On December 14, the US Air Force Research Laboratory released a snippet of information about a highly secretive programme called Mayhem, or officially, the hypersonic multi-mission ISR and strike programme.
It envisions an "air breathing hypersonic system" capable of performing different missions and carrying different payloads – in other words, not just a hypersonic missile.
More than this is not publicly known. One such hypersonic system could be the SR-72 Darkstar, a drone that is billed as being capable of flying faster than Mach 5 – five times the speed of sound – the minimum speed for something to be classed as hypersonic.
The SR-72 was previewed, albeit in CGI form, in a US air force video in November (see the end of the video below at 2.30 for a glimpse of the concept).
This is now a trend: drones are becoming better armed, bigger and faster, and capable of extremely long-range missions.
This has become explicitly clear through 2021: in May, Aevum outlined the role for its huge Ravn X drone that is intended to launch satellites into space, before launching them into low-Earth orbit, a critical operation for the US Space Force.
Drones are also increasingly being used in long-range naval operations. In early December, an MQ-25 Stingray drone arrived for testing on the US aircraft carrier USS George H W Bush.
It was a landmark event: the drone has successfully refuelled US Navy aircraft, including the F-35 and could play a vital role in extending the range of aircraft over vast distances.
The next generation of unmanned aerial vehicles will be distinct from slower systems currently used for counter-terrorism missions, reconnaissance and in some cases, suicide drone attacks – so-called loitering munitions.
Earlier this month, US Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said that the US was seeking funds for two classified drone programmes in 2023.
The drones will operate alongside the F-35 stealth fighter, as well as a new, highly classified fighter aircraft and the B-21 stealth bomber, a forthcoming, long range aircraft that will cruise at high subsonic speed.
The new drones will need to be "unique and highly capable unmanned aerial vehicles", Mr Kendall said.
A counter-terrorism platform
In November 2002, a US Predator drone killed six Al Qaeda operatives in Yemen with a Hellfire missile, the first lethal use of an unmanned aircraft.
Today, unmanned aircraft can fly at near supersonic speeds, making the Predator – a 1,000 kilogram aircraft with a top speed of 220 kilometres per hour, seem like a biplane in comparison.
They are increasingly being flown using autonomous systems and paired with manned aircraft to multiply the force of a combat mission.
These “Loyal Wingman” drones, pioneered by Boeing and specialist US drone company Kratos, are now being developed by China, the UK, Russia, Turkey and Japan.
They are smaller than manned fighter jets, but that could change soon.
Northrop Grumman’s Model 437, announced in September, is based on their manned stealth fighter, the secretive Model 401, while Japan’s Ministry of Defence has hinted that high performance unmanned fighters could follow its current Loyal Wingman projects.
The huge drone has a take-off weight of almost 25,000kg, part of a new class of very large UAVS.
In March, US Vice Admiral James Kilby said that in future drones could comprise almost half of all aircraft on a given US aircraft carrier.
Other drones such as the stealthy X-47B – the first experimental combat drone to land on an aircraft carrier and the first drone to successfully complete air-to-air refuelling with a tanker, are clearly influencing foreign designs.
These drones are large – the X-47B has an 18.9 metre wingspan, six metres wider than the F/A-18 Hornet , the US Navy’s main carrier aircraft. Its take-off weight is almost 20 times that of the Predator.
Furthermore, they have a high endurance – the X-47B can fly for almost 4,000km on a tank of fuel.
Their increased capability – and a growing range of roles envisioned by designers, could bring us to a future where the majority of aerial combat missions are unmanned.
It is still not clear if the trend to larger and faster UCAVs will continue – US research agency Darpa’s LongShot programme envisions small drones that can be launched from planes that fire long-range missiles.
That said, here are some of the biggest, fastest unmanned aircraft in existence or scheduled for testing next year:
SR-72 Darkstar
The SR-72 “Son of Blackbird”, is inspired by the manned Blackbird SR-71 spy plane that smashed speed records in September 1974, flying from New York to London in one hour 54 minutes, cruising at an average speed of 2,900kph.
The Blackbird eventually left service because of its extremely high operational costs, improved satellite reconnaissance and the development of a high altitude Russian jet, the MiG-31, that posed a risk to the aircraft, even at its high operational ceiling of 85,000 feet, more than twice the cruising altitude of an airliner.
The SR-72 could theoretically evade current fighter jets, zipping in and out of enemy airspace at Mach 6, or six times the speed of sound.
More importantly, new anti-satellite weapons being developed could give extremely fast spy planes like the SR-72 a critical role.
Developers Lockheed Martin hope the aircraft can be test flown next year.
Sukhoi S-70 Okhotnik-B
On December 14, a new version of Russia's stealth SU-70 drone was displayed by the Novosibirsk Aircraft Production Association.
First test flown on August 7, 2019, the Sukhoi S-70 Okhotnik-B is a multi-role aircraft designed for reconnaissance and combat with low observable, or stealthy, design features – in other words, it has a small radar signature, in theory making it hard to shoot down.
According to Russian news agency Tass, up to four S-70s could be controlled by a two-seater variant of the Su-57 fighter jet. Russia hopes the drone will enter service in 2024.
Photos of the drone near the Su-57 show that it is indeed a large aircraft, almost the size of the multi-role fighter jet.
RQ-180
Very little is known about the enormous RQ-180, but it s thought to have a wingspan of about 40 metres, almost as wide as the Second World War B-29 bomber.
That is just an estimate based on plane spotter sightings near the US Area 51 Air Force facility and more recently, in Philippine airspace.
The secretive stealth aircraft is designed to fly at high altitude over long distances and was recently shown, albeit briefly, in a video by the US Air Force's Profession of Arms Centre of Excellence.
Global Hawk
The Global Hawk was one of the first large-scale, high-altitude long-endurance drones, entering service in 2001 with a flight endurance of up to 30 hours.
With a 40-metre wingspan, it is almost nine metres wider than a Second World War B-17 bomber. Its synthetic aperture radar can map terrain in 3D over vast areas, helped by its operational ceiling altitude of 65,000ft-plus, or more than 19km.
While high flying, the aircraft is lumbering and made headlines in 2018 when Iran shot down an RQ-4 over the Strait of Hormuz – probably with a Russian-made SA-3 missile which can reach the upper limit of the RQ-4’s altitude.
Hongdu GJ-11
With a V-shape “flying wing” stealth design and intended for reconnaissance and air combat, the Hongdu first flew in 2013 and has a wingspan of 14 metres. A scale model of the aircraft was displayed at the China 2021 air show, featuring an open bomb bay and four munitions which, according to the state affiliated Global Times, resembled “guided precision air-to-ground glide bombs”.
Sukhoi Checkmate
Recently displayed at Dubai Air Show 2021, Russia’s new SU-75 Checkmate stealth fighter jet can carry 7,400kg of weapons, including five air-to-air missiles in an internal weapons bay, flying at speeds of up to Mach 2. That is impressive for a stealth aircraft – weapons are normally stored internally to preserve stealth characteristics, limiting munitions load.
Sukhoi says an unmanned variant is in the offing, potentially reducing the comparative cost of the stealth system even further.
Altius
Test flown with armaments for the first time in June, the massive Altius has a 28.5 metre wingspan. The heavy, twin engine propeller driven drone is claimed to have a 48-hour endurance window, according to developers Kazan Simonov Design Bureau, in addition to a range of 3,500km.
As well as having a reconnaissance role, Russia hopes the plane – which first flew in 2016 – will also carry an array of missiles and bombs into battle.
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km
Jawan
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THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre, four-cylinder turbo
Transmission: seven-speed dual clutch automatic
Power: 169bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: Dh54,500
On sale: now
FROM%20THE%20ASHES
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Khalid%20Fahad%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStarring%3A%20Shaima%20Al%20Tayeb%2C%20Wafa%20Muhamad%2C%20Hamss%20Bandar%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
ALRAWABI%20SCHOOL%20FOR%20GIRLS
%3Cp%3ECreator%3A%20Tima%20Shomali%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStarring%3A%C2%A0Tara%20Abboud%2C%C2%A0Kira%20Yaghnam%2C%20Tara%20Atalla%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin
Director: Shawn Levy
Rating: 3/5
THE SIXTH SENSE
Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Rating: 5/5
Disclaimer
Director: Alfonso Cuaron
Stars: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Kline, Lesley Manville
Rating: 4/5
UAE FIXTURES
October 18 – 7.30pm, UAE v Oman, Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
October 19 – 7.30pm, UAE v Ireland, Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
October 21 – 2.10pm, UAE v Hong Kong, Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
October 22 – 2.10pm, UAE v Jersey, Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
October 24 – 10am, UAE v Nigeria, Abu Dhabi Cricket Oval 1
October 27 – 7.30pm, UAE v Canada, Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
October 29 – 2.10pm, Playoff 1 – A2 v B3; 7.30pm, Playoff 2 – A3 v B2, at Dubai International Stadium.
October 30 – 2.10pm, Playoff 3 – A4 v Loser of Play-off 1; 7.30pm, Playoff 4 – B4 v Loser of Play-off 2 at Dubai International Stadium
November 1 – 2.10pm, Semifinal 1 – B1 v Winner of Play-off 1; 7.30pm, Semifinal 2 – A1 v Winner of Play-off 2 at Dubai International Stadium
November 2 – 2.10pm, Third place Playoff – B1 v Winner of Play-off 1; 7.30pm, Final, at Dubai International Stadium
Silent Hill f
Publisher: Konami
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Rating: 4.5/5
Biog
Mr Kandhari is legally authorised to conduct marriages in the gurdwara
He has officiated weddings of Sikhs and people of different faiths from Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Russia, the US and Canada
Father of two sons, grandfather of six
Plays golf once a week
Enjoys trying new holiday destinations with his wife and family
Walks for an hour every morning
Completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Loyola College, Chennai, India
2019 is a milestone because he completes 50 years in business
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
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SPEC SHEET
Display: 10.4-inch IPS LCD, 400 nits, toughened glass
CPU: Unisoc T610; Mali G52 GPU
Memory: 4GB
Storage: 64GB, up to 512GB microSD
Camera: 8MP rear, 5MP front
Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, USB-C, 3.5mm audio
Battery: 8200mAh, up to 10 hours video
Platform: Android 11
Audio: Stereo speakers, 2 mics
Durability: IP52
Biometrics: Face unlock
Price: Dh849
Types of bank fraud
1) Phishing
Fraudsters send an unsolicited email that appears to be from a financial institution or online retailer. The hoax email requests that you provide sensitive information, often by clicking on to a link leading to a fake website.
2) Smishing
The SMS equivalent of phishing. Fraudsters falsify the telephone number through “text spoofing,” so that it appears to be a genuine text from the bank.
3) Vishing
The telephone equivalent of phishing and smishing. Fraudsters may pose as bank staff, police or government officials. They may persuade the consumer to transfer money or divulge personal information.
4) SIM swap
Fraudsters duplicate the SIM of your mobile number without your knowledge or authorisation, allowing them to conduct financial transactions with your bank.
5) Identity theft
Someone illegally obtains your confidential information, through various ways, such as theft of your wallet, bank and utility bill statements, computer intrusion and social networks.
6) Prize scams
Fraudsters claiming to be authorised representatives from well-known organisations (such as Etisalat, du, Dubai Shopping Festival, Expo2020, Lulu Hypermarket etc) contact victims to tell them they have won a cash prize and request them to share confidential banking details to transfer the prize money.
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
What is the FNC?
The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
UAE central contracts
Full time contracts
Rohan Mustafa, Ahmed Raza, Mohammed Usman, Chirag Suri, Mohammed Boota, Sultan Ahmed, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Waheed Ahmed, Zawar Farid
Part time contracts
Aryan Lakra, Ansh Tandon, Karthik Meiyappan, Rahul Bhatia, Alishan Sharafu, CP Rizwaan, Basil Hameed, Matiullah, Fahad Nawaz, Sanchit Sharma
MATCH INFO
Euro 2020 qualifier
Ukraine 2 (Yaremchuk 06', Yarmolenko 27')
Portugal 1 (Ronaldo 72' pen)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylturbo
Transmission: seven-speed DSG automatic
Power: 242bhp
Torque: 370Nm
Price: Dh136,814
Will the pound fall to parity with the dollar?
The idea of pound parity now seems less far-fetched as the risk grows that Britain may split away from the European Union without a deal.
Rupert Harrison, a fund manager at BlackRock, sees the risk of it falling to trade level with the dollar on a no-deal Brexit. The view echoes Morgan Stanley’s recent forecast that the currency can plunge toward $1 (Dh3.67) on such an outcome. That isn’t the majority view yet – a Bloomberg survey this month estimated the pound will slide to $1.10 should the UK exit the bloc without an agreement.
New Prime Minister Boris Johnson has repeatedly said that Britain will leave the EU on the October 31 deadline with or without an agreement, fuelling concern the nation is headed for a disorderly departure and fanning pessimism toward the pound. Sterling has fallen more than 7 per cent in the past three months, the worst performance among major developed-market currencies.
“The pound is at a much lower level now but I still think a no-deal exit would lead to significant volatility and we could be testing parity on a really bad outcome,” said Mr Harrison, who manages more than $10 billion in assets at BlackRock. “We will see this game of chicken continue through August and that’s likely negative for sterling,” he said about the deadlocked Brexit talks.
The pound fell 0.8 per cent to $1.2033 on Friday, its weakest closing level since the 1980s, after a report on the second quarter showed the UK economy shrank for the first time in six years. The data means it is likely the Bank of England will cut interest rates, according to Mizuho Bank.
The BOE said in November that the currency could fall even below $1 in an analysis on possible worst-case Brexit scenarios. Options-based calculations showed around a 6.4 per cent chance of pound-dollar parity in the next one year, markedly higher than 0.2 per cent in early March when prospects of a no-deal outcome were seemingly off the table.
Bloomberg
Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha
Starring: Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Shantanu Maheshwari, Jimmy Shergill, Saiee Manjrekar
Director: Neeraj Pandey
Rating: 2.5/5
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
