Here's a look at the 10 most read stories of the year on DefenseTech:
1. Navy's Futuristic Destroyer Is Apparently Too Stealthy
When it comes to naval destroyers, there's apparently such a thing as being too stealthy. The U.S. Navy's new Zumwalt-class guided missile destroyer is so covert that during normal peacetime operations its crew plan to sail with giant reflectors to ensure other ships can see it.
By Bryant Jordan | Read more
2. On the Russian Tank Damaged by a US Missile in Syria
The incident involving a Russian-made T-90 tank that was struck by a U.S.-made TOW missile in Syria is making headlines again after a picture surfaced allegedly showing the damage. A previous video depicts a Syrian rebel in Sheikh Aqil, a town near Aleppo, firing a BGM-71 TOW missile at a T-90 tank apparently operated by Syrian forces.
By Brendan McGarry | Read more
3. Navy 'Doomsday Plane' Spotted in Colorado
A routine training flight by the U.S. Navy's E-6B Mercury "doomsday plane" captured the attention of sky-watchers in Colorado. The four-engine command-and-control plane based on Boeing Co.’s 707 airliner took off from Travis Air Force Base in California and circled over Denver before continuing on to Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma.
By Brendan McGarry | Read more
4. More Images Surface of Damaged Russian Tank in Syria
More images purporting to show a damaged Russian-made T-90 tank in Syria are surfacing on social media. A tweet stated the vehicle was captured on or around April 16 in the town of Al-Eis near southern Aleppo by militants affiliated with the Al-Nusra Front, also known as al-Qaeda in Syria, from forces loyal to the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
By Brendan McGarry | Read more
5. Drone-Killing Gun Spotted at US Base in Iraq
A shoulder-fired weapon that zaps drones with radio waves and looks like something out of a sci-fi movie has been spotted at a U.S. military base in Iraq. An author tweeted a picture that appears to show the weapon, known as the DroneDefender and made by Battelle, sitting in a corner of the Kara Soar Counter Fire Complex in northern Iraq
By Brendan McGarry | Read more
6. Air Force Zaps ISIS Drone with Electronic Weapon
The U.S. Air Force recently zapped an Islamic State drone with an electronic weapon, the service's top civilian said. Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James said the service targeted a small, weaponized drone operated by militants "a week or two ago" because it was responsible for killing four non-U.S. citizens in the Middle East.
By Oriana Pawlyk | Read more
7. Russian Aircraft Carrier Smokes Through English Channel
The Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov transited the English Channel en route to Syria. Photos and videos captured by international media showed the vessel billowing large plumes of black smoke, drawing jokes on social media that the steam-powered ship was actually a 19th century relic fueled by coal.
By Brendan McGarry | Read more
8. Northrop Teases Sixth-Generation Fighter Design
Northrop Grumman Corp., maker of the B-2 stealth bomber and the company chosen by the U.S. Air Force to develop a Long Range Strike Bomber, or LRSB, ran a new commercial during the Super Bowl showing its concept for a sixth-generation fighter jet.
By Brendan McGarry | Read more
9. Chinese Man Pleads Guilty to Stealing US Military Aircraft Data
A Chinese man has pleaded guilty in a “years-long” conspiracy to hack into U.S. networks to steal sensitive information, including data on the C-17 cargo plane and fighter jet aircraft, the Justice Department announced. Su Bin, also known as Stephen Su and Stephen Subin, 50, a citizen and resident of the People's Republic of China, pleaded guilty to the crime
By Brendan McGarry | Read more
10. F-22 Was 'Too Provocative' to Send to Mideast: US Air Force
The F-35A will deploy around the world much sooner than the Air Force's other fifth-generation fighter did after achieving initial operational capability, the commander of Air Combat Command said.
By Hope Hodge Seck | Read more
