpot

The third paragraph is below a big gap of ads.

The window said she was too old to engage a lengthy court battle.


(10) 牛津担忧清华北大挖走才子. BBC Chinese, Oct 5, 2011
http://www.bbc.co.uk/ukchina/simp/uk_education/2011/10/111005_edu_oxford_fundding.shtml
(汉密尔顿教授（Professor Andrew Hamilton)说，中国每年向清华北大分别投资2亿8千万美元，正在力推其进入世界顶尖大学的行列)

Note: Jessica Shepherd, University Cuts Will Lead to Academic Brain Drain, Warns Oxford Head. Guardian, Oct 4, 2011
http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2011/oct/04/university-cuts-brain-drain-oxford-head?newsfeed=true
(Oxford vice-chancellor Professor Andrew Hamilton)

(11) Larry Copeland, US Ports Racing to Get Ready for Bigger Ships. USA Today, Oct 3, 2011
http://www.usatoday.com/money/economy/story/2011-09-30/ports-bigger-ships/50637090/1
(Panama Canal is undergoing the first major expansion in its nearly 100-year history. When that project is completed in 2014, the canal's larger locks will be able to accommodate cargo ships with three times the current capacity. Ports on US Eastern Seaboard are planning to deepen channels.)

My comment: The print edition has an additional graphic, showing what ports are planning what.

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