united states

A more theoretical question than alternative history, was there any interest within SAC to develop a "Heavy" ICBM to match the R-36's capabilities? If so, could it fit within the existing Titan II launch sites? Titan II and R-36 are somewhat surprisingly similar in diameter and height, though...

First Ohio, and now this. Don't they realize that Idaho is known for growing potatoes? :) https://www.thestreet.com/markets/micron-unveils-plans-for-15-billion-chip-manufacturing-plant-in-idaho

In the late 1950s the US deployed a bewildering range of tactical nuclear weapons in Western Europe. The US Army had its spectacular 280mm atomic cannon mounted between two trucks. It then had smaller 8" warheads for the M115 howitzer which were made available to the UK and other NATO allies...

https://history.nasa.gov/sp4543.pdf This document published in 2009 contains a summary of published books about NASA history and also a guide to the collections and archives found at various NASA locations. Looks potentially useful for researchers.

Long before the Welbike, the American inventor Arthur Hugo Cecil Gibson in 1915 during the First World War, offered his motor vehicle to the American army. A 22.5 kg combat scooter that can carry a load of 136 kg at a speed of 40 km/h but was not accepted however it did not differ so much from...

Hai Except some drawings concerning the P-33 projects, I did not find any information concerning other Brewster projects. The only which I earlier mentioned was the two-seat fighter, further no details etc. Is there any material/information concerning this two-seat fighter and other not...

Hey everyone! I was wondering what sort of information people had on the MPWS/MPGS Piranha. This was an early 1980s submission by General Motors of Canada into the USMC MPWS, and later joint Army-Marine MPGS program. I possess LETE Annual Historical Reports covering its trials at the LETE...

A few years ago a project was launched to fly stratospheric balloons over various mid-western US states to test wide area surveillance systems and balloon station keeping technologies. This project was directed at drug traffic interdiction, counter-terrorism, and military applications. Its not...

https://www.anduril.com/article/anduril-and-the-royal-australian-navy-to-partner-on-extra-large-autonomous-undersea-vehicles/

Digging through some old files, I came across a NAVSEA briefing from 1994 comparing a variety of frigate designs (both US and foreign). The purpose appears to have been a review the "state of the possible" for frigates in this timeframe, possibly with the intention to inform USN decisionmakers...

We have a whole bunch of threads, alt-history or not. But no full blown TL so far. The POD: May 1972, common sense prevails: Convair Model 200 carries the day over Rockwell NAR-356. It becomes the XFV-12 interceptor for Zumwalt Sea Control Ship. Even after that one is canned, two prototypes are...

In Norman Friedman's US Amphibious Ships and Craft: An Illustrated Design History book (2002) mentions some interesting weapon systems: The wikipedia article mentions a 155mm/70 "Combustion Light Gas Gun" but no mention of the 127mm gun. The 5"/84 Pulsed-Powered and 8"/60 conventional guns are...

The 1970s were a turbulent decade in Europe. Without going into too much political detail events could have seen Greece, Italy, Portugal and Spain with left wing governments opposed to NATO and the US. Even in France and Germany disillusionment with the Vietnam war and a widespread fear of...

Late 80s program - a low-cost LO ATG missile using Tomahawk and Maveric elements. Boeing ASWS report bits from Worthpoint + some details from Senate hearings

I didn't see any topics featuring or referencing this interesting airship (including the compelling figures involved in its development and construction), but I came across a some newsreel footage of it worthy of posting and created this topic for reference and as a potentially clearinghouse for...

View: https://vimeo.com/652210410 https://www.ga-asi.com/remotely-piloted-aircraft/mojave https://www.ga-asi.com/ga-asi-announces-new-mojave-uas

Why These Badass Balloons Are the Pentagon's New Secret Weapon New long-range U.S. weapons will be able to hit tactical targets like missile bases and air-defense radar from a thousand miles away or more, but only if they have aerial scouts to pinpoint their targets. The U.S. military has used...

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/blue-origin-sierra-space-orbital-reef-space-station-plans/

https://thehill.com/policy/defense/577152-colin-powell-dies-at-age-of-84 Complications from a breakthrough case of Covid-19 apparently. Despite his service as SecState, he was probably best known for his role (while still in the Army as head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff) in Operation Desert...

I came across this project in a 1968 United States Atomic Energy Commission booklet, The ATOM and the OCEAN, by E. W. Seabrook Hull (can be found on Project Gutenberg here). The National Science Foundation had proposed an Arctic Drift Barge for Arctic research, which would have a nuclear plant...