Alaska
Pentagon Practiced Shooting Down Spy Balloons In Alaska Wargame Two Years Ago
The U.S. army seems to have anticipated the menace posed by Chinese language balloons and has practiced tackling them for at the least two years, in keeping with Pentagon finances paperwork describing a categorised program generally known as TRIPPWIRE. These additionally point out that somewhat than there being a ‘balloon hole’ because the Wall Avenue Journal not too long ago steered, the U.S. army could also be properly forward on this expertise – although its balloons are used somewhat in another way from the Chinese language ones.
TRIPPWIRE is a contrived acronym from “Tactical Responsive Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) Platforms and Payloads Watching Remoted Distant Environments.” It’s a multi-year effort utilizing stratospheric balloons as long-range, long-endurance remark platforms.
The scant particulars are supplied in a program description within the Analysis and Growth finances of the Workplace of the Secretary of Protection, a company which manages actions the place Military, Navy, Air Power and House Power work collectively. TRIPPWIRE is described as “a DoD initiative to operationalize the stratosphere by providing elevated demonstrations of high-altitude ISR and communication programs.”
A U.S. intelligence-gathering balloon launched throughout Northern Edge 21 — this will likely have been the … [+]
The section “operationalize the stratosphere” is a mantra for this program: the view is that experiments and prototypes have already proven the worth of steerable stratospheric balloons in a position to navigate to a location and stay over it, now could be the time for the providers to make use of them in operations.
Plans present TRIPPWIRE was integrated into “joint multi-domain demonstrations workouts, similar to Northern Edge 21, Talisman Sabre, or Pacific Europe/Pacific Defender” to point out “operational utility in operationally related environments with direct warfighter involvement and suggestions.” In different phrases, getting troops to make use of the programs in practical wargames.
TRIPPWIRE’s major focus is in utilizing high-altitude balloons as sensor platforms and communication relays, offering comparable functionality to satellites however for a protracted interval and from a lot nearer vary. As well as, the doc notes that “A Counter-Stratospheric Operations experiment will likely be carried out inside TRIPPWIRE” – in different phrases, taking down balloons operated by opposing forces. In a wargame, this may most probably contain a simulated kill, however would have examined the U.S. capability to detect, observe, intercept and get into firing place with a digital missile towards an actual goal.
Media releases from Northern Edge 21, a large wargame involving Air Power, Military, Marines and Navy items and held in Alaska in Might 2021, present that stratospheric balloons had been concerned. Photographs had been captioned with minimal info: “Floor crew members put together and launch an remark balloon” is a typical instance.
Video from Northern Edge 21 reveals a balloon strikingly just like the Chinese language one shot down off South Carolina, with a spherical envelope and an array of photo voltaic panels.
Floor crew members put together and launch an remark balloon throughout Train Northern Edge 2021
The U.S. has denied that it flies spy balloons over China, and whereas there could also be an espionage balloon program, the army program is directed in direction of tactical use. In line with the FY23 finances paperwork on the OSD’s Stratospheric Balloon program: “Demonstrations deal with evaluating how the Joint Power can leverage … operationalization of the stratosphere to refine hypersonic and long-range fires kill chains to counter time-sensitive targets.”
In different phrases, utilizing balloons to identify issues like transferring autos or, particularly, cellular ballistic missile launchers. ‘SCUD looking’ throughout Desert Storm proved to be largely futile, as Iraq’s cellular SCUD launchers had been in a position to conceal below bridges and inside buildings, firing missiles and getting out of the world earlier than they may very well be focused. Remark balloons teamed with new hypersonic missiles may be capable to find and strike such cellular items earlier than they may perform an assault.
Paperwork additionally point out one particular piece of {hardware}, stratospheric balloon known as COLD STAR, for Covert Lengthy Dwell Stratospheric Structure, “outfitted with autonomous navigation, excessive constancy sensors, and on board algorithms to facilitate tasking, assortment, processing, exploitation, and dissemination.” This has been finishing up operational demonstrations since 2020. The phrase ‘Covert’ means that COLD STAR might have some stealth options making it tough to identify.
Photographs launched throughout the Thunder Cloud live-fire train in Andoya, Norway, in September 2021 present the launch of an unspecified Raven Aerostar stratospheric balloon; in keeping with the caption, this was used to offer goal co-ordinates for long-range fireplace. This firm has supplied stratospheric balloons for NASA and numerous army applications.
An electronics and engineering crew from Raven Aerostar launches a excessive altitude balloon from Andoya … [+]
There may be little info obtainable – “Particulars of this mission are categorised,” in keeping with the outline of the Stratospheric Balloon program. However there is sufficient to present that the Pentagon has been actively pursuing this expertise for, is already flying the {hardware}, and has a reasonably good concept about the best way to convey it down.
Which means that the latest shoot downs have been considerably extra calculated than the early breathless reviews steered. Nevertheless it’s an excellent guess that ‘counter-stratospheric functionality,’ as soon as a really area of interest curiosity, is now having fun with much more consideration than beforehand.
FAIRBANKS, Alaska (KTVF) – Hundreds of families, locals and tourists alike, turned out at the Alaska Railroad Depot on Saturday for the popular open house. The guests not only got to see the sights, meet the engineers and conductors, as well as learn more about the railroad, but they also got to climb aboard the trains and take a ride down the rail.
“So for the free train rides today our goal is to get as many people out to enjoy a train ride,” said Meghan Clemens, Alaska Railroad External Affairs Director, “so we’re keeping them pretty short. We’ve got eight 30-minute departures that we’re running today, and each of those trains can hold about 300 people so there’s room for everybody.”
Each trip took about 20 minutes for visitors to climb into the train coaches and ride down the rail and back. Meanwhile inside the depot, a variety of educational and fun displays were set up.
“It’s a great event that we like to do at the end of the season,” Clemens added, “to be able to welcome out folks from Fairbanks to come take a free train ride, have a chance to get on board a locomotive, we’ve got some static equipment out here we’ve got some heavy equipment people can learn about, we’ve got prize giveaways, we’ve got magician, we’ve got all sorts of fun things for the family to do out here at the depot today!”
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Copyright 2024 KTVF. All rights reserved.
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – The 14th annual Mat-Su Kabayan Gala invited Filipinos, and those who appreciate the culture, to Wasilla to celebrate and appreciate their heritage on Saturday.
The Filipino community in Alaska is about 30,000 strong, staff at the event said, and is a tight-knit community. Event coordinator Lhing McNeal said she believes it’s crucial to connect Filipino families with each other, especially those who might not know exactly what their culture looks like.
“We are so far away from home, we need that community,” said McNeal.
Dancing and traditional food are the highlights of the event every year. McNeal said the event is also about young Filipinos needing see themselves represented in the community.
“To pass it on with our culture and traditions,” said McNeal. “That way our children will be able to see it and promote it to the next generation.”
Deputy commissioner of the Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Nelson San Juan, said the Mat-Su Kabayan Gala makes him proud to call Alaska home.
“I couldn’t ask for a better community,” said San Juan. “This group is just so communal. The state of Alaska in general is communal.”
Copyright 2024 KTUU. All rights reserved.
STIP Amendment #1 partial approval resolves ten of 14 corrective actions.
(ANCHORAGE, Alaska) — The Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities (DOT&PF) concludes the 2024 federal fiscal year with the successful delivery of over $1B of transportation related projects. This includes over $650 million in federally funded highways projects, over $300M in federally funded aviation projects, and many other projects funded through the State of Alaska capital budget.
“Overall, as in previous years, we obligated every federal dollar available to us on transportation projects” said Dom Pannone, Alaska DOT&PF Program Management and Administration Director. “Our team successfully obligated $662 million in Federal Highways dollars alone, despite the fact that the August Redistribution amount approved by FHWA was lower than recent years.”
In addition, STIP Amendment #1 partial approval was received this week. Five railbelt projects were excluded, including the Richardson Highway MP 346 Bridge project that was determined in March to meet federal regulatory requirements for exemptions from air quality conformity analysis. This was confirmed March 8, 2024, by interagency consultation facilitated by FAST Planning and comprised of experts from DEC, EPA, FTA, and FHWA. The project currently resides outside the MPO boundaries but within the air quality non-attainment area. DOT&PF will be evaluating this finding, among others, with federal partners.
Another 18 rural projects were excluded, which were all discretionary grants applied for by Tribal, village or other rural entities. This exclusion does not mean that the projects will not move forward, but rather FHWA’s preference for where the projects are listed. Whenever the directions from the federal government are not clear, the department will err on the side of caution, including discretionary grants in the STIP to avoid the project not being able to advance. The exclusion provides the clarity the state and local sponsors need to move forward.
Partial approvals have not been used in the past but are becoming more frequent for FHWA to communicate expectations to the State’s STIP team in writing to formally codify the new expectations with Alaska.
“We want to thank our federal partners for working with us over the past six months on successfully delivering Alaska’s transportation program in 2024,” said Commissioner Ryan Anderson. “Alaska’s unique challenges and opportunities require careful consideration of the State’s role in sovereignty in advancing infrastructure decisions, in coordination with federal, state, and local partners, in the last frontier.”
The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities oversees 237 airports, 9 ferries serving 35 communities, over 5,600 miles of highway and 839 public facilities throughout the state of Alaska. The mission of the department is to “Keep Alaska Moving through service and infrastructure.”
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