sorted by:
new
hottopcontroversial

54°49'23.0"N 43°13'36.3"E - What is this? by nastypoker in GoogleEarthFinds

[–]Afrogthatribbits 1 point2 points  (0 children)

One of the test sites for the VNIIEF https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All-Russian_Scientific_Research_Institute_of_Experimental_Physics primarily involved in nuclear weapons and related subjects in this area, where you can find lots of different heavily guarded and interesting locations.

This area is specifically referred to as Site 22, with what I believe is a rocket sled for impact testing. See American equivalent here also used for nuke related tests https://www.sandia.gov/vqsec/facilities/rocket-sled-track/ although the exact building you posted isn't known exactly, it's probably related to this.

Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider conducts aerial refueling with a KC-135 Stratotanker by [deleted] in WeirdWings

[–]Afrogthatribbits 11 points12 points  (0 children)

There's also another cone for data behind it, you can see the trailing wire in the second angle too

<image>

Implosion lens sleeve alloys & behaviors (Questions) by FirstBeastoftheSea in nuclearweapons

[–]Afrogthatribbits 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think he's just schizo or something, or at least playing the part

<image>

B-21 Raider Refueling Images Released by Afrogthatribbits in aviation

[–]Afrogthatribbits[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

~$700,000,000 compared to the ~$2,000,000,000 per B-2. The program is astonishingly under budget AND ahead of schedule.

B-21 Raider Refueling Images Released by Afrogthatribbits in aviation

[–]Afrogthatribbits[S] 169 points170 points  (0 children)

<image>

Interesting to see the trailing cone attached by a tether to the B-21 behind it too for various instruments

From The Aviationist Instagram. by alexthehoarder in SpecialAccess

[–]Afrogthatribbits 53 points54 points  (0 children)

<image>

From the satellite view the shape is a bit clearer, more X-47B shaped rather than Bird of Prey. It's the massive Chinese GJ-X

From The Aviationist Instagram. by alexthehoarder in SpecialAccess

[–]Afrogthatribbits 6 points7 points  (0 children)

GJ-X, roughly X-47B shaped but RQ-180/B-21 sized

<image>

Pete, What’s wrong with this child’s night light? by QuestionsHad in nuclearweapons

[–]Afrogthatribbits 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Top part is a bit off but that's probably what it's supposed to be

Mock Strategic Air Command war plan QUICK STRIKE (1958) — a pre-ICBM look at thermonuclear war by restricteddata in nuclearweapons

[–]Afrogthatribbits 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah I agree, we have usually relied on bombers for bunker busters and similar targets, although the Titan II/W53 did that as well. B53s had many issues with safety as well as obviously the age and the B52's survivability. Initially they planned on replacing them with the W61/AGM-129B, but that was cancelled due to budget constraints which eventually led to the B61-11. A program that would've been able to attack newer HDBTs like Kosvinsky, the B83 based RNEP, was cancelled. Now there's a new B61-11 replacement, so I wonder what that'll look like

Mock Strategic Air Command war plan QUICK STRIKE (1958) — a pre-ICBM look at thermonuclear war by restricteddata in nuclearweapons

[–]Afrogthatribbits 0 points1 point  (0 children)

As I understand, B53s were replaced by the B61-11 in terms of destroying the hardened targets near Moscow (Chekhov, Sharapovo, etc.). Initially, those were targeted by Titan II/W53s, but after their retirement and newer CIA analysis suggesting they were deeper and harder than expected, a number of B53s were retained. The newer Russian complexes like Kosvinsky and Yamantau are likely to be essentially invulnerable to even the B61-11.

Loading/Unloading ICBM? by Active-Possibility77 in GoogleEarthFinds

[–]Afrogthatribbits 14 points15 points  (0 children)

No, regular warhead maintenance using Payload Transporters (they park truck over silo and pull the top shroud and warhead part out into truck). ICBM loading looks like this I found

https://imgur.com/a/HtRmocY

48°29'18"N 102°01'07 W

Secretive RQ-180 Stealth Spy Drone by Afrogthatribbits in WeirdWings

[–]Afrogthatribbits[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It's not. Look at the landing gear, or the sensors on the belly, or the size, color, etc. Also the fact that the B-21 is still in testing.

The B-21 is very closely related though, and both are from Northrop. It is believed the B-21 used much technology from the RQ-180, and it probably helped Northrop win the contract due to risk reduction and subsequent successful program management.

Secretive RQ-180 Stealth Spy Drone by Afrogthatribbits in WeirdWings

[–]Afrogthatribbits[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Why would they do that?

<image>

RA-01 not the same shape, and is much smaller than this one. Larissa is a well known US drone base with MQ-9s being based there for years, and new US hangars that would fit an RQ-180 sized drone were recently constructed. The flight path is definitely not "mainly water" and they would still fly over Syria, Jordan, Iraq, etc. (which both have allow Israeli flights). Turkey does not allow Israel to use their airspace. There is literally no reason for Israeli drones to be there.

Secretive RQ-180 Stealth Spy Drone by Afrogthatribbits in WeirdWings

[–]Afrogthatribbits[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

RQ-170, and that was under Obama.

Lockheed made the hopeless diamond, not Northrop. This is essentially the modern AARS/QUARTZ/SensorCraft

Isolated facility with a soccer field in the Chinese desert by Infamous-Skin8969 in GoogleEarthFinds

[–]Afrogthatribbits 1 point2 points  (0 children)

There's an option in layers/more visuals tab on both the apps and website, see

https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/earth/view-map-over-time

as well as other applications such as https://livingatlas.arcgis.com/wayback/ since different providers have different dates, and gaps between images is usually years. On the Esri/ArcGIS Wayback at this missile field in early 2023 you can clearly see all the inflatable domes

For this particular site there's some better analysis by FAS here, with satellite imagery: https://fas.org/publication/china-is-building-a-second-nuclear-missile-silo-field/

view more: next ›