Short Takes – 6-28-24

Attrition: New Pattern of Death in Ukraine. StrategyPage.com article. Pull quote: “Currently there is no effective defense from these FPV attack drones, and that’s why these drones cause most of the casualties in Ukraine. Over the last few decades the cost of the FPV drone systems components have come way down, while the size of these components is smaller and more reliable. Overall, the new FPV system made it a lot cheaper to inflict casualties and that had a devastating effect on troop morale. Once you saw or heard the FPV drones you either found a place to hide or became a casualty. Ukraine considers the attack drones rounds of ammunition which are cheaper and more precise than artillery shells. There is still a role for artillery when it comes to destroying structures or blocking access to a road interdiction fire. But when it comes to deliberately causing casualties, drones are the weapon of choice. That’s why Ukraine is building nearly 100,000 drones a month in 2024.”

H5N1 bird flu can remain infectious in raw milk for at least an hour, study finds. LiveScience.com article. Pull quote: “"There is something about the milk that is making it [H5N1] more stable, and allowing it to survive for longer periods of time," Le Sage said. "But we don't know what component is causing this."”

The mirage at the core of space commerce, space stations, and other options. TheSpaceReview.com article. Political and economic drivers of space economy. Pull quote: “Microgravity materials processing holds the promise of economic growth but first the products produced must prove an economic or social benefit justifying the cost. Until that potential is tapped, space commerce remains refinements of what happened in the 19th century when the telegraph accelerated the spread of information exponentially. Now, humans stand on the cusp of a dramatic expansion of humanity into space, but the economic underpinning remains fragile. Moving to the next level does not demand immediate access to Mars but the creation of a viable, resilient human space economy.”

DHS Civil Monetary Penalty Adjustments for Inflation. Federal Register DHS direct final rule. Summary: “In this final rule, DHS adjusts for inflation its civil monetary penalties for 2024, in accordance with the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015 and Executive Office of the President (EOP) Office of Management and Budget (OMB) guidance. DHS is also accounting for additional civil monetary penalties that the U.S. Coast Guard is statutorily authorized to collect. The new penalty amounts will be effective for penalties assessed after June 28, 2024 whose associated violations occurred after November 2, 2015.