Northrop Grumman:

The first Northrop Grumman E-2D Advanced Hawkeye, being built for the U.S. Navy by prime contractor Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC), made its first public appearance at rollout ceremonies here today. The E-2D was designed in New York and built in St. Augustine…

The aircraft unveiled today is the first of two test aircraft to be built under the nearly $2 billion system demonstration and development contract awarded in 2001 to Northrop Grumman. According to Mahr, the Navy plans to procure a total of 75 Advanced Hawkeye aircraft.

While the external appearance is similar to the E-2C, the systems and capabilities which the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye contains are completely redesigned. At the heart of the aircraft is the new radar, the APY-9, designed and built by Lockheed Martin Corporation. It can “see” smaller targets and more of them at greater ranges than the E-2C. The new rotodome, developed by L-3 Communications Randtron Antenna Systems, contains the critically important, continuous, 360-degree scanning capability, while adding an electronically scanned array. This system allows operators to focus the radar on selected areas of interest.

Hawkeye operators will have new radar system workstations, integrated satellite communications capabilities and other tools to better manage the battle space and provide warfighters with expanded situational awareness and information to complete their missions.

An additional new feature of the E-2D is the state-of-the-art glass cockpit that replaces prior-generation Hawkeye displays and avionics systems. One of the advantages is that pilots can also serve as weapon system operators.

Danger Room: Raptor Becomes “F-, A-, B-, E-, EA-, RC-, AWACS… 22″

Murdoc loves the Raptor. Really. But this marketing stuff is really a bit much.

Noah also points out that there is a great deal of resistance to sending F-22s to Iraq or Afghanistan. Though we certainly don’t need 5th-generation air superiority fighters in those environments, I’m a big believer in get the equipment into the fight, if only to put it through its paces.

Sure, close air support missions by an F-22 in Afghanistan is a bit of overkill. But isn’t that exactly what we’re being told is so great about the Raptor? That it can defeat enemy air forces and provide CAS? If so, let’s see it in action.

If nothing else, we’ll get a real-world exercise in combat deployment and operation, and the pilots will get some valuable experience along the way. There are no doubt a lot more bugs to be worked out, so lets do it when the threat to the aircraft is low and the penalty for problems isn’t quite so large. I’d hate for the first real mission of the F-22 to be a life-or-death battle against a top-notch enemy.

An Iraqi Boy Scout troop prepares for their first Jamboree. They clean up and get their new uniforms.

We won’t know if what’s being done in Iraq is really working until the Iraqis who are kids now are adults. Things like a Boy Scout program can be big parts of what makes it work in the end.

Video of the activity below…
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Been very busy this weekend. Had a camp-out with my son’s Boy Scout unit, and on Saturday afternoon the troop took a tour of the World War II submarine USS Silversides (SS 236) in Muskegon, Michigan.

Here’s a view of the boat’s superstructure from the aft (all pictures can be clicked for a larger version):

The Silversides was a Gato-class fleet sub. Despite what the docent said, she was launched in August of 1941. She was commissioned on December 15 of that year (eight days after Pearl Harbor) and set out on the first of 14 war patrols the following April.

This is the second time Murdoc’s toured the boat. His favorite compartment remains the forward torpedo room. Here are the starboard tubes:

The third starboard tube is just visible at the bottom of the picture. Sections of decking would need to be pulled aside to allow access to the lower tubes. The Gato-class subs had six forward-firing tubes and four rear-firing tubes. The rear tubes contained electric torpedoes, while the (main) forward tubes fired hydrogen-powered fish.
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Junk Science: Light Bulb Lunacy
I hadn’t thought about it, I guess, but breaking a CFL is a notgood thing to do.

Next-Gen Scopes for Can’t-Miss Snipers
Scopes that might increase the sniper’s kill rate tenfold.

Musharraf Caves to Red Mosque Demands
Islamists’ ‘Death By A Thousand Cuts’ Strategy Gains Another Slice

What He Said
General Petraeus briefed House and Senate members this week.

C or Bust!
Buckethead is headed for planet Gliese 581c.

Navy Missile Intercept
Two targets, two kills. I had seen a story earlier saying that the first interceptor failed to launch, so the second one was scrubbed. Now I guess we go them both. What gives?

Astronaut to catch early flight home
No US record for Sunita Williams, though she should set the all-time women’s record.

Stryker simulator gives view of real deal
The simulators, known as Common Driver Trainer/Stryker Variants, contain exact replicas of the driver’s compartment in a Stryker.

Ronald Smith Rocks Iowa
Children need BOTH parents.

RAF Jaguars leave service after 33 years
The RAF’s air-to-ground mission will be taken on by the Eurofighter Typhoon.

Chernobyl. 21 years later…
More pics from the ruins.

Stryker colonel talks about situation in Iraq
“Right now, the Arrowhead Brigade is employed in a role that is ideally suited for a Stryker Brigade.”

Ventriloquist dummy WON’T SHUT UP & has KILLED all my other ventriloquist dummies
Hilarious eBay feedback

Carnival of Homeschooling #69
Bee Edition at Sprittibee. Good stuff.

Senate OKs Iraq bill with timetable for pullout

Hot Air notes part of Joseph Lieberman’s speech:

My colleague from Nevada, in other words, is suggesting that the insurgency is being provoked by the very presence of American troops. By diminishing that presence, then, he believes the insurgency will diminish.

But I ask my colleagues–where is the evidence to support this theory? Since 2003, and before General Petraeus took command, U.S. forces were ordered on several occasions to pull back from Iraqi cities and regions, including Mosul and Fallujah and Tel’Afar and Baghdad. And what happened in these places? Did they stabilize when American troops left? Did the insurgency go away?

On the contrary–in each of these places where U.S. forces pulled back, Al Qaeda rushed in. Rather than becoming islands of peace, they became safe havens for terrorists, islands of fear and violence.

So I ask advocates of withdrawal: on what evidence, on what data, have you concluded that pulling U.S. troops out will weaken the insurgency, when every single experience we have had since 2003 suggests that this legislation will strengthen it?

This is similar to something I’ve brought up many times in conversation with a few particular critics. These folks believe very strongly that A) we used too few troops during the invasion, B) we used too few troops during the post-victory occupation, and C) because we have so many troops in Iraq it’s stirring up violence. I’ve asked a few times for those points to be reconciled, but I’ve never got anything approaching a coherent answer.

For the record, I don’t really think Reid and Pelosi want to pull out troops because it will be good for America in any way, shape, or form. They don’t want to withdraw because they think that’s the best strategy for the US, for Iraq, or for any of our allies in the world. They don’t want to withdraw because they’ve got some plan to prosecute the war in a way that they believe is better.

And, regardless of anyone’s personal aims or strategies, isn’t it just a bit unsettling that Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi, and Moqtada al Sadr are all demanding the same thing?

Doesn’t that make anyone pause? I mean, is anyone suggesting that Sadr is taking the stand he’s taking because he thinks it’s best for America and will advance the cause of liberty and justice in the world?

Lorie Byrd writes:

I hope the President is planning on making a prime time speech to talk about the veto.

Remember that I’ve already written one for him. Looking back on it now, three weeks after I originally wrote it, there are of course a few things I’d tweak. And I’d certainly have a good paragraph or two about Harry Reid’s jackassery over “the war is lost” and intentionally misrepresenting what General Petraeus said. But I’m fairly happy with it as is.

UPDATE: Here’s the audio version of Murdoc’s speech for President Bush, read by yours truly.

Harry Reid, Surrendacrat from Nevada:

“I’m not going to get into a name-calling match with the administration’s chief attack dog. … I’m not going to get into a name-calling match with somebody who has a 9 percent approval rating”

Once again, the guy is factually challenged. Not only does Cheney not have a 9 percent approval rating, Cheney’s approval rating is higher than Reid’s:

Reported the Wall Street Journal: –Among other individuals included in the poll, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.) saw her approval rating fall to 30% in April from 38% in February, shortly after her swearing-in as the first female House speaker. Approval for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D., Nev.) slipped to 22%, from 23% in February but up from 19% a year ago.”

Cheney’s approval rate? 25%.

That ‘D’ by Reid’s name should be an ‘S’…

A long time ago…

Apparently there’s a month-long party to celebrate the May 25, 1977 release of STAR WARS.

Pic from a decent gallery of Making of Star Wars shots. (And if you think Luke looks a bit off here, go find Solo in the gallery…)

Gateway Pundit writes about When Moonbats Snap… Nut Threatens Republicans With Rifle!. It’s beyond belief. He’s got a message from the threatee…

Here are the Congressional representatives from Michigan who voted in favor of the arbitrary withdrawal deadline:

Conyers Jr., John – 14th
Dingell, John – 15th
Kildee, Dale – 5th
Kilpatrick, Carolyn – 13th
Levin, Sander – 12th
Stupak, Bart – 1st

See the full US list and commentary at Free Frank Warner.