MAROKO133 Hot ai: Britain’s industry survived Rome’s fall, metal production thrived in Vik

📌 MAROKO133 Eksklusif ai: Britain’s industry survived Rome’s fall, metal productio

Cambridge researchers just established the first timeline of metal production in Britain’s history, and it’s rewriting a commonly held belief: Britain’s industrial economy did not collapse when the Romans left in 400 AD.

Iron production in Britain experienced nothing short but “ups and downs” over the centuries, according to Cambridge University researchers. And it all began with the Romans. Long known, the Romans brought large-scale lead and iron production industry to Britain. However, what happened after the Romans left, remained unclear until now.

In a new study published in Antiquity, researchers from Cambridge and Nottingham examined a 16-feet sediment core from Aldborough in Yorkshire, an important center of metal production located at a former Roman tribal town of Brigantes.

Unlike previously held beliefs, it did not collapse after the Romans left at all, “which adds a new dimension to the understanding” of the history of this important Roman town in the immediately post-Roman period, according to researchers.

“It has significant implications for our wider understanding of the end of Roman Britain,” Professor Martin Millet from Cambridge’s Faculty of Classics and Fitzwilliam College stated in an announcement.

History rewritten

Cambridge researchers used archaeological and micromorphological analytical techniques in the interpretation of buried landscapes, according to their announcement.

Whereas previous metal pollution records extracted their silt, or evidence from areas far from their sources—  upland peat cores or mountain and polar glaciers, Cambridge specifies –the most recent data comes from the epicenter of production, a paleochannel of the River Ure, Cambridge explains.

With these methods, they analyzed the core alongside excavation evidence and data about landscape changes at Aldborough over the last two millennia.

Contrary to previous findings, Britain continued to produce metal long after the Romans left in 400 AD. It did not gradually decline either. Post-Roman, Britain was not a “Dark Age,” according to Cambridge. But it did suddenly crashed around 550-600 AD, but no one knows why.

Iron production had ups and downs

Historical documents from the Mediterranean and modern-day France suggest that the waves of bubonic plague and smallpox might have contributed to the decline in iron production during the 4^th and 5^th centuries. However, researchers witnessed a steady rise through the 5^th and mid-6^th centuries, and they used “the same ore sources and use of coal as in the Roman period.”

Under the Vikings, iron and lead production expanded in the 8^th century, which continued through the 10^th century, so the region experienced economic prosperity. But after the 11^th century, iron produced dipped, and then grew in the 12^th and 13^th centuries.

Ups and down: Through the years, the latest study shows how much iron and lead production fluctuated over time, revealing a fascinating angle into Britain’s history. After yet another passive period, researchers saw another boost which Henry VIII shortstopped.

Cambridge concludes that the recent study has “provided the first unbroken continuous record and timeline of metal pollution and metal economic history in Britain, from the 5th century to the present day. “

Read the study in Antiquity.

🔗 Sumber: interestingengineering.com

📌 MAROKO133 Update ai: US firm’s drone operates as mothership, conducts precision

A new military test has showcased potential that large drones can work as motherships for smaller loitering munitions. The plan could get a push following a recent air launch of a Switchblade 600 loitering munition (LM) from a General Atomics’ Block 5 MQ-9A unmanned aircraft system (UAS).

It marked the first time a Switchblade 600 has ever been launched from an unmanned aircraft.

The flight testing took place from July 22-24 at the U.S. Army Yuma Proving Grounds Test Range.

Combining different unmanned technologies

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems and AeroVironment collaborated on the air launch of a Switchblade 600 loitering munition.

“This cooperative effort showcased how combining different unmanned technologies could really provide value and effects to the warfighter,” said GA-ASI President David R. Alexander.

“By using MQ-9A to carry the Switchblade, the MQ-9A is able to stand off farther from enemy weapons systems and increase the range of the SB600, which will provide greater access and options in contested airspace.”

Team transferred control of the Switchblade

General Atomics revealed that after successfully integrating the SB600 with the MQ-9A, the team released two LMs: one with an inert warhead and the other with a high-explosive round.

After launch, the team transferred control of the Switchblade from a user in the MQ-9A’s ground control station to a user on the ground nearer the operational area.

The test further validated GA-ASI’s ability to integrate and operate a variety of airborne launched effects on the battlefield – including both those built by GA-ASI and by partners such as AV – and how their use in conflict provides risk-tolerant options to commanders in contested operations, according to a press release.

AeroVironment’s advanced systems integrated quickly with the MQ-9A Reaper, validating the compatibility and robustness of the technology.

The company revealed that the flight tests featured two successful launches, precision targeting, and real-time data transmission, including updated guidance, navigation, control systems, and high-performance payload integrations.

Long-range precision effects

AV highlighted that its Switchblade loitering munition systems are operationally deployed in combat–across multiple theaters by multiple customers. Integrating the Switchblade 600 with the MQ-9A extends its mission capabilities, expanding air-ground interoperability and providing advanced support for ground maneuver operations.

“This successful integration is more than a technical achievement—it’s a clear demonstration of what’s possible when proven systems are combined to create new operational advantages,” said Jimmy Jenkins, Executive Vice President, Precision Strike & Defense Systems for AV.

“By enabling Switchblade 600 to launch from the MQ-9A with SATCOM control, we’re opening up new possibilities for long-range, precision effects that directly support the warfighter—anywhere, anytime.”

This milestone reinforces the company’s commitment to advancing the next generation of loitering munitions—delivering adaptable, scalable, and integrated capabilities to meet the demands of today’s dynamic operational environments, according to AeroVironment (AV).

Switchblade 600 is equipped with class-leading, high-resolution EO/IR gimbaled sensors and advanced precision flight control.

The loitering munition systems empowers the warfighter with quick and easy deployment via tube-launch, and the capability to fly, track and engage non-line-of-sight targets and armored vehicles with precision lethal effects without the need for external ISR or fires assets. 

🔗 Sumber: interestingengineering.com