The NFL reported a 20,000% increase in drone incursions at football games from 2017 to 2023. The global anti-drone market is projected to grow at 27.8% per year this decade. Counter-UAS systems typically use multi-sensor fusion, combining radar, RF analyzers, optical/infrared cameras, and acoustic sensors with artificial intelligence. Rafael’s Drone Dome provides 360° detection with…
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The F-22 Raptor is a fifth-generation stealth air-superiority fighter that first flew in 1997 and achieved Initial Operational Capability in December 2005, with 187 production aircraft completed by 2012. It can sustain supersonic flight without afterburner, achieving supercruise at speeds above Mach 1.5. In standard configuration it carries eight internally mounted air-to-air weapons: six AIM-120C…
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MLIT/JCAB is the central regulator for drones in Japan, handling registration, safety rules, and flight permissions. The National Police Agency enforces the Drone Act, banning flights over sensitive facilities and can intervene if drones pose security threats. Japan uses a risk-based classification with Category I low-risk operations in permitted areas, while Category II and III…
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Starlink’s upfront CapEx was estimated at about $10 billion and later as high as $30 billion, SpaceX launched over 8,000 Starlink satellites with about 4,000 in operation by April 2025, and the service exceeded 5 million subscribers worldwide by 2025. Amazon’s Project Kuiper is a $10 billion plan for a 3,236-satellite constellation, with 27 production…
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The F-16 began as General Dynamics’ YF-16 in the USAF’s Lightweight Fighter program, with the prototype’s maiden flight in 1974 and the first operational F-16A delivered in 1979. It introduced relaxed static stability and fly-by-wire controls, enabling exceptional agility and the ability to sustain 9 g turns. The cockpit features a frameless bubble canopy for…
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The Sukhoi Su-57 Felon is Russia’s first fifth-generation stealth fighter, developed under the PAK FA program, with the T-50 prototype’s maiden flight on January 29, 2010 and the name Su-57 adopted in 2017. It measures about 20.1 m in length, 14.0 m wingspan, and 4.8 m in height, uses internal weapon bays, and employs radar-absorbing…
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In 2000 Zimbabwe’s internet penetration was about 0.3%, rising to around 15% by 2011. The first ISPs were Data Control & Systems in 1994 and MWEB in 1995, with ZISPA counting nearly 30 ISPs by the 2000s. By early 2023 there were over 14 million active SIMs, roughly 85% of Zimbabwe’s population. Median mobile download…
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ChatGPT reached 100 million users in January 2023, making it the fastest-growing consumer app in history. GPT-4 is rumored to have around 1.76 trillion parameters across eight Mixture-of-Experts models. Claude 2 offers up to 100,000 tokens of context and uses Constitutional AI to encourage harmless, helpful behavior. Gemini Ultra reportedly exceeded 90% on the MMLU…
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In 2023, the global space economy reached $570 billion, with private/commercial ventures accounting for about 78%. In 2023 there were 221 orbital launches (the most on record), more than 2,500 satellites launched, and experts project up to 100,000 satellites in orbit within the next decade. Since 2009, investors have poured about $347.9 billion into roughly…
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April 2001: Dennis Tito became the world’s first space tourist by paying about $20 million for a seat on a Russian Soyuz and spending seven days aboard the ISS. In 2004, Mojave Aerospace Ventures won the Ansari X Prize by launching SpaceShipOne, the first privately built crewed spacecraft, on back-to-back suborbital flights. The Commercial Space…
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