A new species of venomous tarantula has been discovered - and as spiders go it's pretty big!Aw fuck no!
The tarantula, named Poecilotheria rajaei, has legs that span 20cm.
It was tracked down in northern Sri Lanka, and it's thought to be one of several new species of tarantula discovered there.
The tarantula family of spider includes one of the world's largest, the Goliath bird-eater.
Habitat under threat
Peter Kirk, Chairman of the British Tarantula Society, told Newsround there are worries about the spiders' habitat.
You may have seen Peter on CBBC's Pet School where he was one of the Extreme Animal Experts.
"The tarantulas of Sri Lanka have been studied in some detail in the past by myself and other arachnologists (spider experts!)" Peter said.
"But we have never been able to visit the north or east of the island because of the civil war that was going on there."
"Now Ranil Nanayakkara - a researcher from Sri Lanka - has done just that. Unfortunately, Ranil has noted that much of this tarantula's natural habitat has been destroyed."
It means the spiders have had to move closer to human homes and villages, he added.
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| This works to make the IFV float but its the most unusual method I've ever seen. How this will work in an actual combat situation is anyone's guess but I wonder if this thing can take rifle rounds to its flotation devices....I do know that this type of setup was pitched as a way to make a more heavily armed and faster AAV float back in the 70's but I just don't know. |
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| pic via Jeff Head's website. |
Japan's new Izumo-class aircraft carriers will make the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force one of the most lethal offensive forces in the world, reports the Beijing-based China Youth Daily.That's a whole lot of worry when we consider that the Izumo is actually just a big deck amphib.
The JDS Izumo helicopter carrier has been undergoing intensive sea trials since late September as Japan prepares to launch two Izumo-class destroyers over the next two years, the report said.
Once commissioned, these Izumo-class vessels will greatly enhance Japan's anti-submarine, anti-ship, air combat and amphibious assault capabilities, giving the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force two light aircraft carrier battle groups and two helicopter carrier battle groups.
Izumo-class carriers will boost the Japanese navy in four key respects. First of all, the Izumo-class can potentially double the anti-submarine capabilities of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force. Currently, Japan's Shirane-class destroyers can carry 9-10 helicopters, compile two anti-submarine crews and carry 16 anti-submarine torpedoes, while its battle groups can equip 42 MK-46 anti-submarine torpedoes and 112 ASROC anti-submarine missiles, which have a range of 11 kilometers and 22 km, respectively.
On the other hand, Izumo-class destroyers can carry 14 helicopters, five anti-submarine crews and 40 anti-submarine torpedoes, with battle groups that can equip 42 MK-46 anti-submarine torpedoes and 104 ASROC anti-submarine missiles.
Second, the Izumo-class can more than double Japan's air combat capabilities. Shirane-class battle groups come equipped with more than 300 SM-2MR, RIM-7 series and RIM-162 ship-to-air missiles with ranges between 16 km and 150 km. By comparison, the Izumo-class destroyer can carry eight F-35 stealth fighter jets and carry 32 AIM-120 mid-long range missiles and 16 short-range missiles. Its battle groups can also equip more than 400 ship-to-air missiles with ranges between 16 km and 150 km.
Third, the Izumo-class can more than triple Japan's anti-ship combat capabilities. The Shirane-class destroyer can carry 56 Harpoon or Type 90 ship-to-ship missiles which have a range between 90 km and 200 km. But with up to eight F-35 fighters on board, the Izumo-class can carry as many as 48 Norwegian-made naval strike missiles, extending its anti-ship combat radius to 640 km. At the same time, Izumo-class battle groups can also carry more than 50 Harpoon or Type 90 ship-to-ship missiles.
Fourth, the Izumo-class destroyer will lead to a dramatic surge in Japan's remote delivery and amphibious combat capabilities. At the moment, Japan's three Oosumi-class landing ships can be loaded with 990 marine officers, six landing craft and 30 tanks. Each Izumo-class carrier, on the other hand, can carry 500 soldiers and multiple helicopters and tiltrotor aircraft, with a deck that can cater to five helicopters or MV-22 Ospreys landing or taking off simultaneously. Two Izumo-class vessels will be able to transport 1,000 soldiers to the frontline while also strengthening defense and invasion capabilities.
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| Indonesian Air Force helicopters fly in formation over the fleet of military ships in a show of force during a ceremony commemorating the 69th anniversary of Indonesian Armed Forces in Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia. - Image credit: Associated Press |
The administration says they won’t need them.I've looked at the goals being established for the 101st Airborne on their deployment to Africa.
Nashville Public Radio reported:
Troops from the 101st Airborne Division leading the military response to Ebola in West Africa will only need gloves and masks to protect themselves from the deadly virus, so said Gen. David Rodriguez at a Pentagon briefing Wednesday.
“They don’t need the whole suit – as such – because they’re not going to be in contact with any of the people,” the commander of U.S. troops in Africa said.
Soldiers from the 101st Airborne will primarily be building hospitals, ultimately leading what could be a contingent of 4,000 American service members. They’ll be housed either in tent cities at military airfields or in Liberian Ministry of Defense facilities, Rodriguez said.
Soldiers’ health will be monitored through surveys and taking their temperature on their way in and out of camps. If a service member does get sick, Rodriguez said they will be flown home immediately for treatment.
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| An artist's concept of a power-augmented ram landing craft (PARLAC) offloading amphibious tractors (LVT) onto a beach. The PARLAC, which has the capability of achieving high speeds and has good shore-landing capability, presently in the testing stages of research and development. |
Russia plans to export new-generation fighters to Peru (Russian Gazette) Peru air force should change the Soviet MiG-29 by the modern MiG-35. Although military experts believe in the potential of the aircraft, the MiG-35 is not in the service of the Russian Armed Forces and this prevents promotion abroad.Interesting. The choice is curious. My best guess? Peru is cost conscious and I'm betting that the Russians are selling the Mig at a great price just to get it into service somewhere. Additionally since its apparently well regarded by the aviation community it would appear to "over match" everything currently flying and will (in Peru's opinion) hopefully match (at least) aircraft coming into service into the future. This bears watching. The arms race in S. America is being ignored by many but so many arms with so many rivalries can't be a good thing.
Capt. Todd Gibson presented information about armored rescue vehicles to the Citizens Public Safety Oversight Committee last week to talk about just that. The vehicle would be used for transporting police, fire, medics or transport individuals through hostile areas.I have a web alert that hits articles that cover armored vehicles and every night I get bombarded with articles of police depts seeking to/or buy/ing MRAPs.
"This piece of equipment would allow us to get into active shooter areas. It would allow us to get into IED areas, if they were to occur on a game day," he said. "Anywhere you have large concentrations of people, you have large concerns that bad people can do bad things."
OU football home games bring about 80,000 plus people into the city, he said.
While there is a current stigma that comes along with an armored vehicle, such as the militarization of police departments, Gibson said the vehicle the department is looking at is more like a Ford F-550 Super Duty pickup or armored ambulance.
"One thing that it is not, and I stress this, NOT; it is not a tank. It has no offensive capabilities," he said. "It's clearly a rescue vehicle."
Both Oklahoma City and Edmond have armored rescue vehicles and the vehicles are often found in airports or used in construction. Gibson said the vehicles are nothing new, they're just advanced.
"It's nothing new, nothing crazy, not a weapon, not a tank. It's simply preparation," he said. "By failing to prepare we are preparing to fail."
Chief Keith Humphrey was offered a Medium Range Anti Tank (MRAT) for a price much cheaper than an armored rescue vehicle would cost, Gibson said, but declined it because he didn't believe it fit our community needs.
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| this photo is NOT associated with the story...i just thought it was funny. |
U.S. soldiers preparing for deployment to Africa to combat Ebola are only given four hours of Ebola-related training, the Daily Beast reports.That's a smart troop. He should be scared. One thing has become obvious to me. Despite what my friend William says, this whole thing is being done to protect the global economy.
Soldiers preparing for deployment to West Africa are given just four hours of Ebola-related training before leaving to combat the epidemic. And the first 500 soldiers to arrive have been holing up in Liberian hotels and government facilities while the military builds longer-term infrastructure on the ground. […]
The training process sounds daunting: One USA Today report described soldiers being told that Ebola “basically causes your body to eat itself from the inside out” and that Ebola is “worse” than what soldiers encountered in Afghanistan. Others reportedly heard that the disease is “catastrophic” and “frightening… with a high fatality rate,” though the chances of contracting it are low.
“I’ll be honest with you,” one soldier told the newspaper. “I’m kind of scared.”
