CENAP Infoline - no 030

Magazine Overview

Title: cenap-infoline
Issue: nr. 30
Date: January 9, 1996
Publisher: CENAP
Country: Germany
Language: German

This issue of cenap-infoline focuses on cutting-edge military technology and scientific advancements, featuring articles on advanced reconnaissance drones and a breakthrough in antimatter research, alongside a report on a UFO incident.

Skunkworks Dark-Star Revealed

The US Department of Defense is prioritizing high-flying drones for continuous battlefield reconnaissance. Teledyne Ryan and Lockheed Martin/Boeing have developed two aircraft with different capabilities. The Defense Airborne Reconnaissance Office (DARO) commissioned two unmanned aircraft, designated "Tier II Plus" and "Tier III Minus," designed to complement each other in monitoring crisis and combat zones. The Tier II Plus flies extremely high and carries extensive sensor payloads, while the Tier III Minus, with its advanced stealth characteristics, is intended to fly at slightly lower altitudes, capable of overflying heavily defended regions and delivering high-resolution imagery.

Teledyne Ryan Aeronautical in San Diego, California, won the contract for the Tier II Plus, a 9000 to 11300 kg aircraft. For $164 million (230 million Marks), two drones and a ground station were to be built, with trials scheduled to begin in December 1996 at Edwards Air Force Base. The Tier II Plus is designed for altitudes exceeding 60,000 ft (18,300 m) and can remain on station for 24 hours, up to 5,500 kilometers from its launch site. To mitigate unexpected threats, the aircraft is equipped with electronic warfare systems and a decoy. The estimated cost per Tier II Plus unit is around $10 million.

Lockheed Martin and Boeing were tasked with delivering the Dark-Star for a similar price. This flying wing design had its roll-out on June 1, 1995, at the renowned Skunkworks in Palmdale, California. Developed according to the specifications for a Tier III Minus aircraft, it boasts stealth characteristics that allow it to fly over areas protected by radar and air defense systems. Successful flights are reported to have occurred over Yugoslavia in recent weeks.

Compared to the Tier II Plus, the Dark-Star has a smaller wingspan (21 meters) and mass (3900kg). Its sensor payload includes either a side-looking radar from Westinghouse or an electro-optical camera from Recon/Optical. Powered by a Williams-Rolls F-124 turbofan (military version of the FJ44) with 1900 lbs of thrust, the Dark-Star is expected to operate at altitudes of around 45,000 ft (13,700 m) and remain on station for up to 8 hours, 500 nautical miles (925 km) from its base. During this time, it can cover approximately 36,000 square kilometers with a resolution of about one meter. Alternatively, it could capture 600 detailed images (2x2 km), revealing objects as small as 30 cm. The Dark-Star was the first ARPA project managed under "Section 845 Authority," which streamlines procurement regulations to reduce costs. Lockheed Martin/Boeing, each holding a 50% stake in the program, were given a single firm requirement: the $10 million price cap. The development contract sum is a modest $124 million, with bonuses contingent on performance. The first flight took place in August 1995.

Sources for this information include Flug-Revue, Popular Science 8/95, and Air Power International 8/95. The Dark-Star's front view is noted to resemble a UFO, though it is stated to provide no indication of alien technology. Similar concepts have existed as studies since the 1940s.

New Era of Reconnaissance Begins

The strategy of the US Ministry of Defense for the new generation of military reconnaissance aircraft is summarized as "small, cheap, and unmanned." The first product, the "DarkStar," is just under ten meters long and cost approximately 15 million Marks. It is expected to make its maiden flight on the Edwards Air Force Base in California in August. Lockheed Martin Inc. and Boeing designed the "Dark Star" so that it can detect an object the size of a basketball at a distance of 290 kilometers per hour, even after eight hours of flight at an altitude of 15,000 meters. Its exceptional all-weather visibility is attributed to an electro-optical sensor (EO) and radar technology (SAR).

Antimatter Breakthrough

In Geneva/Frankfurt, German physicist Walter Oelert and his colleagues have achieved a groundbreaking success by creating antimatter atoms, opening the door to a "completely new anti-world." This scientific breakthrough was announced by a spokesperson for the European Laboratory for Particle Physics (CERN) in Geneva. When matter and antimatter collide, they annihilate each other, releasing enormous amounts of energy.

Oelert stated that "technological utilization does not seem to be imminent." Even if it were possible to produce larger quantities of antimatter, the technical challenges of harnessing this new energy source are enormous. The experiment to create antimatter atoms was successfully conducted in September, but the researchers only revealed it to the public now. According to CERN spokesperson Neil Calder, the created antimatter atom had a lifespan of one forty-billionth of a second. The research involved Oelert's colleagues from the Nuclear Research Center in Jülich, scientists from the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, the Society for Heavy Ion Research (GSI) in Darmstadt, the University of Münster, and colleagues from Genoa. The existence of subatomic antimatter particles has been known for decades, but Oelert's experiment is groundbreaking for proving the existence of a complete antimatter atom.

UFO Alarm: Fireball Nearly Downs Aircraft

At Tokyo Airport, a machine from the Japanese airline All Nippon Airline was on its landing approach when a red fireball suddenly zipped past the cockpit. The incident caused windows in nearby houses to shatter, and the ground to shake. Police emergency lines were flooded with reports of the UFO. The pilot also believed it to be a flying saucer. However, the Tokyo Weather Bureau stated that a meteorite had fallen into the sea near Tokyo.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The magazine consistently covers advancements in aerospace technology, particularly in the realm of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and stealth capabilities. There is a clear interest in the intersection of military technology and potential extraterrestrial phenomena, as evidenced by the UFO report. The publication also highlights significant scientific achievements, such as the creation of antimatter. The editorial stance appears to be one of reporting on technological and scientific developments with a degree of skepticism, particularly regarding UFOs, while acknowledging the potential for future applications of new discoveries like antimatter.