ISDEI Instituto de Seguridad, Defensa y Estudios Internacionales

GAZ "Tigr" armored vehicle© Photo public domain (RIA Novosti) – A unique Russian GAZ Tigr chassis-mounted anti-aircraft command module, can simultaneously locate 15 targets per second, a representative for the Scientific-Industrial Enterprise Rubin told RIA Novosti on Thursday. “The Defense Ministry has demanded to urgently create this vehicle. They have come up with the basic design directives. The hardware’s task is to provide covering fire for the units marching in the near zone of the contact with an adversary. The vehicle deploys for action within five minutes,” Rubin’s representative said. He added that the vehicle has its own reconnaissance assets and is capable of autonomous work. Along with this, target assignment takes no longer than one second. The hardware can work at temperatures from minus 50 to 60 degrees Celsius (minus 58 to 132 degrees Fahrenheit). “This is an independently developed prototype. We are currently in talks over its trials with the Defense Minis...

NASA / Patrick H. CorkeryAn Atlas V rocket launches the Navy's Mobile User Objective System (MUOS) 2 satellite from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. WASHINGTON —Two Russian-built rocket engines have arrived in the U.S. aboard a giant Antonov cargo plane despite fears that tensions between the U.S. and Russia could disrupt the supply of engines needed to launch U.S. satellites into space. "Today, United Launch Alliance received two RD-180 engines at our factory in Decatur, Alabama, that will support critical near-term U.S. missions," Jessica Rye, spokeswoman for the joint venture of Boeing and Lockheed Martin Corp, said Wednesday. ULA uses the Russian engines to help launch a range of NASA and other government satellites into space. Rye said the deliveries occurred as scheduled, bringing the company's current inventory of RD-180 engines to 15. Three additional rockets are due to arrive this fall, she said. Tensions between Moscow and Washing...

Islamic State propaganda appeals to recruits and threatens enemies. Islamic State members may hate Western culture, but they are quick to embrace Western technology that helps spread their message far and wide. The militants’ social media offensive ranges from videos of beheadings to pictures of cute jihadist kittens. Apparently the IS (formerly ISIS/ISIL) realizes the importance of social media to win public support and are no less active on Twitter than activists of the so-called Arab Spring were just three years ago. It’s hard to quantify this, but Middle East experts say the numerous videos of summary executions of captured Iraqi soldiers have played a significant effect in demoralizing the Iraqi army. While threatening their enemies, they are also luring allies and potential recruits, demonstrating their martial prowess. The IS released an hour-long movie featuring slow-motion explosions and other special effects, reports RT’s Gayane Chichakyan. “Kids are the best medium for the...