#Department of Defence Research and Development

[defencecapital]

India DRDO opens centre for Quantum Technology to boost strategic applications capabilities

By A Correspondent New Delhi: India’s military technology agency, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), opened a Quantum Technology Research Centre (QTRC) on May 27, 2025, to boost the nation’s capabilities in strategic and defence applications of the emerging technology. DRDO Chairman and Department of Defence R&D Secretary Dr Samir V. Kamat inaugurated the facility at Metcalfe…

[shadeops21]

New Sideproject - "What If" aircraft liveries

Got bored.

Downloaded AC7 aircraft models and retexture templates.

Made a thing.

Figured I'd share.

"F/A-23 Redback", of 75SQN, Royal Australian Air Force

[Lore/Story behind the aircraft below the cut]

When Lockheed Martin won the Advanced Tactical Fighter (ATF) program with their YF-22 Raptor demonstrator, Northrop & McDonnell Douglas placed their contender, the YF-23 Black Widow II's, into storage pending dismantling for static display.

However, fortune would come calling from an unsuspecting source: Australia. The Royal Australian Air Force had recently completed delivery of 75 brand new F/A-18A/B Hornets to replace their aging fleet of Mirage III's. However, planners within the Department of Defence and Australian Defence Force recognised the shifting landscape of aerial warfare, and payed close attention to the US's ATF program.

Initially, the RAAF wanted to purchase the F-22 after it won the program in 1991 and had expressed tentative interest, though didn't commit due to the high initial operating costs at the time and recent budgetary issues the ADF faced due to other concurrent modernization programs taking place. By the time the RAAF were ready to order the aircraft, the US had marked the aircraft as unavailable for export sales.

Lockheed Martin did offer the RAAF the opportunity to buy into the Joint Strike Fighter program, which would be the precursor program that resulted in the development of the F-35 Lighting II series of aircraft, however RAAF leadership turned to McDonnell Douglas and Northrop, recalling how well their YF-23 performed in the program demonstrations.

The two testbed aircraft, Spider and Grey Ghost, were shipped to Australian on loan for use by the RAAF's Aircraft Research & Development Unit (ARDU) for evaluations in the mid 1990's, as the operating environment in Australia was different to that of the United States. While the aircraft performed well, some modifications were suggested including the use of more fuel efficient engines, an adjusted cockpit panel layout, and provisions to mount external stores much like the F-22 had (primarily for long-distance ferry flights across Australia, but also for use in low-threat or permissive environments where stealth is not a concern).

Northrop & McDonnell Douglas accommodated the upgrades, and in 1999, an initial purchase of 24 F/A-23A stealth fighters was made to equip two squadrons with the modified design. The airframe was given the designator of Redback in reference to the small but dangerous spider that called the continent home, whilst also showing homage to the original name of Black Widow II.

No 75 SQN and No 77 SQNs were the first recipients of the new F/A-23As, operating as composite squadrons comprised of both the new Redback and the older F/A-18A+ Hornets. As the Hornets aged, they were transferred to No. 2 Operational Conversion Unit for training and adversarial use.

There was talk of purchasing more Redbacks to augment a strike gap left behind pending the retirement of the venerable F-111C Aardvarks, however the decision was made to purchase Boeing's F/A-18F Super Hornets (with Boeing having bought and merged with McDonnell Douglas).

F/A-23A Redback was the initial version developed in the late 1990s and early 2000's, with upgrades and enhancements introduced over time to incorporate newer technologies and extend the life of these aircraft. Upgraded aircraft were unofficially referred to as -23A+s, similar to how F/A-18As that were upgraded to match the capability of the newer F/A-18C/Ds were referred to as A/B+

In the late 2000's, the RAAF (under license from Northrop/Boeing) introduced a variant featuring new engines, a new radar and updated avionics to incorporate newly released weapons systems, designated F/A-23B.

With the F-35 coming into service with the US and other JSF partner nations, and the older legacy Hornets retired out of service, the RAAF were looking into how to compliment their fleet of Redbacks. The F/A-18F Super Hornets operated by No. 1 and No. 6 Squadron were due for upgrade, and Boeing proposed the "Advanced Super Hornet" as a upgrade package.

To sweeten the deal, components from ASH were splintered off for use to update the fleet of F/A-23Bs, now used by all three former Hornet squadrons (3, 75, & 77) as well as 2OCU and the ARDU. Forming the B+ 'Mid Life Update', components borrowed from the ASH included it's new IRST and AESA radar package, compatibility with the Enclosed Weapons Pod, and a fully glass cockpit display.

By 2020, both the Redback and Rhino finished their upgrades, and formed the backbone of Australia's air warfare component, with No.'s 3, 75, and 77 operating F/A-23B+ Redbacks, No. 1 operating the F/A-18F+ (informal designation for the Advanced Super Hornet) and No. 6 operating as a composite of F/A-18F+ and EA-18G+ (EA-18G Growlers given the Advanced Super Hornet upgrade package).

Australia remains the only operator of the YF-23 platform, though not for a lack of trying on the part of Northrop & McDonnell Douglas (later Boeing).

---

If you made it this far, good on 'ya.

This YF-23 "What If" concept livery is dedicated to my friend @kaitaiga, who I know is fucking obsessed with the YF-23 Black Widow II. The livery came first, and then of course my 'writer' brain had to think up a background as to how the RAAF got their hands on an F-22 equivalent aircraft and maintained its service instead of buying into the F-35 program.

I have nothing against F-35 (anymore) though I am still salty that we haven't gone full-send into the Advanced Super Hornet. The CFTs along the spine just look sleek as fuck.

Thank you for reading!

[probablyasocialecologist]

To build public consent for increased spending on the military industrial base, politicians often lean on economic arguments. The Defence Secretary John Healey has suggested that jobs in the military industry produce greater economic benefits than in other sectors while outlining his intention to make the Ministry of Defence (MOD) an “economic department”. On the contrary, the military industry is not of inherent economic value, as asserted by Healey, but the beneficiary of an active industrial strategy that has been less available to civilian manufacturing sectors since the early 1980s. The UK’s leading military contractor BAE Systems, for instance, only paid 14 per cent of its £2 billion research and development (R&D) budget in 2022 with the rest of the bill covered on its behalf by government customers. As explored in detail below, the state subsidy and support provided to military companies operates to the benefit of the private investors that own them. Rather than a set of national or publicly-owned companies, the Ministry of Defence procures equipment from an “asset manager arsenal” — a landscape of multinational contractors, many of which are owned by the same few global investment firms. The level of public investment and resource afforded to military firms is politically pertinent in the context of climate crisis, in which the coordinated deployment of existing capital stocks, productive equipment and skilled labour towards the energy transition is of planetary importance. Given the state’s role in steering industrial capacity towards the military industry, there is an opportunity to repurpose production in the context of a wider economic transition, one that has long term benefits for the sector’s workers, communities and the national economy. 

18 October 2024

[exchangestudentnova]

𝑩𝒍𝒖𝒆 𝒍𝒐𝒄𝒌 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒂𝒔 𝑮𝒐𝒕𝒆𝒊 13 𝒎𝒆𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓𝒔 (𝑩𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒉) 𝒑𝒕 2

Part 2 of the blue lock characters in Bleach AU!!

Part 1 is here

[ 8th DIVISION ] RESERVES AND BACKUPS

Role: The mass reinforcement division. When any of the other divisions require extra shinigami or reinforcements, the 8th is the division they turn to first.

Characters: Gurimu Igarashi, Junichi Wanima, Jin Kiyora, Reiji Hiiragi, Hajime Nishioka, Akira Endoji, Haruhiko Yuzu, Tetsu Sokura, Aiki Himizu, Shizuka Haiji, Yukio Ishikari, Kyohei Shiguma

Explanation: These characters currently serve as reserve characters in the neo egoist league.

[ 9th DIVISION ] COUNTER INTELLIGENCE

Role: They prevents information from leaking, as well as information being stolen. They are in charge of dealing with tactics and warfare against intelligent beings and massive hollow gatherings and creating counter tactics when Seireitei is under attack. They also in charge of the Seireitei news magazine.

Characters: Yoichi Isagi, Seishiro Nagi

Explanation: We have already seen how Isagi uses his intelligence to overpower the other players and Nagi wants nothing more than a simple job that does not require hard work. He'll love to work in the publishing department.

[ 10th DIVISION ] LARGE SCALE OPERATIONS

Role: The 10th Division is in charge of planning, coordinating, and executing large missions. They assemble shinigami from other division and send out reinforcements and information regarding the mission.

Characters: Gin Gagamaru, Michael Kaiser

Explanation: Gagamaru's flexibility and Kaiser's stats are both well suited for this division.

[ 11th DIVISION ] OFFENSIVE TACTICS

Role: The 11th Division is the frontlines. They are the most skilled in physical combat and are the most powerful and offer the most defense and offense. When Seireitei is under attack, they are first to deal with the enemy.

Characters: Jingo Raichi, Rensuke Kunigami, Shoei Baro, Ryusei Shido

Explanation: These characters are know for their strength and/or aggressive nature, making them a perfect fit for this division.

[ 12th DIVISION ] RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

Role: The 12th Division develops new technology and spiritual tools. Members are tasked with research and collection of data and samples. They are also in charge of storing a mass amount of information known to Seireitei in their database. 

Characters: Anri Teieri, Jinpachi Ego

Explanation: These characters have done plenty research to create the blue lock project.

[ 13th DIVISION ] DEFENCE TACTICS AND SEIREITEI PROTECTION

Role: The 13th Division is the ones that actually send out patrols on a daily, frequent basis to survey Seireitei. If a threat occurs, they find and take care of it. They are the part of defence line of the Seireitei.

Characters: Ikki Niko, Aoshi Tokimitsu, Haru Hayate, Oliver Aiku

Explanation: These characters have good defence and are gentle in nature which will go well with this division's environment.

P.S: Maybe not many people might understand this scenario as you'll need the knowledge of both the anime, but I'll be happy if people could enjoy it^^ I tried to include as many characters as I could but there isn't enough information.

[thedjpositive-blog]

Capital Pride & the Gay Purge in Canada

Capital Pride wrapped up with the Pride Parade just yesterday in Ottawa. It was a great turn-out, however a number of companies, public institutions, and the current governing political party dropped from participating in Pride over a statement released by the organizers condemning the 'Pink-washing' of the war in Gaza and expressing solidarity with Palestinians. In this context I thought it would be worth sharing a bit of history on Capital Pride and its connection to the Gay Purge.

In the 17the century, European colonists brought with them to Turtle Island a view of same-sex relations as "sinful" and an idealization of chastity based on certain Biblical interpretations. This view remained fairly consistent in European ontology until the 19th century, when sexuality began to be studied from the perspective of medical science. Rather than being viewed as a sin, same-sex attraction began to be treated as a "mental disorder," and would be classified as such in the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders until 1973. This idea of same-sex attraction as a "mental disorder" also took root in Canada, and it became further stigmatized as a "security concern" in the context of the Cold War.

The Canadian federal government authorized in 1948 the investigative powers of a Security Panel that would report directly to Cabinet. The Security Panel deliberately targeted "homosexuals" as a "national security threat" because this "character weakness" supposedly left same-sex attracted persons open to blackmail by Soviet agents—this laid the groundwork for what would become known as 'the Gay Purge.' More than 9,000 Canadians were spied on, interrogated, and ultimately purged from the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF), the RCMP federal police, and the federal public service between the 1950s to the mid 1990s.

The Security Panel also mandated research on "the detection of homosexuals" that relied on the same assumption of same-sex attraction as a mental disorder. This directly led to the Security Panel approving in 1961 Professor F.R. Wake of Carleton University's development of the infamous 'Fruit Machine.' For four years Wake's team of psychiatrists and psychologists, and the departments of National Defence and Health & Welfare, used the machine to intrusively interrogate suspected queer members of the CAF , but were ultimately unable to make the machine reliably work (due in part to a lack of queer persons volunteering to act as control subjects. Also because it was based on faulty pseudo-science).

At the same time as the Purge was being carried out, there was a greater effort by the Canadian government to criminalize same-sex attraction and identity. Legislative changes in 1952 prevented "homosexuals" from immigrating to Canada due to "security concerns." The following year "buggery" and "gross indecency" were added as triggering offenses to the Canadian Criminal Code. In 1961 the Dangerous Sexual Offender legislation made consensual same-sex relations grounds for indefinite detention by the police. However, the Canadian queer community pushed back.

It began with the 1971 'We Demand' rally in Ottawa—the first large scale gay rights demonstration in the country—which included amongst their demands: that the RCMP disclose whether that had been spying on queer people working in the government, and to allow same-sex attracted persons to work in the military. The 'We Demand' rally is the reason why Pride is celebrated in August in Ottawa, rather than June. In 1985, Section 15 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms came into effect, which provided protection from discrimination on various grounds—including sexual orientation. In 1990, Military Police Officer Michelle Douglas, released from the CAF the year prior as a result of the Purge, took the federal government to court on the grounds of breaching her Charter rights under Sec(15). She won a settlement that saw the policy of discrimination against same-sex attracted persons in the CAF revoked.

By 2003 most Canadian provinces and territories had legalized same-sex marriage, and in June 2005 the Civil Marriage Act extended this right to all Canadians. Despite these accomplishments the work of the 2SLGBTQIA+ movement in Canada is not done. For example, the legal protection of transgender persons continues to be inadequate—see for instance the Alberta government's recent "Parental Rights" bill which has been criticized for endangering trans youth. Pride, including Capital Pride in Ottawa, has always been about solidarity and resistance to authorities that would suppress it. This is what enabled the movement to push back and ultimately overcome the Purge; it did not need the companies, the public institutions, nor the political parties 53 years ago—it does not need them now.

The Security Panel may be disbanded, the Fruit Machine dismantled, and the legal grounds for discrimination dismissed, but the struggle for equality continues until everyone is safe to freely live and express their identities as they are.

Sources:

Introduction to the History of the Queer Movement. Cyndia Cole, Val Innes, & Ellen Woodsworth. https://www.jstor.org/stable/45136196

"Character Weakness" and "Fruit Machines": Towards an Analysis of the Anti-Homosexual Security Campaign in the Canadian Civil Service. Gary Kinsman. (Note: a major scholar in this field, see also his book with Patrizia Gentile from UBC press: The Canadian War on Queers: National Security as Sexual Regulation).

For more info on the Gay Purge in Canada, highly recommend Sarah Fodey's Canadian Screen Awards nominated documentary, The Fruit Machine, available on YouTube (TW: addresses experiences of homophobia, biphobia, SA.) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5dLEn0h4hJI

[cinnabarsaga]

Some conceptual development on FERA.

The Federal Esoteric Research (and formerly Defence) Agency, are one of two antagonists in the Cinnabar Saga.

The Agency has its origins as a charter organisation during Lincoln’s presidency, tasked with researching the paranormal, and countering the confederacy’s efforts to wage unconventional warfare. After the war, the institute would loose prestige and power in obscurity. By the 1920’s, it had become a skeleton organisation, and failed to prevent a major accident from occurring in the midwest.

As a result of a congressional investigation, the Prohibition on magic was passed in a closed door session. Along with it’s passage was the authorisation act, establishing the Bureau of Cryptonomy. The BOC, alongside the Bureau of investigation, sought to stem the rising tide of organised crime. However, like the BOI, agents required local jurisdictions to carry out an arrest. Unarmed agents were dying at the hands of the mob, forcing congress to act, in 1933, granting both agencies greater police power.

During WWII, it was tasked with establishing a military command to counter the Nazi Occult movement. Many agents were conscripted into the US army Esoteric command, and fought against the forces of darkness on the ground. Far greater catastrophes were averted by their actions.

With the end of the war, and the rising threat posed by the new cold war against communism, the Kennedy administration, under secretary of Defense McNamara, reorganised the BOC, into the Defense Esoteric Research Agency, which alongside other defense reorganisation projects which created the Defense Intelligence Agency, and Defense Logistics Agency.

DERA would be tasked with countering the nth domain war-fighting capacity of the Soviet Union, as well as maintaining the veil of secrecy around magic, thaumaturgy, and esoterica; in addition to exploring cryptozoology, crypto-archeology, and it’s continuing mission of storing artefacts of power. Throughout the later half of the 20th century, it would expand in budget and capability as the lesser known intelligence & law enforcement community in America.

With the end of the cold war, its primary mission changed, and it dropped defense, becoming the “Federal Esoteric Research Agency” or FERA. While not explicitly a defense agency, it retained its law enforcement role, expanding after it’s departmental reshuffling into the Department of Homeland Security, in the wake of the 9-11 terror attacks.

In its current role, it has an expanded mission of antiterrorism, in addition to its original task of research, and enforcement of the expanded secrets act.

In order to maintain its secrecy, the agency is rarely addressed by its full name. Instead, it is often masquerading as the “Federal Emergency Response Agency,” “Federal Enviromental Remediation Agency,” or some variation of its acronym.

The agency itself recruits from a wide range of sources, from the FBI, CIA, Marines, NASA, NOAA, ivy league, and more. Internally the agency is divided between office, field, and archives. Field agents typically are law enforcement, or soldiers. Office is usually scientists, engineers, scholars, analysts. Archivist typically are scholars, and researchers.

[pigeonwhumps]

Earth Security memorandum

Operation Badger masterlist

Everything taglist: @painful-pooch @i-eat-worlds @a-funeral-romance @rainydaywhump

Randowhump's Birthday Whump Event prompt 3: living weapon

Just a lil late. This is more scene setting than actual whump, I think, but anyway.

Adding this to its own masterlist bc there's two parts to it and it bothers me adding it to the unconnected whump masterlist (or whatever I called it) when it's clearly not that but idk how much I'll write for it. Just as an fyi, for once. I'm enjoying this though, I'll write more at some point.

In the year 2037, Earth is invaded by the Stex. 14 years later, superpowers start appearing in teenagers, and are apparently humanity's best defence against the aliens. What is Earth Security to do but train these people up as weapons?

679 words

CWs: implied minor whump, dehumanisation, referring to people as assets, living weapons, multiple whumpees, death sentence

Earth Security memorandum

Re: Trial of Operation Badger

Date: 11/06/2075

Since the invasion of the Stex in the year 2039, new methods of defence have been required. Attacks remain ongoing, and Earth security remains diligent and proactive in developing new counters to them. By far the most successful are the adrayntus powers.

22 years ago, it was discovered that unheard-of powers were emerging in seemingly ordinary teenagers. Initial research revealed that they had developed from high levels of exposure in utero to adrayntine, an element regularly used by the Stex. These powers were split into three categories:

Ad-traduki: Stex language translation

Ad-mensoj: Stex telepathy and behaviour prediction

Ad-mekanika: Stex mechanical expertise

(See file XTR-3L for more information on the adrayntus powers)

It was proposed that these people could prove useful assets in mankind's fight against the enemy, and a 20 year trial was implemented to study this. A summary of the trial, results and immediate recommendations are below (see file XTR-5P for a more detailed report and file XTR-5O for raw statistics).

Adrayntus powers start to develop in all genders in the early stages of puberty, usually between the ages of 10-14. Once they reveal themselves, the potential asset is offered training and employment to assist with the war effort. Legal guardians of the intended asset are persuaded via various methods (see file XTR-4P for examples) to allow this – rates of acceptance of our training by legal guardians are at 98%.

Assets are boarded at specialist institutions (see file XTR-4R) for ongoing education and training. They study Esperanto, mathematics, human and Stex-related sciences, develop their own powers, undergo basic military and intelligence training, and are trained on how to survive encounters with and capture by the Stex. See file XTR-4X for example curriculums.

Upon arrival and during their first few months at one of our centres, the assets are divided into teams. Each consists of one tradukinto (ad-traduki), one mensoleganto (ad-mensoj), and one mekanikisto (ad-mekanika), plus one non-powered asset of around the same age, recruited from suitable candidates (see file XTR-6A for detail on suitable candidates and recruitment processes). One handler is allocated per team, to be seconded from regular military service.

Upon reaching legal majority, the asset signs a contract of their own to allow for their continuing training and more advanced employment. They transfer to the adult subdivision of their respective department division and continue to assist the war effort for as long as they are willing and able.

Recruitment of adrayntus-powered assets has been ongoing throughout the trial period, and numbers have been sustainable. The core group of twelve original assets recruited during the first year of the trial developed extremely well during their training, and were divided early on into four working teams. Out of these, two are still active. The third has been disbanded due to casualties, its remaining members continuing to be active in R&D, and the last ordered for pulping following desertion. Efforts to ensure continued loyalty have been stepped up and within the trial period there has been a desertion rate of 1.2% of recruits. During the trial, 501 adrayntus-powered assets and 167 non-powered assets were recruited globally, organised into 167 teams. There has been a loss of 37% of recruits due to Stex activity, and 15% during training.

Despite the extra cost of training adrayntus-powered assets, teams including them are up to 71% more effective than conventional soldiers in combating the Stex, and they appear to boost the effectiveness of the non-powered asset on their team as well. The trial has been very effective, and it is strongly recommended that the use of adrayntus-powered assets is continued by Earth security.

Signed:

Astrid Sjögren

Astrid Sjögren, Head of Operation Badger, Earth Security

-----

Earth Security evaluation

Re: Earth Security Memorandum Re: Trial of Operation Badger

Date: 12/08/2075

After considering this memorandum and associated files and evidence, we concur with the conclusions made above. This is a formal confirmation allowing the continuation of the training and use of adrayntus-powered assets. Operation Badger is to continue until further notice.

Signed:

Arthur Carver

Arthur Carver, Chief of Operations, Earth Security

[stephensmithuk]

The Bruce-Partington Plans

Published in 1908, this is one from the His Last Bow collection. The international context i.e. the growing tensions with Germany, should be borne in mind when reading this.

This is the second and final appearance of Mycroft Holmes in the canon.

This is our third Violet! ACD likes the name, clearly.

This video shows the development of the Underground over time. The 1894 map does not include some of the then "mainline" services, like the one going up to Epping and Ongar, that would be incorporated into the network later on.

The Woolwich Arsenal was a massive munitions factory and research site located on the south bank of the Thames. It peaked in size during the First World War and then declined after that. It ceased being a factory in 1967 and stopped being a military site in 1994. Much of the site has been redeveloped - the Eastern half becoming Thamesmead - or repurposed.

Both attempts at a museum on the site were short-lived, sadly.

Woolwich Arsenal station is today served by the Docklands Light Railway and Southeastern trains; the Elizabeth Line station at Woolwich is a 200m walk away.

The most notable cultural legacy of the site was its works football team. Originally called Dial Square on its 1886 foundation, it turned professional in 1891 (the first London club to do so) and eventually moved north of the river in 1913 due to financial difficulties. You may well be familiar with the club's current name - Arsenal.

Aldgate was one of the former gates of the London Wall and gave its name to the local area, but the gate is now completely gone.

Aldgate station is today the terminus of the Metropolitan Line served by the Circle Line; its platforms are under a glass canopy with gaps to allow for air to get in and smoke to get out. Pretty nice station, but not very convenient for anywhere major, as it's a bit of a walk to Fenchurch Street.

The London Underground is divided between sub-surface lines dug using a "cut-and-cover" methods (dig up street, build railway, put street back on top) with tunnel dimensions big enough for regular mainline trains and deep-level lines done by manually digging underground, with resulting smaller diameters.

A variety of "circle routes" operated on now-LU lines at the time operated by companies including the Great Western Railway. More info can be found here.

Train tickets at this time were generally small cardboard ones about the size of a thumb. You can find a history of London transport tickets here.

The Metropolitan Railway rolling stock at the time generally consisted of closed compartment carriages i.e. doors on each side with no link to other compartments. It was perfectly possible for a door not secured properly to come open and someone to fall out if leaning on it. The job of the guard and station staff would be to check all the doors were properly shut.

This also had safety implications for passengers, especially female ones late at night and women-only compartments existed because of this. The emergency alarm on British trains was fitted as a measure following the 1864 murder of Thomas Briggs, in such a compartment.

Closed compartment carriages remained present into the first-generation British Railways electric multiple unit designs. In 1988, a woman named Deborah Linsley was murdered in one, with an au pair being criticised at the inquest for not pulling the cord. Her murderer has never been caught. The remaining stock was withdrawn from late night service afterwards and marked with a red line on the carriage, shortly afterwards going entirely as sliding-door stock replace.

The Naval Estimates were basically the budget requests presented to Parliament for their approval, the Admiralty being its own department until 1964, when it merged with four other departments to become the Ministry of Defence.

The first attack by a submersible occurred in 1776 during the American War of Independence, with an attempt to attach explosives to a British ship by the American Sergeant Ezra Lee using a one-man vessel called Turtle. It and other attempts failed; the submarine's ultimate fate after the sloop carrying it was sunk is unknown.

The first successful sinking of a vessel by a submarine was in 1864, by the Confederate vessel H. L. Hunley on the USS Housatonic. The former was lost with all hands shortly afterwards. It was found in 1995, raised in 2000 and is now part of a museum.

Hugo Oberstein is mentioned in "The Second Stain", which chronologists generally put in 1888. The "vibes" putting it in the 1900s don't work in light of the ending of this story.

Various openings were built in the underground bit subsurface lines of the Underground for ventilation purposes; in fact a majority of the network is open-air. The deep-level lines relied on various ventilation shafts and air being pushed in the trains, with the result that many parts of the networks are today pretty warm in summer.

Gloucester Road station is today on the Circle, District and Piccadilly Lines, the last of these arriving in 1906 in two deep-level platforms. The most notable feature of the station is the disused platform with unusual temporary art installations on it.

Underground steam locomotives were fitted with condensing boilers to reduce steam emissions, but this did nothing to deal with the soot and conditions could be fairly unpleasant by any standards. The sub-surface lines would be gradually electrified from the 1900s; the deep levels had to be electric from the get-go.

Pierrot is a stock "sad clown" character from pantomime and comedic theatre. He still turns up in various guises today, including a notable turn in Cowboy Bebop.

The "certain gracious lady" who gives Sherlock Holmes the emerald tiepin is generally assumed to be Queen Victoria herself. She was reluctant to use Buckingham Palace following her husband's death in 1861 and conducted most of her official business out of Windsor Castle instead, becoming known as the "Widow of Windsor".

[libertineangel]

The space station Delmar found in Uv-Xantt space belonged to an esoteric group calling themselves the Covenant of the Shroud, dedicated to pondering the depths of a mysterious plane of existence seemingly beyond the observable universe. They spoke even of possessing the ability of foresight, and such a possibility intrigued the Order enough for them to pay for what the Teachers could tell them. They spoke of an imminent visit from a traveller, and sure enough there were three.

First, a pilgrim ship came through, asking for supplies to assist their long journey to commune with their god from a point in Hesukar space. The Order gave them support, of course, and they continued on their way until reaching their site of pilgrimage, and thanked the Order profusely for the wondrous experience they had helped facilitate.

During the pilgrim's journey, contact was made with another roving fleet, this time a travelling caravan known as Racket Industrial Enterprises; they were made welcome, but had no wares to interest the Order, though as they departed they abandoned a defective ship within which nearby personnel found blueprints that could well serve as an upgrade to the Order's propulsion systems.

The third visitor was the most enigmatic, being simply a large metal cylinder - it somehow travelled the galaxy independently, seemingly from even further afield judging by the ancient, heavily marked metal of its surface; it remained in orbit above Lansid for a time before departing, with no discernible communication or intentions.

Traversing further upward through the galaxy, S. Ryas Etov found the borders of another nation beyond those of the Uv-Xantt: the Royal Uthabulan Planet-States, a theocratic star empire that held martial prowess and battle in highest esteem. The Order were glad to have them some distance away, though could not ignore the fact that most of their neighbours were not exactly neighbourly - as such, they resolved to construct a second defence fleet, led by the Commander S. Enish Pellen.

Having followed the mysterious instructions as to the assignments of their research staff for exactly a decade, the Order was unsure as to what would happen once they ran out; on that day, a small rift in spacetime appeared directly over Adnor, and Tosa Hiroh ordered that the instructions be sent through it. An unusual sense of calm accomplishment came over the Order's scientists, and the loop was completed. The instructions proved effective, too - among various developments, perhaps most significant was the development of cloaking technology, allowing the Order to hide its observation stations from pre-spacefaring societies, and possibly to covertly explore the territories of the other star nations, provided they did not have comparable detection equipment.

[mariacallous]

The US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control added Belgrade-based companies Goodforwarding, Kominvex, Research and Development Company TR Industries, plus Novi Banovci-based Soha Info, to its sanctions list on Friday as Washington imposed restrictions on hundreds more individuals and entities it believes are aiding Russia’s war effort in Ukraine.

The US also blacklisted Dragan Dragas, owner of Soha Info and Marko Svorcan, owner of Kominvex.

The US Treasury said that the two individuals and three of the companies were sanctioned by the US Office of Foreign Assets Control for operating or having operated in a sector of the Russian economy to support Moscow’s military-industrial base. The reasons for sanctioning Goodforwarding were not given.

Radio Free Europe reported in November 2023 that Soha Info, Komnivex and Goodforwarding have been exporting electronic devices and dual-use goods in Russia.

Friday’s sanctions were imposed to mark “Russia’s two years of unprovoked and unlawful full-scale war against Ukraine and [come ] in response to the death of opposition politician and anticorruption activist Aleksey Navalny”, the US Treasury said in a statement.

Individuals and companies added to the US Treasury’s Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Person List have their assets blocked in the US, and US citizens are prohibited from dealing with them.

Also on Friday, ahead of the second anniversary of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the European Union adopted a 13th package of sanctions against Russia.

As part of the package, the EU imposed export restrictions on one Serbian company over “dual use goods and technologies, as well as goods and technology which might contribute to the technological enhancement of Russia’s defence and security sector”. The company was not named.

“We remain united in our determination to dent Russia’s war machine and help Ukraine win its legitimate fight for self-defence and restore its independence, territorial integrity and sovereignty,” EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said in a statement announcing the package of sanctions.

In July last year, the US Treasury Department imposed sanctions on the then head of Serbia’s Security Information Agency, Aleksandar Vulin, accusing him of involvement in various corrupt activities. It claimed pro-Russian politician Vulin was implicated in transnational organised crime, illegal narcotics operations and misuse of public office.

Serbia voted for a United Nations resolution condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in March 2022, and in April voted for the exclusion of Russia from the UN Human Rights Council UNHRC.

Serbia also voted in October 2022 for the UN General Assembly Resolution condemning Russia’s attempt to annex four regions of Ukraine.

But despite pressures from the EU and US, it has refused to join EU sanctions on Russia, despite being a candidate for membership of the bloc.

[bpod-bpod]

Team Defence

Teamwork, as everyone knows, makes the dream work, and it may be key to tackling a particularly slimy health issue. Gastrointestinal worms are a threat around the world, and anyone who has been infected once may be reassured that the body develops methods to prevent a second attack. Immune cells called alternatively activated macrophages trap worm larvae in the intestine (pictured, red and green showing molecules released by the immune cells, enveloping a larva). Researchers hoping to understand the mechanism used by macrophages to tackle the worms investigated the action of various molecules produced by macrophages. They discovered that the macrophages alone weren’t enough to quell an infection, and instead the defence operation relies on additional help from products of other immune cells, T cells, and the activation of genes in the intestinal lining cells. This teamwork keeps secondary infection at bay, and could point researchers towards new treatment approaches.

Written by Anthony Lewis

Image from work by Stefanie Westermann and colleagues

Department of Infection Biology, University Hospital Erlangen and Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany

Image originally published with a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Published in PLOS Pathogens, April 2023

You can also follow BPoD on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook

[24worldnewsnet]

Day a success, the Allies thought they might have to break through formidable German defences. One unconventional idea was a "giant firework" that would deliver a one-tonne bomb: the Panjandrum.After conquering much of Western Europe in the first few years of World War II, Nazi Germany then diverted a huge effort into protecting what it had invaded.Once the United States entered the war on the side of the Allies in late 1941, the threat of invasion from the sea went from a distinct possibility to certainty.To prevent it, hundreds of thousands of forced labourers – some of them Russian prisoners captured on the Eastern Front – were set to work. They built walls, tank traps and reinforced-concrete emplacements. The fortifications stretched around 5,000km (3,105 miles) from France's border with Spain all the way to the northern tip of Norway. Adolf Hitler called it the "Atlantic Wall", and there are still many traces of it, littering beaches from the Bay of Biscay to the sub-Arctic fjords. Allied military planners had many challenges to wrestle with during their long preparations for the liberation of Europe. Seizing a port made the most sense – it would be easier to get vital supplies to the troops on the beachhead by unloading ships more speedily on the docks. But the ports on the English Channel coast had been heavily fortified by German defenders.The 1942 raid on Dieppe showed that the German defences around Channel ports were too strong for beach landings (Credit: Alamy)A bold plan to temporarily take over one of these ports – Dieppe, in France – in August 1942 showed how difficult a port would be to capture. Thousands of mostly Canadian troops were killed or captured in a botched attempt to push through defences; supporting tanks became bogged down on loose shingle sand and the built-up surroundings gave the defenders plenty of cover from which to fire on the invading forces.Dieppe, it turned out, had the wrong kind of beach. The French coast had plenty of beaches firm enough to support tanks and other vehicles coming ashore, but these beaches would be overlooked by the Atlantic Wall defences the Germans were quickly building. How could they be breached, with the minimum loss to Allied soldiers? An eccentric idea was born… *** Nevil Shute Norway was an accomplished aeronautical engineer who had worked on one of Britain's most high-profile airship designs. The R100 airship had been designed by engineer Barnes Wallis – who would later invent the bouncing bomb of Dambusters fame – for engineering firm Vickers, with funding from the government. Norway later took over as chief engineer when Wallis left to work on other projects.The R100, intended for long-distance voyages across the British Empire, carried out successful publicity tours as far afield as Canada. It was developed alongside a similar airship designed and built by the UK's Air Ministry, called R101; this design was fatally flawed, and crashed with the loss of 48 lives in northern France while on its maiden flight. News of the crash flashed around the world, killing Britain's emerging airship industry for good, and Norway drifted into more conventional aircraft designs, including the highly successful Oxford trainer designed by his own aircraft company, Airspeed.When war broke out, Norway joined the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve, initially serving on naval ships. But his flair for engineering took him in a different direction: into the navy's secret department for experimental weapons.The Directorate of Miscellaneous Weapon Development was known informally as the "wheezers and dodgers". They drew bookish, lab-bound talent from the UK's universities and research institutes and challenged them to come up with new weapons that could be used in the war. No idea, however outlandish, was discouraged.One of the weapons the British armed forces needed was something that could be deployed from a ship and was powerful enough to breach the strong concrete sea wall now in place across much of Europe.

[dekhocampus11]

National Institute of Technology - [NIT], Silchar

Introduction

The National Institute of Technology (NIT), Silchar, is one of India’s premier technical institutions. Established in 1967 as a Regional Engineering College (REC), it was upgraded to NIT status in 2002. Located in the Barak Valley region of Assam, the institute is recognized as an Institute of National Importance under the National Institutes of Technology Act, 2007. With a reputation for academic excellence, state-of-the-art infrastructure, and a strong focus on research and innovation, NIT Silchar has carved a niche among India’s top engineering institutions.

Academic Programs

NIT Silchar offers a broad spectrum of academic programs that include undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral degrees.

Undergraduate Programs (B.Tech)

Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech) is the flagship program offered in the following disciplines:

Civil Engineering

Mechanical Engineering

Electrical Engineering

Electronics and Communication Engineering

Computer Science and Engineering

Electronics and Instrumentation Engineering

Admission is through the national-level JEE Main examination followed by centralized counseling via JoSAA (Joint Seat Allocation Authority).

Postgraduate Programs

M.Tech: Offered in various specializations, such as Structural Engineering, Geotechnical Engineering, Thermal Engineering, VLSI Design, Power Systems, and Communication Systems.

M.Sc: Disciplines include Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics.

MBA: The Department of Management Studies provides a full-time Master of Business Administration program.

MCA: Students from science and computer backgrounds can pursue the Master of Computer Applications program.

We conduct postgraduate admissions through GATE for M.Tech, JAM for M.Sc, CAT/CMAT for MBA, and NIMCET for MCA.

Doctoral Programs (Ph.D.)

NIT Silchar offers Ph.D. programs across engineering, science, humanities, and management disciplines. Research scholars work under the mentorship of experienced faculty on cutting-edge topics.

Campus and Infrastructure

The institute’s campus spans over 625 acres, making it one of the largest in the northeastern region. Surrounded by hills and lakes, the campus offers a serene and focused environment for academic pursuits.

Key Facilities:

Academic Blocks: Equipped with modern classrooms, smart boards, and research laboratories.

Central Library: A digitally enabled library with access to thousands of books, journals, e-resources, and research publications.

Hostels: Separate accommodation for boys and girls with Wi-Fi, common rooms, sports areas, and mess facilities.

Computer Center: A central hub for computational needs with high-performance computing clusters.

Health Center: A well-equipped medical unit with doctors, ambulance service, and tie-ups with local hospitals.

Wi-Fi Connectivity: Campus-wide high-speed internet to support research, academics, and student activities.

Sports and Recreation: Facilities for cricket, football, basketball, table tennis, badminton, and a gymnasium.

Faculty and Academic Excellence

NIT Silchar has a highly qualified faculty pool, with many members holding doctoral degrees and postdoctoral experience from reputed national and international institutions. Faculty members are actively engaged in research, consultancy, and publishing in peer-reviewed journals.

The institute places a strong emphasis on outcome-based education, interdisciplinary learning, and project-based pedagogy. Students are encouraged to participate in internships, industrial training, and international conferences.

Research and Development

Research is a core pillar of NIT Silchar’s academic ecosystem. The institute has received significant funding from organizations such as:

Department of Science and Technology (DST)

Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY)

Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)

Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)

Key research domains include:

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

Renewable Energy and Sustainable Technologies

Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology

Smart Grids and Power Systems

Structural and Earthquake Engineering

NIT Silchar also encourages student participation in innovation through research internships, technical symposiums, and sponsored projects.

Placements and Industry Collaboration

The Training and Placement Cell at NIT Silchar plays a vital role in career development. It facilitates:

Industrial internships

Soft-skills training

Resume-building sessions

Aptitude and interview preparation

Placement Highlights:

Highest Package: Over ₹50 LPA (offered in Computer Science and IT-related roles)

Average Package: Between ₹7 LPA to ₹15 LPA depending on the branch

Top Recruiters: Microsoft, Amazon, Oracle, Google, Infosys, Wipro, TCS, Capgemini, L&T, and Qualcomm

In addition to placements, many students also pursue higher education in prestigious institutions in India and abroad.

Student Life and Extracurricular Activities

NIT Silchar fosters a vibrant student life filled with a wide range of extracurricular activities.

Cultural and Technical Festivals:

Incandescence: The annual cultural fest featuring music, dance, fashion, and drama.

Tecnoesis: The technical fest with events such as coding contests, robotics challenges, and hackathons.

Spandan: The annual sports meet with inter-college and inter-hostel competitions.

Clubs and Societies:

Technical Clubs: Robotics Club, Coding Club, Electronics Society

Cultural Clubs: Drama, Music, Fine Arts, Literary Society

Entrepreneurship Cell (E-Cell): Supports startups and student-led ventures

NSS and NCC Units: Active participation in social service, disaster relief, and awareness campaigns

These organizations contribute to the holistic development of students and prepare them for leadership roles.

Global Exposure and Collaborations

NIT Silchar has signed MoUs and collaborative agreements with various international universities and research institutions. These partnerships facilitate:

Faculty and student exchange programs

Joint research projects

International internships

Dual-degree and summer school opportunities

The global exposure enables students to gain international perspectives and cross-cultural skills.

Alumni Network

The institute boasts a strong alumni base working in top multinational companies, research labs, academia, and government services. Alumni contribute back to the institute through mentorship programs, guest lectures, scholarships, and industry connections.

Conclusion

National Institute of Technology, Silchar, stands as a symbol of academic excellence, research prowess, and professional integrity. As an Institute of National Importance, it continues to play a key role in nation-building by nurturing talent, fostering innovation, and producing globally competent engineers, scientists, and leaders.

With its robust academic framework, lush green campus, high-quality faculty, and active student community, NIT Silchar is not just an educational institution but a transformative experience for aspiring technocrats.

[merisarkar]

DRDO's Quantum Technology Research Centre Opened in Delhi

DRDO Quantum Technology Research Centre (QTRC):  DELHI – In a significant stride for India’s strategic technological advancement, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) today inaugurated the Quantum Technology Research Centre (QTRC) at Metcalfe House in Delhi. The state-of-the-art facility, unveiled by Dr. Samir V. Kamat, Secretary, Department of Defence R&D and Chairman, DRDO,…

[defencestar]

DRDO QTRC: India Unlocks Quantum Future With Inauguration of Quantum Technology Research Centre

DRDO Quantum Technology Research Centre (QTRC):  DELHI – In a significant stride for India’s strategic technological advancement, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) today inaugurated the Quantum Technology Research Centre (QTRC) at Metcalfe House in Delhi. The state-of-the-art facility, unveiled by Dr. Samir V. Kamat, Secretary, Department of Defence R&D and Chairman, DRDO,…