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https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidhambling/2024/12/27/conflicted-airspace-friendly-fire-and-hostile-drones-cause-chaos/
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-u-s-drone-panic-mirrors-ufo-overreactions/
Conflicted Airspace: Friendly Fire And Hostile Drones Cause Chaos
Dec 27, 2024,08:22am EST
Three very different stories from the last week highlighted the same issue : in the Red Sea, rescuers recovered aircrew from a downed U.S.
Navy F/A-18; a passenger airliner crashes in Kazakhstan, killing 38 people; officials warn of a threat to civil aviation in New Jersey.
The common thread linking these disparate stories is the problem of distinguishing friendly aircraft from hostile drones and the danger of bringing down your own aircraft by mistake.
The challenge, known as ‘deconfliction’ and previously getting little consideration, is starting to have significant real-world impact.
Accidents In The Red Sea
In the most straightforward incident, U.S. Central Command describes the shootdown of the F/A-18 as an ‘apparent case of friendly fire.’
The aircraft, which had just taken off from the carrier USS Harry Truman, was shot down by the guided missile cruiser USS Gettysburg, one of Truman’s escorts
Shortly before this incident the same group of ships had been under attack by Houthi drones and at least one cruise missile, which they had shot down.
Strict protocols requiring target confirmation usually prevent this type of incident from happening, but it is not a one-off event.
Further reports that a second F/A-18 was targeted, and was forced to take evasive action when Gettysburg fired an SM-2 missile at it.
The sharp maneuver meant the supersonic 1500-pound missile missed by around 100 feet (30 meters), narrowly avoiding disaster.
Flight operations from the Harry Truman were reportedly suspended while the cause of the incidents was investigated.
Distinguishing a manned jet with twin jet engines from a small drone might seem simple, but these incident show how easily mistakes can happen.
While thankfully no lives were lost here, the destruction of a $60m aircraft, and, perhaps more seriously, the forced suspension of flight operations from a carrier group, show that repeated attacks by small, cheap drones have serious unexpected consequences.
Even if the drones are downed they may still succeed to disrupting their target.
Meanwhile an investigation in under way on the loss off the Azeri flight JS-8432.
According to Azeri officials quoted by Reuters, the Embraer jet was hit by a Russian Pantsir (“Panther”) S-1 air defence system over Grozny before it crashed.
Kremlin officials say they cannot comment before a full investigation is carried out.
Friendly fire has been a known and chronic problem for Russian aviation. Earlier this month Russian defenders shot down one of their own Ka-52 Alligator attack helicopters.
In October one Su-25 attack aircraft shot down another, while earlier in the year a Russian missile crew in Crimea downed one of their own Su-27 jets. These are far from the only cases.
The defenders are most likely mistaking the aircraft for Ukrainian one-way attack drones, which have been scoring a series of successes against Russian air bases, refineries and other targets.
Videos show the drones cruising serenely over targets and crashing into them while gunfire crackles all around, indicating that Russia’s many long-range, radar-guided missile systems have failed to touch them.
The pressure is on for Russian air defence to bring down more drones — but launching more missiles will result in more friendly fire incidents unless the underlying problems can be resolved.
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This morning Russia closed five airports for ‘operational safety reasons’ during a Ukrainian drone attack. One of the five was Grozny, where JS-8432 was reportedly targeted. The action is intended to prevent a repetition of this incident.
While there is no suggestion yet that Ukrainian drones are mimicking airliners, some Russian drones are fitted with radar reflectors to make them look like larger aircraft and cause confusion.
The transponders and other methods used to identify airliners could be copied by nefarious actors to help drones slip through.
The drone which killed three U.S. soldiers in Jordan last January reportedly evaded the defenses by following the same flight path as a U.S. aircraft minutes earlier.
When airspace is shared between friendly and hostile aircraft, deconfliction becomes harder and the chaos favors the attackers.
Confusion In New Jersey
The situation in New Jersey is more complex. Initial reports of large numbers of unknown drones in the area have been blurred by an avalanche of competing claims that these are in fact sightings of legitimate commercial drones, or of satellites, or of civil airliners.
Others suggest the drones are operated by mysterious government agencies, or even that aliens are flying them. The sightings have caused concern all the way up to the White House and assurances that there is nothing to worry about have cut little ice.
President-elect Trump suggested on Truth Social that if the government cannot positively confirm the identity of the drones they need to “Shoot them down!!!”
Others, including local politicians, have expressed frustration about the lack of action, and that what may be reconnaissance drones from hostile powers are being allowed to fly freely over New Jersey airspace.
The ‘mystery drone’ issue goes back some time. In 2020 we reported on the repeated incursions by large numbers of drones over U.S. nuclear power plants, and similar drone sightings have been made over U.S. navy exercises and airbases.
The scale of operations, and the size and capability of some of the drones involved, strongly suggest that this is not simply a matter of hobbyists seeing what they can get away with.
‘Shoot them down’ may look like an appealing option. But the challenge of identification and the risk of friendly fire, as seen in the Red Sea and Grozny, show that it comes with significant risks.
And the problem is only going to get worse. Ukraine is ramping up production, with plans to launch some 30,000 long-range attack drones in the coming year.
Others are likely to copy their success. Unlike other military hardware like hypersonic missiles, such drones can be built by small teams in little more than garage workshops, and can have a reach of thousands of miles.
The solution, comprehensive radar coverage and advanced air traffic control systems to detect, track, identify and tag everything in the sky, may seem simple enough.
But as events in New Jersey show, drones are elusive and can keep slipping through the net. And as Flight JS-8432 shows, any mistakes in attempt to bring them down are likely to cost lives.
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Indian Anadrone Shikra drone caught by Sri Lanka fisherman
December 27, 2024 8:18 am
A jet powered target drone, bearing the marking of the Indian manufacturer Anadrone has been found by a fisherman off Sri Lanka’s Eastern coast, a media report said.
The drone was found floating 36 kilometres off Trincomalee in the island’s Eastern waters, the fisherman told Sri Lanka’s Hiru news.
“We found it in the sea near some fish were swimming,” he said. “After we finished fishing, I took the object on board and brought it ashore.
Then I informed the police and they said they will inform the Navy.
The words, Shikra, target can also be seen on wings of the drone, as well as Anadrone on the tail fin.
Similar drones are produced by Anadrone Systems Pvt Ltd, an unmanned vehicle manufacturer, according to its website.
“Anadrone Systems Pvt Ltd is a forward-thinking defense company headquartered in India, specializing in the design, development, and deployment of advanced unmanned aerial systems and defense technologies,” its website says.
The firm won an order for 100 units of it Shikra high-speed target system from the Indian Navy, the news portal Iadnews.in says.
The drone found in Sri Lanka has the marking 0032.
Sri Lanka Air Force was quoted as saying that the island had previously also found a target drone and investigations were being conducted on the latest one.
https://economynext.com/indian-anadrone-shikra-drone-caught-by-sri-lanka-fisherman-196494/
Joe Rogan convinced Trump knows ‘something’ about UFOs - but won’t say what
Friday 27 December 2024 15:51 GMT
Podcast host Joe Rogan said he believes that current and past presidents, such as President-elect Donald Trump, know “something” about extraterrestrial life but won’t reveal what it it.
Rogan told filmmaker James Fox, whose documentaries often focus on unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP), that he caught that feeling after asking Trump about it.
“When I confronted Mr. Trump, he was very cagey,” Rogan said on Tuesday’s episode of The Joe Rogan Experience. “Very cagey.”
Rogan said the president-elect hinted that he has seen and heard things related to UAPs or aliens but would not reveal what they were.
Last month, during an interview, Trump told Rogan there “may be” life on other planets, despite scientific evidence saying otherwise sos far.
“He basically neither confirmed or denied,” Rogan said. “I think he knows something. I don’t think he’s that interested … He’s sort of a no-nonsense type of guy.”
Fox, a frequent guest of Rogan’s, has produced several documentaries on UAPs.
During his interview with Rogan, he urged President Joe Biden to release information related to mysteroious aerial phenonmena before he leaves office.
He believes there is more evidence of UAPs that officials have not made public.
Two years ago, members of Congress held hearings about the possibility of life on other planets and UAPs after a whistleblower came forward with claims that the government was covering up evidence.
The conversation between Rogan and Fox arises as people across the nation express frustration over unexplained drones that have begun flying over neighborhoods in the evening.
Lawmakers and officials have assured the public the drones are non-threatening, but they have not offered an explanation about their origins or intent.
Fox said he’s hopeful that officials will share more about UAPs because of the drone sightings, calling it a “matter of national security.” “There’s something really weird going on,” Fox said.
Current officials may not know about the drones or, at the very least, do not want to share that information publicly.
The incoming administration, however, may take a more hands-on approach to solving the mystery of the drones.
Earlier this month, Trump has said that he believes the government knows more about the drones than it is publicly sharing.
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson said if Trump were president now, he would make sure his administration solved the mystery of the drones rather than issue vague statements like the Biden administration.
https://www.independent.co.uk/politics/joe-rogan-trump-ufos-b2670588.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3yrKVu35uSE
Should UFOs Abduct More People Of Color?
December 27, 2024 10:00 AM ET
Following the spate of mysterious drone sightings above New Jersey and other areas of the United States, Edgar, the Daily Caller’s intrepid blue puppet reporter, hit the streets of Washington, D.C., to ask locals about UFOs and diversity.
“Most of the people who get abducted by aliens are white yokels from the countryside. That’s not fair. Would you like to see more ‘Abductees of Color,’ or ‘AOCs?'” Edgar asked on befuddled local.
“We don’t want diversity with that,” one woman of color replied. Wait, I thought diversity was our greatest strength?!
Another white woman pleaded, “I didn’t ask for the alien probe!” while conceding that more representation would certainly be fair.
Edgar also beseeched a young black man to avail: “You could take one for Team Earth, couldn’t you?”
“Should we upload more brothers to the mothership?” he asked one black woman, who burst out with laughter: “Maybe,” she replied.
It’s a good sign for the country that New Jerseyans of all colors seemed to be able to take a joke about race.
Has Edgar single handedly saved race relations in America? But he didn’t stop there, diving deeper into the alien conspiracy at hand.
“Which public figure do you think is an alien?” he asked one Jersey resident.
The runaway favorite for America’s secret alien was Vice President-elect, JD Vance. “Is it his almost inhumanly luscious eyelashes?”
Edgar followed up. There’s an advanced alien civilization exploding in that beard.
Edgar pressed further: “Why are the alien overlords circling New Jersey?”
“New Jersey is the armpit of America. Anyone would circle it.” was one response. Shots fired!
https://dailycaller.com/2024/12/27/ask-america-edgar-the-puppet-ufos-new-jersey-sightings/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iM5G2Q893Oc
Scientists Say They Know How to Find Dyson Rings—and Supercharge the Search for Aliens
Dec 27, 2024 9:00 AM EST
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Sometimes, light curves of stars and pulsars have wonky, flickering properties, and some scientists wonder if these light curves could be caused by artificial megastructures built by advanced civilizations.
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While previous studies have analyzed this possibility by focusing on the infrared spectrum, a new study expands the possible search by introducing new methods for detecting a Dyson ring—an energy-gathering satellite array—around a distant pulsar.
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Natural explanations of these phenomena (primarily clouds of dust) still exist, but this research suggests that there is a non-zero chance that these structures could be out there.
Astronomers can learn a lot about a distant stellar system by observing its host star. For instance, the type of star (or even number of stars) can help determine probability of life in that particular system.
But telescopes also divine the planetary details of these systems by looking at a star’s light curve. When analyzing light coming from a star, any dip in that curve suggests that an object (often a planet) is in transit around the giant ball of gas.
Thousands of exoplanets throughout the galaxy have been found using this method, which is aptly called the transit method.
However, the characteristics of a star’s light curve could have even more profound implications—for example, a dip could be caused by megastructures constructed by an ultra-advanced alien civilization.
The most well-known of these theoretical megastructures is the Dyson sphere. First proposed by Freeman Dyson in the 1960s, this sphere essentially encases a star in a cocoon of energy-gathering technology, providing all the voracious energy needs of a Type-II civilization.
Because such a structure would likely have a radius of around one astronomical unit (the distance from the Earth to our Sun), scientists estimate that there wouldn’t be enough material in one entire stellar system to construct such an object.
However, Dyson rings—a kind of vast array of energy-gathering satellites—could be theoretically feasible.
Now, a new study led by Ogetay Kayali at the Michigan Technological University details how astronomers can expand the search for these Dyson ring-induced dips in light curves by identifying previously unknown features of the light signatures of stars.
As fantastical as this may sound, it’s not a new idea. For years, the strange flickering characteristics of KIC 8462852—also known as Tabby’s star—led some experts to consider an artificial explanation.
But, in 2019, scientists largely came to the consensus that this behavior was caused by clouds of dust and/or comet fragments.
Earlier this year, scientists from Uppsala University in Sweden theorized that a Dyson structure would emit waste heat in the mid-infrared spectrum.
Several dozen stars matched this mid-infrared signature, but critics said that such signals could also come from natural causes, such as two planets colliding and producing a tremendous amount of material.
While rare, it does happen—just ask Earth.
Kayali and his team acknowledge these past infrared studies, and suggest that other techniques could be used instead to detect distant Dyson rings around pulsars.
“Previous studies covered the detection of a ring structure uniformly brightened by the central pulsar, mostly in infrared light,” the authors wrote.
They do, however, note that a pulsar beam’s superluminal speeds could be hiding Dyson structures from detection.
“These speeds may cause multiple images of the pulsar’s spot on the Dyson ring to appear simultaneously to a distant observer, and so feature bright creation and annihilation events.
Therefore, it is possible that even if Dyson ring structures had been observed previously, they might have remained unnoticed.”
When exploring something as vast and unknowing as deep space, many explanations can exist for strange behaviors detected by our ultra-sensitive telescopes.
But Kayali makes a solid argument that Dyson rings should be on the checklist of possibilities—maybe toward the bottom of the list, but on the list nonetheless.
https://www.popularmechanics.com/space/deep-space/a63174640/dyson-rings-alien-search/
https://academic.oup.com/mnras/article/536/2/1447/7918435
https://www.earth.com/news/oxygen-levels-on-exoplanets-reveal-presence-of-alien-technology/
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41550-023-02112-8
Extraterrestrial technology revealed by oxygen levels on exoplanet
12-27-2024
Scientists have long looked to oxygen when searching for signs of life beyond Earth.
This gas sustains breathing and enables animals and plants to flourish. Now, researchers suggest that oxygen might also point to advanced technology.
If an exoplanet’s atmosphere holds enough oxygen, it may not only support organisms but also help them spark fire, build structures, and craft machinery.
A study in Nature Astronomy presents this view, highlighting oxygen’s value as more than just a sign of biology.
Oxygen, civilization, and technology
Leading this research are Adam Frank, the Helen F. and Fred H. Gowen Professor of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Rochester, and Amedeo Balbi, an associate professor of astronomy and astrophysics at the University of Roma Tor Vergata, Italy.
Together with their team, they set out to explore whether oxygen is a key factor in allowing extraterrestrial civilizations to emerge and thrive through the development of technology.
“We are ready to find signatures of life on alien worlds,” Frank says. “But how do the [oxygen] conditions on a planet tell us about the possibilities for intelligent, technology-producing life?”
This question drives efforts to examine oxygen’s role beyond respiration and metabolism, especially in relation to large-scale industrial activities.
Why oxygen matters for civilizations
Photosynthesis on Earth accounts for the bulk of our oxygen on our planet, thanks to countless organisms that use sunlight to make food.
Because this process produces so much oxygen, it has been considered a biosignature. A planet with significant oxygen levels hints that life may be present, but Frank and Balbi argue that oxygen also has a second function.
“In our paper, we explore whether any atmospheric composition would be compatible with the presence of advanced technology,” Balbi says. “We found that the atmospheric requirements may be quite stringent.”
The link to technology comes from open-air combustion. Smelting metals, cooking food, and powering engines all rely on oxygen.
Any alien civilization that forges metals would need a certain percentage of oxygen in its air to keep fires burning reliably. That percentage, according to Earth’s history, appears to be around 18 percent.
Fire and the 18% threshold
“You might be able to get biology — you might even be able to get intelligent creatures — in a world that doesn’t have oxygen,” Frank says, “but without a ready source of fire, you’re never going to develop higher technology because higher technology requires fuel and melting.”
He calls attention to fire’s role in shaping tools, infrastructure, and energy production. Metalworking, for instance, depends on sustaining flames hot enough to melt ore and craft refined structures.
Frank and Balbi refer to this requirement as an “oxygen bottleneck.” A planet might host life forms of various kinds, yet remain stuck without the combustion needed to fuel industrial breakthroughs.
“The presence of high degrees of oxygen in the atmosphere is like a bottleneck you have to get through in order to have a technological species,” Frank says.
“You can have everything else work out, but if you don’t have oxygen in the atmosphere, you’re not going to have a technological species.”
Oxygen + technology create “technosignatures”
Frank thinks that exoplanets with oxygen levels at or above 18 percent should be at the top of our search list.
“Targeting planets with high oxygen levels should be prioritized because the presence or absence of high oxygen levels in exoplanet atmospheres could be a major clue in finding potential technosignatures,” Frank says.
Planets that exceed this level may have the capacity for factories, infrastructure, or communication networks.
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Balbi notes that interpreting any possible signal of intelligent life will be challenging.
“The implications of discovering intelligent, technological life on another planet would be huge,” adds Balbi. “Therefore, we need to be extremely cautious in interpreting possible detections.
Their study suggests that astronomers should be skeptical of potential technosignatures from a planet with insufficient atmospheric oxygen.
Technosphere vs. biotechnosphere
Frank and Balbi’s perspective also covers the idea of a technosphere, which is the collective output of an advanced civilization.
Factories, vehicles, and power grids all fit under this label. They rely on resources provided by the planet’s biosphere but stretch beyond purely natural processes.
Burning fuels in open air has been central to every major industrial leap, from forging steel to generating electricity.
When these technologies reach a global scale, they form a biotechnosphere. This term applies to the interplay of living systems and technology — essentially, how organisms and machines coexist.
On Earth, that includes everything from smartphones to farms, all running side by side. A well-established biotechnosphere might produce clear signals in the atmosphere: waste gases, unusual heat patterns, or chemicals not normally found in nature.
Balancing machines and ecosystems
History shows that as technology expands, it can sometimes damage or alter environments. Factories might pump pollutants into the air, while deforestation removes habitats that produce oxygen.
Yet there is an ongoing move toward cleaner energy and more efficient resource use. If any alien civilization follows a similar path, we might detect certain byproducts in the form of greenhouse gases or engineered molecules.
Though the focus is on oxygen, other factors matter too, such as temperature and access to metals or fuels. A planet may need stable conditions for life to progress to a point where industry becomes possible.
That said, Frank and Balbi’s findings highlight how oxygen stands out among these factors, because it directly enables combustion processes.
Fire and progress in Earth’s past
Earth’s own development through advances in technology offers insight into how vital oxygen has been for technical achievements.
Once our atmosphere had enough of it, humans learned to manipulate fire for cooking and for making stronger materials.
From simple smithing to modern manufacturing, every stage of growth involved open-air combustion.
“You can have everything else work out, but if you don’t have oxygen in the atmosphere, you’re not going to have a technological species,” Frank says.
This idea underlines how a single factor — oxygen — can open or close the door to industrial progress, altering a planet’s entire future path.
Oxygen, technology, and next steps
Observatories now in the works may soon gather data about exoplanet atmospheres in detail. Detecting a high oxygen content could mark a world that supports advanced living organisms.
The next task is to look for proof of industry or technology, sometimes called technosignatures. These might appear as chemical emissions, radio signals, or specific spectral lines.
If these two checks– oxygen above 18 percent and evidence of artificial activity — both yield results, we will have a strong indication that we share the universe with another technological civilization.
That reality could reshape how we see ourselves and our place among the stars.
Why does any of this matter?
Understanding the significance of atmospheric oxygen can also inspire reflection on our home planet. Human industries rely heavily on combustion, from running cars to powering factories. This has changed Earth’s ecosystems.
As we learn more about how oxygen in an atmosphere enables or limits technology, we might gain new ideas on how to manage our own balance between growth and environmental health.
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