Michael Duitsman

Research Associate @CNS_Updates. Rocket propulsion and radiological security (usually not at the same time). Opinions my own. Faves/RTs ≠ endorsements

[Michael Duitsman @DuitsmanMS]

@R_P_one I cheated and used Wikipedia. That's super weird.

[Michael Duitsman @DuitsmanMS]

Indeed, given Iranian efforts to reconstitute their missile force during the ceasefire, this seems like a limited effort on their part.

[Decker Eveleth @dex_eve]

10 missiles against an air base target - a target type that Iran has in the past only been able to do limited damage do in terms of operations - is a warning shot. Iran could do much more at this point if they wanted to.

[Michael Duitsman @DuitsmanMS]

@stoa1984 @VLS_Appreciator Yes, my understanding is that the Iskander (and presumably the rail-launched HS-11s) only use jet vanes for TVC in the initial moments after engine ignition, when the missile isn't going fast enough for aerodynamic fins to provide control.

[Michael Duitsman @DuitsmanMS]

@wslafoy I've also been wondering about this. I suspect the answer is "yes"

I suspect it costs a pretty penny for educational institutions, too, though I'm open to correction.

[Michael Duitsman @DuitsmanMS]

I could say more, but apparently we just bombed Iran again, so I probably have more important work to do.

[Michael Duitsman @DuitsmanMS]

This is, I think, very much a mock-up. And a conceptual mock-up, at that. This is not the actual missile they plan to build - this is the idea of the missile they want to build.

There are many things that don't match up with an actual missile.

[SavunmaSanayiST.com @SavunmaSanayiST]

🔴Milli Savunma Bakanlığı:

“YILDIRIMHAN füze sisteminde kullanılan Asimetrik Dimetilhidrazin (UDMH) ve azot tetra oksit türevi sıvı yakıtlar ARGE merkezimiz tarafından yerli imkânlarla üretilmektedir.

Söz konusu yakıt teknolojisi; uzun süre depolanabilme, düşük sıcaklıklarda çalışabilme ve yüksek enerji üretme özellikleri sayesinde füze sistemlerine yüksek hareket kabiliyeti kazandırmaktadır.

3 ton harp başlığı taşıma kapasitesine sahip, YILDIRIMHAN Füze sistemine yönelik laboratuvar test süreçleri başarıyla tamamlanmış olup saha testlerine ilişkin çalışmalar planlanan takvim doğrultusunda sürdürülmektedir.

Bakanlığımız, millî teknoloji hamlesi kapsamında savunma sanayiimizin gelişimini desteklemeye, yerli ve millî sistemler geliştirmeye ve Türkiye’nin stratejik caydırıcılık kapasitesini artırmaya kararlılıkla devam edecektir.”

[Michael Duitsman @DuitsmanMS]

The problem is... where are the manifolds for propellant to enter/exit the cooling channels? I can see manifolds on the thrust chamber in the foreground here, but not on the others.

I realize a lower manifold isn't strictly required, but I don't see ports for an upper manifold.

[Yonhap News Agency @YonhapNews]

(LEAD) N. Korea fires multiple ballistic missiles toward East Sea: JCS https://t.co/o6YwCijssf

[Michael Duitsman @DuitsmanMS]

Finally, something normal and calming.

[Yonhap News Agency @YonhapNews]

(URGENT) N. Korea fires unidentified projectile toward East Sea: JCS https://t.co/Qahtq8dAHs

[Michael Duitsman @DuitsmanMS]

Some of those detonations in this video spread debris that looks consistent with burning solid propellant (i.e. from a missile). I haven't been able to geolocate this video yet, so I don't know what base this strike hit.

[OSINTtechnical @Osinttechnical]

Reports of massive airstrikes on an Iranian missile base in the city of Isfahan tonight.

[Michael Duitsman @DuitsmanMS]

I might be slightly off on the geolocations - but only slightly. It is possible the bases themselves were struck rather than the munitions storage.

[Michael Duitsman @DuitsmanMS]

I don't think this video shows either of the Isfahan missile bases on fire. I won't give a precise geolocation for the safety of the videographer.

[Vahid Online @Vahid]

'#اصفهان سمت صفه و هوانیروز'
ویدیوی دریافتی، سه‌شنبه ۱۱ فروردین
#Iran

[Michael Duitsman @DuitsmanMS]

It's entirely possible that more targets were struck in Isfahan tonight, but neither of the sites shown in this particular video are known missile bases.

[Michael Duitsman @DuitsmanMS]

Did Iran give Trump the Ayatollah Peace Prize?

[OSINTdefender @sentdefender]

Speaking to reporters earlier at the White House, President Trump mentions and vaguely talks about a mysterious “present” given to the United States yesterday by Iran:

“Because they're going to make a deal. They're going to make a deal. They did something yesterday that was amazing, actually. They gave us a present, and the present arrived today. It was a very big present worth a tremendous amount of money. And I'm not going to tell you what that present is, but it was a very significant prize. And they gave it to us, and they said they were going to give it. So that meant one thing to me, we’re dealing with the right people. No, it wasn't nuclear related. It was oil and gas related. And it was a very nice thing they did.”