Department Of The Army Headquarters, United States Army Maneuver Support Center Of E: Fill & Download for Free

The next twenty years are going to showcase some of the most monstrously terrifying while holistically awe-inspiring feats of engineering in the history of warfare.To set the scene, imagine a time in the not so distant future. A despotic regime in the Horn of Africa is growing wealthy as their people toil though life in comparatively medieval conditions. A once nameless local warlord has grown to become a regional threat, disturbing the balance of power and trade from Central Africa to the waters on the far end of the Indian Ocean. He is backed by powerful Eastern allies caring enough for his nation's mineral wealth to ignore his history of human rights violations to the neighboring peoples who have fallen under his shadow. Emboldened by the regime's newly acquired military hardware, the dictator invades his neighbor to the South.AirSatellite imaging has shown diplomatic initiatives to prevent the invasion have failed. The dictator has already started his attack. Ground forces have crossed the border simultaneously with a series of air strikes. Armed with next generation aircraft, they are an imposing threat to dated military of their targets. As the air raid sirens blow, they scramble to arm and launch their small force of outdated warplanes built more than 40 years ago. In previous wars these planes were considered to be invincible, but today many of the pilots wonder if they now are little more than their own glorified coffins.Elsewhere, on a base in the the Arabian Sea the order has been given to launch a squadron of hypersonic fighter drones.Son of the BlackbirdEnvisioned as an unmanned aircraft, the SR-72 would fly at speeds up to Mach 6, or six times the speed of sound. At this speed, the aircraft would be so fast, an adversary would have no time to react or hide.“Hypersonic aircraft, coupled with hypersonic missiles, could penetrate denied airspace and strike at nearly any location across a continent in less than an hour,” said Brad Leland, Lockheed Martin program manager, Hypersonics. “Speed is the next aviation advancement to counter emerging threats in the next several decades. The technology would be a game-changer in theater, similar to how stealth is changing the battlespace today.”A hypersonic plane does not have to be an expensive, distant possibility. In fact, an SR-72 could be operational by 2030. For the past several years, Lockheed Martin Skunk Works® has been working with Aerojet Rocketdyne to develop a method to integrate an off-the-shelf turbine with a supersonic combustion ramjet air breathing jet engine to power the aircraft from standstill to Mach 6. The result is the SR-72 that Aviation Week has dubbed “son of Blackbird,” and integrated engine and airframe that is optimized at the system level for high performance and affordability."Meet the SR-72" - Lockheed Martin Press ReleaseAs the drones take off a nervous international film crew in a hotel more than 3200 km away prepare for the impending attack. As the minutes tick by a lucky cameraman on the balcony spots the enemy's planes in the distance. The tiny specs of silver grows ever more dangerous in the sky as four squadrons of enemy fighters become visible. Twenty six minutes after the invasion began the warplanes are now visible to the capitol city. As their profile becomes clearer the camera captures something its operator can't even see. He sees the jets in the distance and then a flash of light and smoke - first the lead plane followed soon after by all of the other fifteen in his formation. He thinks that they have fired their missiles, but then sees in the distance through his camera's zoom the puffs of smoke were actually explosions in the sky. Sixteen white clouds were showering debris on the city outskirts. A few moments later the city is rocked by a violent tremor and the deafening roar of a thousand screaming lions as windows throughout the city shatter and fall to the ground. No enemy planes are anywhere to be seen as the clouds of fallen invaders dissipates into nothingness. A few minutes later a second boom can be heard, this time much more faint. As its echoes fade the sirens are quieted and silence is all that is heard throughout the city.CyberspaceThe dictator sat at the head of a granite top table in the situation room of the jewel of his domain, the Republican Guard Headquarters Building with his most accomplished and senior staff to either side. They looked above the massive table to monitors on the far wall. As their forward strike fighters continued on their doomed mission, little did these leaders know that an enemy agent had already infiltrated the deepest recesses of their most guarded strongholds, and in fact, that very room. As they gleefully watched their monitors in the situation room, expecting to see the results of a stunning victory, the room abruptly went dark. Sudden night fell on the leadership with the deafening silence of the sudden halting of every light, screen, computer, and air vent in the building. The after image of the screens in the pitch blackness of the room was the only thing the dictator and his Generals could see. As the dim green square in their vision faded, fear and confusion took over when they realize that they are cut off from their information of the battlefield and their command over it."United States Cyber Command (USCYBERCOM) plans, coordinates, integrates, synchronizes and conducts activities to: direct the operations and defense of specified Department of Defense information networks and; prepare to, and when directed, conduct full spectrum military cyberspace operations in order to enable actions in all domains, ensure US/Allied freedom of action in cyberspace and deny the same to our adversaries."Stuxnet is a computer worm that was discovered in June 2010. It was designed to attack industrial Programmable Logic Controllers or PLCs. PLCs allow the automation of electromechanical processes such as those used to control machinery on factory assembly lines, amusement rides, or (most infamously) centrifuges for separating nuclear material. Exploiting four zero-day flaws, Stuxnet functions by targeting machines using the Microsoft Windows operating system and networks, then seeking out Siemens Step7 software. Stuxnet reportedly compromised Iranian PLCs, collecting information on industrial systems and causing the fast-spinning centrifuges to tear themselves apart. Stuxnet reportedly ruined almost one-fifth of Iran's nuclear centrifuges. Stuxnet has three modules: a worm that executes all routines related to the main payload of the attack; a link file that automatically executes the propagated copies of the worm; and a rootkit component responsible for hiding all malicious files and processes, preventing detection of the presence of Stuxnet. Israel, through Unit 8200, has been speculated to be the country behind Stuxnet in many media reports and by experts such as Richard A. Falkenrath, former Senior Director for Policy and Plans within the U.S. Office of Homeland Security.The helpless dictator and his highest ranking officials clumsily scurry and stumble amid the confusion and chaos of the situation room. Groping in the darkness one finally reaches the door, opening to reveal a likewise dimmed out hallway, stirring with frightened secretaries and officials. So deep in the building was the central administration section of the Republican Guard Headquarters that natural light from the outside had no chance of reaching them. The first few minutes ticked away as they fingered their ways down the hall, led by the soft glow of lighters in their pockets and the few flashlights that had been found in the office. The dictator's security team stormed the room as they grabbed their leader to take him to his secure command center. The Generals, now left behind, guided themselves to a point of light at the end of the hall. An exit sign was visible at the end of a hall above a door, natural light peeking out from around its perimeter. They opened the door to the blinding light of the setting sun.As they regained themselves, they looked out over the balcony of the building. They could see their dictator being rushed into a car and it screaming into the street. Within the car the dictator desperately tried to regain control of his country. He and his closest secretaries pulled their phones from their pockets to realize all the devices were now dead. All communication lines had been lost. One of them screamed out to destroy their phones since they may be being tracked. Frustrated, he threw his phone to floorboard and stomped it with his foot, followed by all the rest. As his car made its way down the momentous parade route of the Ministry of Defenses's new complex of buildings he saw that none was lit as it should be at this hour. Each had gone dark. In the distance he could see only the dark silhouettes of the National Palace and the Headquarters of the National Police, contrasted greatly by the bright lights in full illumination of the city behind them. Behind him he saw his grand Republican Guard building, now just a shadow, backlit by the rising of the full moon.He could never have known that days before a secret agent had slipped deep into nation's defense system. It had arrived when he had made one of his grand propaganda broadcast in the days and weeks leading up to today's attack. After a digitally broadcast display of his army on parade he gave a speech, invigorating his populace. After the grandiose display a commercial was broadcast telling his citizens of a news application where they could learn more about their great leader's plan to empower the people of their nation. A link was displayed on the screen where his citizens were asked to download the free news and information source. Tens of thousands of his people did as they were instructed. Had he only known that the program they downloaded was not the one he had provided. Unbeknownst to anyone, they were redirected through a series of proxies to a new program, one similar in every way, from look to functionality to the one the dictator had mentioned... that is, except for major difference. Embedded in the program was a new process. This additional program tracked the information of everyone who downloaded it. From a base far away, an information network was being created with the ID's, contacts, messaging identifiers, locations, bank account activity, medical history and locations of thousands of different users. Subtle messages were being generated and sporadically sent out across all user's social media and email accounts. Faithful believe in the words of their friends, family and coworkers endorsement of the very real, well-known and verified national news source encouraged millions of people to download the application. This truly viral media campaign had, in fact, been among the nation's most successful advertising campaigns. His national secretaries believed the great success was due to the people's great faith in the dictator and his dream for their nation. In days building up to right now, a virtual map of all the most influential systems and people had been developed automatically by the intrusive worm. Information on millions of his people was now accessible, most importantly many of his top aides, officials and officers. Entrances had been created into the most important networks in his country, from his military networks, the national banking system, his secret police force and intelligence networks and even into the power and sewer grids. As darkness fell over his city, a shadow that had loomed in his presence began to rise.His car made its way to his secure bunker deep within the Ministry of Defense's Complex in the capital. Helplessly he looked out his window when his car came to a stop. He screamed at the driver for an explanation of the delay when he looked ahead to see the streets ahead in hopeless gridlock. As the lights when dark in the Ministry, so did the traffic lights throughout the entire city. Now there was nothing directing the millions of people heading home from work on what seemed like a normal day. It was the only civilian system affected, yet it left the entire city and all its people in a complete standstill. As he looked out he saw the line of cars clustered before him and the growing congestion building behind him. He was trapped and completely vulnerable. Most were just normal commuters but now many were desperate government officials fleeing the Ministry. Realizing the danger he was in, his security team opened his car door and rushed him out of the vehicle. They would have to make the rest of the three mile trip on foot.He wouldn't reach his destination though. Among his entourage was the driver of his vehicle and his personal confidant. Not realizing the danger it posed, he had never thought to destroy his phone. Though the device appeared to be broken and disabled, as he discovered when attempting to reach Central Command, a message was still being sent.........."9°00'49.2"N, 38°45'44.9"E"..."Heading North by Northwest"..."3.2 meters per second"...SpaceAn overland invasion force has yet to receive word of their forward air strike's failure and the collapse of the Ministry of Defense in the capital. They view the radio blackout as a temporary interruption and continue on their mission as ordered until command can come back online. Formations of tank and troop carriers storm in through the African savanna. They can be seen nearing a local village by villagers high in the mountains. The dust their convoy column has risen is visible for miles. As the village comes in sight from the top of the hill, their column reforms and goes offroad. Spread out across the valley they loom upon the frightened villagers.High in orbit above the continent a satellite shifts into position.Project Thor is an idea for a weapons system that launches kinetic projectiles from Earth orbit to damage targets on the ground. Jerry Pournelle originated the concept while working in operations research at Boeing in the 1950s before becoming a science-fiction writer.[1][2] The most described system is "an orbiting tungsten telephone pole with small fins and a computer in the back for guidance". The weapon can be down-scaled, an orbiting "crowbar" rather than a pole. The system described in the 2003 United States Air Force (USAF) report was that of 20-foot-long (6.1 m), 1-foot-diameter (0.30 m) tungsten rods, that are satellite controlled, and have global strike capability, with impact speeds of Mach 10.[3][4][5]The time between deorbiting and impact would only be a few minutes, and depending on the orbits and positions in the orbits, the system would have a world-wide range. There is no requirement to deploy missiles, aircraft or other vehicles. Although the SALT II (1979) prohibited the deployment of orbital weapons of mass destruction, it did not prohibit the deployment of conventional weapons. The system is prohibited by neither the Outer Space Treaty nor the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty.[4][6]The idea is that the weapon would inflict damage because it moves at orbital velocities, at least 9 kilometers per second. Smaller weapons can deliver measured amounts of energy as small as a 225 kg conventional bomb. Some systems are quoted as having the yield of a small tactical nuclear bomb.[5]In the case of the system mentioned in the 2003 USAF report above, a 6.1 m × 0.3 m tungsten cylinder impacting at Mach 10 has a kinetic energy equivalent to approximately 11.5 tons of TNT (or 7.2 tons of dynamite). The mass of such a cylinder is itself greater than 9 tons, so it is clear that the practical applications of such a system are limited to those situations where its other characteristics provide a decisive advantage. Some other sources suggest a speed of 36,000 ft/s (11,000 m/s),[8] which for the aforementioned rod would amount to a kinetic energy equivalent to 120 tons of TNT or 0.12 kt. With 6-8 satellites on a given orbit, a target could be hit within < 12–15 minutes from any given time, less than half the time taken by an ICBM and without the warning.As the raid nears the city, frightened villagers look back to their assailants. As they do they see a series of streaks dart across the sky. The momentary points of light rain havoc upon the enemy vehicles. Tanks are flattened and thrown across the landscape as troop vehicles disintegrate in plumes of dust. As they watch with awe three more flashes of light steak across the sky. They collide the Earth with a massive eruption of violence and astonished bewilderment. With fear and amazement, massive dust clouds rise from the impact sights as each eject a wave of force emanating from their points of impact. The waves spreads across the plain, felling trees and kicking up the grasses. The waves continue on towards the village, first one, then another and then another. They are knocked from their feet and look back on the blast. The area is nothing more than a massive cloud of dust which is now settling everywhere around them. Their attackers are all gone. [1]SeaCombating a rise in piracy within their maritime jurisdictions, various world governments have adapted to be responsive with faster, lighter navies armed with fleets of advanced new ships combining stealth capabilities with high fire power armaments and speeds outmatching their agile rivals.As the regime begins to breakdown in Africa weapons and soldiers flow out and join up with local pirate factions looting shipping lanes across the Indian ocean. Little did one ship know, that it was already being closely followed by the US Navy's next generation of naval weapons.The littoral combat ship (LCS) is a class of relatively small surface vessels intended for operations in the littoral zone (close to shore) by the United States Navy.[1] It was "envisioned to be a networked, agile, stealthy surface combatant capable of defeating anti-access and asymmetric threats in the littorals."[2]The Freedom class and the Independence class are the first two variants of LCS by the U.S. Navy. LCS designs are slightly smaller than the U.S. Navy's guided missile frigates, and have been likened to corvettes of other navies. However, the LCS designs add the capabilities of a small assault transport with a flight deck and hangar large enough to base two SH-60B/F or MH-60R/S Seahawk helicopters, the capability to recover and launch small boats from a stern ramp, and enough cargo volume and payload to deliver a small assault force with fighting vehicles to a roll-on/roll-off port facility. The standard armament for the LCS are Mk 110 57 mm guns and Rolling Airframe Missiles. It will also be able to launch autonomous air, surface, and underwater vehicles.[3] Although the LCS designs offer less air defense and surface-to-surface capabilities than comparable destroyers, the LCS concept emphasizes speed, flexible mission module space and a shallow draft.The concept behind the littoral combat ship, as described by former Secretary of the Navy Gordon R. England, is to "create a small, fast, maneuverable and relatively inexpensive member of the DD(X) family of ships." The ship is easy to reconfigure for different roles, including anti-submarine warfare, mine countermeasures, anti-surface warfare, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, homeland defense, maritime intercept, special operations, and logistics. Due to its modular design, the LCS will be able to replace slower, more specialized ships such as minesweepers and larger assault ships.[11]The pirates are occupied hunting down civilian traffic in the area... to busy to notice the ship rapidly gaining on them. Traveling at more than 50 knots these next generation littoral ship is one of the fastest vessels in existence. In little time at all it has closed with the pirate's ship. Desperate to evade, the pirates attempt to flee. Wishing to avoid a confrontation the Captain issues an edict for the ship to shut off it's engines using its latest version of the Long Range Acoustic Device in twelve of the major languages of the region. Fearing capture and acting in desperation the pirates turned their boat towards the US Navy ships. It was clear that they were attempting to ram the vessel. Warning shots were fired from the 110 cannons across the enemy bow. The ship continued to close. The cannons were zeroed on the ship and with the Captain's command the ship was torn to shreds by successive bursts of the overwhelming cruiser.A life raft was spotted behind the wreckage. The XO informed the Captain that it appeared they had jumped ship hoping that the ramming would sink the LCS. If the pirates were able to get back home having captures a video sinking the US Navy ship they could become wealthy men for the bounties that circulated among the area's various black market cartels. Today, however, they wouldn't be so fortunate and tonight they would be spending the night in the ship's brig. This was the second such arrest this week by the fleet with another seven expected before the end of the month. [2]MedicineCorporal "Cy" Fannon is augmented with an artificial eye and hand after losing his in Venezuela. The "Cy" stands either for cyborg or cyclops. No one really knows which and no one is brave enough to ask. He's quiet, but when he looks at you with that creepy as hell robot eye, you'll do whatever he asks just to get him to stop eyeballin' you.After Venezuela, Fannon was given the opportunity to be med-sepped with full medical benefits from the VA. He was also presented with the opportunity to prototype some new of the DARPA tech ready for the field. He took the road of fool hardy and stayed in to be a human guinea pig for some robomed company's hopes of creating the future of robot warriors to put the rest of us out of a job.Futurists and researchers in prosthetic technology say that nearly everything depicted in [science fiction] films is possible; indeed, current advances in robotics, neuroscience, and microelectronics are bringing the visions of science fiction closer to reality every year. Over the next two decades, scientists expect to introduce bionic appendages that respond to thoughts, and chips implanted in the brain with the potential to download data directly into human memory banks.Devices including "neuroprosthetic" limbs for paralyzed people and "neurorobots" controlled by brain signals from human operators could be the ultimate applications of brain-machine interface technologies developed under a $26 million contract to Duke University sponsored by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). The contract is part of DARPA's Brain-Machine Interfaces Program (http://www.darpa.mil/dso/thrust/sp/bmi.htm), which seeks to develop new technologies for augmenting human performance by accessing the brain in real time and integrating the information into external devices.His first major augmentation was his neural unit installed into his skull. You can see the scar under his high reg, but it's not like the brick they've been installing in amputees for the past decade. Even if they don't have to move their arms and legs like robots anymore, half of them would fall over from the stupid giant controller unit. I don't even know how they sleep. Cy's got it all on the inside. I really don't know that all works. What powers the damn thing? Half of us wonder if the thing is fryin' his brain or something, either with microwave transmissions or just because he has a stinking computer console in his grape, but as long as he doesn't short circuit, I guess he's fine.Next, he got his arm. They've really perfected the art form with arms like his. Honestly, I didn't even know he had the thing until we went out to the bar one day back in San Diego. He crushed a beer can into a marble. I thought I was going to piss myself. It wasn't until he pulled off a flesh panel to show the gears, wires, and techogizzitry that I realized he had the prosthetic limb. It was all Star Wars or something. It's honestly a bit of an advantage. I know you're not supposed to say that a dude who got his hand blown off has an advantage, but as long as he keeps his arm still he always quals expert at the range and has the grip of a bear. Ok, he has to oil himself like some sort of freaky Marine Corps version of the Tin Man, but still I kind of wonder if he is better off with the robot arm.Lastly, and most obviously, is his freaky robot eye. He didn't take the natural ones. No, he went full Terminator. It's an on board camera with multiple sensors that far outperform us "norms". He can see with that thing far beyond normal people. He can focus the thing to full zoom at better than 20/1 vision, more than 20 times farther than any of the rest of us. What'll really freak you out is that he can see in infrared and night vision. It isn't as good as the installed unit of helmets, but he can see heat, which is so freaky. I don't really know what one would do with all that, but I suppose it's nice that he always knows which beer is coldest. I guess that is a good trade off. What's probably the most important though is that he can record everything. At night he'll go through and plug this cable into the port of his eye, review and upload all the important stuff he saw that day. I kind of wonder what he does with it. Makes me really worried to change in front of the guy, but oh well. His depth perception is still off though. When he is letting the system idle with the range finder off, Sergeant has fun throwin' stuff at him, knowin' that he has no hope of reacting correctly. In a way it helps us remember that he has vulnerabilities and isn't some sort of ubermensch gearing up to lead the robots in their take over of Earth. [3]Diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa as a teenager, Pontz has been almost completely blind for years. Now, thanks to a high-tech procedure that involved the surgical implantation of a “bionic eye,” he’s regained enough of his eyesight to catch small glimpses of his wife, grandson and cat.The artificial implant in Pontz’s left eye is part of a system developed by Second Sight that includes a small video camera and transmitter housed in a pair of glasses. Images from the camera are converted into a series of electrical pulses that are transmitted wirelessly to an array of electrodes on the surface of the retina. The pulses stimulate the retina’s remaining healthy cells, causing them to relay the signal to the optic nerve. The visual information then moves to the brain, where it is translated into patterns of light that can be recognized and interpreted, allowing the patient to regain some visual function.In any case, Corporal Cy is one messed up freak, but he is a crazy good Marine. He's specialized in ways the rest of us couldn't compete with. He is special and a great asset to the squad. He's unique in the Corps and all his augments make him perfect for his role with the team... as the squad's field operator.LandIn a valley to the South of the recently created Camp Mēga a pack of autonomous robots maneuvers through the valley. They are delivering supplies to the recently activated forward operations base. The four robots run in line through the dry river beds and plains, navigating the rocky feet of mountain cliffs. These are the GammaDogs, the latest's version of transportation vehicles built by the robotics firm Boston Dynamics, a subsidiary of SoftBank. They make thousands of these runs delivering the gear and equipment across the thousands of miles of terrain in the scope of military operations. They deliver everything from gear and equipment to medical supplies and food for the local villages and even care packages from home. They also have specialized combat variants which support the front line patrols by carrying packs and heavy ordinance of the troops in the field. When on their own, each time they make the journey it is a new one, so that their patterns are never discovered by enemy insurgent forces.BigDog is funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) in the hopes that it will be able to serve as a robotic pack mule to accompany soldiers in terrain too rough for conventional vehicles. Instead of wheels or treads, BigDog uses four legs for movement, allowing it to move across surfaces that would defeat wheels. The legs contain a variety of sensors, including joint position and ground contact. BigDog also features a laser gyroscope and a stereo vision system.Built onto the actuators are sensors for joint position and force, and movement is ultimately controlled through an onboard computer which manages the sensors. Approximately 50 sensors are located on BigDog. These measure the attitude and acceleration of the body, motion and force of joint actuators as well as engine speed, temperature and hydraulic pressure inside the robot's internal engine. Low-level control, such as position and force of the joints, and high-level control such as velocity and altitude during locomotion, are both controlled through the onboard computer.On March 18, 2008, Boston Dynamics released video footage of a new generation of BigDog known as AlphaDog.[4] The footage shows BigDog's ability to walk on icy terrain and recover its balance when kicked from the side.[5] The refined equivalent has been designed by Boston Dynamics to exceed the BigDog in terms of capabilities and use to dismounted soldiers. In February 2012, with further DARPA support, the militarized Legged Squad Support System (LS3) variant of BigDog demonstrated its capabilities during a hike over tough terrain.Starting in the summer of 2012, DARPA planned to complete the overall development of the system and refine its key capabilities in 18 months, ensuring its worth to dismounted warfighters before it is rolled out to squads operating in theatre. BigDog must be able to demonstrate its ability to complete a 20 mi (32 km) trek within 24 hours without refuelling while carrying a load of 400 lb (180 kg), whereas a refinement of its vision sensors will also be conducted.From one of these cliffs a shepherd watches with amazement. These must have been the "mule cars" he had heard spoken of at the market the last time he visited the village. Now he could see them in his valley. He marveled how at times they reminded him of the bison stampeding as they maneuvered through the valley below. Only these bisons moved too perfectly. Every action was with intent and with purpose. In a perfect line they leaped, bound, climbed and ran faster than he could believe possible of a machine. The small train of robots continued without pause where there was no road nor trail, leaving only puffs of smoke where their feet impacted the dry earth. Wanting to show his friends and family the wonder he saw today, he pulled out the phone from his pocket to capture the moment. [4]IntelligenceAbove surveillance drones escort the train of GammaDog transport vehicles. They're armed with a battery of cameras and other detection equipment, able to see in 3D and infrared detection. Sonar systems allow them to make three dimensional maps of the area for battlefield planners. This latest model can fly in two modes, as a glider for endurance surveying or flapping its wings as a bird or, more precisely, as a bat. These bats measure just two feet in length. They are capable of surveillance silently from several hundred feet above the target to perching indiscriminately on the ledge of any building. It's powered through a solar membrane on its wings providing hours of additional flight time after the battery would have run dry. The COM-BATs are equipped with networking capabilities to share view points across multiple angles and a wide area. They communicate everything in real time to operators or higher level intelligence programs. Traveling in flights groups of four or more, they provide numerous layers of immediate information to troops in the field, war planners, and battlefield observers.Scientists at the University of Michigan College of Engineering are developing a six-inch robotic spy plane, modeled after a bat. Colloquially known as the COM-BAT program its purpose is gathering data such as sights, sounds, and smells in urban combat zones and transmitting the information back to combatants in real time. A $10 million grant was given for this project, which is being developed in the Center for Objective Microelectronics and Biomimetic Advanced Technology. The robotic bat is planned to perform short-term surveillance missions supporting advancing troops in the battlefield. It could perch at a street corner and send data regarding its immediate surroundings, or could land on a building for longer surveillance assignments. Real-time reports of its activity will constantly be sent to the commanding unit.The University of Michigan researchers are focusing on the microelectronics. They will develop sensors, communication tools, and batteries for the new “Bat” micro-aerial vehicle. Engineers envision tiny cameras for stereo vision, an array of mini microphones that could home in on sounds from different directions, and small detectors for nuclear radiation and poisonous gases. The robotic bat will also have the ability to navigate at night, using low-power miniaturized radar and a very sensitive navigation system. Its lithium battery will recharge using solar energy, wind, and vibrations, and the bat will communicate with the troops using radio signals.The robot’s body is designed to be about six inches long and to weigh about a quarter of a pound. Its expected energy consumption will be 1W. They will work to develop quantum dot solar cells that double the efficiency of current solar cells. Furthermore, they expect their autonomous navigation system, which would allow the robot to direct its own movements, to be 1,000 times smaller and more energy efficient than systems in use today. If the planned improvements will indeed be successful, the researchers believe they will provide the bat with a communication system ten times smaller, lighter and more energy efficient than currently available systems.Today, one of the tiny planes has spotted something through its on board infrared camera. There is a man on the ledge above the pass. One of the BATS leaves the group of escorts to investigate. With his cameras the plane circles above the unsuspecting man. The plane relays images to a remote operations intelligence server. The server's image recognition software sees that the target is a military aged male. He has with him an AK-47, though this is common in such a dangerous country. However now the man has pulled from his pocket a device the program recognizes from its database to be one of the old phones of a few decades ago. The system analyzes the angular projection and determines that this man could have attempting to capture images from the mule team down below. The event is flagged "Orange".The Orange rating triggers the server to initiate a series of queries to determine more information on the target. The GPS location was cross-referenced with the country's land listings and it was found that the land was leased to a family by their patriarch Solomon Selassie. Another query to the nation's record office of public health pulled a birth certificate and health care history information. That information indicated Solomon to be too old to be the man seen in the recording, however, Solomon had a son, Yared. Yared's age and medical information matched the apparent height and age of the target. Further investigation of his record showed school records with photos. Facial recognition with aging calculated a high probability that the target in question was indeed Yared Selassie. A search for information on Yared connected the search program to his account with the local phone company service provider. A data package had indeed just been sent from Yared's device to another device in Yared's network.Fortunately for Yared, he had no known background with the now displaced regime. He also had no criminal record and was not connected with any known agents of the regime in the last 10 years. His ID had not been one of those gathered during the initial cyber infiltration a few weeks ago so no logs of him existed yet in the military's watch list, which indicated that he had little contact with the rest of the world and with the regime at all. By all known accounts, the program results seemed to indicate that he was indeed a peaceful shepherd farmer living deep in the African savanna. The event would be logged as Yellow for cautionary and suspicious activity. He would have an identity file created under the database where his information would be easily accessible and the event would be called any time in the future if Yared may come into investigation. Any future suspicious actions by him would likely result in his apprehension.His GPS location was also flagged Yellow. In the event of future activity there, Yared would likely be a source of information if not also suspect. The Selassie home was also flagged White - for informational - along with the rest of the family and known contacts of Yared. If Yared were to ever become considered dangerous, they would be considered sources of potential information or potential accomplices and the house would be watched. Today, however, Yared was not in danger of arrest. Logs were created in all the relevant databases and a report was generated on Yared, the location and infraction in question. The report would be delivered to the Provisional Constable's email. The entire process up to this point had been automated and no human would have any knowledge of the event until the Constable read his email. It would be one of a few dozen he would receive that week. He would probably forward this one on to one of his deputies and in a few weeks the deputy would dispatch an officer with security detachment to investigate the Selassie house. They would discover the reason for taking the photo and if everything was determined to be all clear the family would be advised not to take any more photos of military equipment again. The family would be scanned with the Biometric Automated Toolset. Their photos, fingerprints, DNA and numerous other identifiers would be logged to their identifying files. After that the Selassie family's life would go back to normal, though a new mountain of information on them would be readily available for intelligence agencies and perhaps more dangerously, the new regime to come once the Americans left.As the report was generated and sent to the Constable, the BAT was directed to call off its surveillance of Yared and return to escorting the transports. Yared watched the train move out of the valley completely unaware of what had transpired. He returned his phone to his pocket, gathered his things and moved his small flock down the mountain back towards his home.Light InfantryCommand is nervous following an up-tic in civilian protests throughout the region. Numerous activist groups are coming out as they attempt of built something resembling a government to replace the shattered regime. Most are harmless and benevolent. Many want to bring about real change for the region and are anxiously seeking to take advantage of their first real chance at leadership roles in more than a decade. Others, however, push for more dangerous agendas. Remnant forces still vie for power, sometimes through democratic means and other times in the form of a new brewing insurgency. Many of the old leadership in the defunct regime escaped overseas and are now channeling money, and propaganda into the country. Enough of the old regime's officers saw the coming storm and saw to it that stockpiles of weapons and ammunition mysteriously disappeared prior to our arrival. Now, many of those weapons, along with thousands more are being smuggled in through the unregulated black market, and are finding their way to the quickly organizing insurgency forces.That's where we come in. We are Marines expeditionary rifle squad of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, 2nd Battalion 5th Marines. We were stationed in the area to ensure that stability is maintained while a constitution is drafted. The squad's marching orders were to conduct an unmounted patrol through the city. Tensions are high since there is currently a massive rally taking place all along the parade route of the old Ministry of Defense's complex. The streets of the complex are crowded with tens of thousands of people. Marine platoons are on patrol in the event that this peaceful rally turns into something far worse. You'd probably have guessed that by now all military activity would have been replaced by all the drones flyin' around, but history has shown us that some jobs, just like these, you just can't trust a rumba to replace boots on the ground. Not that they haven't tried, but after the mess in 2022, they realized the only real future was one that married the drones with infantry into a holistic combat unit. So that explains why there are still morons like me trudging around in places like this.Marine Expeditionary Rifle SquadPurpose: Significantly increase future Marine Air Ground Task Force (MAGTF) ability to conduct squad level combat operations in an uncertain environment across the ROMO for the Joint Force. Improved ability to operate in both traditional and irregular warfare environments while retaining the ability to conduct forcible entry operations from the sea.Attributesgreater lethalityaccurate identification and classification of targetsunencumbered mobilitysecure, reliable, MAGTF- integrated command and controlballistic and fragmentation protectionclimate and terrain protectionability to administer low level medical aidimproved training and leadershipProvide greater improvement to the current rifle squad’s ability as a total package to engage the enemy across a wider range of operations with an increase in survivability and better access to support forces.- LtCol Chris Woodburn, USMCThe squad was composed of the ten of us, nine Marines and a doc in two fire teams and the Staff Sergeant.Our fire team leaders are Sergeant Nguyen and Corporal Piers. They each carry an M-35 Infantry Automatic Rifle attached with M-207 grenade launchers. For the 207, they carry an assortment of goodies they can launch depending on the mission requirements. For today, they are armed with tear gas, flares, and one grenade that can be fired above, through a window or into a dark alley, bursts open and out pops a tiny little drone cam to check out what overhead drones might miss. They also have regular explosive varieties and incendiaries, but today is just supposed to be a routine patrol. More important than their armaments, they're also equipped with networked Tee-Cud helmets. Tee-Cuds are the common name for the Tactical Command Heads Up Display integrated combat helmet systems. They are complete helmet systems with a ballistic visor that covers their entire face. Inside is a broad spectrum networking node that communicates information to and from the higher ups. This feeds into a heads up display that projects an augmented reality layer over everything they see. Team members, allies, non-combatants and enemies are highlighted with a colored filter to seek to avoid identity confusion in the heat of battle. They also have combat relevant data on each of the members of their team from ammunition count to a 3D geographic mapping projection complete with possible fields of fire. The Tee-Cuds run off of the Layar based MZ Scout Systems. Scout is an augmented reality browser and AI that coordinates all the networked visual data. The entire system is voice activated, sensitive enough to a whisper, so different commands will initiate different actions from Scout. Each Marine goes through a certification week where they have to speak a ton of random lines and sentences to create a unique voice ID and only the ID's on the team can operate the system. The team leaders can say "Squad" which will temporarily open a channel with their squad. "View..." can open any viewpoint from different squad members to overhead observation or strike drones, as well as other personnel within the area of operations. Saying, "Command" or the command's designation can open a direct channel with command headquarters for requests of information, backup or to send out a nine line request. The Tee-Cuds give the team leaders an unmatched view of the battlespace and their own team's condition warfighters of only a few decades prior would have died to get their hands on.Next, there are the SAW gunners. SAW stands for Squad Automatic Weapon, which used to be the name of an old weapon system the position used to use, but being that they even today they can somewhat reliably cut whatever they want to in half, the name stuck. That said, they are armed with M3, the largest non-crew served weapon in the Corps' history. The M3 is the automatic machine gun currently used for squad suppression fire. Depending on the situation, the M3 can fire a belt of high velocity rounds, or high mass yield rounds for heavy impact. In the semi-automatic setting it can fire a kinetic impact round that can punch through walls from six hundred yards. The gunners themselves would never be able to lift the damn thing, though, if it weren't for the exoskeleton assist. With the rigging the SAW gunners can carry a load of over 400 lbs for six hours and never break a sweat. SAW gunners, as well as the other members not equipped with Tee-Cuds, wear Scouters. Scouters are units that attach into the helmets over one ear and have a small ballistic visor that completely covers one eye. The Scouters operate on the same Layar based Scout system. It can project limited amounts of information in the same way as the Tee-Cuds on the ballistic lens, but with less detail and scope. It is also voice activated and the commands are all the same. The only difference between the leadership level Tee-Cuds and the scouters is that the scouters don't come with the full heads up display and can be worn separately without the helmet. [5]After the SAW gunners are the assistant light machine gunners. The A-gunners assist the the SAWs. They provide direct fire back-up and can provide emergency assistance to the SAW gunners' equipment in the field. They are armed with the M1300 CSASS, a compact semi-automatic sniper system rifle engineered for squad level sniper support. The weapon can deliver a variety of rounds to the enemy from sixteen hundred yards or deliver deadly fast accuracy with mid-range engagements.The newest members of the squads are designated riflemen. They are equipped with standard M-35 Infantry Automatic Rifles and extra ammo. They also carry the M-483 Light Infantry Missile System. It's a small pod you drop on the ground and arm. Once armed, the squad leader, or the operator, will designate a target and issue the command to fire. From there, the system will fire a self-guided missile about the size of two soda cans directly into the air before it directs itself to the target from above. Besides that, they are boots and if you're lucky they will only almost get you killed once a day. They're really good for getting ammo from the Heavy Dog and digging holes when you don't want to tire out the robots.Last are the field operators. In the mid to late 2020's infantry integration with drone warfare became paramount. As I mentioned before, militaries around the world realized that there are just too many things you can't do with a drone that require on the ground support to accomplish. Swarms of robot jets overhead and mini tank guns look cool in movies, but 90% of the time wars are fought by you actually walking up and asking a bystander if something jacked-up is going on that the good guys should know about. When the bean counters in Washington finally realized that a drone can't exactly prevent looting or arrest someone without having their onboard camera's kicked in by a six year old, they realized that next generation infantry integration was the way to go. With that came the field operators.Field-ops have constant command of drone escorts during patrols and missions. They are equipped with the same Tee-Cuds as the team leaders, but their systems are set up to direct the feeds of information from surveillance and attack drones overhead, paint targets as either hostile or non, coordinate battlefield intelligence with the squad and to also directly command drones in combat. They are equipped with sidearms for immediate emergency protection, but their main offensive weapons are their gloves. Hundreds of sensors in the gloves catch every subtle movement as a command to manipulate drone movement and observational capabilities. At any given moment, the Field-ops are overseeing dozens of nodes all around the battlefield. They are aware of hundreds of moving objects from people, vehicles and drones. They have as close to a complete holistic view of the battlefield as has ever been available to a frontline infantry unit. Working Field-ops is supposedly like nothing else. Even though they are right there with us, many describe their job as an out of body experience. The role used to go squad and fire team leaders, but the tsunami of data bombarding them left them unable to manage both the drones and their teams, so the tasks were delegated to the newly created unit. Their omnipotence is flushed down the toilet, though, when their focus is so deep on planes buzzing overhead that they completely lose track of where they are, trip, and fall flat on their face. Obstacle avoidance is their most requested new feature since they'll find themselves on the ground all the damn time. It's honestly a little embarrassing that they are the future of warfare. A field-ops' idea of a good day is hunkered on a rooftop or in the back of a vehicle controlling the battlefield without fear of tripping over a rock or something. They come off as clumsy and distracted, but when they get in their zone, they are the deadliest thing in the battlezone. They command the swarm and the respect of any enemy they might seek.Along with our doc, the last member of the squad is its leader, Staff Sergeant Ramirez. He's been to every major conflict in the last eleven years; Odessa, Yangong, Valencia. They say that back in the day a squad like ours would have been led by just a Sergeant or even a Corporal, but I guess with the modernization of the new Corps, this is what it takes. The Squad leader is armed identically to the Fire Team leaders. He carries the same M-35 with the 207 attachment and is equipped with the same Tee-Cuds as the others. Besides his experience, he doesn't differ greatly from the two team leaders. This was by design in case he should be incapacitated than one of them could be able to step into his role.This is the modern Marine Corps infantry unit. Two fire teams complete with leaders, SAW gunners, A-gunners and dedicated riflemen supplemented with corpsmen, Squad Leader and with the advent of the Field Operators, the eleven man Marine Expeditionary Rifle Squad was complete.We made our way down the street. Far off in the distance you could hear the sounds of the rally. Here though, all you could hear was Cpl. Fannon picking himself up off the ground again and the sound of the SAW gunner's hydraulic joints. Chatter over the inter squad channels reported the same quiet.We turned another corner into an alley. It was completely devoid of movement and deathly silent. As half the squad made their way into the alley, SSgt Ramirez turns the corner and calls for an all stop. The squad darts for cover along the alley. Fannon started a detailed scan of the area. From one view he noticed a small group of men on the next street. He could see inside a few windows and could see people shutting their windows. From one of his aerial units he noticed a window at the end of the alley with a suspicious pipe moving out of it. He flew the unit around the building to get a clearer view of the window. As his view became clearer he saw a man aiming his rifle on the squad."CONTACT FRONT! SECOND FLOOR!"Support"Contact". The term has been part of infantry training and battlefield tactics for a century. Now the word has evolved to much more. This single word initiates a mobilization of a vast movement of men and machines in a worldwide effort towards the acts of locating, closing with and eliminating the enemy through fire and maneuver.When Corporal "Cy" Fannon gave the call for Contact Front he initiated a command within MZ Scout System that forwarded the alert to seventeen other commands. These commands included Forward Operations North East Africa, the Coordinated Unmanned Asset Command, Marine Air Ground Task Force Central Command, and a myriad of other units. Alarm bells rang out and operators manning stations across the globe came online, now with all of their attention directed to a small alleyway in a small city and one particular squad of Marines. Monitors across the globe lit up with the view scopes of the Marine's Tee-Cuds. A voice came in through the NCO channel. It was a woman's voice.Corporal Piers was surprised. He was a newly promoted Corporal and unfamiliar with assaults from the NCO's point of view. He'd handled engagements before, but now the flood of information on his visor and responsibility to the Marines within his charge left him momentarily frozen. Her voice brought him back."This is the Operator. Standing by for SITREP."With her sudden call to awakening, his training kicked in. He knew of the operators and had experienced them in dozens of exercises when he was given his fire time, but he was still surprised by what he heard over his headset. Usually, everything in training is nothing like the real thing. Adrenaline and confusion are elements that are difficult to replicate in the training environments without Marines actually getting killed. Everything amps up, but this voice didn't. He knew it was their job to watch over the combat patrols and coordinate relief, reinforcements, or additional assets when need. She was calm and relaxed, like listening to the weather girl or the melodic tones of the host for some late night easy listen radio stream. She made it sound as if dropping in on Marines embraced in the heat of combat was something she did everyday. Perhaps she did. As Cpl Piers gathered himself in the midst of the chaos that was enveloping the Marines, she was calm, the collected voice of serenity reminding the Marines that they were not alone.Cpl Piers composed himself not a moment soon enough. What started as a single shooter foolish enough to get caught before the ambush, had in fact been a well orchestrated attack by more than a dozen insurgents. They had prepared the alleyway for what must have been some time in hopes of catching the Marines off guard. Such a defeat would be a massive symbolic victory for the insurgency, ushering in new recruits by the droves. As Piers and the others took up defendable locations in the alley, the scope of the danger became apparent to the Marines. Windows all along the narrow street were suddenly filled with men and metal. Bullets rained down like tears from heaven.Staff Sergeant Ramirez was already on the bounce. He knew something didn't feel right about this alley in the first place. The call for contact only confirmed what his instincts had prepared him for."Operator, this is Echo Six Romeo. Incoming SITREP..."... individual troops can look forward to the JTRS Handheld, Manpack and Small Form Fit AN/PRC-154 Rifleman radio. Developed by General Dynamics C4 Systems. Rifleman is designed to deliver networking connectivity to frontline troops in a lightweight, ruggedized, body worn device. The radio transmits voice and data simultaneously via SRW. Perhaps most importantly, Rifleman radios are capable of interfacing with smart phones.Cutting-edge wireless networking technologies, potentially capable of supporting both JTRS and smart phone devices, are now arriving in the form of mesh networks, including mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs) that can provide virtually instant high-bandwidth networking capabilities for handheld radios, ground and airborne vehicle communications and security and tactical wireless sensors. The military is increasingly turning to wireless mesh networks technology for sensor-driven environmental control, yard management, and security and tactical applications. A mesh network provides continuous asset visibility from any location in the system’s range, noted Mark Lieberman, automatic identification technology program manager for the Defense Logistics Agency, headquartered at Fort Belvoir, Va..John Edwards - Telecommunications Industry Analyst - Defense Systems[dot]comSSgt Ramirez listed relevant information in the hasty situation report. The operator, not flinching and with no obvious distress in her voice, replied back to the NCO channel,"Very well Echo Six Romeo. I've secured a roaming aerial interceptor squadron for your field operator. Echo Four Foxtrot, you should see the new units displayed on the Active Unit Window of your Tee-Cud. Do you see them?""Yes, Operator. I see them," Cpl. Fannon replied."Very well. They should be arriving in the next three minutes. Echo Six, I've opened a channel to higher command, designated "Snakepit". I've also opened a channel with the other patrol unit leaders in the city. CASEVAC has been alerted and are standing by. I'll be standing by for further assistance as needed.""Understood. Echo Six out."The squad was entrenched in the alleyway. Windows all along street slammed open to become places of cover for concealed insurgency forces, ducking away as quickly as they had appeared. They popped in and out to spray momentary bursts of fire on the Marines below, only to replaced by another in another window, and then another and another. The alley was unsecurable. The minimal cover and overhead deployment of enemy forces meant that the Marines would be chow in minutes if something wasn't done.Fannon was a bit occupied at the moment. He was the only one with a clear bird's eye view of the scene with aerial strike capabilities. His view, however, was obscured by the buildings. As he was trying to gain a clear sight on the window, a burst of rifle fire ricocheted next to his head. He ducked away in search of new cover. By the time he felt secure enough to focus on the drones, it had already moved on beyond view of the window. He would have to wait on the next one to make a pass. More rifle fire cracked as it struck the building next to him. The squad may lose its field operator if he didn't secure his most valuable asset: his life."Operator, I'm in heavy fire! I need to find cover and am requesting QRF assist!""Understood field op." She knew who had said it even though he hadn't said much by the indicator denoting which helmet made transition. "Patching in UAV Pilot Quick Reaction Force with special instructions to secure your immediate location."With a few adept keystrokes of the operator's hand, a red light lit in an installation in Colorado. A team of four pilots were already in their seats. They had been watching the feed and listening to the instructions. The operator opened a channel between them and the field op. As he scurried and dodged his way through the alley, he was relieved to see the individual units in his active asset window switch over from autonomous operation to full remote. One by one their icons switched from green to orange and faded to a translucent fuzz on the side of his display. He could now focus himself on finding a securable location for the time being. Fortunately for him, SSgt Ramirez was also aware of his desperation and had sent one of the squad's riflemen, LCpl Dodd, to secure him.As the two sought some mild semblance of safety, the drones above and all around came alive in a way not like before. Under normal operations, they circle around in simple methodically programmed patterns or hovering at points spherically encompassing the squad, waiting for the field op to call for them. Now, all of them were under the direct control of a team of remote pilots thousands of miles away.Interoperability Functional DescriptionThe ability of systems, units, or forces to provide services to and accept services from other systems, units, or forces and to make use of the services, units, or forces; and to use the services so exchanged to enable them to operate effectively together. An example for the use of this policy would be the condition achieved among communications-electronics systems or items of communications electronics equipment when information or services can be exchanged directly and satisfactorily between them and/or their users.Interoperability is integral to the continued success of missions using unmanned systems and represents a long-term objective of the Services and their stakeholders. The urgent needs in theater and corresponding rapid acquisition approach during recent years have resulted in thecurrent fleet of unmanned systems that generally do not interoperate with each other or with external systems. The combat development community is calling for interoperability as a critical element to the future unmanned systems fleet. The ability for manned and unmanned systems to share information will increase combat capability, enhance situational awareness, and improve flexibility of resources. Interoperability will improve the ability for unmanned systems to operate in synergy in the execution of assigned tasks. Properly stabilized, implemented, andmaintained, interoperability can serve as a force multiplier, improve warfighter capabilities, decrease integration timelines, simplify logistics, and reduce total ownership costs.Department of Defense - Unmanned Systems Integrated Roadmap FY2013-2038The individual birds started their maneuvers. They were each taking actions for the different specialties of each vehicle. Four target acquisition units were actively darting in and out of the building's windows seeking runaway insurgents, following them through hallways and as far as the trail would take them. When their scanners found something, other specialist operators were busy tagging each person as either friend or foe and adding an identifier so that the tracking system could keep watch as need be. Hunter strike craft pursued the insurgents relentlessly, able to dart in and out and descend from anywhere upon their targets. In the few seconds since the squad had taken fire, the alleyway had descended into a hornet's nest of firefighting from both man and machine.With the time bought by the swarm, Fannon and the other Marine were able to secure a location in the kitchen of one of the buildings along the alley. Fannon hunkered down in a back corner of the room. Dodd provided security for the two. He now posted himself along the window, regularly checking to make sure the two were safe while Cpl Fannon focused on the battle overhead.As he gained his bearing, Fannon began receiving instructions and information from the rest of the squad, along with communications from the other pilots. Now keyed back into the engagement at hand, he took control of the ships around him and began to coordinate his assets with the rest of the squad's counter offensive. He took back manual control of the remotely piloted unmanned assets as objective necessity dictated.One might wonder why Fannon would take back control at all. While the team back in CONUS was fully capable of carrying out the mission of taking down all enemies they saw with guns, explosive ordinance, and maneuver warfare, there was too much they could not know. They lacked the unit briefings on specific engagements for this particular region, since their area of operations was the entire planet as need be. They lacked a thorough understanding of the area, population centers, business centers and key hotspots and places to avoid fire. Mostly, they lacked clear communication with the entire squad. Fannon, more correctly, the Field Operator, did. What might be perceived as a design flaw was actually a well engineered aspect of the overall future of infantry warfare.They used to just have an open channel to everyone involved in the battles. The idea of a flat system of communication seemed a Utopian ideal. Any boots on the ground could speak directly with the people they needed to to get whatever assistance they would need. Anyone who might be able to help could just chime in if they thought they could be of service. On paper it is miraculous. So long as you were a part of the picture in the slightest your voice was overhead on the channel. Every command, every request, every observation, every opinion, every scream; everyone was talking and not enough were listening. It got to be a real nightmare scenario. Everyone from the General on down would be barking out conflicting orders to the troops on the ground. Debates out rules of engagement would clutter up the messages needing to be sent as terrified Marines lay frozen in forced inaction. Pilots for bombing runs and pilots for casualty evacuation were all speaking and yelling at the same time. Even engineering unit commanders would be giving his two cents on what to be be careful of so as not to blow up their precious fiber optic line more than two miles away. There might be as many as a hundred people squawking at once. And do you know who wasn't listened to at all? Why, it was that Lance Corporal Schmuckatelli on the ground, getting cut to pieces by machine gun fire in the jungle, the very Marine who started the conversation. It was a cluster.So they turned to the NCO's. The Non Commissioned Officers of the infantry squad were elevated to new levels of responsibility. Besides leading the fight, these warriors were now also the information hubs, directed to guide battlefield data and unit instructions from higher to the field troops assigned to them. At any given movement these troops may be relaying information from several different scopes and fields of view. They are now the levies holding back a paralyzing flood of information. The training necessary for their vocation puts them on par with any master level technician or specialty artisan in the world, not the least of which being the field operators. They are all career military and with their training, each holding the civilian equivalent to degrees in various fields from electrical engineering, telecommunications or logistics, they might be living easily overseeing some automated package delivery service, driverless taxi or even building the next gen automated warfare. At home they would have the life, but they chose something different. By being the channel through which all sources of information are funneled, their focused implementation of command and information allow them to direct the application of force on battlefield as if it were the strings of a marionette.Want more future of war? This answer has grown a full length novel mixing the same focus on technology and tactics while providing a character driven narrative I'm sure you will all enjoy. If you would like to check out my book inspired by this answer, The Next Warrior follow the blog The Next Warrior and follow this link to the start of the book.The Next Warrior by Jon DavisAirMeet the SR-72This Stealthy, Hypersonic Drone Could Become The Most Exotic Plane EverCyberspaceUnited States Cyber CommandStuxnetSpaceKinetic bombardmentRods From God - New York TimesU.S. Air Force Transformation Flight Plan, United States Air Force, November 2003 - http://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/af/af_trans_flightplan_nov03.pdfSeaLittoral combat shipIndependence-class littoral combat shipMedicineNew Prosthetics Keep Amputee Soldiers on Active Duty - US NewsProsthetics in the VA: Past, Present, and FutureThe future of artificial limbsMichigan Man Among 1st In US To Get ‘Bionic Eye’ - CBS DetroitLandBigDogBigDog - The Most Advanced Rough-Terrain Robot on EarthIntelligenceBat-Inspired Spy Plane - The Future Of Things | Science and Technology of TomorrowLight InfantryHeadquarters Marine Corps - Combat Development and Integration: Marine Expeditionary Rifle SquadSupportA look at the future of mobile military communications on the battlefield -- Defense SystemsUnmanned Systems Integrated Roadmap FY2013-2038 - Page on defense.gov[1] - Kinetic Bombardment is currently still relegated to science fiction rather than actually being planned out for the future of warfare, though it was referrenced as a possible avenue in the U.S. Air Force Transformation Flight Plan , November 2003 linked above. The idea comes with massive logistical and engineering problems that are beyond our current reach. Most importantly is that the delivery of massive tungsten rods into space would be an impossibly costly endeavor and likely be more costly than any possible advantages gained from the practice. Given the recent advancements in the private space industry, however, the idea of space born military instruments like this becomes more a possibility every day.Also, I am still unclear if such a reaction would throw out nuclear fallout. Since there is no nuclear reaction taking place I don't see it happening. Of course I have also read that fallout comes from the churning of already radioactive material below the earth's surface which I really don't get. Either way, I'm not a physicist so if you physicists who have just been yearning to teach me a lesson, please clear that up in the comments. The fate of a fictitious village rests on your shoulders.[2] - The littoral combat ships are not actually the future of warfare. They are happening right now. The US Navy already has a fleet of these ships in deployment. My story involved an slightly exaggerated ship that is an update of the current version. The reason I didn't change the story to focus on some future super sub or next generation aircraft carrier is because of how speculative their future roles will be. What is certain is the role LCS's will play in the next several decades as an important element in ensuring peace along the world's coastal regions. That's why I wanted to focus on them, because no matter what happens, these are going to be a part of the Navy's future.[3] - OK. The eyeball thing is pretty weird. Truth be told, I borrowed the idea from Orson Scott Card's sequel to Ender's Game, Speaker for the Dead. All this to say the character who had one was freaky too. As far as Corporal Fannon's eye, I really don't even know if it will be close to possible to fit all those technologies into such a small platform whether in the next twenty years or ever. Every day tech is improving and bionic eyes are a reality even today, but heat vision, night vision and twenty times zoom, let alone the ability to record. Well I probably stretched my creative license on that one. Maybe making a Marine into a modern day Predator was asking too much, but don't even pretend that you don't want Cpl. Cy's cyborg eye.[4] - A lot of people may be curious why I chose to write a story surrounding a glorified pack mule, but in reality, I think this machine has a much more important role than any future weapon that we might be talking about today. More important than a new self guided rounds or a gun that shoots around corners is the logistical mastery of the field. Armies march on their stomach as it is said and the ability to deliver gear and supplies cheaply and safely will be a massive advantage from modern delivery systems. Add to this that the VA paid out about $57 billion on disability benefits last year and the most common injuries from veterans today are related to stress injuries of heavy, burdensome equipment. Given this information, it makes a lot of sense for the military to utilize a robot as a form of loss prevention on the bodies of future vets its going to provide medical care for otherwise. Finally, the ability of an autonomous system to maneuver through random routes, never taking the same one twice, illuminates the most deadly foe of the War on Terror, roadside bombs known as IED's. By avoiding the major arteries that roads are, logistical support can be delivered without the expense of air drop or helicopters. It provides an unimaginable scaling opportunity for the US military on many different fronts, providing the technology works as we all hope it does.[5] - Yeah, the Scouters are from Dragon Ball Z. That's over 9000! Thank you Google Glass for fulfilling my childhood fantasies that didn't include Bulma.[6] - Those of you who are sharp will have noticed another Easter Egg in this story. More than half the technologies mentioned are built of products and companies currently owned by Google.Liked this? You might also like my YouTube Channel. You can also connect with The War Elephant on Facebook. If you want to help me make more content like this, please visit my Patreon Page to find out more.

It’s three things in my opinion.It’s a religion, it’s a paramilitary cult and a business.(Scientology denies two out of three)The tax status of the Church of Scientology in the United States has been the subject of decades of controversy and litigation. Although the Church was initially partially exempted by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) from paying federal income tax, its two principal entities in the US lost this exemption in 1957 and 1968. This was due to concerns that church funds were being used for the private gain of its founder L. Ron Hubbard (according to the IRS) or due to an international psychiatric conspiracy against Scientology (according to Scientology).Tax status of Scientology in the United States - WikipediaThe work that has gone into production of Leah Remini Scientology and The Aftermath has shown beyond a shadow of a doubt that Scientology is a dangerous cult that has in it’s wake stories of untold human suffering and abuse over it’s 50 year history.Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath Full Episodes, Video & More | A&EThis is a very incomplete list of events taken place that have resulted in legal ramifications for the Church of Scientology.SCIENTOLOGY AND THE LAW14 February 1978The Paris Police Court sentences Lafayette Ron Hubbard, an American citizenand founder of the sect of "Scientology," to four years in prison and a fine of 35,000 francs. Henry Laarhuis, a citizen of the Netherlands and farmer "executive director" of the French branch of the organization, is sentenced to three years in prison and a fine of 15,000 francs: Jacqueline Valentin, a French national, formerly president of Scientology in France, is sentenced to two years in prison and a fine of 10,000 francs; and Georges Andreu, husband of the current president of Scientology in France, to a suspended sentence of one year in prison. (he first three by default. A writ of arrest has been issued against them)More HEREIt was the opinion of the Court that Scientology, while pretending to be a non-profit organization, was in reality "a well managed and flourishing enterprise." It makes chimerical promises, notably of professional success and the curing of diseases, its aim however being the collection of as much money as possible. It was the opinion- of the judges that Ron Hubbard was profiting from the proceeds of the swindle, a crime of which all the accused were guilty.France - 29 February 1980The Paris Court of Appeal confirmed the sentences of the three persons sentenced by default but discharged Georges Andreu, considering his liability much extenuated by the fact that he had got into Scientology when still very young and was only twenty-one years of age when he had been named president of it. His role was limited to the carrying out of the directives of the real leaders to whom he was completely subordinate.France - 7 March 1988The Conciliation Board of Paris sentences the Celebrity Center (A Scientology Association ) to pay back salary and damages for failure to abide by the contract signed with an employee. The employment contract, alleged by Scientology to be of a religious nature, was recognized as a work contract. It was thus not allowances which were to be paid, but a salary.France - 24 March 1988The County Court of Pau non suits a Scientologist, -the founder of "La Coccinelle" day nursery, with regard to her action against the president of the ADFI of Pau, whom she accused of having spread injurious reports about her; and she is ordered to pay him an indemnity of 3,000 francs.France - 10 March 1989The Versailles Court of Appeal grants visiting rights to a father who is a Scientologist on the condition of his promise that he will not induct his children into the sect.France - 28 April 1989The County Court of Paris discharges an ex-Scientology member and relieves her of costs. The ex-member was prosecuted for her crimes of forgery, swindling and collusion committed for the purpose of obtaining student loans from various banking establishments: the money had served to pay for courses in Scientology. (Having become extremely destitute, in September of 1989 she went on a hunger strike to get Scientology to refund the cost of the courses as the only way of paying off her creditors.)France - 28 May 1990A complaint is referred to the Court of Lyon following the suicide of a Scientology member. Twenty Scientologists ( Among them the national president.) are indicted between May and October for illegally practicing medicine and for swindling. The preliminary examination is still, under way.France - 19 December 1990The Criminal Division of the Supreme Court of Appeal rejects a petition in suspicion that fair trial will not be given, filed by the attorneys of Scientology and aimed at obtaining the removal of the examining magistrate of Lyon, G. Fenech.France - June 1990A complaint against a physician (and Scientologist) by four of his patients is referred to the Court of Besancon. He is charged with swindling and temporarily prohibited from practicing medicine for having referred his patients to Scientology.France - September 1990An expert psychiatrist for the Court of Toulon lodges a complaint "against X" for premeditated robbery and violence following repeated acts leading one to suppose that Scientology is engaged in making intimidating maneuvers against him in order to influence his decisions as an expert in the matter of several actions brought in connection with this organization at Marseilles and at Lyon.France - September 1991Following the preceding complaint lodged by Dr. Abgrall, a magistrate of Toulon indicts three Scientologists for "attempted subordination of witnesses and for using threats."France - 18 September 1991The Police Court of Paris(7th Section) declared inadmissible an action initiated by the Scientologists against Dr. Abgrall. The latter had publicly denounced the organization, accusing it of having "put pressure on him" to "make him crack up." In support of his accusations: theft of his mail, distribution of injurious tracts, damage to his car, anonymous telephone calls....France - 19 December 1990The County Court of Paris acquits a reporter of the "Journal du Dimanche" charged with defamation by the director of the "Dialogic" society. The article revealed the infiltration by said society, directed by a Scientologist, into the services of the Ministry of the Interior.France - 16 January 1991The County Court of Paris orders the quashing of judicial proceedings initiated by a Scientologist against the ADFI of Paris, whom he accused of having provided his mother with information critical of Scientology. The proceedings were quashed for failure to provide documents.France- 17 May 1991A complaint of swindling and illegal practice of medicine is referred to the Court of Marseilles by the parents of a Scientology member. Thirty some Scientologists are called for questioning. The preliminary examination is still under way.France - 17 February 1992'In May of 1985, Scientology had filed a petition with the Administrative Court of Paris for the voiding of the decision of the Minister of Social Affairs and Solidarity, dated 24 January 1984, granting the C.C.M.M. a subvention of 100,000 francs for the purpose of publishing a brochure intended to inform the public about the different sects.The Council of State, ruling on the matter in contention, decided to reject the above petition. Abstract of the conclusions: "Whereas in consideration of the dangers that the practices of certain bodies commonly known as "sects" may present, especially for the young, and even though certain of these movements pretend also to pursue a religious aim, the minister of social affairs was legally empowered to participate financially, without impairment to either the neutrality of the State or the freedom of the cults, in the informing of the public so affected concerning the practices here in question; and whereas in regard to the contents of the publication thus subsidized, the decision is not blemished either by error of fact or of law or by a manifest error of judgment; and whereas the Church of Scientology of Paris is consequently not justified in maintaining that it is wrongfully attacked by the decision; therefore the Administrative Court of Paris has rejected its petition for the voiding of said decision."France - 4 March 1992The County Court of Paris dismisses all of the claims of the Dialogic Society, directed by Scientologists, against a journalist and the newspaper "Le Point" for an article that said society held to be defamatory. The Dialogic Society is appealing.France - 18 March 1992The Appeals Court of Douai confirms the judgment of the Police Court of Lille dated 14 January 1992, and for injuries done to the AFDI President Nord orders the representatives of the Hubbard Dianetic Center of Lille to pay damages.France - 3 April 1992The 17th Court of Petty Sessions of Paris was to rule on the complaint of defamation entered by a Scientologist comedian against the Vice-President of the UNADFI for remarks made in an article in the "Journal du Dimanche." _In his statement, the attorney for the UNADFI argued for the inadmissibility of the complaint and discharge of the accused since the text in question did not reflect upon the comedian, but upon the methods of Scientology. The plaintiff did not appear at the trial on 3 April 1992, thus refusing to join issue.France - 27 April 1992The County Court of Paris rejects the petition of an executive of the "Cours Bernard Dimanche, " a private institution for remedial schooling using the methods of Ron Hubbard. This petition was directed at having the name of the establishment removed from the list published by the UNADFI of organizations linked to Scientology.The plaintiff is ordered to pay 5,000 francs damages to the UNADFI for abusive actions.France - 22 June 1989The Magistrates Court of Rennes sentences the director of an "educational" society linked to Scientology to a fine of 20,000 francs for false advertising and for not having told of its ties to Scientology.France - 21 February 1990Appeal of the preceding judgment. The Rennes Court of Appeal increases the penalties ordered by the Magistrates Court of Rennes: they are increased to a suspended sentence of four months in prison and a fine of 40,000 francs.France - 15 November 1990Petition for annulment by the director of the Wise society: the petition is rejected.Germany - April 1989The Labor Court orders Narconon to pay a young former member employed in the organization DM 43,000 for exploitation.Germany - 2 January 1991The Administrative Court of Hamburg recognizes the commercial nature of the activities of Scientology. The latter claimed that being a religion, it did not have to make disclosure of its lucrative activities.Germany - 28 May 1991The Court of Hamburg takes away the charter of association of the Church of Scientology because of the commercial and lucrative nature of its activities. It will henceforth have to declare the proceeds of its sales.Canada - 4 October 1991The Toronto Court orders Scientology, prosecuted for libel by the Attorney-General, to pay him one million six hundred thousand Canadian dollars in damages.The affair dates back to 1983: in the course of a judicial investigation of swindling, the Canadian police had made a search of Scientology headquarters and seized a mass of documents. In 1984, Scientology brought charges 9 against the Attorney General of Toronto for obstructing justice. ("Contempt of the Court.") Scientology's claim was dismissed. But the Attorney General brought charges of his own, calling for an exemplary penalty in order to discourage the taking of this type of legal action. As for the trial which began with the searches of 1983, that has not yet come before the court!Denmark - December 1990The County Court of Copenhagen gives a Scientologist and two private detectives a suspended sentence of three months in prison for illegal spying, i.e., tapping the phones of the Dialogcenter, the center for investigating the new religious movements and sects.Spain - 20 November 1988After a long investigation that was made following charges of abduction, swindling, falsification of documents and several financial crimes, a judge orders the arrest of sixty-nine officials of Scientology and its daughter organization "Narconon," among them Mr. Heber Jentzsch, international president of the sect." (A great many Scientologists were gathered in Madrid for a congress. Placed under warrants of commitment to prison, they were later released subject to heavy bail. The Spanish police made a search, seized two hundred kilos of documents and closed up thirty some affiliates of Scientology and Narconon. The preliminary examination is still under way.Great Britain - 23 July 1984Judge Latey of the High Court of Justice awarded the custody of two children of eight and ten-years to their mother, thus taking them away from their father, a Scientologist, who had kept them with him at the British headquarters of the sect in East Grinstead and had made them attend Scientology school. The mother had quit . .Scientology after several years, which had led to a divorce. The father had remarried with a loyal Scientologist. Judge Latey, in the grounds given for his decision, characterized the Church of Scientology as "corrupt, immoral, sinister and dangerous."Italy - 29 March 1989At the time of an inquiry begun in 1981 after a great many complaints, forty-three counts of indictment are brought against Scientologists. In 1986, the Italian authorities order the closing of thirtytwo Scientology centers in Italy.On 29 March 1989,seventy-five Scientology members active in Italy are tried for tax evasion, extortion of funds, illegal practice of medicine, and exploitation of infirm persons.Switzerland - 22 August 1983A former member takes legal action to obtain reimbursement of sums of money paid to Scientology. The contract is judged invalid for lack of due consent. The money is returned in an "out-of-court" settlement.Switzerland - September 1989Scientology of Switzerland and the United States files an appeal under administrative law with the Federal Council against Swiss Interpol following the latter's refusal to correct or eliminate from their file's certain information about Scientology.Switzerland - 22 May 1991The Zurich Supreme Court, on appeal, gives a suspended sentence of two months imprisonment to four Scientologists for swindling a mentally handicapped woman to whom they sold books, cassettes and lessons for more than 12,000 Swiss francs,Switzerland - 28 November 1991The Civil Court of Justice of the Jurisdiction of the Canton of Vaud nullifies a judgment of September 1991 aimed at preventing the publication of a "Reader's Digest" article. The remarks critical of Scientology were judged to be well grounded. The Swiss publisher of the journal in question who disregarded the ban is not convicted.Switzerland - 19 August 1992Paul Ranc, former president of the Association for the Protection of the Family and the Individual [Association de Defense de la Famille et de l'Individu = ADFIS], was freed of the charge that had been brought against him by the sect of the "Church of Scientology" of Lausanne. The latter held that M. Paul Ranc had been guilty of "bearing false witness, of defamation, even of slander." The reporting judge of the Eastern Vaudois district, in an order handed down on 19 August 1992, decreed that M. Ranc's sources confirmed his statements and that he is accordingly cleared of the charge.USA - 26 October 1979A federal court of Washington, D.C., declares nine high dignitaries of the Church of Scientology, including Mary Sue Hubbard, the wife of the founder, guilty of consorting with criminals, of false declarations under oath, of burglary and the theft of documents in various departments and agencies of the American government." (In particular, the departments of the Treasury and Justice, etc.) Many of these documents, (Twenty-three thousand all told.) were highly confidential. Thanks to a system of plea bargaining that allows an accused to plead guilty to one of the counts of an accusation and be sentenced for that one alone, the case developed fairly rapidly, and there was no appeal. The accused were punished with 10,000 dollar fines and sentenced to imprisonment without the possibility of parole. Two other accused,- of British nationality, who had left the United States as soon as the lid had been blown off, were later extradited from Great Britain back to the United States and were tried and condemned to similar punishment. The documents seized during a search of the headquarters of Scientology in Los Angeles were made public. USA - July 1989The California Court of Appeals orders Scientology to pay two million five hundred thousand dollars to Larry Wollersheim, a former member of Scientology. This verdict put an end to ten years of legal proceedings. The Court rejected the claim made by Scientology that all its practices being of a religious nature, they should be completely protected by the Constitution from any judicial interference. The judge declared that Scientology had deliberately ruined Larry Wollersheim both economically and psychologically and that such conduct is too disgraceful to have constitutional protection.USA - December 1989The Supreme Court decides against granting tax exemption to taxpayers for Scientology expenditures, payments for auditing being held not comparable to charitable contributions.USA - 8 August 1991The California courts in 1981 had ordered three Scientologists to repay the amounts they had deducted as charitable contributions, on their tax returns, for their Scientology courses. In 1988, the Federal Court of the 9th California district upheld the decision of 1981 on appeal. On 8 August 1991 the Supreme Court confirmed the two prior judgments.The human toll:A for Anonymous Aborted Sea Org Children. “I felt that it was strange that they would all make the same decision. Independent of their individual circumstances, they had all made the decision to have an abortion.” Who can say how many hundreds of beautiful children have died, so that their parents could pursue immortality and their “church” could save the cost of their upbringing? Even the most debased of cults recognises that children grow up to be the next generation of workers for the cause. It is above all revealing that a “church” which purports to believe in reincarnation should deny the right of children to be born to loving parents.A for Anonymous Alain X, Swiss, now aged 32, who had the misfortune to fall into the hands of Scientologists at the age of 14 when his mother, badly informed, thought that Hubbardian analysis would help him. He spent most of a year at the notorious Mace Kingsley Ranch in New Mexico. In 1994 aged 18 he tried to kill himself by jumping off a road bridge but instead killed a passer-by. At the ranch they had recommended suicide as the best solution to his problems. Since his encounter with Scientology he has not been able to live an independent life.A for Anonymous in Switzerland who died c.1996 when his father (a Clear) threw him over a cliff because he could not afford to pay for courses and maintain his family. He served a prison term but CoS stole his confession and so avoided publicity.A for Anonymous Child in Florida. In the 1980s, an unidentified child died playing unsupervised in the car-park of the Fort Harrison Hotel, Clearwater. It is adjacent to the area where children were kept.A for Anonymous Elaine X who killed herself when told to disconnect from her family who were Salvation Army people. This was in 1979 or 1980 in Sydney. There was a massive cover up.A for Anonymous Ernie X, a Scientologist who killed himself in 1978 or 1979 in Los Angeles.A for Anonymous Francois X, who killed himself mid-July 1991 aged 30 having spent 80,000 FF on auditing and the Purification rundown without gaining anything of value. Still hounded by the cult he killed himself, leaving a note in which he imagined the happiness he could have had ‘had the church of Scientology not existed.”A for Anonymous French Scientologist aged 25, who cut his wrists leaving a note which said: “Allez à la Scientologie et vous comprendrez tout! ” – “Go to Scientology and you will understand everything.”A for Anonymous Gifford X (New Zealand), suicide circa 1978.A for Anonymous Gitte X from Lyngby Mission, Denmark, who commited suicide at FLAG.A for Anonymous Jean-Louis X, Swiss, who died in his car in Paris on 3 December 1990, after two years in the cult.A for Anonymous Larry X and his wife; long-time Scientologists who lived in Washington State. In 1986 or 1987, Larry arrived at the home of other Ex-Scis in Los Angeles. He told them he had left Seattle in order to kill himself, that his business and marriage had failed, his Scientology gains had disappeared, the more auditing he received, the worse he got, and it was all his fault. After three weeks, he was able to call his wife to let her know he was safe. They are now doing well. HEW 215.A for Anonymous mad guy: “There’s a guy in Los Angeles . . . he’s well-known among ‘old timers’ because he sits in Bob’s Big Boy restaurants, writing pages & pages of reports to Scientology about space invaders & such. In 1976, I was introduced to him by Gary Rist … and he was quite mad.” He’d supposedly gone nuts on OT3…A for Anonymous MS sufferer: 1977 ” I pleaded with my seniors and the crew C/Ses for auditing to address my condition [M/S], but I was refused. Instead, two C/Ses, Russ Barrigan and David Ziff ordered me to do the purification R/D – twice. So I spent endless hours sitting in the sauna. Unfortunately, extreme heat affects people with M/S adversely and I didn’t get better – I got worse. I didn’t know this fact at that time, but I feel that those in charge should have known.”A for Anonymous Oscar A, a member of the Brescia org. He was , a follower of Brescia org, a mentally unstable person who turned to Scientology looking for help. He realised that the “therapy” was bogus and tried to leave but was persecuted with telephone calls, psychological threats etc., and he became much worse than he had been before and finally hanged himself on 21 September 1987.A for Anonymous Rita X who lived in Sussex, England, with her husband, both Scientologists and so opposed to psychiatry. But Rita became severely depressed and cried all the time. She refused to see a psychiatrist and in March 1987 committed suicide by inhaling exhaust fumes.A for Anonymous Scientologist who jumped to his death from the Hanover bank building in New York City in the early 1980s.A for Anonymous Scientologist, in charge of Op-Z for the Portland Organization who jumped to his death from the Freemont bridge in Portland 1978-79.A for Anonymous Shields, teenage daughter of Dr Grayce Megan Shields, the Scio doctor,who committed suicide perhaps c.1990 by hanging herself in the shower. Megan gave at least $250,000 to SupahPowah.A for Anonymous Thierry X: in Normandy, France, May 1989: Thierry, with his frail mind, is just out of a sojourn in psychiatric hospital. He’s still on treatment when the Church of Scientology takes him. This cult resembles a vast blood-sucking alien insect. Two weeks before his death he strangles his mother until she loses consciousness. At the age of 24 Thierry dies after a “trip” in Scientology (an auditing session?)—————————–A for Alan Albert, who died by suicide, when his wife of many years, Jerrye, left him because he left the church.A for Göran Andersson – Göran was on staff in Sweden for many years, then he joined the Sea Org in Copenhagen. He died 1995-96 by hanging himself. http://whyaretheydead.info/A for Kirk Anderson, who came into the Salt Lake City mission one day between July and October 1973 with a shotgun and threatened the mission staff because he believed they were alienating him from his new Scientologist wife, Yolanda who later left for the Sea Org and whose child died as a result of terrible Scientology child care. Kirk was the ED of the Salt Lake mission for years.A for Maria de Rosario Almeida a staff memer at the Lisbon org who was shot by a non Scientologist, Joao Cancela, in 1994. The shooter said he had ‘an intense antipathy to the Church of Scientology doctrine.” He killed himself later, while under psychiatric care.A for Michael Argue, 1993, psychosis. He became involved in Scientology in 1971. His first break was in the 1980s while doing OT levels at the LA Organization, his second in 1993. He lives on Family Benefits. He is on Prozac and Valium and states that he looks forward to bodily death to escape his situation in life.A for Tom Ashworth: Andre Tabayoyon testified that he received instructions from Ray Mithoff to use the Hubbard Tech of Thought Reform to drive Tom Ashworth crazt so he would commit suicide. Tom went PTS Type III and attempted suicide. Later, he escaped from RPF and was caught, brought back against his will, isolated with 2 guards and more thought processes were used on him to calm him down rather than have him kill himself.B for Annie Broeker who had a psychotic break in auditing. She was last seen being held under armed guard at the Gilman Hot Springs RPF (Rehabilitation Project Force) by Blake (last name withheld at his request), a former Sea Org staff member (1970s-1980s). Annie and her husband were close friends of LRH in his latter days in hiding.B for Arthur Beals, an Australian who was murdered by his Scientologist son Gary on 15 March 1989 (that date again). He and his wife Lawana knew Gary was tormented by voices in his head but he refused to seek psychiatric treatment. At his hearing Gary blamed Scientology for his actions. Beals said he had been advised by the “Church” against seeking therapy. According to him, the organisation’s members talked him out of accessing professional help while “bleeding dry” his bank accounts.Scientology the cult of disbelief | The Daily TelegraphB for Bob Borowsky – shot himself around 1977.B for Carl Barney, who went psychotic on the Apollo and was guarded by three other people on the shop. He had been forced to sit for months doing “blinkless” TRs. One of the periodic extremes Hubbard took no responsibility for.B for Dale Susan Bogen, who died of strychnine poisoning in November 1984. Her death was so dreadful that the manipulators told her friend she had died of CO poisoning in her car, after blocking the exhaust with a rag. In fact she swallowed gopher poison, and if you block a car exhaust with anything the engine immediately stalls. In 1984 she had done the Introspection rundown – isolation and vitamins – Hubbard’s cure for psychosis – at ASHO.http://www.xenu-directory.net/accounts/mary2006.htmlB for David Baker, Technical Secretary at Saint Hill, OT 3, when he committed suicide at East Grinstead in 1984.B for Flo Miller Barnett – a notorious “suicide”. She was David Miscavige’s mother-in-law, and had fallen out with him and with her daughter. She threatened to sue Scientology. She died on 8 September 1985 having been shot three times in the chest and once in the head by a gun almost as long as she was.B for Gregory S. Bashaw, 46, a successful journalist and OT7, who committed suicide in his car on 23 June 2001 after 20 years of Scientology courses, auditing and training. He was having a problem with body thetans and could not accept the help of anyone outside Scientology, but Scientology, having got him into a mess, did not want to know anything about him. Greg was a talented, very lovable person who left behind a wife and teenage son. But he died broke, deeply in debt, unemployed and beyond help, having been excommuncicated by the vampire church to which he had dedicated his entire adult life. Greg Bashaw is one of the more notable victims of the vampire cult.B for Griffee Blythe, long-time staff, who died in 2008 of alcohol abuse. Snr C/AOLA, but cracked up when her son died, as she could not believe she had not been able to save him.B for Jeremy Blake (35) and Theresa Duncan (40) who both committed suicide, he by drowning in the sea off New Jersey on 17 July 2007. He “went to join the lovely Theresa”. They both believed they were being harassed by Scientology; a possible reason is their friendship with Beck and his wife, which Beck has denied. But opinion remains sharply divided about the role of Scientology in this affair.B for John Boucher, a Scientologist for 25-years at the prestigious Founding Church of Scientology, Washington (FCDC). He committed suicide on 6 May 2001 aged 46 after being destroyed by ethics handling. He killed himself because they had told him, after 25 years, that he was an “illegal pc” because he was a security risk because he was still in touch with his father who had once worked for the NSA. The real reason was that he could not afford any more courses. He commited suicide believing that he would come back in another body and be able to get auditing. He wanted Scientology more that he wanted life, or his family. John was a true believer with integrity and courage. He believed what his “church” told him. And going up the Bridge was worth more to him than his family or any other aspect of his life. This abusive organisation, which knows neither shame nor pity, first denied he was a member and then solicited donations for its front group, CCHR, at his funeral.B for John Breedlove was at Flag Land base in the 1970s. He told his mother he had been told by Scientology to commit suicide and that Scientology could get anyone to commit suicide if they wanted. He killed himself after he left Scientology.B for John Buchanan – a Scottish landscape gardener, working in Germany, joined the cult there but committed suicide in May 1994 to escape his debts.B for Kaja Bordevich Ballo, a Norwegian girl studying in Nice, France, died 28 March 2008, a few hours after taking the worthless “find their ruin” Oxford Capacity Analysis given by the Church of Scientology. She was told it showed she had an inadequate personality. She did not know that this is the standard diagnosis. She was the daughter of Olav Gunnar Ballo, a member of the Norwegian Parliamenthttp://www.aftenposten.no/english/local/article2371180.ecehttp://en.wikinews.org/wiki/Norwegian_government_considers_prosecuting_Scientologyhttp://www.metacafe.com/watch/1964723/kaja_ballo_latest_scientology_and_her_suicide_part_1_of_2/B for Kyle Brennan, born 12 April 1986, son of a Scientology father and a Catholic mother, was 20 when he died 17 February 2007 on a visit to his father. His father had withdrawn his medication for depression (it was found locked in the glove-box of his truck) and left a loaded gun in their appartment. When he found Kyle shot, his father allegedly (and typically) called church security before calling an ambulance an hour later. A lawsuit (currently ongoing in the Tampa federal court) alleges that several senior Scientologists persuaded Kyle’s father to take away his Lexapro. The suit, which also names Thomas Brennan as a defendant, states that the defendants tried to put Kyle Brennan into a Narconon drug treatment program. Kyle Brennan was not a Scientologist. http://kylebrennan.comB for Leila Laten (Leighton) Brown, aged 26, a public pre-clear who died in 1978 when she jumped from an apartment building several blocks from the San Francisco Scientology Organization where she had been receiving services. Her boyfriend Doug Arth was also a Scientologist.B for Lisa Bocklemann: suicide? More information needed.B for Marie lBot, 48, who died in a car accident on 16 April 2003 at Buffalo NY. No further details.B for Massimo B., a chronic schizophrenic, who hoped Scientology would help him. He had already spent time in a mental hospital but CoS staffers assured him that with their Purification “therapy” he would be completely cured. Instead he got much worse and ran away twice. He run away again, and tried to commit suicide cutting his veins.B for Robert (Bob) Borowsky, on staff at the NY org, shot himself probably in November 1977 after coming back quite crazy from Los Angeles (or from Flag) where he had gone from Clear to OTVII.B for Sam Binion or Benion who became psychotic while on OT3. It is reported that Heber Jentzsch was involved in physically restraining him and took off his Clear bracelet so he wouldn’t give Scientology a bad name.B for Steve Brackett, a successful developer and builder and one-time millionaire, some time between 24 and 28 May, 2009, jumped 200 feet to his death from Bixby Bridge on the Big Sur coast. His friends and relatives said he was despondent because of financial troubles with his business. It is clear from a subsequent legal claim made against Nancy Cartwright, his erstwhile fiancée, that these troubles involved but were not limited to his donating to Scientology a six-figure sum advanced to him for his last renovation project. He may have hoped for the lucrative SuperPower contract; if so, he was disappointed. Steve was on the fringes of the Scientology Celebrity world. He reached “Clear” in his early 20s, some time before the end of 1979. Subsequently he went to OTV. In 2006, he was listed by IAS as a Gold Meritorious $1 Million donor. Some time later, a photograph shows Brackett, his erswhile fiancee, Nancy Cartwright, and Jack and Lucy Murphy (Nancy’s daughter and son-in-law) with Scientology head David Miscavige as Patrons Laureate, a wonderful title which implies a $10 Million donation to IAS, though whether individually or jointly is not clear. In 2007 he was planning to marry Nancy, but as his financial resources dried up, so did the relationship fail. As a true Scientologist she did not attend his funeral. In an attempt to save his reputation as OT, the Church told people (including his family) that he died in a head-on collision.In September 2010 Nancy Cartwright was cited in a lawsuit brought by the American Safety Casualty Insurance Company which involved her fiance’s suicide, a failed construction project, and the Church of Scientology. Brackett Construction was hired in 2008 to remodel Off Vine Restaurant in Los Angeles. ASCIC issued an insurance policy to Brackett to cover the work with Nancy as guarantor. When the project was halfway done, in May 2009, Brackett committed suicide, his company filed for bankruptcy, and ASCIC had to pay $260,000 to complete the project. They allege that “Nancy Cartwright and Stephen E. Brackett were active members in the Church of Scientology and that [he] diverted contract funds from the Off Vine Restaurant Project to the Church of Scientology.”http://forums.whyweprotest.net/123-leaks-legal/steve-brackett-ot-commits-suicide-47025/Pook, 8 June 2009, on WWP. Monterey County Herald: Breaking News, Sports, Business, Entertainment & Monterey News (05/29/2009)http://thebluemelreader.blogspot.com/2009/06/rank-and-file-scientologists-cover-up.htmlhttp://forums.whyweprotest.net/123-leaks-legal/steve-brackett-ot-commits-suicide-47025/B for Theo Box, who was OT 7 or OT 8, had problems with his daughter Jenny Box. Hana Whitfield told that when she was an auditor, Jenny was brought to my house to have somewhere for constant care as she had become mentally ill while being audited and was being protected from the medical profession and from her mother who was not a Scientologist. The GO was involved. Her father was here much of the time and at other times she was left with me. She wandered off when I was alone with her and ended up in a hospital. In her “condition” she talked of her personal relationship to LRH and a whole scenario of past and future events around this theme.C for Al Crivello: A nice guy who maybe knew too much about the cult’s finances. He was sent to the RPF, declared SP, then shot himself in his apartment on North Edgemont in LA. He and his children Robbie, Steve [or Antony?] and Kristine were active in the org from 1969 to at least early 1970s, in NY, LA, and East Grinstead.C for Allan Crichton who lives in Maine and New York City. He’s a former institutionalized mental patient who inherited a lot of money. It’s managed by a trust fund so he can’t go through it too quickly. Nevertheless, he wanders in and out of being extremely unhappy with Scientology. He’s had his OT levels delivered by an auditor, since he isn’t allowed to see the confidential stuff. He’s a brilliant artist who fights depression, and he’s not getting the care he needs in Scientology. His wife, Lorna, is practically rabidly in favor of Scientology, and actively takes services. They give lots & lots of his money to Scientology…C for Clint Coleman, 14 – Hit by car in 2003. Any further information?C for David Cary (29), a Dianetics instructor at Berkeley, CA. He and his wife were early followers of Dianetics. He tried to cure his depressed wife of a suicide mania. She shot him to death in 1951, then killed herself. – http://www.whyaretheydead.info/david_cary.txtC for David Orin Cloud died on 5 June 1983 in a car accident. He was in L.A. for auditing and had persuaded himself he was going to die. http://F.A.C.T.net’s source said “He thought he was going to die, because he was just giving up.” He was thirty years old. He was involved with the Better Baby Institute. He had been involved in Scientology for 8 or 9 years beginning in 1977.C for Diane Coletto – murdered by her husband John Coletto, OT3, in 1979. Alt.religion.scientology Week in ReviewC for Giuliano Cocchetti, OT 8, committed suicideC for Helen Cary – suicide in 1951. She murdered her husband then killed herself. (see David Cary)C for Jeremy Cassowitz (sp.?) a young person who hung himself; he was on auditing lines at the time.C for John Coletto – suicide. John was routed to the RPF. His wife Diane Coletto was the Commanding Officer, Publications Org, and she had been instructed to divorce her husband because he was a ‘criminal.’ After some weeks, he managed to escape the PAC RPF and shortly afterwards called Scientology officials to let them know that they had turned his wife against him (a common practice in Scientology), and he was going to kill her. Marty Rathbun was in a car with Diane driving down what is now known as L. Ron Hubbard Way, when out of nowhere came John, her husband, and he had a gun in his hand. He emptied it into her body. Blood and guts everywhere. He then took the gun and pointed it at Marty and started to shoot – click, click, click – no more bullets. John ran off and was found dead himself a few days later for self-inflicted wounds from the same gun he used to kill his wife.” This was Marty’s first protection duty.C for Leigh Crundall– staff at Saint Hill, who became psychotic through overwork and general abuse, committed suicide in July or August 1984 by hanging from the banister in her own house. Crundall is her maiden name.C for Marianne Coenan – psychosis. She was locked up in Pomona in 1991.C for Mark Carlton who jumped off of the Aurora Bridge in Seattle, about 1978.C for Maude Casissu– suicide c.1995 (HEW)C for Michael Carr: died in a car wreck. See Murder file.C for Paul Cooper, New Zealand, suicide 1998.C for Richard (Rick) Coco or Cocco – had an incurable crack habit: “A suburban West Palm Beach man fatally shot himself at 4:15 p.m. on the beach just north of Coral Cove Park near the Martin County line, said Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Diane Carhart. Witnesses said the man, identified as Richard Cocco, 47, shot into the water before taking his own life.”C for Richard Collins, 24, of Bristol, Avon, England died on 9 August 1996 when he jumped from the Clifton Suspension Bridge near Bristol. He was trying to leave or had left Scientology, but church members besieged him with aggressive telephone calls and letters to lure him back.C for Ross Cooper who committed suicide circa 1988.C for Steven Craine (or Crane) who is reported to have committed suicide at East Grinstead.C for Thomas Ciancio: who died on 30 December 2009 when he was shot three times in the back of the head by his ex-boss, William Rex Fowler, a Scientology “minister” and OT VII. Ciancio was the company’s Chief Operations Officer and the only non-Scientologist working at Fowler Software, a WISE business (run according to Scientology principles), in a suburb of Denver, Colorado. Fowler then turned the gun on himself but the bullet passed through his chin and exited through the top of his head without doing fatal damage. Ciancio had gone to pick up a severance payment of $9,900, having resigned on 23 November. The firm was not doing well but six months earlier Fowler had donated $200,000 of company money (to a “church”, presumed to be the Church of Scientology.

Steve Miller, Copyright © 2012 First of all, I could have provided a simple, two-sentence answer to this question that would have been of little enduring value to the reader. So, I decided if someone really wants to know the whole story of the F-22’s whys and wherefores, I would give it to them. To that end, I’ve pasted an article here about the F-22 that I wrote three years ago for another venue. I also feel the reader should know my background, and what makes me qualified to provide this response. I am a USAF aircrew Vietnam Veteran. Between my Air Force service and working for a defense contractor, I accumulated 6,770 aircrew flying hours in 22 different aircraft. I have a B.S. degree in electrical engineering, and I am a radar systems engineer with a sub-specialty in Electronic Wa(more)