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In a breakthrough disclosed in the Chinese-language journal Flight Control & Detection, the test reveals China’s land-based early warning radar capabilities for the first time. The dual-band system, akin to the US Navy’s USNS Howard O. Lorenzen missile-tracking ship, combines wide-area surveillance (S-band) with high-resolution targeting (X-band).

Although the Lorenzen is praised for its unparalleled ability to track over 1,000 targets simultaneously, US authorities have never publicly showcased its performance in live-fire scenarios.

Test simulated Iranian missile strike on Israel
In October 2024, over 30 Iranian ballistic missiles breached Israel’s air defenses, hitting Nevatim Airbase and revealing weaknesses in even the most advanced missile shield systems. A similar scenario was replicated by the PLA in the recent test.

Furthermore, with 16 ballistic missiles launched in a single exercise, the substantial cost of the test underscores China’s commitment to investing heavily in its military readiness.

Given their high cost, ballistic missiles remain one of the most expensive weapons systems, and launching a volley of 16 in one go is virtually unheard of outside of wartime drills, showcasing Beijing’s commitment to enhancing its military capabilities.

In 2023, state broadcaster CCTV aired footage of an autonomous missile production line, widely interpreted as a strategic message to the world, particularly the US, about China’s expanding missile stockpiles and increasing military production capacity.

The international research team was led by Hamza Benattia Melgarejo, a PhD student at the University of Barcelona’s Faculty of Geography and History and a member of the university’s Classical and Protohistoric Archaeology Research Group.

According to a press release, the team has been conducting an excavation of the prehistoric settlement situated near the Strait of Gibraltar, encompassing approximately 2.5 acres in the vicinity of the Lau River.

Over the course of their work, the researchers unearthed evidence indicating human occupation during three distinct periods, spanning from 2200 to 600 BCE. This finding effectively challenges and revises existing historical narratives. “It tells a very different story from the one that existed for a long time,” says Benattia.

Occupied 1,400 years earlier
Challenging conventional beliefs, the Maghreb region in Morocco was not an “empty land” until the arrival of the Phoenicians around 800 BCE. A new study published in the journal Antiquity details three phases of occupation extending back to 2200 BCE. This timeline imbues the Kach Kouch site with considerable significance as it rewrites the previously held, inaccurate historical account.

Under the direction of Hamza Benattia Melgarejo, the research team identified the initial phase of human occupation, dating between 2200 and 2000 BCE. While limited physical evidence was recovered from this earliest period, its very existence is considered a notable, if not groundbreaking, finding, even without substantial details about the site’s initial inhabitants, according to the press release.

However, the period between 1300 and 900 BCE appears to have been a flourishing era for the settlement. Archaeologists unearthed the remains of wooden mud-brick buildings, rock-cut silos, and grinding stones, indicating a “vibrant period” in the site’s history. It is believed that the first agricultural society thrived at Kach Kouch during this time, cultivating crops such as barley and wheat and raising livestock, including sheep, goats, and cattle.

“This is the first definitive evidence of sedentary life before the Phoenician presence in the Maghreb,” the press release stated.

“We derive an analytical expression that relates Li-plating onset time to operating conditions and material properties and introduce a Li-plating diagram,” highlighted the study.

This comprehensive approach provides a more complete understanding of the phenomenon and its triggers. It offers valuable guidance for designing both advanced battery materials and, crucially, optimized charging protocols.

“This knowledge could lead to fast-charging lithium-ion batteries that are safer and longer-lasting,” remarked the press release.

“Researchers can use Li’s results to design not only the best battery materials—but importantly, charging protocols that extend battery life.”

Recent explorations of the site indicate that the temple played a significantly more integrated and extensive role in the economy and administration of the time than Egyptologists had previously recognized.

Beyond its function as a place of worship where rituals honored Ramses II, the temple also served as a vibrant hub for civic officials who conducted business that directly benefited the local community.

A whole new picture of Ramesseum Temple
A collaborative Egyptian-French archaeological project, involving the Conservation and Registration Sector of the Supreme Council of Antiquities and the French National Research Centre, is currently underway at the Ramesseum Temple, also known as “The Temple of Millions of Years,” situated on Luxor’s west bank.

A new story in progress
Dr. Mohamed Ismail further explained that the recent mission in Luxor, Egypt, has revealed that a hierarchical system of civil servants once occupied the temple halls. It functioned as a central point where stored and manufactured goods were processed and redistributed, providing support to local inhabitants. This included the presence of Deir el-Medina craftsmen authorized by the royal authority within this province.

The most recent scientific analysis of the site further confirmed that the temple was occupied before Ramses II decided to build his temple here. It was then reused, first as a priestly cemetery after its looting and finally by quarry workers.

Vertical missile launch tubes
Built jointly by General Dynamics Electric Boat and Huntington Ingalls Industries’ Newport News Shipbuilding division, the Virginia-class submarines are equipped with 12 vertical missile launch tubes and four 533mm torpedo tubes.

With a submerged displacement of 7,300 tons, the submarines’ feature a hull measuring 377 feet (ft) in length and 34ft in beam.