ship

If the question is why the US attacked an Iranian ship with a weapon not seen in 40 years, now we know the answer: it had a "gift from china"

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In the heart of themissile crisis from Cuba, several Soviet ships heading to the Caribbean they turned around at the last moment when detecting the US naval blockade, avoiding a direct clash between superpowers for a matter of hours. That moment showed that sometimes the true turning point in a crisis occurs not when the conflict breaks out, but when someone decides what crosses (and what doesn’t) a line in the sea. A shot that had not been heard in decades. The American destroyer attackUSS Spruanceagainst the Iranian cargo ship a few days ago marks a turning point that goes far beyond a tactical incident, since it represents the first real use of a naval gun against another ship in almost 40 yearsa practice that until now existed more in manuals than in real operations. They explained the TWZ analysts That the procedure was methodical, with warnings for hours before disabling the engine to allow boarding, but its execution reveals the extent to which the US Navy is willing to escalate the use of force to enforce the blockade. This type of actions, which are reminiscent of Cold War doctrinesshow us a change in the rules of the game in the Strait of Hormuz, where deterrence is no longer just verbal or economic, but also physical and visible (in fact, there are action video). In Xataka Something unprecedented in the war has happened: Ukraine has knocked down Russian shaheds from a hotel 500 kilometers away The freighter that should not pass. He Wall Street Journal had in the morning that the intercepted ship, the MV Touskait was not just any target, but part of a logistics network linked to sanctions and with a history of frequent routes between China and Iranwhich placed him on Washington’s radar before the incident. His attempt to break the blockade, despite warnings, suggests, according to Washingtonwhich was transporting something valuable enough to take the risk, in a context where thousands of containers make immediate inspection on the high seas practically impossible. These types of fleets, capable of avoiding sanctions and maintaining the flow of trade between both countries, have become in key pieces of a covert war economy that mixes civilian commerce and potential military use. The Chinese “gift”. And it is at this point where a few hours ago they emerged Donald Trump’s wordssuggesting that the ship was carrying a “gift from China”, one that introduces a strategic element that would explain the forcefulness of the response. The reason? Bloomberg explained that it was not just about stopping a freighter, but about intercepting what could be sensitive or dual-use material with military implications, crossing an undeclared but evident red line for Washington. Although Beijing has denied itthe simple fact that this suspicion exists turns the operation into something more than a sanctions control, transforming it into a direct message about the limits of Chinese involvement in the conflict. Diplomacy, blockade and accusations. Iran’s reaction has not been long in coming, denouncing the seizure as a violation of international law and calling the action piracy, adding a diplomatic layer to an already tense operation. In parallel, China has expressed concern over the impact of the incident on stability in the region, while the United States maintains its position that all ships linked to Iran are susceptible of being intercepted. This exchange of accusations reflects a scenario in which the line between the application of sanctions, military pressure and open escalation is increasingly blurred. {“videoId”:”x8oyhxs”,”autoplay”:false,”title”:”Kim Jong Un in a cinematic video shared by North Korean TV”, “tag”:”North Korea”, “duration”:”713″} Memories of another time. If you like, the general context reinforces the magnitude of the episode a little more: the United States is applying a large-scale naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz, something that has not been seen since missile crisis from Cuba, and has already diverted dozens of ships before this incident. However, the case of Touska introduces a precedent perhaps more dangerous, being the first to directly defy orders and force an armed response, opening the door to future confrontations if other ships attempt the same. In this scenario, the balance is fragile and the margin of error minimal. In Xataka Millions to protect a war frigate. A Bluetooth tracker worth a few euros has been enough to follow her in real time The global strategy. Finally, it is possible that what at first glance seems like a specific action can also fit into a much broader logic: that of control flows of critical materials in the middle of war and mark limits to external actors without directly escalating to a larger conflict. The combination of a suspicious vessel, a unusual military response and the simple mention of China draws a pattern in which maritime trade becomes a field strategic battle. Image | US NAVY In Xataka | Europe has an explosive plan for Hormuz: one where there are mines, escorts, an alliance with Iran… and no sign of the US In Xataka | Iran has 300 internal reports where it models the war against the US. They are all based on the same thing: Ukraine (function() { window._JS_MODULES = window._JS_MODULES || {}; var headElement = document.getElementsByTagName(‘head’)(0); if (_JS_MODULES.instagram) { var instagramScript = document.createElement(‘script’); instagramScript.src=”https://platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js”; instagramScript.async = true; instagramScript.defer = true; headElement.appendChild(instagramScript); – The news If the question is why the US attacked an Iranian ship with a weapon not seen in 40 years, now we know the answer: it had a “gift from China” was originally published in Xataka by Miguel Jorge .

Looking to reduce fossil fuels in transportation, Hyundai has the solution: a nuclear container ship

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About 80% of world trade is moves by sea. Although it may seem like slower transportation, something key to maintaining prices is moving a large amount of material on each trip, something that is out of the reach of trucks, trains and planes. There, the huge container ships They lead the way with the associated problem of enormous spending on fossil fuels. The industry is looking for alternatives to operate no carbon emissions and Hyundai has a clear path. A nuclear container ship. Pioneer. HD Korea Shipbuilding and Offshore Engineering is the naval branch of the company and, in 2025, they presented a model of container ship nuclear seeking to eliminate emissions of a large ship with electric propulsion powered by a small nuclear reactor. The reactor type would be an SMR with thorium-based fuel and liquid salt as a coolant. After months working on the plan, this 2026 HD and ABS (American Bureau of Shipping) they arrived to an agreement to jointly develop the vessel. This is something that is in the design and subsequent prototype phase, but the agreement between the two lays the foundations for the development of a ship that is expected to be the first nuclear container ship. 16,000 TEU class. The class of a container ship is measured by the TEU, or Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit. Basically, x number of 20-foot-long containers, 16,000 containers at a time in the case of the Hyundai ship. It is far from the 20,000 and 25,000 TEU vesselsbut it will be a step forward in the maritime mobility of the future. Furthermore, the ship will not need to be as massive as others thanks, precisely, to that nuclear propulsion. By replacing the conventional machinery of diesel engines, exhaust systems and huge fuel tanks with a nuclear compartment and electrical systems, there is free space to transport more containers while maintaining the ship’s compact size. Compact within what these monsters are. Armor. To guarantee radiological safety, what this ship must include is a double stainless steel tank shielding system designed to ensure that there are no radiation leaks to both the inhabited areas of the ship and the ocean. The liquid salt itself as a coolant will also act as a safety measure against reactors that require pressurized or boiling water. If SMR stands for ‘Small Modular Reactor‘, MSR respond to ‘Molten Salt Reactor’, and basically means that, in case of emergency, the salt mixture can solidify to stop the reaction, being another security measure. all the sense. For now, the Hyundai ship has received the approval of its partner – an advantage of being the body that is also in charge of these things – but it is a project. The next steps are development and prototype, so there is still no authorization for the construction of the ship. However, it makes perfect sense for container ships to switch to nuclear propulsion. It is something that we have already seen on large ships like aircraft carrier and submarinesand the main advantage (apart from reducing emissions) is that life on the high seas depends solely on how much food can be loaded on board. Obviously, the investment is more expensive initially because it is not cheap to change the mobility paradigm, but it would not be tied to fluctuations in the price of fuel for transportation, something that we have been seeing recurrently in recent years and that, obviously, changes the shipping price. Alternatives. Hyundai is not the only one in this race and its national competitor Samsung also has a project in the oven. China, or Norway, transport heavyweights, They also have concepts of container ships powered by nuclear reactors. In the end, the industry must move because the International Maritime Organization is regulating greenhouse emissions and demanded reductions of 20% by 2030 with the aim of achieving neutrality by 2050. A render of China’s nuclear container ship In that sense, maritime transport not only represents 80% of the transport of all goods, but is responsible for 3% of global CO2 emissions of human origin. Now, nuclear electric motors are not the only way and recently we are seeing that the industry is exploring the path of battery electrification and even the return of a technology that seemed forgotten: the candles. Image | hyundai In Xataka | The West stopped building nuclear power plants because they were too expensive: China is teaching it a lesson

a ship moves at the speed of a bicycle

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The war in Iran was supposed to blow up the world economy. However, as analyst Max Fisher points out in his recent explanatory videoIf we look out the window today, we do not see an apocalyptic landscape worthy of Mad Max. What we see is, simply, a somewhat battered economy. Were the catastrophic forecasts wrong? At all. The light we see through the window is “a mirage.” The war detonated like a distant bomb: we have seen the flash, but the shock wave has not yet reached us. To understand the reason for this delay, you have to look at the sea. A supertanker is a steel giant that measures four football fields long, carries millions of barrels and weighs more than a skyscraper. Due to its colossal dimensions, it travels at about 10 or 15 knots. That is, at the speed of a bicycle. Our global supply lines travel at the pace of a cycling peloton. When the conflict broke out and the tap was turned off in the Persian Gulf, There was still a huge amount of crude oil pedaling slowly and silently across the oceans towards Europe, Asia and America. This logistical inertia is what has created the false sense of normality that we experience today. A monumental traffic jam According to data from Bloombergthere are more than 800 vessels stuck in the Gulf, 70% of them loaded with crude oil and fuel. Guardian raises the number to 2,000 if we add freighters and cruise ships, with some 20,000 sailors on board trapped for almost a month and a half. The real impact on the numbers is scary. An investigation of Al Jazeera based on data from Kpler reveals that in just 40 days of conflict 206 million barrels have disappeared from the market. To give us an idea, that amount would fill 103 supertankers (VLCC), marine beasts that, when standing, would equal the height of the Eiffel Tower. Exports from Iraq have plummeted by 82%, and those from Kuwait and Qatar by more than 70%. So why are there no massive blackouts in the West? As Max Fisher explainsWestern governments, through the International Energy Agency (IEA)have released millions of barrels from their emergency reserves. This, added to financial speculators betting on peace, has kept prices artificially low. But these measures are “punctual tricks”, patches that will run out just when the last ships that left before the war reach their destinations. The ceasefire deception The announcement of a “two-week ceasefire” has given a small respite to the markets, but the reality is rather stubborn. In statements to Reutersthe director of the IEA, Fatih Birol, was blunt: the current crisis is “more serious than those of 1973, 1979 and 2022 combined.” Analysts agree that it is not enough to sign a piece of paper to get the machinery back on track. The column lex of Financial Times warns that the world has lost about 600 million barrels. Even producing an extra million barrels a day, it will take almost two years to recover pre-conflict inventories. Added to this is physical destruction. Iran and its adversaries have damaged vital infrastructure. As we have explained in XatakaQatar has lost 17% of its liquefied natural gas (LNG) capacity and could take three to five years to repair. The imminent result will be what economists call “demand destruction”which Fisher starkly illustrates: things won’t disappear, but there will be a lot fewer of them. We will see airlines canceling flights due to the prohibitive price of fuel, less fertilizers (which will make food more expensive), factories stopped and construction materials through the roof. Great collateral damage: debt This crisis does not only affect gasoline pumps. An analysis of Foreign Affairs alert of an invisible global threat: the debt. With energy prices rising, inflation will skyrocket, forcing the United States to raise interest rates. This could trigger a wave of massive defaults in developing countries, a tragic echo of the debt crisis of the 1980s. Unlike past crises, today rich countries also have no lifeline. Ruchir Sharma, in his opinion column for Financial Timespoints out that G7 governments carry debt levels greater than 100% of their GDP. They have literally “run out of political ammunition” to subsidize fuel for their citizens. So why not extract oil from somewhere else? Because, as the geologist interviewed by explains The Conversationthe Persian Gulf is a unique whim of nature. It concentrates half of the world’s oil and 40% of the gas in just 3% of the earth’s surface. It is irreplaceable in the short term. The Tehran toll: the lesser evil Faced with this impasse, a proposal that is as controversial as it is pragmatic has emerged: that Iran control the Strait and charge a toll of about 2 million dollars per ship. According to a report from think tank European BruegelAlthough this violates international law, it would make economic sense. The study shows that 85% of this toll would be absorbed by the Gulf producing countries themselves. For the average European or Asian consumer, it would only mean a few cents more per barrel. A lesser evil compared to a total blockade that enriches Russia with the rise in crude oil. The spring mirage in which we live has an expiration date. During these hot months, Europe and Asia should be filling their strategic reserves in the face of the cold. Instead, they are emptying them. As Max Fisher warns, when hundreds of millions of people turn on the heat in December and January, the real oil crisis will hit with full force. In the long term, we can see only one real way out: avoiding oil altogether. This war will make it clear to world leaders that depending on such a volatile region is an unaffordable risk, forcing a drastic acceleration towards electric vehicles and renewable energy. In the meantime, we will continue waiting. Because the hyperconnected and technological economy of the 21st century has just discovered, the hard way, that its heart … Read more

This is what the Moon looks like from the ship

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When we think of a GoPro, like the GoPro Hero and Hero13 Blackto mention a few examples, the first thing that comes to mind is not space, but sports, travel or any scene recorded at ground level. They are cameras designed to accompany us, to record what we experience from very close up. However, that is precisely what changes when we look at Artemis II: what we have seen these days is how that technology, with specific modifications, has made the leap to a ship that has flown over the Moon. And the most interesting thing is not only that it is up there, but that part of those images have been seen live. action cameras in space. GoPro Confirmed that its cameras are part of the Orion spacecraft’s imaging system, developed by NASA to capture images of the mission and support inspection tasks. These units, adapted for the space environment, are installed on solar panels and are added to a set of more than 28 cameras that record different moments of the trip. All of this also falls within the current phase of the mission, with the ship already back after passing through the lunar environment and with NASA beginning to disseminate this material. Where are they and what are they used for?. As we already mentioned, these cameras are not inside, but in the solar panels of Orion. It is not a coincidence: this position allows something very specific, that the ship itself appears in the frame along with the environment that surrounds it. From there they can capture high-resolution images of the vehicle, the Earth and the Moon during different phases of the journey. The manufacturer details that there are four units modified and integrated into NASA’s imaging system, and in addition to generating this visual material, they are also used to verify the status of the ship at key moments of the mission. In this image of the Orion spacecraft on Artemis I we can see a solar panel deployed The streaming. The first thing that becomes clear is that we are not facing a conventional broadcast. NASA notes that live views from Orion are part of the coverage, but also warns that signal variations may occur due to distance and communication limitations. Therefore, what we see is a broadcast that does not always maintain the same image: there are cuts, moments in blue when the signal is lost and sections in black when the ship is in darkness. In practice, the broadcast does not always maintain the same continuity, something logical in a mission of this type. Where to see it and what type of live it is. The window to all this is on the official NASA channel, with an active broadcast titled “NASA’s Artemis II Live Views from Orion“. It is a technical signal that remains active depending on the conditions of link with the ship and the priorities of the mission. This implies that we do not always see the same image or with the same continuity, something that responds directly to how a flight of this type is managed. The result is an unconventional live broadcast, closer to a technical signal than to a broadcast designed for television. Something difficult to replicate with words. Not only because of the images themselves, which already have enough weight, but because of what they represent. We are talking about a technology that many of us use in everyday contexts and that, with the necessary adaptations, has ended up being part of a manned mission around the Moon. And not only that, it has also allowed us to take a look at that journey almost live, with all the limitations that it implies. Images | POT In Xataka | Artemis II has five different hot sauces on board: the reason is a radical change in what we consider “space food”

China has just mounted the largest cannon in its history on the bow of a ship. And that can only point in one direction

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The military balance in Asia was long sustained on an unspoken premise: the technological and operational superiority of the United States was unquestionable. Today that premise is already not taken for granted and, in fact, every nnew movement in the region is forcing us to recalculate times, capacities and margins for maneuver. Because China is “eating the toast” of the rest. A cannon as a symptom. The appearance of a unpublished Chinese naval cannon of 155 mm mounted on a test ship is not an isolated detail, much less a trivial one, but a sign of a much broader trend: Beijing is systematically expanding the scope and versatility of its naval power in coastal scenarios. We are talking about a weapon that, with almost 22 tons of weight and the capacity to fire guided ammunition, represents a leap in caliber compared to the current 130 mm of the Chinese Navy and aims directly at strengthen support capacity of fire in amphibious operations, especially in a hypothetical scenario over Taiwan. More range, more precision, more pressure. The jump to 155 mm is not only a question of size, but technological ecosystem. That caliber opens the door to guided projectiles, high-speed ammunition and even future developments that can offer cheaper and more sustainable alternatives to missiles in certain contexts, something that the United States has also explored with mixed results. China appears to be learning from American missteps (as the Zumwalt case and its prohibitive projectiles) and moving forward with a solution that combines traditional power and ambition without renouncing the logic of saturation war. The design is distinguished from existing large-caliber guns, such as the H/PJ/45, aiming for a caliber of 155 mm. Amphibious warfare as an axis. They counted the TWZ analysts that the new barrel fits into a wider expansion of the PLA’s amphibious capabilities, with large assault ships and auxiliary platforms designed to consolidate beachheads. In this context, long-range naval fire does not replace missiles, but the csupplement with volumepersistence and a lower cost per shot. The strategic signal is clear: China is not only accumulating missiles, but is building a complete range of options to dominate the nearby air and maritime space, especially in its immediate periphery. The Washington Contrast. And while Beijing tests new systems and accelerates development cycles, the United States drags debates on value of naval fire support, cancels programs like the railgun after years of investment and reconverts ships designed for a doctrine that never came together. Washington remains technologically superior in multiple areas, but has shown many doubts in define what combination of systems needed for a high-intensity confrontation against a power on par. China, on the other hand, appears to be aligning its industry, doctrine and production with a coherent strategic objective. A mass pointing in a direction. China has just mounted the bow of a ship largest naval cannon of its history, a structure of almost 22 tons that symbolizes something more than a technical advance. We are talking about a type of investment that is not designed for exhibitions or for routine patrols, but for every specific scenarios where fire sustained over solid ground can tilt the outcome of an operation. In other words, when a power like Beijing adapts its industry, its ships and its doctrine around that type of capability, the message is anything but ambiguous: it is setting the stage for a specific goal. Image | x In Xataka | The new fear of Western fleets is not nuclear. They are conventional submarines armed with surprise and a flag: China In Xataka | China’s best weapon doesn’t fire a single bullet: 300km ‘moving wall’ to close sea routes instantly

The US already knows when it wants to return to the Moon to beat China. The problem is how the ship will return

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There is already an official date. After years of delays and speculations, NASA has confirmed what was rumored in the halls of Washington: Artemis 2 has the green light for launch on February 6, 2026. And what is its destination? Neither more nor less than the Moon itself. Tuning. With this announcement, NASA is already preparing for the transfer of the gigantic SLS rocket (Space Launch System) to platform 39B this very January 17, starting the final countdown for humans to orbit the Moon again. Something that has not happened since 1972 with Apollo 17. However, this is not a celebration without controversy. The mission, which will take the astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen to a 10-day trip around our satellite, has been brought forward under strong political pressure. And it does so with a worrying technical asterisk: the behavior of the Orion ship’s heat shield. A battle of pressures. On the one hand, Donald Trump has historically shown its impatience with the deadlines that NASA was giving to be able to orbit around the Moon. All this with an eye on China, which threatened to be the ‘first’ and overtake the United States in this fact. What has been the solution? put to Jared Isaacman as NASA Administratora billionaire, private pilot and astronaut (known for his missions in Polaris Dawn and its links with SpaceX) to prioritize speed and calculated risk-taking over the complete risk aversion that “old NASA” had. Because. February 6, 2026 has been set as set in stone for several strategic reasons that outweigh engineering doubts about the heat shield. The first of them It’s the race against Chinasince the Asian country has a very advanced lunar program and aims put taikonauts on the Moon before 2030. If Artemis 2 was delayed to redesign the heat shield (which would have taken years), Artemis 3 would have been gone until 2028-2029 or longer, leaving the door open for China to arrive earlier or very close. But they do not stop here, since for this administration the Moon is a springboard to reach Mars, this mission being a simple way to validate the systems they are using. That is why every delay on the Moon is a delay for the mission to Mars, which promises to be the historical legacy they seek. The Avcoat dilemma. The main point of friction between engineers and the agency’s new management lies at the bottom of the Orion capsule. During the Artemis 1 unmanned mission in 2022the heat shield (made from an ablative material called Avcoat) behaved unexpectedly. And instead of being consumed uniformly, it broke off in pieces, creating craters and cracks due to the gases trapped in the material. during re-entry into the atmosphere. The engineering logic faced with this problem would mark make a new design or material change. But since it is something that would delay everything, NASA has opted for a change in angle during reentry to minimize thermal stress in the most affected areas to maintain the same shield. The doubts. NASA assures that the risk is “acceptable”, but this decision has raised blisters in the aerospace security community. Added to this is that the life support system (ECLSS)provided in part by ESA, has never been fully tested in flight with humans, adding an extra layer of uncertainty to the mission. Charles Camarda, veteran astronaut of the STS-114 mission, the return flight after the Columbia disaster, has been blunt in this regard. In statements, Camarda has compared the current situation with the “dysfunctional culture” that led to the Challenger and Columbia tragedies. But for the NASA administrator, Artemis 2 is a non-negotiable step to ensure American leadership and the future cislunar economy. Operating tension. As if the pressure on Artemis were not enough, NASA also faces a parallel crisis in low orbit. The agency and SpaceX have scheduled January 14 undocking of the Crew-11 mission of the International Space Station (ISS) due to urgent medical evacuation. This is an unprecedented event in the history of the ISS: lowering an astronaut for an unspecified medical problem (although he has been confirmed to be stable). Although Isaacman has assured that this operational incident will not affect the schedule of Artemis 2adds a considerable load of stress to mission control teams in Houston, who must now manage a crisis in real time while preparing for the most important launch of the decade. What can we expect? At the moment, the dates we know are January 17, where the SLS rolls towards its platform, and February 6, when the window for its launch will open. In total, a 10-day flight mission is expected, with a lunar flyby and high-speed return. Specifically, 40,000 km/h. NASA has much more at stake than a mission in February. The validation of its security model is at stake in the new space era, where geopolitical competition and commercial rush collide head-on with the immutable laws of physics and thermodynamics. Images | Pedro Lastra POT In Xataka | We have been deceived by the distances of the Solar System: the closest neighbor to Neptune is Mercury

an amphibious assault ship to revolutionize its naval capabilities

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On September 3, Beijing was transformed into a catwalk. Not focused on fashion, but on weapons. In one of the most impressive military parades in memory, the Asian giant celebrated the 80th anniversary of Japan’s defeat in the Second World War with an unprecedented deployment of weapons. Was some things that were savedand that’s where it comes into play his naval strategy. Because he famous Fujian It is not the only new generation ship from China. They have another known as the Type 076 which is already doing tests. And it represents an unprecedented technological leap in the Chinese naval industry. Type 076 Sichuan. If ‘Type 076’ is the class, ‘Sichuan’ is the name they have given to the country’s 51st hull. It is the first ship of this class that, on November 16, completed his first tests of sea after setting sail from the Shanghai shipyard. We have told it on several occasions: the Type 076 impresses with its scale. It is a ship that displaces about 40,000 tons, has a length of about 260 meters, a beam of between 45 and 52 meters and has a deck of about 13,500 square meters, just over two football fields. Those dimensions are considerably larger than those of its predecessor and comparable to the Charles de Gaullethe nuclear aircraft carrier that is the pride of France. Versatility. What stands out most is not its size so that it is not an aircraft carrier: what really stands out is that China has developed a ship that can carry out any type of mission. We are talking about an amphibious assault platform, which implies that it combines traditional landing capabilities with the possibility of performing tasks typical of a light aircraft carrier. That is why its deck is so large: it is designed to house helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft and, in addition, it has a deck prepared to house and deploy both landing craft and amphibious vehicles. Its human capacity is 1,000 marines. Electromagnetic catapult. For years, China depended on old Soviet heritage ships, but if Fujian marked a milestone Being the first aircraft carrier developed in-house, the Type 076 also marks a before and after by having the latest technology that the army has developed. To start, it has a electromagnetic catapult system like the one The United States has developed for your latest generation aircraft carrier and like the one Fujian has. It is a technology that will become the new standard for this type of boat, and the comparison with the Fujian is relevant because the catapult of the Type 076 It is the same length as its older brother: about 100-130 meters. This allows the Type 076 to launch conventional fixed-wing aircraft. Other amphibious assault ships can accommodate aircraft, but these must have systems V/STOL vertical or short takeoff. The new Chinese ship does not have this limitation. and electrification. But the catapult is not the only new thing: the propulsion system is fully electric. This is the first for the People’s Liberation Army Navy and the system combines two 21 MW gas turbines with six 6 MW diesel generators. Altogether, it provides about 78 MW of total power. The electrical system is responsible for powering the motors and propulsion, with a rapid delivery of energy, but it is also responsible for the high-power “pulses” such as those needed by the electromagnetic catapult. The use of this gas turbine system offers considerable advantages compared to traditional diesel, such as faster starting, the aforementioned power delivery, a reduction in vibrations, more flexibility and a lower underwater acoustic signature. Fujian deck Armament. Regardless of their transport capacity, assault ships have integrated defenses. It is not so much about carrying out attacks, but rather preventing it from being sunk, for which it has: Three surface-to-air missile launchers short range to intercept aircraft. Three Type 1130 systems with 11 30 mm cannons which provide defense against missiles and low-altitude aircraft. Four decoy launchers which consist of 24 tubes capable of deploying flares and other elements to confuse radars. Sensors similar to those installed in Fujian. These are, as we say, defensive elements, so the Sichuan will continue to depend on auxiliary ships for long-range attacks. But as we are seeing, and at an accelerated pace, it is not a problem for today’s China. Add and continue. During their three-day mission, operators tested the ship’s propulsion system, electrical systems and other key aspects that, according to reportsmet the expected standards. As we say, it is a milestone in Chinese naval modernization by merging traditional amphibious transport and aircraft carrier capabilities. It is like a category in itself and one more example that China is very serious about its maritime conquest. They are giving leaps and bounds in modernizing and expanding its fleetwith three aircraft carriers under its belt and a fourth that is estimated to have nuclear propulsion, as well as ships of other categories that fulfill two missions. On the one hand, that of national protection, but on the other, it is one more message in a territorial dispute scenario in it South and East China Sea that not only has Taiwan in its sights: also islands of Japan that China considers its property. And, of course, Japan is also responding accordingly in what has become an escalation of tension that the other giant of the seas does not want to miss: the United States. Image | 中国新闻社CHINESE MINISTRY OF NATIONAL DEFENSE In Xataka | The plan of one hundred million dead: this is how Japan intended to resist in World War II

Cities are becoming theme parks. The “ship” that has landed in Madrid is the latest example

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A spaceship has parked in the center of Madrid. No, you don’t have to you start running like you were Naruto because it will be there for a few days. This is not a real ship, but the Sol station. And the reason why the design of the subway entrance has been changed to that of this ship is because it is a PlayStation advertising action. And more than something special, it is part of a phenomenon. That of converting part of large cities into theme parks. what has happened. Last Tuesday, November 4, one of the entrances to the Sol station in Madrid appeared “tuned.” Representing a “crashed” ship, PlayStation itself gave some details about the action on your blog. Streamer The Grefg is involved in a campaign that will be resolved on November 19 and in which four PlayStation 5 Pro. It is not a celebration of the launch of any game, but rather a big raffle for which PlayStation has decorated an emblematic point in the city. Experiential Marketing. These types of interventions are not new, although in Spain it is one of the largest marketing movements seen in recent years. It is a strategy designed to create links with users beyond those that can be traced with traditional advertising. A giant LED screen or a billboard is something that we have so internalized that we even ignore it in many cases, but when the station you pass by every day becomes something else, it inevitably draws attention. It is something that reconfigures the perception of the urban environment and can manifest itself in multiple ways. Transportation stations are some of the favorite centers of companies because they are points where many, many people pass through. Sol, without going any further, was “Vodafone Sol” for many years and, although it is a different example, it serves to identify a place and a brand. Advertising outside the advertising space. It has come to be called “visual pollution of a commercial nature” by generating advertising exposure that the citizen cannot avoid. You are going to see it, whether you want to or not, but beyond the subway users themselves, it is an advertisement that generates a conversation on social networks. Public landscape = advertising canvas. As we said, Madrid is becoming an example of how public settings are converted to support a commercial narrative. Next to the PlayStation ship, and literally at kilometer zero of Madrid, the watch brand TAG Heuer placed a few weeks ago a giant clock with a countdown indicating the 365 days left until the Formula 1 returns to Madrid (something with which the neighbors also have their pluses and minuses). It is not very different from what happens with the Olympic Games, but there are other bloodier examples. Without leaving the metro, in 2016 the Chueca station was transformed with the colors of the rainbow. It was not something promoted by political movements in favor of the LGTBI+ collective, but rather an advertising action by Netflix under the slogan “Rainbow is the new black“The campaign was temporary, but the collective managed to keep the colors after Netflix withdrew its brand. And Puerta de España has also been personalized in the past. Pragmatism. This, obviously, does not come for free. Madrid, under Mayor Alberto Ruiz Gallardón, approved an ordinance that regulates outdoor advertising in Madrid by which advertising banners in Puerta del Sol and other central environments would be placed exclusively in buildings with certain characteristics. That is why Puerta del Sol is wallpapered with advertisements from big brands, series or movies, for which companies they have to pay a large fee to the city. In the end, looking at it from the most pragmatic point of view, these public-private activities finance infrastructure and furniture that municipal administrations could not afford. That is to say: cities obtain income through these advertising permits and companies gain a scenario that hundreds of thousands of people see every day. In a context in which many cities are attracting tourism and investment, it is a win-win if we think with a cooler head. The mentioned contract of Vodafone Sol was three million euros for changing the name of the station between 2013 and 2016, as well as the name change in the red line public address system. And, when the contract was not renewed, it was Vodafone that bore the management costs. Reactions. Now, while cities like Madrid, Barcelona or New York allow these activities, others restrict them. An example is Lyon, which has decided reduce outdoor advertising in public spaces by up to 75%, eliminating above all digital screens. Outside of the previous pragmatism, it is something that exerts a tension between municipal revenue, commercial freedom and the protection of the urban landscape. In the case of the PlayStation ship, varied reactions have been seen, from enthusiastic voices to those who criticize this conversion of the city into an amusement park. The truth is that PlayStation is a company that carries out very imaginative advertising campaigns in several cities and in Spain nothing this big has ever been seen. Another recent action also had much angrier reactions in the subway, when the company Uber Eats changed the name of the emblematic Goya station to… yes, you’re guessing: Gyoza. Or the former name change of the Blue Line to Stonewashed Blue. and the future Santiago Bernabéu station customized by Real Madrid. Images | PlayStation Spain In Xataka | Japan has an amusement park dedicated to Spain. And it’s as wonderful as it looks

a new Indian ship every 40 days

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India has undertaken a naval transformation which can no longer be understood as a simple modernization, but as the deliberate construction of a maritime power capable of influencing the balance of everything the Indo-Pacific. The rhythm (we are talking about a new ship or submarine every forty days) reveals a country that has decided to break its historical dependence on foreign suppliers, create its own industrial base and provide itself with a projection capacity that until a few years ago was out of reach. Indian naval acceleration. They remembered in Forbes that the current push does not respond only to geographical pressure from China and Pakistan, but to the conviction that the country’s prosperity depends on controlling vital sea routes, protecting trade and showing presence in an environment where naval powers exert political, economic and military influence. The initiatives Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat have woven an industrial ecosystem that produces steel, sensors, combat systems, missile platforms and software within the country, making Indian shipyards the center of a strategy that aims for a fleet of more than two hundred units before 2035. This ambition not only upsets the regional balance, but redefines the way India views its security and its place in the world. End to a coastal logic. The magnitude of the Indian naval plan implies a doctrinal leap: move from a mentality focused on the defense of the coast to operate as a force capable of maintaining a constant presence from the Persian Gulf to the Strait of Malacca. The new stealth destroyers, equipped with BrahMos missiles locally manufactured, the projects for a nuclear aircraft carrier that complements to Vikrant and the simultaneous expansion of the submarine fleet (including future SSNs and the recently incorporated SSBN) allow India to project power, secure maritime lines of communication and respond quickly in a theater characterized because of the competition between great powers. This transition makes the Indian navy a relevant actor not only for the defense of the country, but for the stability of a space where energy from the Middle East, goods from East Asia and a good part of global trade transit. INS Ranjit, INS Jyoti and INS Mysore Geopolitical pressure. Plus: the growing Chinese naval presence in the Indian Ocean (supported by ports and logistics platforms in Pakistan and East Africa) has changed India’s strategic environment. Added to this is the expansion of the Pakistani Navy, which incorporates advanced frigates and submarines financed and designed with Chinese assistance. This double pressure vector turns the ocean into a space of direct competition, where the ability to monitor, deter and respond is critical. In this context, depending on external suppliers becomes a risk, both due to the vulnerability of logistics chains in times of crisis and due to the possibility of political restrictions imposed from outside. From that perspective, India’s commitment to an industrial base self defense It not only guarantees operational continuity, but also allows technologies, construction rates and capacities to be adapted to national needs without external mediation. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inspects the guard of honor at the naval dockyard this 2025 National shipyards as an engine. The transition towards naval self-sufficiency has resulted in 52 ships under construction simultaneously, from next-generation destroyers to corvettes, stealth frigates and conventional and nuclear submarines. This volume turns the Indian shipyards into one of the naval facilities most active in the world and at the core of an industrial policy that seeks to dominate the production of naval steel, engines, sensors, radars, electronic systems and weapons platforms. The objective is not only to produce hulls, but to generate a complete design, integration and maintenance cycle that ensures that the fleet can be sustained in the long term without external bottlenecks. Plus: this approach creates skilled employment, encourages local innovation and allows technological advances to be transferred to other branches of defense and civil industry. New regional balance. He construction pacejoined to the technological diversificationprojects a scenario where India aspires to position itself as a structural counterweight against China in the Indo-Pacific. Its ability to operate aircraft carrier groups, escorted by stealth destroyers and attack submarines, will provide the country with tools to influence regional crises, participate in multilateral operations and guarantee the security of essential supply routes. The expansion of the Indian presence not only seeks to counteract its immediate rivals, but also to consolidate an image of power responsible capable of providing stability in a marked region due to increasing tensionsfrom the Arabian Sea to the Strait of Malacca. Long-term ambitions. The process of indian naval modernization It synthesizes several simultaneous aspirations: strategic autonomy, the reduction of external dependencies, industrial consolidation and the ability to act as a pillar of the regional order. It is not just about launching more ships, but about building a force capable of operate with continuitymaintain a deterrent presence and evolve in accordance with constantly changing technological threats. To the current paceIndia is approaching a fleet capable of shaping the Indo-Pacific according to its own interests, with tools to guarantee its security and project influence in an environment where maritime competition will be one of the defining axes of the coming decades. Image | Ministry of DefenseIndian Navy, Government of India In Xataka | China’s dominance is extending far beyond rare earths. Even where the US had no rival: the sea In Xataka | Satellite images leave no doubt: the US has restored the Pacific base that launched the atomic bombing of Japan

Someone at Harvard suggested that 3I/ATLAS was an alien ship. A new test has revealed to us what it really is

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Without a doubt one of the space objects that has been causing the most sensation in recent months is 3I/ATLAS. Practically everything has been said in recent months, from the fact that it is a simple asteroid that was going to destroy our planet to the fact that it was an alien shipas noted a professor from the prestigious Harvard. But all these ideas have been left in nothing thanks to the last signal that has been interpreted from this object. What he imagined. Interstellar object 3I/ATLAS, the third such visitor ever detected, has kept the scientific community (and science fiction fans) in suspense since its discovery in July. The most “far-fetched” speculations, as experts have described them, went so far as to suggest that it could be an extraterrestrial spacecraft, especially when it temporarily disappeared behind the Sun. The sign that explains everything. On October 24, the radio telescope MeerKAT In South Africa, a powerful network of 64 antennas captured the key evidence. This was neither an encrypted message nor a technological transmission from another species, but rather an absorption radio signal caused by hydroxyl molecules. What does it mean. Hydroxyl molecules are the direct result of the ‘breaking’ of a water molecule. This is something that happens when the ice in the nucleus of a comet approaches the Sun and sublimates due to the large amount of energy it absorbs. That is, it automatically goes from solid to gas and this is what we have detected from Earth, as has explained Michael Küppers, scientist at the European Space Agency (ESA). In summary, we are talking about 3I/ATLAS containing ice inside, as happens in comets (and not in extraterrestrial spacecraft). And we are completely sure of this, since these absorption signals are like the molecular DNI, it is unique for each compound. Goodbye speculation. As we have mentioned before, the alien ship theory gained traction when the object hid behind the Sun. Some speculated that it was maneuvering or hiding from our radars. However, on November 4, 3I/ATLAS reappeared exactly where orbital calculations predicted it would be. There were no maneuvers, just physics. Furthermore, it is not the first time it has been detected. Javier Peralta, an expert in planetary atmospheres, recalls that NASA’s Swift space telescope had already observed hydroxyl in the ultraviolet spectrum. MeerKAT’s new detection is crucial because it confirms the same composition in a completely different band of the electromagnetic spectrum: radio. What does the future hold for us? 3I/ATLAS is the third known interstellar visitor, after 1I/’Oumuamua in 2017 and 2I/Borisov in 2019. Although its trajectory is too long and it has traveled too long to know which star it comes from. But the important thing is that we are already preparing for what is coming. ESA’s JUICE mission, currently en route to Jupiter, will take new radio measurements from 3I/ATLAS in February 2026. But the big bet is the mission ESA Comet Interceptorwhich will be launched around 2029 and will wait for the next large comet to approach our planet. Cover | POT In Xataka | NASA ignores the Harvard study on an alleged extraterrestrial spacecraft: “it is an interstellar comet”

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