Join Simon Allardice for an in-depth discussion in this video What is TDD?, part of Programming Foundations: Test-Driven Development.
- The next couple of hours focuses deeply on creating and using these automated unit tests. But this course isn't called Foundations of Programming Unit Testing, it's Foundations of Programming, Test-Driven Development. And let me be very specific. Doing unit testing is not the same thing as doing test-driven development. You see, having these automated unit tests, it's great, it's amazingly helpful, very worthwhile. And we're going to do those unit tests, but to do TDD, we take that idea one step further.
So what's the difference? Well, when most developers first encounter this idea of automated unit tests, of writing code that tests our code, they understandably make the assumption that this is how the process goes. First, we would write a bunch of our normal application logic and then we would write our automated unit test to check and verify the logic that we just wrote. So as an example, we might write a method called calculateLoan. We'll add some functionality to that, compile that, and then, after we've written, we'd think about creating a few tests, what kind of values might I pass in and verify those results as what we expect.
And this is unit testing. We are testing and validating an individual method down to the individual unit in the code, but this is not test-driven development. Understand that TDD has the same two elements. A piece of application logic, a unit, and a test for that logic. But it turns the process completely around. What test-driven development asks of us as developers is to write the test first before we write the application logic. That might sound counter-intuitive, if not indeed impossible, but Simon, I hear you say, I can't exactly test a method I haven't written yet.
Actually, you can. And in test-driven development, we do. And not just once or twice, but all the time. We will write tests that attempt to instantiate an object where we haven't written a class for that object yet. We will write tests that call a method that doesn't exist. And we will run those tests. And the first time we run those tests, they should fail. Depending on the language, they may not even compile. Or they might run, and then tell us, well, I can't find this method, I can't find this class. But we want the test to fail.
Because after all, if it doesn't fail, we have some other kind of problem going on. And this is the fundamental first step of everyday test-driven development. The core distinction between doing TDD and not doing TDD. That before we write any new code, we first write a failing test. And only after it fails, do we write the application logic to pass that test. And we write the minimum necessary code to just pass the test. One thing it immediately removes is the common situation where we create a new class or a new method and end up staring at a blank screen trying to juggle in our heads all the things this might need to do today and tomorrow and in the future.
All this speculative code that we're trying to come up with that is quicksand for every developer. No, just pass the test. This one test. It keeps us focused. This gives us clarity on exactly what we're doing at any one point. Don't do anything more than pass this small test and this is what is meant by test-driven development. The tests drive our development. So TDD is not just development that uses unit tests. Test-driven development, as a process and technique, is all about the priority and the position that we give to those unit tests.
Now if all you're looking for is to know more about automated unit testing, you will find this course very helpful because that is what we're doing. But just know that I will take a TDD approach to unit testing, shifting the idea of testing as an afterthought, something that we only do later to putting the test upfront. Figure it out first, let it drive what you write. I'm saying this multiple times because for most developers, this is a very subtle change in priority but has a dramatic impact on the way that you approach and write code.
So this course is focused on automated unit testing, having a systematic, repeatable process that is totally integrated into our regular project. And with TDD, where we will use these unit tests to drive everything else that we do.


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Council of Yukon First Nations Welcome Newly Elected Liberal Government
By Nathan LambertOctober 21, 2015October 28th, 2015Elections
The Council of Yukon First Nations are pleased to welcome Larry Bagnell as Yukon's newly elected Member of Parliament.
"CYFN offers congratulations to Larry Bagnell and the Liberal party for their resounding win in the Federal election Monday night," said Grand Chief Ruth Massie, "CYFN looks forward to working government-to-government with Prime Minster, Justin Trudeau and the Liberal Party of Canada in the near future."
Mr. Larry Bagnell has shown his commitment to Yukon First Nations early in his term by attending his first meeting as Liberal MP with Grand Chief Ruth Massie on October 20th. Mr. Bagnell reiterated his commitment to working with Yukon First Nations on important issues going forward.
CYFN and all Yukon First Nations anticipate that the Liberal government will follow through with their election platform promises and we look forward to building a strong relationship with them.
"We would also like to extend our thanks and appreciation to the three other federal election candidates for their commitment to dialogue on important issues to Yukon First Nations, and for their participation in local panels and forums, particularly the forum hosted by CYFN on September 29." said Grand Chief Massie.
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1. It engages your brain. How easy it is to sit and let others entertain you. If you're like me, you want to sit on the couch and take the easy way out of writing: watch a movie or hours of reality TV. Because mama is tired. She's so tired of the idiots fighting, the long hours, and oh me, I just need a break. I'm not saying that these are wrong, but they can keep you from getting back in the chair. So, let's put down the Snickers and say, "Extended breaks and self-care are good. But it's time to put my creative genius to work." Hop to it!
2. Why not expound on your favorite topic? I really love cake. Someday, I'll write a story about cake, but until then, I love reading about cake! May the gods bless cookbook authors and the chefs creating desserts on TV. I also love knitting, astronomy, jewelry, celebrities, romance, cooking shows, and serial killers–maybe even in the same story. I know exactly where to turn to get my fix: a writer like you. Show us readers something delicious–and dangerous!
3. That life is too short thing. My grandparents told me that watching TV was worthless. That said, they clocked at least four hours daily of Wild Kingdom, nightly news (aka The Murder Show), The Love Boat, Fantasy Island and Search for Tomorrow (aka Search). At the end of the road, you may have a better story to tell than the ones parading in front of you. Think about it.
4. Don't we have enough short form outrage right now? You know what I'm talking about. Believe me, I'm there, too. Twit/Face/Inst (short form) eats up whole days, months, and the more informed I am, the stupider I feel. Social media has a hold on me and I need to be plugged in at all times. There are so many better words we could be writing. Take your life back, writers!
5. If you're reading this, you might identify yourself as a writer. I caught you red-handed! Don't worry, I'll keep your secret for now. In the meantime, show me I'm right and get yourself in that chair. I hear Nanowrimo is next week (wink wink). So, sure, you have your day job or whatever, but you're a writer. You're a writer. Say it over and over again, then stop and write.
6. Writing a book is an actual accomplishment. It's one of those empirical beliefs that finishing a book is a big deal. Not many people can write a book. But you can. Maybe you have. Or you just feel strongly that you can. Write one page, then another, etc… Eventually, if you keep pushing, you will get to the end. There will be MANY DISTRACTIONS. It's okay because you've got support and talent and persistence in your DNA. Do the work and get to the end.
7. Living vicariously can be a whole lot of fun. I don't know about you but sometimes I like to pretend that I could be a moviestar–like completely overhaul my wardrobe and makeup situation and try to act! Or that I'm a psychic 32-year-old shopgirl who heals people. Or a sweet middle-aged manager who plots a murder, then actually goes through with it. This is when I shut out the real world and start tapping furiously on my computer. Am I right to think you have an awesome life/story/character that you like to dream about?
8. Because a world without creativity, well, let's not even go there. The more we scroll for that quick fix, the more our attention spans and imaginations die. What would our lives be like without books? I'd be sitting on the couch. Oh, and unemployed. Think about that. An existence without those great classics, those romances, those writers conferences. Can you feel the emptiness? The world needs you.
9. Don't you have something to say? Everyone I've ever met has something to say, even (especially) those who pass under our radars. So many stories out there! You may be that quiet person who thinks she's nothing special. Or the opposite. At each end of the spectrum and everywhere in between, you have an experience, an imagination, and a message.
10. You will change someone. It's unrealistic to think that you don't affect someone else's life. If you're a writer—and I suspect you are—you know which writers have changed you. If I hadn't read Mario Puzo's Fools Die, I'm not sure I'd be sitting here writing this. Reading Emile Zola helped me understand that I never wanted to live as a drunk in 19th Century Paris. And Penny Jordan's romances helped me find a better path (and a way not to fail my history exam). Just think of the good you can do for someone by the story you have inside you. It's time. Don't you think?
I'll come out and say it. It's not enough to be a wonderful person anymore–in life or in literature. I mean, it's still great, but these days, a person, a character, even an idea needs to be grounded in some sort of knowledge or expertise. You can see the dearth of knowledge all over Twitter–lots of personality but often not much behind it other than arguing and a link*. It doesn't take much to become a ten-minute phenomenon. This is why more and more, the way to stand out with a book and, I guess, as a person, is to put one's nose to the grindstone, work, and keep learning.
This is why I love books. Books elucidate, inspire, and elevate. Sometimes, they can send you into dark territory. Though I must admit, I love that. If you want me to read on, scare me to bits.
With each book, at the very least, I expand my horizons, even if it's a stinker. After twenty years of editing, I understand why certain books are bad or what is needed to fix them (often more editing). When I pick up a book, I think of the usual things: Who is the author? Why do people love this book? Why should I even read it? What will I discover? The plot might hook me at first, but the characters keep me going. I want to care about them as people. And these days, I want to know what they do–aside from being awesome characters who deserve love. What talents do they have? What keeps them from being blah?
This is where a writer needs to research and find a way to infuse the character with some kind of expertise. Maybe it's an unexpected skill she acquires: the writer and the character in her story.
Here's sort of an example of what I mean. Recently, I was asked to give a talk on overseas marketing. Do I know anything about this? No. In fact, I'd say I was the worst person to send to do this. But after twenty-six years of standing in front of people, I could definitely fake it. I can talk to anyone now**, but faking a speech would be just lame.
The solution was simple: for me to seek out the experts in the marketing field and get a lot of help. It meant watching less news coverage of our imploding world and fewer Housewives gallivanting in the Hamptons. So much the better because the information turned out to be fascinating, like how we sell books to different territories and the surprises about what themes are successful and what aren't. When you learn something new, your enthusiasm shows and your audience appreciates it.
The experience built my confidence. And now I can say interesting things to someone new.
Since then, I've thought a lot about expertise and how valuable it is to amass skills and information. It builds you as a person and, as a writer who researches myriad topics, your writing can't help from benefit from this. When I read books, characters with skills win out over those who are bumps on a log. A heroine who is passionate about designing wedding dresses? Yes! Especially winning is when the author does research and shows us in detail how the character creates her masterpieces. What about a medical examiner who has the truth about how a murder was committed? I'm so with her and want to understand science the way I didn't bother to do in high school.
In romantic suspense, I learn a whole lot about law enforcement and how to hide one's tracks (wear gloves, don't leave hair behind). I also gravitate toward non-fiction to soak up new information, especially if about a skill/passion that I have (Joe Torre's book on management, Haruki Murakami's What I Talk About When I Talk About Running). Then, there's the book that shows off a writer's research (Botany in Elizabeth Gilbert's The Signature of All Things and gems and jewelry in Stoned by Aja Raden). Who knew I loved the plants I can't help killing or that Japan created an empire of cultured pearls? Not me!
In romance novels, you learn about the careers/backgrounds of two main characters (at least) and this brings the reader into a new world. I especially love books with military themes since that life is fascinating to me. I was speaking with an author recently who generally writes contemporary romance but loves to delve into historicals because the research is so much fun. Another author told me excitedly about her seminar with a forensic expert. I love writers and characters who know and can do things. They can perform surgeries, run ultra-marathons in bare feet, explore different time periods, serve in the military and write about it with knowledge and precision, just to name a few.
I get that it's okay to read about a lovable person, too.
It helps us get in touch with the lovability in all of us. But it's even more fun to become engrossed in someone whose pursuits may not always be inward focused. Your character is an investment for the reader. Do you want to read about someone who languishes on the couch and is generally nice? Or do you want to read about someone who is multi-faceted.
It is the difference between having a conversation with someone who talks about their feelings and someone who discusses their feelings and maybe also understand how a diamond goes from being carbon to rising to the earth's crust.
For me, a story succeeds if your protagonist is more than just charming or a survivor of hardship. We all endure so much. Of course, a writer can bring out the unique elements of a universal experience. But it's even more powerful if the main character has a gift of some kind: wacky intelligence, medical expertise, a legal mind, artistic genius, leadership, a caring nature that transforms others, deep knowledge of…something cool. This is more parallel to real life where we are all carrying around gifts in abundance.
*Did I mention I have a Twitter addiction and am endlessly scrolling and reading what everyone says. I really shouldn't speak.


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There are two types of people in the world: those who love preserved lemons, and those who haven't tried them yet. Intensely lemony without a bitter bite, preserved lemons are laughably easy to make. Just cut them, rub them with salt, and pack them super-tight into a jar. Three weeks and some intermittent shaking later, you have jar of lemon umami perfection.
But who wants to wait three weeks? Um, not me.
Thankfully, Chefs Layo Paskin and Tomar Amedi's latest cookbook, The Palomar Cookbook, shows us a better way to preserve lemons that only takes three days: cure them in salt and olive oil.
Slice your lemons and arrange them in a layer on the bottom of a sterilized container or jar, then sprinkle them with a layer of salt. Alternate layers of lemons and salt, leaving about a half an inch at the top. Fill the rest of the container with olive oil and seal with an airtight lid. After three days, your lemons are ready for eating, and can keep in a cool, dry place for a week or in the fridge for up to a month.
Rule 1: Like vampires, cured lemons don't like sunlight, so always keep them in a cool, dark place.
Rule 2: Always make sure the lemons are fully covered in oil.
Rule 3: Always make sure you take your cured slices out of the container with a clean utensil—we don't want the lemons to be contaminated.
"In addition to speedier curing, switching water for olive oil eliminates the bleach-y taste preserved lemons sometimes carry," writes Amedi. Palomar chefs use cured lemons in salads, sandwiches, and as a sour paste for sauces or spreads. We think you should try it in tonight's braised chicken, or to add sour-salty notes to your ice cream.
Forget lemonade. When life gives me lemons, I think I'll cure them. Tell us what you'll do with cured lemons in the comments below.
I've only made the traditional preserved lemons with salt and lemon juice. How does the flavor differ with the olive oil and with the water? Also, how do the different methods vary in staying power? IIRC, the original method lasts just about forever. All good, but if I can find a faster method that isn't too different in flavor, I'd love to give it a try.
What kind of salt are we adding, please?
I love lemons but am a little confused about how to use them. Anyplace you would use in-preserved lemons? Do you cook with them or use them in a raw state? Directions said to slice and layer but the picture looks like the are cut in wedges.
I'm looking forward to trying this. I've not been a fan of preserved lemons I've bought or made, and the bleach-y flavor description above hits the nail on the head.
Never done this, just question, wouldn't lemons be totally oily tasting? Would water be better?
except...it'd be rather salty, i just realized.
Couldn't you rinse off the salt? And/or compensate with a little additional sugar? Anyway, I'm inspired to try this!


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Left to even get the ball back we deserve better
July 19, 2021 Uncategorized 0
I thought the Packers checked three of their largest boxes during the first two days of the draft.
There are great players now, but we were known for throwing the ball all over the place, which we did.
He should have returned to Ole Miss for 2019, but he decided to enter the create your own baseball jersey NFL Draft.
The Perry, Ga., native was Los Angeles' nominee for Walter Payton Man of the Year in 2017 for his off-field work in the community and with his foundation, Hayward's Hands.
6… At Washington : Posted a 46-yard gross average and a 44-yard net average on five punts with two placed inside the 20.
San Diego : Returned from a three-game absence due to injury to start at TE…Tied a career high with four receptions for 55 yards , including a 31-yarder… at Kansas City : Inactive … vs.
I remember when I first met him in 2009 on the day we introduced him to the media.
Here's what I can tell you about those early guards, which is what they were called back then.
As NFL football became more of a pass-first game, Barnett was the Packers' first middle linebacker selected more for his speed and range than his bulk and ability to anchor inside against the run.
Their mission is to remove and or help individuals overcome the barriers that deter their pursuit of success in life and facilitate opportunities for a better quality of life by effectuating custom softball jersey health & wellness, facilitating academic success, promoting personal, social & economic growth, providing access to artistic excellence & cultural awareness, increasing financial literacy and building community agencies & institutions.
-Brady gave it right back on the next play, a play action pass from 22 personnel that only had Edelman out in a route.
Detroit : Saw his Custom Authentic Football Jersey NFL action from scrimmage, taking over at LT for David Bakhtiari for the final five plays of the game with the Packers leading, 42.
We just again have to – I know it's boring on the outside, but it's that one-day approach.
COLLEGE: Led the SEC with 30 career receiving touchdowns, which ranks second in school history…also led the SEC in receiving yards …caught a touchdown in the final eight games of his career…is the only player in Texas A&M and SEC history with multiple 90-yard plus receptions in his career…made at least two catches in every game…finished 2016 season with 61 receptions for 885 yards and 12 touchdowns…as a junior in 2015, averaged a team-best 17 yards on 51 catches for 907 yards while seeing action in 12 of 13 games…reeled in five touchdowns…had three 100-yard games…posted a career high 11 receptions for 177 yards against Louisville in the bowl game…
You can find, whether it's a matchup or whether it's a situation where they're keying on one guy, and now you can work the other.
It's been a while, and I'd have to halt the chat to look it up and be sure of my info.
This movement, especially now, especially with Black Lives Matter, it's not just about police brutality.
He missed three games with a knee injury, but has 33 tackles and two pass breakups to go with his pick.
I've always had the great pleasure of spending four, four and a half hours on a golf course with some amazing people.
Ohio : Led the team with a career-high six receptions for 69 yards , with four of the catches picking up first downs… At Connecticut : Posted a career-high 112 receiving yards on five catches , highlighted by a one-handed grab early in the second half that he took 38 yards for a TD… Vs.
I love the game, I love my teammates and the only thing I could do was be a third coach in the secondary.
After some turnover at the safety position, Phillips looks exactly like what the Patriots needed this season and his role should continue to grow.
City Year In 2017, the Rams kicked off a partnership with City Year Los Angeles to sponsor a team of AmeriCorps members, who are working full-time at Grape Street Elementary in Watts.
Matched his career high with three receptions of 25-plus yards , posting a 45-yard TD catch, a 36-yarder and a 28-yarder.
That team needed a break, and I think Tomlin will feel better about the rest some players got, with the way their last month was going.
There's nothing we can do about the lack of fans.


text:
Whole Home Water Purification
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Organic Cow Calf Operation
Comments Off on Organic Cow Calf Operation
October 2 | Case Studies, Farm, News, Newsletters, Research | Webmaster
The following is a testimonial from an Organic Cow-Calf operator that used our product. He was so impressed that he became a Dealer 2 years ago. I put him on the phone with a customer the other day and he started mentioning all these different things that were happening to people around him. I asked him to send me a note.
Hi Zak,
Over the duration of my experience with oxyblast I have witnessed the following results at home and on customer's property:
– A customer had manganese in his water, that over a number of years, plugged the holes in the well crib to the point that he could pump his well dry and observe the number of holes still open. He talked to me and asked me to shock treat the well with Oxy Blast. A shock treatment was done at 500 PPM, and an additional purge of 100PPM, then letting the well stand for six hours. When the customer pumped his well he could see that 8 additional holes had opened up.
Another shock treatment was done much stronger than the first. The water in the well was bubbling pretty good. This second shock treatment opened up 10 additional holes in the crib. This was a 40 year old well that had years of magnesium build up.
– At home the iron was high enough that white clothes could not be washed without staining. With the introduction of Oxy Blast into the water, white clothes were washed and there was no staining. Since then an iron filter has been installed to remove most of the iron from the water. (happy wife)
– Livestock producers have reported that there is less ice build up around water bowls in winter. Probably because water does not smell and it tastes better, so animals drink instead of licking and splashing it to get used to it before they drink.
– A producer with sulphates in the water noticed that with Oxy Blast in the water, the livestock quit coughing and their feet improved and the manure tightened up. The livestock also consumed less free choice mineral. When animals had hoof rot on summer pasture, the rancher hauled the cows home to drink the Oxy Blast water and the feet healed.
~ By the way – he just won Organic Farmer of the year! ~
New MRSA Strain
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June 6 | Case Studies, Farm, food safety, Latest News, News, Reports, Tests, Research | Webmaster
New MRSA strain found in UK dairy cattle
Farmers Guardian.com June 3, 2011 | By Jack Davies
A NEW strain of antibiotic-resistant MRSA has been discovered in UK dairy cows for the first time, and scientists believe it may now be being passed on to humans who come into close contact with infected animals.
The new strain of Staphylococcus aureas was discovered in samples of milk by researchers carrying out a study into mastitis in dairy cows. The study, due to be published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases, found that unlike other human strains of the bacteria, the new form of the bacteria cannot be identified using a common test for MRSA.
Researchers have now identified evidence that cattle could act as a reservoir for the bacteria, raising the risk of passing it on to farm workers and others who come into
close contact with dairy cattle.
Studies carried out by the team found that in geographical locations where they identified the new strain in cattle, they also found an incident of the strain infecting humans. In total, the research team discovered 12 confirmed cases of the new strain in humans in Scotland, 15 in England and 24 in Denmark.
The discovery however is not thought to be a public health risk as pasteurisation would kill the bacteria, said Dr. Mark Holmes, senior lecturer in preventive vet medicine at Cambridge University.
"It is important to stress that drinking milk or eating dairy products is not a public health risk," he said. "The main worry is that dairy cows represent a pool of infection and it could infect people who live and work on farms and they could then take that out into the wider community."
Even for farm workers, the risks may be small as MRSA typically doesn't cause disease unless the infected person has a weakened immune system such as after an operation. Where concern could come however is if farmers and farm workers pick up the bacteria and spread it to a susceptible person in the wider community, it could lead to a serious
infection.
Similarly there could be risks from drinking unpasteurised milk, although Dr Holmes said the risk was low and he would be more concerned about contracting Brucellosis than he would about the new strain of MRSA. Dr. Holmes said it was not yet clear how prevalent the new MRSA strain is, but the study showed it could be present in almost three per cent of the UK dairy herd.
The Soil Association used the discovery to reiterate its calls for an end to routine antibiotic use. Helen Browning, director of the Soil Association said "In the relentless drive for increased per animal productivity, and under acute price pressure, dairy systems are becoming ever more antibiotic dependent.
"We need to get farmers off this treadmill, even if that means that milk has to cost a few pennies more. That would be a very small price to pay for maintaining the efficacy of these
life-saving drugs."
The claims were dismissed by Dr. Holmes who said dairy farmers faced with a mastitis problem were understandably going to use antibiotics to combat infection and that it was unfair to suggest it was causing the rise of so-called superbugs.
Charles Henry | 3 June 2011 8:14 am
So now it's MRSA.is it? Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (Staph a).
WHAT A COINCIDENCE! They've found another stick to beat the farmers and
agriculture with, just as the pressure grows to deal with rise and rise of M.bovis in the wildlife.
I've been campaigning about the rise of MRSA in our hospitals for nigh on 20 years now. It's a killer in the hospital environment; have no doubts about it. . I dubbed it 'MISERY' years ago. But the more we protested, the more they just stated it was an everyday bacteria that was being brought in with the patients and by the general public and visitors.
But now the 'experts' are on the march again with their new stick! You couldn't make it up!!!
All material published on FarmersGuardian.com is copyrighted © 2011 by UBM Information Ltd. All rights reserved.
Dairy Nutritionist
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May 15 | Case Studies, Dairy, Latest News, News, Nutrition, Research | Webmaster
An Interview with a Dairy Nutritionist
By Dale Janssen
I recently met to discuss a four thousand cow dairy with two brother owners, who I met at the World Dairy Expo a few weeks ago, and a dairy nutritionist who works with them. The dairy has several water challenges, including high iron, high TDS and very hard water. The nutritionist liked the idea of using Oxy Blast because we know it would change the form of iron from ferrous to ferric, which is a safe form of iron. He said major problems can result from excess iron in the ferrous form where it is readily absorbed into the body. He told me that this iron can be toxic and it is very important to get it out of the water once it is in the ferric form. He also told me that our Oxy Blast system was cheap compared to the other things they have to buy every day. When it will only cost in Canada $0.10-$0.12 per cow per day (depending on the PPM implemented and water quality), and it is going to do all those things to the water, it is very economical.
He pointed out to me that water is always overlooked, and was pleased that we paid attention to all the parameters of a water test. He also was impressed that Randy was willing to test his Oxy Blast at Iowa State University and thus "put his money where he mouth was." He also was impressed that Essential Water Solutions, Inc. had all the consultants they do, who are available to answer questions for the prospects and customers. I told him this is all we do and we try to give the best service we can. He looked at me and said, "that is still very important."
As he left he thanked me for my time and felt that the dairy would start using Oxy Blast really soon, not just because of what it will do for their water, but because of the support staff we have to back it up.
All I can say in closing is that all of us who sell Oxy Blast are blessed to have all these resources to draw from.
Thanks, Randy
Antibiotic use
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May 13 | Case Studies, Dealer Resource Reference Library, food safety, Livestock, News, Newsletters, Nutrition, Research | Webmaster
Antibiotics are becoming a bigger and bigger issue. Oxy Blast builds the immune system and gives you a better immunity. As a result many farms are cutting back on their Antibiotic usage. Please read the following article that CBS did on Antibiotics or click on the link to see the article at CBS:
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/02/09/eveningnews/main6191530.shtml
Here is another link that also has info on Antibiotics:
http://www.keepantibioticsworking.com/new/news.cfm?refID=107148
(CBS) "It's scary, I mean, you just can't describe it really," said Bill Reeves.
Two years ago, 46-year-old Bill Reeves, who worked at a poultry processing plant in Batesville, Arkansas, developed a lump under his right eye.
"It went from about the size of a mosquito bite to about the size of a grapefruit," he said.
CBS Evening News anchor Katie Couric reports doctors tried several drugs that usually work on this potentially deadly infection: methicillin resistant staph (MRSA), before one saved his life.
See also: WebMD: MSRA and MSRA Hot Spots
"You go from a just regular day to knowing you may die in a couple of hours," Reeves said. He wasn't the only worker from this farming community to get sick.
Joyce Long worked at the hatchery, handling eggs and chicks. She got MRSA at least a dozen times, and had to try several drugs as well. "It was real painful. Shots don't help, because it's so infected, it don't help much," she said. Within weeks, 37 people at the hatchery got sick. They've filed personal injury claims against the company, Pilgrims Pride, which has no comment.
This is not an isolated incident and chickens aren't the only concern. A University of Iowa study last year, found a new strain of MRSA — in nearly three-quarters of hogs (70 percent), and in nearly two-thirds of the workers (64 percent) on several farms in Iowa and Western Illinois. All of them use antibiotics, routinely. On antibiotic-free farms no MRSA was found.
Health officials are concerned that if workers who handle these animals are getting sick, what about the rest of us? Drug resistant infections have sky-rocketed over the past two decades, killing an estimated 70,000 Americans last year alone. It's an emerging health crisis that scientists say is caused not only by the overuse of antibiotics in humans, but in livestock as well. Antibiotics are routinely fed to healthy animals to promote growth and to prevent disease.
"My fear is that one of these days we are going to have an organism that's resistant to everything that we know, and we'll be left powerless," said Thomas Cummins, Batesville's chief medical officer.
"There are a lot of concerns about antibiotics being added to animal feeds that may be contributing to MRSA as well as other antibiotic resistance," Cummins said. "Certainly the more bacteria are exposed to antibiotics in any shape or form, the more tendency there is for resistance."
There are different types of drug-resistant bacteria. Some, like e coli and salmonella, can be passed on to people by consuming undercooked meat and poultry. Now, scientists are worried that Americans may be acquiring drug-resistant MRSA – not from eating, but from handling tainted meat from animals that were given antibiotics.
Evidence of MRSA has been found in the nation's meat supply. But it's unclear how widespread it may be, because only a small fraction is tested for MRSA.
See: Pew Campaign On Human Health and Industrial Farming
Shelley Hearne has studied the health effects of factory farming for 25 years.
"How does this go from the farm to the meat counter, to having an adverse effect on humans," Couric asked.
"If the bacteria becomes resistant to antibiotics, it can actually spread in many ways," Hearne said. "It could be in the food supply, but it also can be in waters that runoff in a farm. It could be in the air. It can happen very quickly in many different ways. That's why it's a practice that has to stop on the farms."
That practice occurs inside factory farms, where antibiotics help animals absorb and process food so they grow bigger, faster; a selling point pushed by the pharmaceutical industry. Because animals are packed into confinement pens, antibiotics are also used to keep disease from spreading like wildfire.
More from the pork and beef industry
Liz Wagstrom is a veterinarian with the National Pork Board.
"Some people say giving animals antibiotics to prevent illness or promote growth is like putting antibiotics in a child's cereal," Couric said. "You know, save them so they'll work when they are needed."
"I'd say that we do strategically place them," Wagstrom replied. "It's not an all day, every pig gets antibiotics every day of his life."
"So you don't think they're being overused by farmers anywhere in this country," Couric asked.
Wagstrom replied, "the vast majority of producers use them appropriately."
But drug distributers and dozens of farm workers in four farm belt states; Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas, and Oklahoma; told us that antibiotic use to promote growth is widespread on factory farms.
See: Rep. Slaughter's "Preservation of Antibiotics for Medical Treatment Act"
But the bottom line on antibiotic use in factory farming is this: no one is really monitoring it.
Joshua Sharfstein, is the deputy director of the FDA.
"We want to put in place measures to reduce inappropriate use and we want to see that those are working; in order to do that we have to have a good surveillance system," Sharfstein said, "There's no question that needs to be improved."
"I loved hog farming. And I miss it. I wish I could go back," Kim Howland said. "But until the walls come down and the roofs come off, there's no chance."
There are a number of grassroots organizations trying to give people alternative choices. Click on the following link for some examples:
Find Locally Grown, Sustainable Food Near You.
On-farm Trials
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March 13 | Case Studies, Farm, News, Newsletters, Reports, Tests, Research | Webmaster
Our Newsletter this month comes from an article that we did not write. But it confirms our belief in what we try to achieve with all of our farm operator customers.
This article came to us from the Prairie Swine Centre Website. It was written by Lee Whittington MBA and LeAnn Johnston PhD. It is bang on………….
"The pork industry is blessed with a number of innovators. I recall surveys from decades ago, that compared the speed of adoption of new technology by the various commodity sectors, and pork producers were always very near the top of the chart. Perhaps it is the rapidity of turnover in the barn that lends itself to seeing a difference in management quickly. Maybe the intensive agricultural systems attract a certain type of person with a curious mind? Whatever the reason, it is without a doubt, that all pig farms participate to a greater or lesser extent in experimenting to improve productivity, reduce costs, or make management easier. Sometimes, the results of such experimentation are as expected – For example, the pigs on the higher energy, more expensive diet grew more quickly. Often however, the results, the time and effort, and money required to innovate and experiment, results in more questions than answers and does not lead to an innovation being adopted on the farm as part of a new long-term management strategy. This paper will help to explain why results are not always what we expect and how to improve your odds of success in future on-farm trials.
Why you should do an on-farm trial
Many new technologies come with all the work completed, including the change we can expect, the confidence in the statistical approach used to analyze the test, plus the economic benefit of implementation under a standard set of economic assumptions.
So why would you want to take on organizing an on-farm test yourself? There are
several reasons to test something on the farm. Typically, the top reasons given by innovative producers are:
1) "The proof is in the pudding" or "My situation is different and I don't believe just because it works elsewhere ,it will work on my farm".
2) "The idea is mine and I don't know of anyone else that has tried it, so I need to find out for myself."
3) "I read/heard about this idea from another country and think it might work here."
Yes, no two barns are exactly alike, even though they may be designed to operate the same; the 'people factor' adds a unique component that makes a significant difference to the outcome of many practices or products used. For example, we can standardize feeding times, amounts fed and diet formulation; but can we be sure that the ventilation system is managed the same, or that how the pigs are handled is identical? This latter point was reinforced with Paul Hemsworth's work two decades ago, where the interaction between the stockperson and pig varied significantly from farm to farm. Based on the previous handling experience of the animals – some herds were curious and approached, while others were generally fearful and fled from people. So there are differences between barns and thus reasons to believe that an on-farm trial would produce a more reliable result than information gathered on other farms. There are, of course, circumstances that lead us to think it is not necessary to do my own on-farm trial. For example, to confirm the effectiveness of a vaccine or pharmaceutical treatment specific to a disease and to test the product, would require you to allow an outbreak of the disease on your farm. Not a good candidate for an on-farm trial. Most on-farm trials have an economic decision that they are trying to address. This adds
to the complication of the study, because the experiment should be able to capture both positive and negative results. What is the benefit we are hoping to achieve and what is the cost to achieve it? The cost is often easy to find (example, feed cost per kg, or drug cost per dose) but the performance result in the barn (the statistically tested part), is much more difficult. A review of any scientific publication will focus on the significant "P" value. That is, the results are not random and there is a 95% probability that the effect seen from the intervention is from the treatment given (p <0.05).
So how do I achieve this level of confidence that the intervention (feed, drug, etc) worked and should be considered as part of my ongoing management of the barn? There are two related questions, because not all studies result in a statistically significant conclusion. What if the intervention didn't work – was it the product in question or was the experimental test just not sensitive enough to detect the small improvement? Should I then not use this intervention on my farm? Lastly the results are unclear and other information is required to make the decision. Perhaps the trial was not designed
properly and cannot answer the question you ask.
Why on-farm tests often fail
The reasons are many but break down into five main categories (First noted by Deen 2009):
1) The trial design would not provide the answer you seek. This sounds very basic and avoidable but likely accounts for a majority of the on-farm test failures. What happens if the intervention has multiple outcomes? For example, a small improvement in average daily gain, feed efficiency and improvement in one or two carcass features. Do the combined improvements in each of these areas justify the intervention? When the improvement in feed efficiency alone is enough to justify the intervention the answer is clear – adopt the new technology. What if only small gains are made in each area? Likely, the reality is the study needs to be redesigned to include many more pigs to identify small gains. Should you increase the analytical power of the test by having more
groups of pigs on trial? ("Setting Up an Effective Farm Trial" – Lee Whittington MBA, LeAnn Johnston PhD [Deen 2009])
2) Consideration of prior knowledge of the item to be tested and the pig barn we are testing in. If the item we are testing has a history of performance under other circumstances (even in species other than pigs), that gives us a clue as to how big a difference we are seeking to measure. What is the variation located within the test herd prior to the test? This knowledge of health status, quality of pig, and variation in key factors such as daily gain are the inherent background 'noise' within the barn. We need to account for this 'noise' to ensure our test can be interpreted.
3) Danger of believing your test analysis when actually it is worthless. Statistically, a negative result of a single study cannot be interpreted as supporting a negative conclusion. This really only means that we are not satisfied 'beyond a doubt' (p<0.05% probability) that the product performed as expected.
4) "A micrometer question is often measured with a 'yard-stick'. …The scale of the economic benefit required to justify an intervention is much smaller than the capability of the statistical test created." (Deen, 2009). Lets use an analogy to explain this concept. If we are trying to measure the impact of a wave of amplitude 1 cm (a daily gain improvement of 20 grams per day) passing through our test population (pig barn) and the variation in the test population is viewed as a wave with amplitude of 1km (days to 120 kg varies from 135-230) you get the idea. There is so much variation already within the population that it would take a large number of data points (pens of pigs) to sort out the effect of the
smaller wave.
5) Data collection or the 'people factor'. We could write chapters on examples of tests that never had a chance of answering the original question. The greatest is kindly referred to as planting and harvest disease – known distractions that will occur during the course of the test need to be dealt with in advance. Getting stockpeople on side, arranging additional help to collect information (using summer students in July – is the result valid in January?), not fudging data when it is lost (the pigs ate my homework!), having a backup plan when people unexpectedly leave, having the
right measurement tools (is the scale accurate enough to pick up the difference anticipated?) and intervention procedures operating well and checked regularly to ensure they continue to operate as expected over the trial period, all
the feed is made and tested prior to the start of the test (remove batch mixing error and eliminates out-of-feed incidents). There are the whole list of other factors such as ventilation error or power failure, out of water events, feeders adjustable to provide uniform access in all pens and avoid waste, what to do if there is a disease outbreak during the test period, effect of weather and changing seasons on feed intake or dunging patterns, stable parity distribution within the breeding herd, pigs jumping from one pen to another …
One sidebar to the people factor is "when you start to measure something, it generally begins to improve" (Krueger, 2009). For example, when daily feeder and waterer checks are consistently made and acted on, the results of all groups will likely improve because the 'normal' out-of-feed events (typically 10% of all feeders in the barn) do not occur during the test period.
How to Avoid Common Pitfalls when setting up your on-farm trial
1)Do the math first. How many groups of pigs will it take to have confidence (sufficient power in the statistical test) that the difference I am trying to measure can be assessed from my trial design? This can be the subject of a graduate course but if you have the patience and interest, some free software on line can help such as
http://www.stat.uiowa.edu/~rlenth/Power/index.html http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbODigCZq18 http://www.clive.ed.ac.uk/cliveCatalogueItem.asp?id=B6BC9009-C10F-4393-A22D-48F436516AC4
2) Calculate the likely financial benefit of a successful trial. Will it be sufficient to justify the work and cost of conducting the trial? Most businesses will want a 3:1 return on new investment because they realize that biological systems don't always behave as predicted all the time, so can I expect a $3 return from a $1 intervention?
3) Get the people involved. Everyone that plays a role needs to be aware of the cost and the large risk of failure to complete the trial as designed.
4) Use a checklist like the one attached to plan your successful trial implementation.
The Bottom Line There are many sources of new ideas and technologies awaiting pork producers. Assessing their economic value and appropriateness for your farm should begin with taking the easy route first and looking for third-party verifiable test results that give you confidence the results are repeatable and sufficient to provide a positive economic return under current economic circumstances. If reliable information does not exist but you believe the potential economic benefit is too great to ignore, and you have adequate resources to design and implement an on-farm test then use the Designing your on farm trial – A checklist for success trial checklist to increase your chances for success.
Deen, J., 2009, On-farm field trials: the problem of detecting small but economically
significant differences, American Association of Swine Veterinarians proceedings p 289-290
Krueger, K. 2009, Proper conduct and interpretation of field trials, Minnesota Nutrition
Conference proceedings 248-254.
Davies, Peter, 2010, Field trial design and evaluation, Allan D. Leman Swine Conference
preconference workshop.
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March 13 | Case Studies, Farm, Latest News, Livestock, News | Webmaster
We believe in CLEAN~CLEAR~NUTRITIONAL WATER
We believe that livestock will always tell the truth about any product, however we need to implement the right Parts Per Million (PPM) to accomplish the desired results. A good product is only good when used properly, and at the right proportions for the right period of time.
We believe proof comes from proper documentation. We realize that Oxy Blast costs you money up front, but we strongly believe that it makes you money at the end.
We believe in taking water samples to know what we are treating rather than guessing. We believe in keeping records of water consumption and its effects. We believe that livestock don't lie.
We believe that each farm, each environment, each situation is different.
We believe that we need to look at the complete operation, in order to supply the best service to our customers.
We believe in patience, and communication when addressing specific issues.
We believe in the TRUTH.
We believe that we are the best water solutions provider that you can find.
We believe that we need to look at your livestock to judge results.
WE BELIEVE IN FARMERS AND THE IMPORTANCE OF WHAT THEY DO.
Farmscape Radio Interview
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March 9 | Case Studies, News, Newsletters | Webmaster
I attended the Hog and Poultry Days with our great local Dealer, Tristarag. While I was there, I was asked to give a lecture on water and its importance. After the lecture, we received a great deal of interest in our product, and what it could do on specific farms.
As a result, Farmscape Radio asked me if I would give them an informative interview. The link for that interview is below. Hope you enjoy it! Thanks Zak
~ Farmscape Interview ~
Reports, Case Studies
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February 20 | Case Studies, News, Reports, Tests, Research | Webmaster
For more detailed information about water contaminants, treatment and purification, please click on the links below to access various studies, reports and papers from government and professional sources:
Drinking Water:
Is Canada's Drinking Water Safer? (CBC News video)
Tap Water Contamination
Safe drinking water NIH PubMed
PHAC Position Paper Safe Drinking Water
Is Tap Water Safe to Drink
Is Tap Water a Health Hazard
Health Canada – Chronic Diseases in Canada
Bottled Water:
ASM2010PressReport_Bottled Water
Is your bottled water safe
Study – Bottled Water
Fluoride:
Myths of Water Fluoridation
Fluoride in Water Linked to Lower IQ in Children
Chlorine:
Chlorine in Your Tap Water and In Your Diet Cola
Chlorine Cancer Heart Disease
Negative Effects of Chlorine
Chlorinated tap water linked to birth defects
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text:
Below The Turret Ring
Merkava 4 with Fibrotex camouflage system
Photographs of a Merkava 4 main battle tank (MBT) fitted with a new camouflage system have been uploaded to the internet. Apparently this system is designed to reduce the tank's thermal, near-IR, and UV signature; it will also absorb a major part of the solar energy without transfering most of the heat onto the tank. This results in a lower interior temperature and thus greater crew comfort.
The thermal camouflage system is made by the Israeli company Fibrotex. It covers most of the roof area, the gun barrel and the sides of the hull except for a distinctive cut-out section for the engine exhaust vents. The thermal cover appears to have an outer layer made of some cloth-like material which is painted in some form of camouflage pattern in sand color and light brown tones. Thin straps cover the lower hull section at the sides and rear, which are apparently made out of a different material with a rubber-like texture. This material is probably elastic in order to not restrict the tank's mobility - it might in theory even be rubber.
Unlike competiting systems such as the Barracuda MCS from SAAB or the Solar Shield system from Rheinmetall, the surface of Fibrotex' material is rather smooth. In certain regions at least this might have a negative impact on the optical camouflaging characteristics of Fibrotex' camouflage design compared to the other system. The coverage of the tank also appears to be rather low, which specifically in combination with the camouflage pattern makes the current implementation of the thermal camouflage system on the Merkava 4 somewhat poor at actually hiding the tank. It has to be noted that the current Merkava tank versions as used by the IDF usually do not have any camouflage pattern at all. However the website of Fibrotex also includes photographs of another prototype implementation on an upgraded Merkava 3. This appears to have slightly better coverage (but still far from perfect) and a different camouflage pattern with more contrast.
Interestingly Fibrotex also offers a thermal camouflage system for the Leopard 2A4, which includes rather thick add-on elements. These appear to be designed to reduce the tank's radar signature, development on this topic was popular in NATO during the mid-1980s. This resulted in a number of stealth demonstrators based on existing tanks such as the AMX-30, Leopard 1 and Chieftain MBT.
Posted by m.m. at 12:24 PM 1 comment:
Labels: Barracuda, camouflage, Fibrotex, Israel, main battle tank, MBT, Merkava, tank
LAND 400 Phase 2 and 3 contenders update
The Australian Army is currently looking for replacements of the ASLAV and M113AS4 armored fighting vehicles (AFVs).
Phase 2 of the LAND 400 program seeks a replacment for the 13.2 tonnes ASLAV. The ASLAV is used by the Australian Army as scout vehicle, armored personnel carrier (APC), command vehicle, armored ambulance and also as support vehicle. It is either armed with a 25 mm Bushmaster chain gun (in case of the ASLAV-25 scout vehicle) or with a heavy machine gun on a pintle mount or on a Kongsberg remote weapon station (RWS). It transports up to either six or seven soldiers depending on version. Unlike current American and Canadian LAV versions, the ASLAV is only protected by thin steel armor providing protection according to STANAG standard 4569 level two or three.
Currently there are four contenders to replace the ASLAV: The AMV 35 CRV from Patria and BAE Systems, the LAV (CRV) from General Dynamics, the Sentinel II from Elbit and ST Kinetics and the Boxer CRV from Artec (a joint-venture between Rheinmetall and KMW). Originally more contenders including Raytheon and Nexter (offering the VBCI with French T40 turret) were looking for a LAND 400 Phase 2 contract; after considering their chances of meeting the Australian requirements - in particalur the military-off-the-shelf (MOTS) requirements - they withdrew.
While the offer from Patria and BAE Systems - consisting of a Patria AMV fitted with the E35 turret of the CV9035 - was known very well for the past weeks, a lot of new details have emerged on the other contenders. Supposedly Patria isn't offering the latest AMVXP with increased payload and performance, but the a version of the original AMV hull with higher compliance with the MOTS requirements.
As far as the other contenders are concerned, first and foremost of there is the LAV (CRV), a version of the Canadian LAV 6.0 upgrade modified to meet the Australian requirements. The LAV 6.0 itself is a modified and upgraded version of the old LAV III infantry fighting and scout vehicle.
The LAV (CRV) has the lowest gross vehicle weight of all contenders, sitting at just 28,600 kg. It is fitted with the unmanned MCT-30 turret from the Norwegian company Kongsberg. It features 8 smoke grenade dischargers (in 4 banks of 2 each), the Mk 44 Bushmaster II gun chambered in the 30 x 173 mm caliber from Aliant Techsystems (ATK), a low-profile version of the CROWS RWS and a laser warning system. An interesting side note is that the MCT-30 turret is fitted with the WAO sight from Airbus Defence, which is also used on the German Puma IFV. The US Army prefered to use a different - supposedly cheaper - sight unit for their Stryker upgrade with the MCT-30 turret. The fully stabilized WAO includes a daylight camera, a thermal imager and an eyesafe laser rangefinder.
The LAV (CRV) is also fitted with a 360° surveillance system consisting of three cameras. One is mounted on a mast above the rear ramp, while the other two are located on the frontal hull section. It uses a double-V hull desgin (like the late generation Stryker ICVs of the US Army) for advanced protection against mines and IEDs. For ballsitic protection the LAV (CRV) is fitted with ceramic composite armor on top of it's steel hull. However the ballistic protection of the LAV (CRV) is not able to keep up with the competition, offering only protection according to STANAG 4569 level 4 (all-round protection against 14.5 mm armor-piercing ammunition from 200 metres distance) on the hull. The turret is even less armored, not able to meet the level 4 requirements. According to General Dynamics the vehicle can be fitted with special deployment kits for increased ballistic protections, but this is expected to negatively affect mobility and payload, thus taking away the plattforms growth potential.
The Sentinel II has been a mysterium for quite a while, but ST Kinetics and Israeli company Elbit Systems have showcased their vehicle solution to the public for the first time. It is based on the current Terrex 3 vehiclee from ST Kinetics, but numerous technologies and components from Elbit and it's partners have been utilized. Frankly, due to the Terrex 3 being originally designed for high performance on water during amphibious operation, which are not possible with the heavier Sentinel II. The Sentinel II is fitted with the MT 30 (Manned Turret 30) from Elbit. This turret can be used in either manned or unmanned configuration and is equipped with a 30 mm Bushmaster II chain gun, a co-axial machine gun and a pop-out dual-launcher for Spike ATGMs. Like all other candidates, the vehicle is fitted with a digitial fire control system and stabilized gun to enable accurate firing on the move. The commander is provided with Elbit's COAPS (Commander Open Architecture Panoramic Sight), which includes a thermal imager, a CCD camera and a laser rangefinder. The gunner is provided with a similar set of optronics.Two banks of four smoke grenade dischargers are mounted on either side of the main gun.
Ontop of the turret two launchers of the new Iron Fist LC (Light Configuration) from IMI. This active protection system (APS) was first presented at Eurosatory 2016 and is a scaled down version of IMI's already existing Iron Fist APS. It launches a high explosive (HE) grenade onto an incoming threat that has been spotted by the radar. While the original version of Iron Fist has some anti-APFSDS capability (when the HE warhead fuzes at the right time, it can cause the APFSDS to tilt), the light configuration uses smaller warheads that are most likely inable to affect APFSDS. With only four interceptors ready for defeating RPGs and ATGMs, the Iron Fist LC is not suited for longer engagements, but is a useful asset in assymetrical warfare.
At the front and the rear of the turret a total of four laser warners are installed. These can detect when the vehicle is lazed by a rangefinder or beam-riding missile and may be connected to the APS or the smoke grenade dischargers.
A camera system located at the hull provides 360° close-range vision of the near terrain. The implementation is quite reminiscent of Rheinmetall's SAS 360° system, which has been installed on the Boxer CRV and other vehicles such as the Advanced Technology Demonstrator tank. It consists of three sets of each three cameras, that are set at different angles. On the rear there are only two cameras, while a further camera is located at the frontal hull - these cameras are possibly meant for the driver only.
Like the LAV(CRV) the Sentinel II fails to meet the original Australian requirements for ballistic protection. It only reaches STANAG 4569 level 4, depsite being the second-heaviest candidate for the phase 2 of the LAND 400 program. This is the result of the huge overall dimensions of the Terrex 3 hull, on which the Sentinel II is based. In fact the Sentinel II is the widest and tallest
While it is possible to boost the protection level to the levels protect against 25 mm and 30 mm ammunitions, this is only possible at certain, limited areas and not along the whole frontal arc like required by STANAG 4569. Furthermore this requires to reconfigure the turret into an unmanned configurations and reduce it's armor protection to STANAG 4569 level 2 only - which means being vulnerable to 7.62 x 51 mm NATO AP ammunition or equivalent and larger calibers. A designated marksman rifle or battle rifle would be enought to penetrate the armor and potentially knocking out the Sentinel II's weapon systems by damaging the fire control system, ammunition feed system or turret drives. Due to being designed as a manned turret, the MT 30 is not optimized for unmanned operations and wastes a lot of space and thus valuable weight, that could have been used for increasing the protection.
Overall the Sentinel II has three major drawbacks. The lackluster armor protection does not manage to meet the Australian requirements. Also the missile launcher is not decoupled, so that vibrations will be passed onto the missiles. On the long term this will cause issues as the missile can be damaged or rendered completely used in a not decoupled launcher, so the Spike ATGMs in Eblit's MT 30 turret would need to be stored at other places and only be fitted into the launcher before going to battle/on a mission.
The biggest problem of the Sentinel II is that it seem to completely fail the military off the shelf of the Australian Army. It seems to be an agglomeration of unproven and new parts: the hull is taken from the new Terrex 3, which is still unproven and not in service with any nation. The turret is a new design that has yet to be used on a series produced vehicle. Even the large version of the Iron Fist APS has yet to be fielded on a tank or any other type of vehicle - the brand new Iron Fist LC version is even more of a risk. Arguably the only proven systems are the laser warners, the COAPS sights (which have been chosen for the Argentinian TAM upgrade), the smoke grenade launchers and the Bushmaster chain gun.
Previously some basic infromations on the Boxer CRV have been written here aswell, thus only the newest developments seem to be worth mentioning. Photographs of a Boxer CRV with new features have been published on the internet. The Boxer has been fitted with a version of the ADS (Active Defence System), formerly known as AMAP-ADS. In the configuration as used on the Boxer CRV it includes at least 26 sensor units (maybe even more if the rear is also protected by ADS). Unfortunately this version of ADS appears to be incorporated into the additional armor modules on the side of the vehicle, which doesn't allow accurate counting of the exact number of ADS countermeasures; usually there is at least one countermeasure per sensor unit, in some cases even two.
ADS is capable of intercepting RPGs and ATGMs in all known versions, while the heavier versions are also capable of defeating explosively formed penetrators (EFPs) and large caliber APFSDS ammunition. With an estimated 26 countermeasures, the ADS on the Boxer CRV is much better suited for longer combat operations than the Sentinel II with it's Iron Fist LC APS, however restocking the ADS might take longer.
The Boxer CRV also has been fitted with a dual launcher for Spike ATGMs, which is in contrast to the Sentinel II's launcher decoupled and allows long-time storage of the missiles directly in the launcher.
A new RWS fitted with a 12.7 mm M2 Browning heavy machine gun is located on top of the turret. Unlike most other types of RWS, this specific one does not have an own set of optics, but is rather slaved to the commander's periscope located on top of the turret. Such a weapon station design design was used on some other vehicles already, most noticable the Russian T-90MS main battle tank. Rheinmetall calls this a "killer-killer" functionality (in contrast to the hunter-killer functionality) and claims that this an unique feature of the Lance MTS among medium calibre turret thanks to the so called "Main Sensor Slaved Armament" (MSSA) technology. Most likely the RWS can be folded down, otherwise putting it on the Boxer CRV turret wouldn't make much sense, as the commander's sight was specifically modified to be retractable in order to reduce the overall height of the vehicle.
A rather curios move was made by Rheinmetall for the Phase 3 offering. The vehicle purchased under the phase 3 of the LAND 400 project is meant to be the replacement for the M113 variants in service with the Australian Army, most notably the While it already is part of the PSM joint-venture offering the German Puma IFV for LAND 400 Phase 3, the German company has decided to make another offer with the Lynx. While Rheinmetall representatives and websites have tried their best to describe the vehicle as a new development and kept their lips sealed on the true nature of the Lynx, it is understood that this vehicle is just a heavily upgraded Marder IFV. A company now owned by Rheinmetall originally build the Marder, several hundred Marders were bought back by the industry and saved from scrapping.
The suggested APC version of the Lynx is fitted with a RWS and the ROSY smoke protection system
The Lynx is fitted with the same Lance MTS (modular turret system) turret as the Boxer CRV, however with slightly different armament. While it also includes a decoupled twin-launcher for Spike ATGMs, it was presented with a larger 35 mm autocannon as main gun and Rheinmetall's three-barreled RMG 7.62 machine gun. Unlike a gatling gun the latter weapon is fitted with three barrels to reduce barrel wear and it is possible to switch to another barrel within less than 5 seconds. Rheinmetall claims that this enables the user to switch to a cold barrel in the middle of combat, which leads to a higher accuracy and sustained rate of fire. The Lynx is fitted with Liebherr engine (depending on versio delivering either 750 hp or 1,050 hp), segmented rubber tracks from DST and a NBC protection. Iversionst's armor seems to be largely identical to the late version Marder IFV (1A3 and follow-up ), which utilized spaced steel armor for ballistic protection against up to 30 mm rounds. The side armor of the Lynx appears to be different, the spaced armor and storage boxes of the original Marder 1A3 were replaced by plates of steel or composite armor. The ADS has not been fitted, but according to Rheinmetall it is an option.
The armored recovery version of the Lynx vehicle is fitted with a crane
An interesting suggestion is creating two versions of the Lynx, one of them utilizing a stretched chassis. While as previously noted all existing offers for the Phase 3 have only a 3 + 7 configuration (assuming realistic amounts of internal storage space), the Lynx is offered as KF 31 and KF 41; the latter has a sligthly strechted hull (but the same number of roadwheels) to provide seating for a crew of three and up to eight dismounts, while the shorteer KF 31 has is designed for only six dismounts. Aside of the lower price compared to more expensive offerings such as the Puma IFV, this might be the main selling point of the Lynx IFV.
In general Rheinmetall claims that the Lynx armored vehicle family is making use of a modular approach - how modular this is exactly is not known yet. While the description from Rheinmetall - speaking of separate Base Vehicles and Mission Kits- is suggesting a concept similar to the Boxer, the Lynx doesn't appear to be compatible with Boxer mission modules. It also remains questionable if it is possible to change the mission kit of a Lynx during it's lifetime without major factory-based (re)work. The Lynx will be offered as turreted and non-turreted version for the different roles of the vehicles replaced under LAND 400 Phase 3.
Posted by m.m. at 10:59 AM 4 comments:
Labels: AMV, APC, Australia, Boxer, Elbit Systems, General Dynamics, IFV, infantry fighting vehicle, LAND 400, LAV, Lynx, news, Patria, Patria AMV, Rheinmetall, Sentinel II, ST Kinetics, tracked vehicle, wheeled vehicles
Future Leopard 2 improvments?
Despite the Leopard 2A7 being a relatively new tank - it was introduced into service in 2014 - the German Army is looking for further upgrades to it's main battle tank (MBT). When the Leopard 2A7 was being developed, the prototypes already included a number of features that had to be excluded from the series production version in order to keep costs at a reasonable level. The FLW-200 remote weapon station (RWS) and the close proximity surveillance system (consisting of CCD cameras either mounted to the turret or hull) and the dozer blade were among the left-out features of the Leopard 2A7+.
Leopard 2A7+ UrbOps prototype with FLW 200 RWS, applique armor and close-proximity surveillance system
Already in the news articles on the handover of the first Leopard 2A7, a number of details on the Leopard 2's future were disclosed. The German Army had already initiated the development of the next iteration of the Leopard 2 tank before the handover. Two points for the next upgrade were mentioned: upgraded optronics ("sighting systems") should be installed into the tank and the lost agility (due to the weight increases and reduced ground clearance) should be restored to the level of the original Leopard 2 tank.
Under the name Leopard 2A7V (v for "verbessert", German for "improved") an upgrade for the current German variants is being developed. Once adopted, the designation is expected to be changed most likely to Leopard 2A8. Currently the German Army is operating three models of the Leopard 2 tank (the Leopard 2A6, 2A6M and 2A7), while still having about 100 old Leopard 2A4 tanks in stock, which are scheduled for upgrade in 2017 or later.
Operating three or even four different models of a tank is a logisitcal burden, which is why in the near future all tanks should be upgraded to one single configuration. Currently proposals for the future Leopard 2A7V are under way.
With a planned introduction as early as 2018, not much new technology can be accepted, that has not undergone the test and qualification phase of German Army procurments. The qualification phase for new technology in Germany is usually at least three years - this implies that mostly off-the-shelf components will be utilized. In theory some components might have been tested by the German arms procurement office in the past, but were never adopted for high cost or other reasons. Such components might be integrated into the tank without being well known to the public. There also might be an option for a special fast qualification procedure (this is only speculation though).
improved mobility by installing a more powerful engine
fitting a turret independent remote weapon station
improved mine and IED protection
passive or reactive protection against RPGs and ATGMs
installing an active protection system (APS)
automated target recognition and tracking
increased lethality (in particular armor penetration)
anti-UAV capabilities
improved networking
an electronical 360° surveillance system
long range optics with improved thermal imagers
If any upgrade cannot be implemented by 2020, it shall be reapporached at a later point of time.
For improving the Leopard 2's mobility a number of factors need to be considered. While the Leopard 2A7 has a 15% higher weight than the original Leopard 2 from 1979, the ground clearance has been decreased considerably after adding the anti-mine plating of the Leopard 2A6M. Thus just replacing the engine might not be enough.
Space savings of the EuroPowerPack demosntrared on the Strv 122
An already existing upgrade option would be the EuroPowerPack, consisting of a MT883 engine from MTU and a Renk HSWL 295TM transmission. While usually running at only about 1,100 kilowatt (1,500 hp) on most applications (such as the tropicalized Leclerc and the Merkava 4 tank), it can run at 1,200 to 1,250 kW (1,630 to 1,700 hp). The smaller size of the MT883 engine would free about 1,000 mm of engine compartment length, space which could be utilized to fit more ammo, more fuel, a larger APU or computer systems belonging for example to an APS.
A slightly better, but also more expensive option would be the newer MT890 series from MTU. A successor to the MT883 engine was projected, but never fully developed. It would offer an output of about 1,200 kW, but at a further reduced size with lower fuel consumption. Overall the MT890 V12 engine would save approx. 20% space and 30-40% weight compared to the EuroPowerPack.
Another attempt to increase mobility could be made by adopting newer roadwheels and tracks. These could provide a larger contact area while being made of more weight-efficient materials.
For increasing the ground clearance the only options seems to be adopting a new suspension. This would be rather expensive and seems not to be feasible within the expected budget.
Leopard 2A5 with MUSS
For the active protection system there seem to be at most four options, assuming that no foreign active protection system has finished the testing and qualification phases of the German arms procurment agency to such a degree that it would be ready for series integration in 2018. The only really safe candidate is the MUSS softkill system, which has been incorporated into the Puma IFV. A prototype of the MUSS system was already tested on the Leopard 2A5, so integrating it into the Leopard 2A7V should be no issue. MUSS makes use of an IR jammer and a multi-spectral smoke screen generated by specialized smoke grenade dischargers to blind and confuse incoming anti-tank guided missiles. MUSS detects incoming missiles using optical UV sensors and laser warners. It is currently being considered by the British Army. The biggest drawback of MUSS is the inability to defeat "dumb" RPGs and kinetic energy penetrators (such as APFSDS),
AVePS launcher at a defence exposition in 2013
Diehl's AVePS is a modern version of the AWiSS hardkill protection system, which has been developed following studies for the German military in 1997. AWiSS used radar to track incoming missiles and RPGs and then launches a hardkill countermeasure at it. This consits of a small missile/fin-stabilized grenade with a high explosive warhead with hit fragmenting. The warhead detonates at a pre-calculated time and thus creates a cloud of metal fragments flying towards the incoming anti-tank missile. Between one and two launchers can be fitted on a vehicle, depending on type with either three or four barrels.
AVePS is a more sophisticated version of AWiSS and is very similar to the Iron Fist APS from IMI, which is the result of cooperation and technological transfer between IMI and Diehl under the Mutual Active Protection System (MAPS) project. AVePS uses HE-blast grenades instead of HE-frag grenades, which pose less danger to nearby infantry. At the same time optimized blast grenades can be used to defeat APFSDS ammunition by exploding close the rod during flight, tilting the penetrator and effectively reducing the penetration by a large amount. AVePS is offered for tanks with two launcher units, each with four barrels.
Both AWiSS and AVePS have been successfully tested by the German Army. AWiSS destroyed a MILAN-2 ATGM in trials during 2006, while AVePS managed to defeat RPG-7 and Panzerfaust-3 rounds in different tests in 2011.
ADS sensors and countermeasures fitted to Rheinmetall's Advanced Technology Demonstrator tank
The last known option would be ADS, developed by a joint-venture of IBD Deisenroth and Rheinmetall. ADS (active defence system) was formerly known as AMAP-ADS. Unlike most other types of APS (including AVePS), ADS uses a box-based countermeasure instead of a launcher-based approach, in which the countermeasure is delivered as missile or grenade. This gives ADS two major advantages: it can intercept incoming threats fired even when fired from shorter ranges (there is no launcher that needs to be rotated) and it poses less danger to nearby infantry.
ADS uses a larger number of optical sensors to accurately track the incoming missile, which then is engaged by one of the countermeasures. Unlike other APS, the ADS system doesn't require reloading after a few shots, as all countermeasures are ready to be fired at all times.
The true nature of ADS' countermeasures has yet to be revealed. According to the manufacturer, it does not utilize a blast warhead, but is fragment free. Instead ADS would utilize "directed energy" to defeat ATGMs, RPGs, APFSDS projecitles and even EFPs (a capability currently unique to ADS). In theory ADS might launch fragment-free composite plates at the incoming missiles or use a DIME-like approach (launch "tungsten powder" at extremely high velocities).
On Rheinmetall's Advanced Technology Demonstrator tank, there are only nine countermeasures, all of them located on the turret. But this is apparently only a proof of concept, a real implementation would icnlude a much larger number of countermeasures.
On a side note, old presentations of MUSS suggested that integrating a hardkill system into MUSS would be possible and would be investigated in the future. At this time only AWiSS existed, so this was used in the presentation. It was suggested to fit an IR jammer to each hardkill launcher, fit the tank with the optical sensors of MUSS and newly developed radar systems. Thus MUSS could be used in combination with AVePS most likely ADS also.
ROSY_L three times launcher
Last but not least, there is ROSY_L, a smoke obscuring system from Rheinmetall.It is not really an active protection system in the current configuration, but it is understood that this system can be automated to become an APS. ROSY_L was designed as a modular system and can be integrated with sensors already existing sensors on the vehicle.
Such a ROSY_L APS would act similar to MUSS, using an array of 40 mm multi-spectral smoke grenades to create a smoke screen, that can stop TV, EO, IR, laser and SACLOS-guided weaponry. Compared to MUSS, such a ROSY_L system would offer some benefits in terms of available countermeasures, smaller countermeasure size (due to the smaller caliber, more smoke grenades can be carried inside the vehicle for reloading) and a complexity (using multiple fixed launchers instead of fewer rotatable launchers). However ROSY_L does not include an IR jammer and tries to compensate this with some IR-jamming and decoy capabilities in the countermeasures.
A total of 500 ROSY_L systems and more than 50,000 matching smoke grenades were purchased by the German Army in 2013.
Leopard 2 PSO
For passive protection there seems to be a wider array of options, given the relatively large amount of companies developing their own armor solutions. The Leopard 2A7 was originally presented with passive armor from KMW, which was designed to provide high levels of protection against shaped charges and EFPs. This armor solution dates back to the Leopard 2 PSO (peace support operations) testbed and has been fielded in a modified version on the Canadian Leopard 2A4M CAN. As several versions of this armor have been tested on different Leopard 2A7 prototypes, this should be available for the Leopard 2 upgrade. In fact the Leopard 2A7 is already designed with a common interface to easily accept the new armor.
IBD Deisenroth Engineering has developed a wide array of armor solutions, of which many are in service with the German Army. The Leopard 2A7V might adopt a version of their AMAP package, in particular the AMAP-SC composite armor might be suited to provide the desired levels of protection. AMAP-SC is claimed to have a mass efficiency of 8 to 10, which means that compared to conventional steel armor of the same weight, 8 to 10 times as much protection is provided.
In theory other suppliers of armor solutions - including non-German ones - might be able to participate in a tender for the armor, if their products have already been tested by the German military procurement office - at least RUAG is known to have supplied armor for the Fennek armored scout car in the past. While this armor was RUAG's SidePro-KE ceramic armor for ballistic protection, this might indicate that other armor solutions from RUAG, such as the SidePro-ATR and SidePro-CE armor have also been tested in Germany.
An interessting note is that German sources claim that the CLARA ERA of the Puma is also considered for the Leopard 2A7V. CLARA (composite lightweight adaptable reactive armour) has been developed by Dynamit Nobel Defence for protection against RPGs and EFPs. In contrast to conventional types of ERA, CLARA does not include metal plates and is considered fragmentation-free, so it doesn't endanger nearby infantry. CLARA offers a relatively high level of protection against kinetic energy and has a mass efficiency of more than 10 against shaped charges, but in it's current form it doesn't protect against tandem warheads. On the Puma IFV with it's heavy passive armor and APS this might not be an issue, but the Leopard 2's side armor is thinner. In theory there might be an option to develop a special variant of CLARA that offers full protection against shaped charges with tandem warheads, but in it's current form it does not completely suit the Leopard 2A7V.
The most likely choice for the remote weapon station (RWS) is KMW's FLW series. The FLW 100 and FLW 200 are combat proven and operational with the German Army since nearly a decade. From the two, the FLW 200 seems to be the more likely option, as this has been fitted to the ealier Leopard 2A7+ prototypes and the Leopard 2 PSO technology demonstrator. The FLW 200 can accept machine guns up to the 0.50 caliber or an automatic grenade launcher (AGL). Each FLW includes an own sensor pod with integrated fire control system (FCS) and allows adopting further smoke grenade dischargers onto the unit.
It has been rumored that the FLW 200+ is being suggested as possible option for the Leopard 2A7V. The FLW 200+ can accept larger and heavier weaponry - most importantly it can be fitted with the dual-belt fed 20 mm Rh 202 autocannon (and 100 rounds of ammunition), which is still in German Army stocks in large numbers (being used on the Marder IFV and the Wiesel 1). Compared to the 12.7 mm M2 Browning, the Rh 202 offers greater range and armor penetration aswell as the ability to fire HE rounds with a greater effect against a wider target spectrum.
Not directly mentioned by any German source, but certainly an interessting option would be the Dual FeWaS from Dynamit Nobel Defence. This weapon station can accept two heavy weapon systems (such as 12.7 mm HMG and a 40 mm AGL) or one heavy weapon system and up to two shoulder-launched weapons. DN Defence has showcased the weapon station fitted with versions of either its RGW-90 or Panzerfaust-3 RPGs only; however in theory there should be the options to integrate guided weapons - Rheinmetall presented a special RWS to hold and fire up to six guided weapons such as the Stinger MANPADS or MMP ATGM at Eurosatory 2016.
With such an upgrade, the Dual FeWaS could meeting two of the German Army's demands: serving as tureret independent weapon-station with a machine gun or an AGL, while at the same time defeating UAVs using MANPADS.
Laser weaponry is not an option for tanks yet
Other anti-UAV measures aside of a MANPADS implementation are not really available; while Rheinmetall and MBDA have tested military laser weapons to defeat UAVs, these tend to have a too high power requirement to retrofit them into a tank. So unless the tank will get equipped with a Stinger-like system, the only options to counter UAVs are jammers.
The German Army's wish for UAV-defeating capability on the Leopard 2 MBT is the result of analyzing combat footage and other data from the Ukraine conflict and the Syrian civil war, where even civilian UAV systems have proven to be valuable for ambushes and targeting of high-value targets for air- and artillery-strikes.
The Attica GL can be used to replace the outdated WBG-X in the EMES-15 main sight
The most likely choice for upgraing the tanks optronics would be by integrating the new third generation Attica thermal imager into the gunner's sight. The Attica GL thermal imager already replaced the Ophelios-P in the Leopard 2A7's PERI R17A3 commander's sight. The EMES-15 sight for the gunner however was retained on the German tanks. The usage of the Attica thermal imager seems to be a given fact, because the German Army prefered this over other products such as the Saphir thermal imaging system. However the informations on the future Leopard 2 upgrade speak of optics for long range identification of target, thus it appears possible that another version of the Attica thermal imager with greater magnification and resolution might be installed. Improving the daysight optics might also be a possible upgrade path for the Leopard 2.
For the 360° close proximity surveillance system, there are again at least two different options. Krauss-Maffei Wegmann has used a system on some of the Leopard 2A7 prototypes, which consisted of CCD cameras either fixed to the hull or rotatable cameras located on small masts in front of the turret side armor. The supplier and exact designations of these systems are not known yet. In the eyes of the author Rheinmetall's SAS Situational Awareness System should be a more mature solution. For a 360° coverage, the system consists of up to four sensor units, which are fitted to the turret or hull of the vehicle. Two of the sensor units are fitted with three CCD cameras each, while the other two are using thermal imagers instead. This system provides the desired close proximity surveillance both during day and night, while not having moving parts (like some implementations of KMW's system), which might break down.
The 130 mm L51 gun is not ready for production yet
An interesting aspect is that the improved version of the Leopard 2's L55 smoothbore gun - the L55A1 - is supposed to be ready for series production in 2018 according to Rheinmetall. Together with new ammunition, the L55A1 is claimed to provide about 20% more performance than the current version. This matches the dates for the finished Leopard 2A7V development and would explain how the lethality can be increased despite the new 130 mm L51 gun still being in development.
At Eurosatory 2016 KMW presented a new version of the Leopard 2A7, which appears to be a prototype proposal for the 2A7V upgrade. The tank itself appears to be a modified version of the same Leopard 2A7 tank that was already presented at the Eurosatory 2014.
This tank is fitted with new passive armor on the front of the hull, improved optics (understood to include the Attica GL in the EMES-15 primary gunner's sight) and the Spectus night vision system from Airbus for the driver. This tank still lacks an APS and a RWS. Further armor at the sides can be installed thanks to a modular protection concept.
A slightly more powerful APU - delivering up to 20 kW instead of only 17 kW - has also been installed on the tank. Such a move would be required for the adoption of an APS in the near future. KMW is expecting an order of this variant by 2018, however to this point of time further components might be fitted to the tank.
Labels: 120 mm gun, active protection system, fire control system, Leopard 2, Leopard 2 prototype, Leopard 2A7V, main battle tank, MBT, news, reactive armor, tank, tracked vehicle, upgrade
QinetiQ to test MUSS APS for British Army
The British Army has contracted QinetiQ to evaluate the options for active protection systems (APS) for use on British military vehicles. In the £7.6 million ($9.89 million) contract, QinetiQ is obligated to deliver a number of MUSS based systems for evaluation. These systems will be tested against different weapon systems and will also be tested as "applique integration" on the British Challenger 2 main battle tank (MBT) from BAE Systems.
The "multifunctional self-protection system", MUSS, is a protection system developed by the Franco-German company Airbus (formerly EADS) in cooperation with the companies KMW and Buck (a subsidiary of Rheinmetall) on behalf of the German Army. The development started in 1995, but the APS was first adopted on the Puma IFV in 2015. MUSS is a soft-kill active protection system, which uses a jammer and multi-sprectral countermeasures to prevent air-launched and ground-launched guided weapons of hitting the vehicle.
Leopard 2A5 testbed with the MUSS APS
The APS has been tested on the Boxer MRAV and on the Leopard 2A5, but was only adopted on the Puma. Presentations from EADS mention a number of further vehicles onto which MUSS was proposed, mounted or tested. These include LAV, Pandur and the Leclerc, although on the latter only the warning sensors were mounted, not the active countermeasures.
Combined missile and laser warners on the German Puma IFV
For detecting missiles, MUSS utilizes optical sensors and laser-warners. Originally the PMILDS missile warner, an improved version of the EADS-developed AN/AAR-60 missile warner used on many aircrafts including the F-16 "Fighting Faclon", the UH-60 "Black Hawk" and the Eurocopter Tiger, was used in combination with separate laser warners. EADS developed a system combining both missile and laser warner into a single package. Each of these sensors can cover about 95° in azimuth and elevation. The version tested on the Leopard 2A5 tank used only two sensor units, which were covering only the frontal arc. On the Puma IFV however MUSS is equipped with four sensor units, which together provide a 360° coverage in azimuth.
For deflecting the guided missiles, MUSS uses two components: a jammer and launched countermeasures. The rotatable jammer is aligned with the path of the missile by the computer system. It creates a modulated and focused IR beam to defeat SACLOS-type missiles. In 2002 it was estimated that more than 70% of all ATGMs could be jammed via such an IR beam.
Following the detection of an ATGM, the system can automatically launch the active countermeasures. These are located in smoke grenade dischargers, which can be rotated into the direction of the missiles. Unlike conventional smoke grenades, the MUSS countermeasures create a cloud of multi-spectral smoke, that blocks IR, UV and laser beams. This is believed to be an effective way of disabling fire-and-forget missiles. On the Puma IFV, there are eight countermeasure ready to fire.
The compact version of MUSS
A stand-alone version of the MUSS APS, called "MUSS 360° Compact System" by EADS, has been developed as drop-in solution for existing vehicles. This sounds a lot like the British press release speaking of the "applique integration" of the MUSS active protection system into the Challenger 2 MBT.
Old presentations on the MUSS APS suggested the integration of radar panels and hard-kill countermeasure launchers into the system. At the time, this was the AWiSS protection system developed by Diehl Defence for the German Army. It is not known if this suggestion has ever been realized, the current version on the Puma IFV at least lacks any hard-kill components.
The contract with QinetiQ is part of the MEDUSA Technical Assessment Programme of the British Defence Science and Technology Laboratory. This program can lead to a major boost in the protection of British vehicles and soldiers in combat, but one has to keep in mind that a research program doesn't have to lead to the adoption of such systems in the near future, specifically given the economic havoc caused by Cameron's Brexit referendum.
Posted by m.m. at 6:41 AM No comments:
Labels: active protection system, Airbus, APS, MUSS, news, protection, QinetiQ, softkill, UK


Air Temperature Service LLC is proud to serve the Northborough community!
About Northborough, MA - Happy to be your hometown Heating & Air Conditioning Contractor!
Northborough, MA, which is sometimes referred to as Northboro, is a town located in Worcester County, Massachusetts. According to the 2010 census, the population was 14,155, and it was first settled in 1672. In 1766, Northborough was established within Westborough, and it became a town later in 1775. Worcester County, including the town of Northborough, is part of a continental climate. The city features warm and humid summers with winters that typically see snow, wind, and cold temperatures.
Northborough is home to a variety of attractions for visitors. History buffs may enjoy visiting the Northborough World War I Memorial or Mary Goodnow's Grave. Other historical sites include the General Henry Knox Trail and the Minuteman. The Northborough Historical Society operates and maintains these historical sites and others.


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Emil Grallert (1848 - 1923) was German Consul in Zanzibar from 1877 to 1884. He was born to Anastasius Grallert and Johanna Pabst in Hamburg on 21 November 1848. He died on 16 January 1923.

References

1848 births
1923 deaths
Diplomats from Hamburg
Ambassadors to Zanzibar

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Clients will buy the plans.
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub