Cutting edge stuff

Some interesting stuff starting to take shape. The world we know now… I wonder how much of what is cutting edge now will be considered cutely quaint in a few years.

Starting off the show, Sweden is introducing what it describes as the world’s first 5th generation submarine.  We know the F-35 fighter is 5th-gen, but a sub?

According to Saab, it’s because the new model, dubbed the Blekinge-class (A26) submarine, provides innovative capabilities that will “define the next era” in undersea vessels. Particularly, it offers next-gen designs, capabilities, availability and upgrades. Not only will it dominate the sea, but also the air and information domains thanks to its strong intelligence-gathering platform. It can also operate independently (autonomously) and in tandem with Saab’s other ocean drones.

Equipment and systems on board support intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) measures. In addition, it’s equipped with weapons to handle long-range strikes with modular design options, Saab’s SLWT full digital homing and wire-guided torpedoes, and seabed warfare opportunities. Above all, the A26 is meant to offer unprecedented stealth and low-signature features by minimizing most traditional signatures. When deep underwater, for example, it minimizes radiated noise, target echo strength, magnetic, hydrodynamic, and radar signatures.

Courtesy of Messrs. Bond and Clancy, we hear many of our subs can actually be quieter than the ocean around them, so the Swedes are approaching or surpassing – our standards?

In addition to being ultra-quiet and nearly invisible, thanks to a wide range of minimized signatures, Saab’s Stirling Air-Independent Propulsion (AIP) system allows the submarine to remain underwater for several weeks at a time. Usualhttps://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/sweden-revealed-worlds-first-5th-161700582.htmlly, diesel-electric subs must resurface after a few days, or break the surface with a snorkel, to replenish fresh atmospheric oxygen. But since AIP is “air independent,” subs using it do not need to surface as often. Saab also says it’s a more cost-effective technology versus other air-independent alternatives like fuel cells and nuclear power, because those are “highly complex and difficult to manage” and AIP is not.

Enhanced hull geometry, radar-absorbing coatings, shock resistance, and an electronic degaussing system provide extra stealth and protection. Meanwhile, the A26 can carry and deploy unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) for special operations, as well as divers — think special ops — from its modular bays. That alone introduces new opportunities for undersea and seabed warfare. The modular design also allows for retrofitting when “technological breakthroughs” are made, so it can be actively modified and improved with “enhanced stealth, navigation, combat, comms and ship control capabilities.” Saab likens the modularity to past vessels, including the HMS Gotland and HMS Upland for Saab’s Gotland-class submarine.  BGR

Beijing-based Lingkong Tianxing has already flown its Yunxing prototype at Mach 4, the equivalent of 3,069MPH.

The company is hoping to launch a commercial maiden flight by 2027.

And over in China, similar projects are getting off the ground, so to speak.

Chinese aerospace giant Cormac has been developing a jet that would be quieter than a car when traveling at Mach 1.  SuperCarBlondie

The aircraft, called Quantianhou or “Soaring Monkey,” is intended to compete in air travel with a speed reaching Mach-4, twice the speed of the legendary Concorde.

The Quantianhou prototype was recently unveiled in Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province. Designed to operate in near-space, between 20 and 100 kilometers above the Earth’s surface, this aircraft seeks to improve speed, and test high-heat-resistant materials, advanced aerodynamics and cutting-edge power systems. The company plans to conduct its first test flight in 2026.

Category: None, Science and Technology