US Bunker Buster's "Weak Spot" Revealed? China Finds Attack Tactic to ‘Stop' Bomb That Hit Iran
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The Hindu
4 hours ago
- The Hindu
From The Hindu, July 28, 1975: Chinese theory on height of Everest
Tokyo, July 27: The exact height of the world's highest peak Mount Everest is 8,848.13 metres or 34 metres lower than the hitherto accepted figure of 3,882 metres. This has been determined by a team of Chinese surveyors and cartographers who accompanied the Chinese mountaineering expedition which reportedly ascended the peak last May, according to the official Hsinhua News Agency which gave some details of how the new height of Everest was determined in a Peking despatch on Thursday. The report said the Chinese surveyors and cartographers working in the face of extremely difficult conditions had succeeded in extending the national geodestic survey control network to the east main and west Rongbuk glaciers on the north slope of the mountain. They had carried out triangular traverse astronomical and gravity surveys at attitudes of 5,000 to 7,000 metres above sea level and counter checked the precise levelling of the area between Tingri and the Rongbuk monastery thus providing a reliable control basis for determining the height of Everest. After a surveying pole had been erected on the summit and the thickness of the accumulated snow there measured, the surveyors and cartographers had proceeded to conduct simultaneous observation and survey from ten triangulation points located 7 to 21 km. from the summit at altitudes of 5,600 to 6,300 metres. This operation had resulted in a complete set of data for mapping out the geographical location and the height of the peak.
India.com
4 hours ago
- India.com
China Triggers Alarm With 1,000 KM Range Air-To-Air Hypersonic Missile; Who Should Be Worried?
Beijing: China has reportedly tested an air-to-air missile capable of striking aerial targets at a distance of up to 1,000 kilometres. It has sent ripples across the global defense community. If accurate, the test could signal a fundamental shift in modern air combat strategy. It will potentially allow fighter jets to neutralise enemy aircraft long before they even come into radar range. The development was first reported by South China Morning Post, citing Chinese military sources. According to the report, the missile reaches speeds beyond Mach 5. It has placed it in the hypersonic category. It is designed to intercept high-value aerial targets, including stealth fighters and surveillance aircraft. Chinese engineers are said to be working on this new system with the aim of providing long-range superiority across contested airspaces. Still unnamed publicly, the project may allow China to target aircraft such as the U.S. F-22 Raptor, F-35 stealth fighters and the B-21 Raider well before they enter engagement range. Missiles of this class are typically referred to as Beyond Visual Range (BVR) air-to-air missiles. They form a critical part of next-generation aerial warfare. Until now, the longest-range BVR missiles in service globally include Russia's R-37M and the U.S. AIM-174B. Both are capable of reaching distances around 350-400 kilometres. Presently under development, India's Astra Mk-3 is expected to match that range once deployed. However, a 1,000-kilometre air-to-air missile would outclass all existing systems. Experts say that if China's claims are validated, the development could force countries like India, Japan, Taiwan and even the United States to re-evaluate their air combat doctrines. No matter how stealthy, no fighter jet could escape a missile launched from that distance. The implications are serious, assuming tracking and targeting systems remain precise. Historically, air-to-air missiles have evolved from short-range weapons introduced in the 1950s, such as the U.S. AIM-9 Sidewinder and the Soviet K-series, to the BVR missiles of today. The modern battlefield increasingly depends on aerial platforms like AWACS and AEW&CS for surveillance and coordination. A missile capable of striking these assets from such vast ranges could potentially change the outcome of future conflicts before they even escalate. India, which currently fields the Astra Mk-1 and is working on Astra Mk-2 and Mk-3, faces a widening gap in this segment. While the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has made consistent progress, there are calls within India's strategic community to accelerate indigenous hypersonic missile development. In addition, India may need to invest more heavily in advanced radar systems and tracking sensors, potentially through ISRO-DRDO collaboration, to detect and respond to threats launched from long distances at high speeds. As per the latest assessments, India's current missile capabilities are limited to around 400 kilometres in range. While the Chinese claim has not yet been independently verified, military analysts suggest it would be prudent for India to consider the scenario as credible and prepare accordingly. The development comes at a time when tensions remain high in East Asia, particularly around Taiwan and the South China Sea. If China's new missile enters operational service, it could give the country significant leverage across the region, including air dominance over key hotspots. Though the precise operational status of the missile remains unclear, the signal from Beijing is loud enough. Nations dependent on legacy BVR systems now face pressure to catch up, both in terms of range and speed, before the skies become inaccessible.
Time of India
8 hours ago
- Time of India
Urgent need for 'global approach' on AI regulation: UN tech chief
Geneva: The world urgently needs to find a global approach on regulating artificial intelligence, the United Nations ' top tech chief said this week, warning that fragmentation could deepen risks and inequalities. Doreen Bogdan-Martin , head of the UN's International Telecommunications Union ( ITU ) agency, told AFP she hoped that AI "can actually benefit humanity". But as concerns mount over the risks posed by the fast-moving technology -- including fears of mass job losses, the spread of deepfakes and disinformation, and society's fabric fraying -- she insisted that regulation was key. "There's an urgency to try to get... the right framework in place," she said, stressing the need for "a global approach". Her comments came after US President Donald Trump this week unveiled an aggressive, low-regulation strategy aimed at ensuring the United States stays ahead of China on AI. Among more than 90 proposals, Trump's plan calls for sweeping deregulation, with the administration promising to "remove red tape and onerous regulation" that could hinder private sector AI development. Asked if she had concerns about an approach that urges less, not more, regulation of AI technologies, Bogdan-Martin refrained from commenting, saying she was "still trying to digest" the US plan. 'Critical' "I think there are different approaches," she said. "We have the EU approach. We have the Chinese approach. Now we're seeing the US approach. I think what's needed is for those approaches to dialogue," she said. At the same time, she highlighted that "85 percent of countries don't yet have AI policies or strategies". A consistent theme among those strategies that do exist is the focus on innovation, capacity building and infrastructure investments, Bogdan-Martin said. "But where I think the debate still needs to happen at a global level is trying to figure out how much regulation, how little regulation, is needed," she said. Bogdan-Martin, who grew up in New Jersey and has spent most of her more than three-decade career at the ITU, insisted the Geneva-based telecoms agency that sets standards for new technologies was well-placed to help facilitate much-needed dialogue on the issue. "The need for a global approach I think is critical," she said, cautioning that "fragmented approaches will not help serve and reach all". As countries and companies sprint to cement their dominance in the booming sector, there are concerns that precautions could be thrown to the wind -- and that those who lose the race or do not have the capacity to participate will be left behind. 'Huge gap' The ITU chief hailed "mind-blowing" advances within artificial intelligence, with the potential to improve everything from education to agriculture to health care -- but insisted the benefits must be shared. Without a concerted effort, there is a risk that AI will end up standing for "advancing inequalities", she warned, cautioning against deepening an already dire digital divide worldwide. "We have 2.6 billion people that have no access to the internet, which means they have no access to artificial intelligence", Bogdan-Martin pointed out. "We have to tackle those divides if we're actually going to have something that is beneficial to all of humanity." Bogdan-Martin, the first woman to serve as ITU secretary-general in the organisation's nearly 160-year history, also stressed the need to get more women into the digital space. "We have a huge gap," she said. "We definitely don't have enough women... in artificial intelligence." The 58-year-old mother of four said it was "a big honour" to be the first woman in her position, to be "breaking the glass ceiling (and) paving the path for future generations". But she acknowledged there was a lot of pressure, "not just to achieve, but to almost overachieve". Bogdan-Martin, who is being backed by the Trump administration to stand for re-election when her four-year mandate ends next year, said she was eager to stay on for a second term. "There is a lot to do."
