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<ul class="summary-list"><li>Russia, China, and the US all have fifth-generation fighter jet programs.</li><li>The Russian Su-57, Chinese J-20, and American F-35 are all facing various challenges.</li></ul>The world's top military powers have been working to develop formidable fifth-generation fighter jet fleets for decades, and that's still a work in progress.The US built the first fifth-generation fighter, the stealth F-22 Raptor, and it followed that project with the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter. Russia and China have the Su-57 and J-20, respectively.The American F-22 is no longer in production, and the three newest jets, all of which are regarded as fifth-gen jets even if some of them don't quite check all the boxes, are each facing challenges.To qualify as a fifth-generation fighter, an aircraft needs to have certain features like stealth capabilities to avoid detection and the ability to cruise at supersonic speeds without engaging its afterburners, among other things.Aviation experts outlined several issues with the Russian, Chinese, and American fifth-generation programs — including problems with stealth technology, engine development, and maintenance — in recent interviews with Business Insider.<h2>Russia's Su-57</h2><div type="image" title="Sukhoi Su-57 jet fighter performs during International military-technical forum &quot;Army-2020&quot; at Kubinka airbase in Moscow Region, Russia August 25, 2020." height="1604" width="2500" msid="106236191" hostid="261"></div>The Sukhoi Su-57 is Russia's first attempt at a fifth-generation fighter aircraft, but analysts have questioned if it actually qualifies for this distinction given its shortcomings in several key categories.Known to NATO as the 'Felon,' the Su-57 was delivered to the Russian military in 2020. There are said to be only 10 aircraft in Moscow's arsenal, but state media <a target="_blank" href="https://tass.com/defense/1352447?utm_source=businessinsider.com&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=businessinsider.com&amp;utm_referrer=businessinsider.com">suggests</a> this figure will increase to 22 by the end of 2024 and jump again to 76 by 2028. It's unclear if those plans will hold though.The Su-57 first saw combat experience above Syria in 2018. Last year, Russian officials <a target="_blank" href="https://tass.com/defense/1496395">claimed</a> that the aircraft had seen combat experience in Ukraine, which is backed up by <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/DefenceHQ/status/1612337912091217920">intelligence</a> published by Britain's defense ministry. But while the jets may have engaged in some standoff attacks, there isn't really any <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/little-evidence-for-russian-claims-about-su57-fighting-in-ukraine-2022-8">evidence </a>of widespread Su-57 employment in the ongoing war.<div type="image" title="Sukhoi Su-57 fighter jets perform at the MAKS 2019 air show in Zhukovsky, outside Moscow, Russia, August 27, 2019." height="2048" width="3163" msid="106236193" hostid="261"></div>One explanation for the lack of participation in the kind of war that fifth-generation jets were built for could be that the Russian jet <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/fifth-generation-jets-made-ukraine-war-russia-su-57-missing-2023-10">lacks the low-observable characteristics </a>that would allow it to operate as a proper fifth-generation fighter. Issues with the aircraft include Moscow's apparent struggle to outfit it with stealth-capable engines and tightly placed body panels that would adequately reduce its radar signature.Ultimately, Russia's reluctance to use its Su-57s in Ukraine "suggests that they do not have confidence in the claimed stealth properties of the jet," Justin Bronk, an airpower expert at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) think tank, previously told Business Insider.Additionally, he noted, the aircraft can only carry an older variant of the R-77 air-to-air missile. This has "folding grid fins that prevent it from being carried internally on the aircraft and hence compromises its stealth signature," he said.<h2>China's J-20</h2><div type="image" title="China J-20 fighter jet" height="1333" width="2000" msid="106236195" hostid="261"></div>China, as the so-called "pacing challenge" for the US military, also has a fifth-generation fighter program. Six years after making its first flight, China's Chengdu J-20 entered service in 2017.There, it joined Beijing's inventory of 1,900 fighter jets and has since been "operationally fielded," according to a 2023 Pentagon <a target="_blank" href="https://media.defense.gov/2023/Oct/19/2003323409/-1/-1/1/2023-MILITARY-AND-SECURITY-DEVELOPMENTS-INVOLVING-THE-PEOPLES-REPUBLIC-OF-CHINA.PDF">report</a> on the country's military power. It is estimated that <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-j20-stealth-jet-isnt-dominating-doesnt-need-to-be-2023-10">China has built</a> more than 200 J-20s and is preparing several upgrades for the fighter, among them being the installation of domestically produced WS-15 engines.The capable WS-15 is the engine that the J-20 was originally supposed to have because it would allow the fighter to fly at supersonic speeds without engaging afterburners and lend the aircraft some additional stealth capabilities. But the Chinese defense industry has long struggled to manufacture the advanced engine, so the military has used older Chinese engines and Russian ones instead."The J-20 engines have been a big headache, but I think they're indicative of larger challenges within the Chinese defense industry," said Mike Dahm, a former US Navy intelligence officer. "For all of China's technological progress, they still lag behind the West in high-end manufacturing techniques, whether it is engines, low-observable materials, or metallurgy.""Precision manufacturing," he said, "has an outsized impact on stealth and fifth-generation aircraft capabilities."<div type="image" title="China J-20 stealth fighter jet" height="1333" width="2000" msid="106236196" hostid="261"></div>Despite earlier setbacks, the J-20 <a target="_blank" href="https://breakingdefense.com/2023/07/china-j20-fighter-engine-ws15/">appeared to fly</a> with a pair of WS-15 engines this past summer in a milestone moment. But Dahm, a senior resident fellow at the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, cautioned that even if China has managed to overcome its manufacturing challenges, the reliability of the WS-15 engines is still questionable and could cause problems — especially if it's not built to the same tolerances as Western aircraft."Over the course of the engine's lifetime, they will have to perform maintenance on their engines more often and will probably have to replace the engines more often," he said. "Those maintenance challenges will ultimately impact the readiness of the aircraft and the availability of the aircraft."Michael Bohnert, a licensed engineer at the RAND Corporation think tank who has supported analysis work for the US Air Force, said maintenance of stealth materials — like applying coating on an aircraft — is an expensive and "painful" process that requires a lot of investment, both from a labor and infrastructure perspective."Having stealth aircraft is more than just the plane," Bohnert said. "It's the missiles, the tactics, it's the logistics, it's the maintenance infrastructure — there's a lot that goes into it. It's a long train to get there, and you can choose not to follow it."Like the Russians, China is still relatively new to the fifth-generation fighter game. But even the US, which has had a fifth-gen jet since 2005, is having challenges with its new Joint Strike Fighter.<h2>America's F-35</h2><div type="image" title="Air Force F-35 Middle East" height="1429" width="2000" msid="106236197" hostid="261"></div>Developed by defense manufacturer Lockheed Martin, the F-35 is the second fifth-generation fighter in America's arsenal after the F-22 Raptor and comes in three variants.The US Marine Corps F-35B is capable of short takeoffs and vertical landings and was first achieved initial operational capability in 2015. The F-35A is used by the US Air Force and achieved IOC in 2016 while the F-35C is employed by the US Navy and was operational by 2019.The aircraft, which was built for ground attacks, air-to-air combat, and networked airpower, has patrolled in Europe and the Pacific and seen some <a target="_blank" href="https://www.defensenews.com/air/2019/04/30/us-air-force-conducts-airstrikes-with-f-35-for-first-time-ever/">combat experience</a> in the Middle East.The fifth-gen plane is operated by both the US military and a number of US allies. Israel was actually the first nation to fly the jet in combat.The US military has around 450 F-35s and the Pentagon plans to procure approximately 2,500 more over the next several decades; the estimated life cycle cost is more than $1.7 trillion — much of which will go to operating and repairing the aircraft.This very expensive program has been plagued by maintenance and sustainability issues that have often impacted the fighter jet's readiness, and that continues to be the case, according to a September <a target="_blank" href="https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-23-105341">report</a> published by the Government Accountability Office, or GAO. Earlier this year, for example, the aircraft was capable of flying missions <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/f35-fighters-mission-capable-just-over-half-the-time-watchdog-2023-9">barely over half the time</a>.The report identified several specific issues at military installations, including a lack of support equipment, spare parts, adequate training, and technical data — all of which can contribute to maintenance delays. The report also found that the F-35 program was behind schedule in establishing facilities to conduct repairs and that the US government has relied heavily on contractors, which reduces its own ability to make decisions.An overarching problem is that for many years, the F-35 program was focused on production, said Diana Maurer, the director of defense capabilities and management at the GAO. The priorities were largely about research, development, and acquisition, while sustainment and its costs were downgraded to a later focus. These problems are now in play.<div type="image" title="The US Air Force's F-35 stealth fighter takes off for an aerial demonstration debut at the Le Bourget Airport during the 2017 Paris Air Show on June 19, 2017, in Paris, France." height="4260" width="6390" msid="106236200" hostid="261"></div>"The F 35, when it was becoming operationally available to the services, did not have the depot repair facilities up and running to fix the aircraft when it was needed to be repaired. Even now, the program is still years behind in completing depot standup," Maurer said. This means that when major parts of the aircraft need to be repaired or replaced, they often times need to go all the way back to the original equipment manufacturers."That creates a lot of delays," she said. And because it takes longer to repair those parts, the backlog grows, and the aircraft becomes "less able to fly across the entire fleet."The GAO has made several recommendations to the Pentagon in a bid to alleviate some of the challenges, including reassessing the breakdown between government and contractor responsibility. If there is any change to this balance of oversight, the GAO suggested in its September report that the Pentagon figure out what sort of technical data or intellectual property it might need.Adding to the F-35 program's woes, a December GAO <a target="_blank" href="https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-24-107177?utm_medium=social&amp;utm_campaign=usgao">report</a> determined that there are issues with the fighter's cooling system. In particular, it's overtasked, operating beyond what it's designed to do, which could increase wear on the engine, reduce its life, and add billions in maintenance costs."It's really important for the US to get a grip on the F 35 program. When it is flying, we've heard from pilots that they're very happy with the capabilities of that weapon system," Maurer said, adding that "it's not just the future of combat aviation for three of our military services — it's the present."

The world's top military powers each have fifth-gen jets, but Russia, China, and the US are all facing problems with their fighters

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An attack helicopter (AH) is a rotary wing platform with the primary role of engaging targets on the ground such as armored infantry or moving armored vehicles. There heavy armament can include weapons such as auto canons, heavy machine guns, unguided rockets, and anti-tank guided missiles (ATGM's) like Hellfire and air to air missiles. Apart from the US and Russia, no other country is known for its large inventory of attack helicopters. 
 
 <keyword id="43853" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Indian-military">Indian military</keyword> is having around 390 helicopters with it but only 30 out of them are attack helicopters and rest are the utility and transport helicopters. The reason behind this can be understood by the fact that the <keyword id="15141" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Indian-Air-Force">Indian Air Force</keyword> (IAF) maintains a fleet of around 250 ground attack aircrafts which more or less serves the same basic purpose of giving close air support to the ground troops. Traditionally India is not known for the love of attack helicopters. Even back in those days, India was using Mil MI-4 and Bell 47G-2 which were utility helicopters for troop movement and rescue operations. 
 
 
The Need 
 
 As of now, Indian Air Force deploys around 20 Mil Mi-35, 7 HAL Rudra and 3 HAL Light combat Helicopters (prototypes). It was the Kargil war of 1999 which fueled the need for helicopters that can operate at such high-altitude conditions with ease. Restricted maneuverability of Mil Mi-35 with high payloads led India to the develop the HAL Light Combat Helicopter and HAL Rudra for multi-role high-altitude combat operations and this can be used by the Indian Air Force and the Indian Army's <keyword id="812305" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="40" keywordseo="Aviation-Corps">Aviation Corps</keyword>. On 26 May 2009, the <keyword id="2910012" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Indian-Ministry-of-Defense">Indian Ministry of Defense</keyword> invited bids for 22 combat helicopters and 15 heavy-lift helicopters in a deal worth US$2 billion. In 2011, the American AH 64-D Apache Block3 had emerged as the winner ahead of the Russian Mi-28N defense deal for 22 Attack Helicopter and CH47-F Chinook won it for the heavy lift category. IAF is planning to deploy indigenously developed HAL Light Combat Helicopter for its combat operations along with the AH64-D Apache, however the HAL-LCA is in the nascent stage of development and the AH64-D's are yet to be delivered. 
 <keyword id="1376569" type="COMPANY" weightage="80" keywordseo="The-Boeing">The Boeing</keyword> AH-64 Apache is considered as the best attack helicopter which creates havoc in the battlefield. The Boeing AH-64 Apache is a four-blade, twin turbo shaft attack helicopter with a powerful anti-armour weapon system. The Apache is equipped with state of the art electronic technology and fire control systems. The Apache can be loaded with 16 AGM-114 Hellfire Missiles, 76 70mm folding-fin aerial rockets or a combination of both – in addition to 1,200 30mm rounds for its M230 automatic cannon. There can be the use of fixed and rotary wing aircraft in operations against insurgents and this weapon system can be a force multiplier with the IAF in these special missions. Some experts are however opposing the requirement for the attack helicopters quoting that India has thousands of miles of mountainous borders to defend and attack helicopters are bound to be under-utilized in the mountains with their full payload. Another concern is that the heavy firing of the daytime at low levels can bring down any attack helicopter even with the best armour plantings. With their height ceilings and limited weapon systems, attack helicopters can perform their best in the plains but it is the mountains where it has to face the severest test as a credible force multiplier. Lessons from Vietnam remind that more than 5000 helicopters were lost against a not so powerful enemy. However, technology and weaponry has moved far ahead since then. 
 
The indigenous development 
 
Whatever the debate is, Indian military knows the best. After the Kargil war, India is engaged in developing a rotary weapons platform and has successfully produced the HAL Rudra, which is an armed version of HAL Dhruv. Rudra is equipped with Forward Looking Infra Red and Thermal Imaging Sights Interface, a 20 mm turret gun, 70 mm rocket pods, ATGM's and Air-to-Air Missiles. Total 27 are there, 20 with army aviation corps and 7 with IAF. 
 
In 2006, HAL announced its plan to design and build LCH. The Indian Air Force is to acquire 65 LCHs and Indian Army is to acquire 114 LCHs. It surpasses the Boeing AH 64-D Apache in terms of range(700kms) and service ceiling(6500mts), however when it comes to the terms of weapon system, it is more like the Eurocopter Tiger and AW 129 Mangusta. Given its service ceilings and range it is well suited for the mountainous terrains with the prospects of further developments. India will go for the full scale production of the HAL LCH's only after 2016 and the prototypes are being tested now. These improvements in the Indian defense manufacturing sector not only fits the “Make in India” program but also takes us a step closer towards the self-sufficiency in defense procurements. 
 
Image credits: Indiatimes (Representation Image)

Dusk and Dawn of the Indian Attack Helicopters

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Special-operations units from each US military service branch train to conduct combat diving as a part of their missions.</li><li><keyword id="359579" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="60" keywordseo="Navy-Seals">Navy SEALs</keyword> take that capability further, however, practicing not only to travel through the water but to conduct underwater missions as well.</li><li>With the military refocusing for a potential conflict in the vast Pacific region, that diving capability is taking on new importance.</li></ul>Water covers more than 70% of the earth, making maritime operations a must-have capability for any competent military.Besides having the strongest Navy in the world, the US military possesses potent maritime special-operations resources, with the majority of its special-operations units having some combat diving capability.<keyword id="10610674" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="marine-raiders">Marine Raiders</keyword> and <keyword id="9146942" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="reconnaissance-marines">Reconnaissance Marines</keyword> have different training pipelines but go through the same dive school in Panama City.<div type="image" title="Navy Marine Corps combat diver" height="1333" width="2000" msid="80320233" hostid="261"></div>Army Green Berets have dedicated combat diver teams, and some Rangers go through the arduous Special Forces Underwater Operations School in Key West, Florida, one of the most challenging courses in the Army, where even special operators wash out.Air Force Combat Controllers, Pararescuemen, and Special Reconnaissance operators also go through dive school in Panama City before finishing their own training courses. Those units often send students to the Army's course.With some exceptions, such as <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/army-special-operations-role-in-great-power-competition-with-china-2020-9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Special Forces dive teams</a> who teach combat diving to foreign troops, for these units combat diving is primarily an insertion method - a way to the job rather than the job itself.However, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/navy-seals-rusty-after-scandals-middle-east-wars-insiders-say-2020-10" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Navy SEAL Teams</a> take maritime special-operations to another level.<h2>Frogmen</h2><div type="image" title="Office of Strategic Services OSS frogmen" height="646" width="861" msid="80320234" hostid="261"></div>Navy SEALs trace their lineage to the Underwater Demolition Teams (UDT) of World War II.These frogmen were tasked with amphibious reconnaissance and clearing beaches before the Marine Corps or the Army landed. They saw action in Normandy during D-Day and in almost every major operation in the Pacific.Since then, the combat diver capability (or combat swimmer, as SEALs call it) is part of every SEAL's DNA. SEAL students receive combat diving training during the initial and the advanced portions of the SEAL pipeline.Aspiring SEALs learn the basics of combat diving during the Second (or Dive) Phase of the six-month Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) training course. This portion of the training contains Pool Competence, the pipeline's second most difficult event after First Phase's Hell Week.During Pool Comp, students go through increasingly stressful underwater tests in a monitored environment. The goal is to see if they can follow basic procedures that could save their lives in a real-world operation while under extreme physical and mental stress.During the SEAL Qualification Training (SQT) course, which comes after BUD/S, aspiring SEALs receive additional and more advanced combat diving training.<div type="image" title="Navy SEAL diver" height="892" width="1400" msid="80320235" hostid="261"></div>The reason for the additional training is that SEALs are the only special-operations unit tasked with underwater special operations, such as placing limpet mines on enemy ships or conducting reconnaissance of an enemy harbor.One of their better-known underwater missions took place in 1989 during <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/operation-acid-gambit-delta-force-rescues-cia-operative-in-panama-2020-12" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Operation Just Cause</a>. A four-man SEAL element was tasked with sinking Manuel Noriega's personal boat to prevent the Panamanian dictator's escape. Despite some resistance from a few vigilant guards, the SEALs were able to plant limpet mines and destroy the vessel.Although the SEAL Teams' missions might be different than those of other US special-operations combat diver units, the basic training isn't."Actually, the military's combat diver communities are all very similar in the curriculums being taught," a highly seasoned Special Forces combat diver told Insider. "We all fall under SOCOM [US Special Operations Command], and the Navy is the proponent for all diving operations. They approve and monitor tasks being taught at each school.""We all use [combat diving] for the same reason - clandestine infiltration using an oxygen rebreather," the operator said, referring to the MK25 MOD2, made by Dräger."[We all] get to work using our fins," added the operator, who has taught at the Army's combat diver school and at BUD/S.A potential conflict in the Pacific is a reason for all services to maintain or even improve their combat diver capabilities. However, there is still a lot to be done on that front, especially for Army special-operations units, where the capability <a href="https://sofrep.com/news/exclusive-the-perilous-state-of-the-special-forces-combat-diver-capability/#:~:text=Special%20Forces%20Combat%20Divers%20are,serve%20in%20a%20dive%20team." target="_blank" rel="noopener">has been neglected</a> to a dangerous extent.<h2>Diving into the future</h2><div type="image" title="Army Special Forces combat diver" height="1050" width="1400" msid="80320236" hostid="261"></div>With the Pentagon focused on great-power competition, maritime special-operations are increasingly relevant and important, and that's where the SEAL Teams can shine."The Teams can do so much in conflict with China," a former SEAL officer told Insider. "We have the ability to conduct small unit surveillance and reconnaissance during over-the-beach ops; place sensors to aid intelligence gathering, again during over-the-beach ops; train foreign forces (for example, training the Taiwanese in all manner of stuff to balance Chinese capabilities); and also do direct action (an extreme example, but doable if so required)."Unlike other special-operations units, in the SEAL Teams everyone is combat diver qualified. As a result, there is a vested interest in the capability, both from an operational and budgetary standpoint.<div type="image" title="us navy seal submarine delivery vehicle SDV" height="812" width="1259" msid="80320237" hostid="261"></div>"Compared to other special-operations commands, NSW [Naval Special Warfare] as a whole will be more relevant in a great-power competition setting, at least in the Pacific, because of the maritime nature of the environment," a SEAL officer told insider. "We might see platoons diving but not to place a limpet mine on a Chinese warship but a sensor on a ship of interest."Aside from traditional combat diving operations, the SEAL Teams also possess the SEAL Delivery Vehicle (SDV) capability.There are two SDV Teams that are manned by SEALs who undergo even more combat diving training and operate the mini-submarines. Although much of their mission-set is classified, they are known to conduct special reconnaissance and stealthily transport SEALs closer to a target.Stavros Atlamazoglou is a defense journalist specializing in special operations, a Hellenic Army veteran (National Service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army HQ), and a Johns Hopkins University graduate.

All US special operators train for combat diving, but Navy SEALs take it to another level

<ul class="summary-list"><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/2022-hummer-ev-edition-1-coolest-features-gmc-electric-pickup-2020-10">General Motors relaunched the controversial Hummer brand this past week</a>, reviving a paramilitary nameplate once synonymous with testosterone swagger and defiant gas-guzzling, but as an all-electric pickup under <keyword id="6356217" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="GMC">GMC</keyword> division.</li><li><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/11/AR2008071102535.html">I begged GM to save Hummer back in 2008,</a> lost the case, and was completely surprised when the brand staged a dramatic comeback with an entirely new mojo.</li><li><keyword id="6372405" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="gm">GM</keyword> isn't noted for brilliant marketing moves, but bringing back Hummer as a halo platform for the company's <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/gms-new-ultium-battery-is-for-electric-car-gearheads-2020-3">Ultium battery technology</a> is a stroke of genius.</li></ul>A decade ago, the Hummer fell <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/rise-and-fall-of-hummer-recession-general-motors-bankruptcy-arnold-schwarzenegger-2020-2">victim to the financial crisis and General Motors' 2009 federal bailout and subsequent bankruptcy</a>. "New GM" decided that a hulking paramilitary brand that sold fewer than 100,000 vehicles in its best year wasn't worth continued manufacturing and marketing support.<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/11/AR2008071102535.html">At the time, I disagreed.</a> I argued, romantically, that "GM desperately needs an obnoxious, attention-grabbing brand to keep from turning into a dreary shadow of its former self." And the country itself needed the Hummer, I wrote, "to remind us of what has always made our automobiles stand out, from the tail fin 1950s to the muscle car 1960s and '70s: swagger."I concluded that "Americans don't just drive their cars — they proclaim something about themselves by driving them."You can't win 'em all. Although as the reveal this past week of the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/gm-why-electric-car-skeptics-should-buy-hummer-ev-2020-10">new GMC Hummer all-electric truck</a> demonstrated, some brands are actually, well, forever.<h2>A powerful nameplate</h2><div type="image" title="Hummer H1" height="1080" width="1920" msid="78983744" hostid="261"></div>Such is the power of the Hummer nameplate. What was a stand-alone GM division in 2008, the result of GM buying the moniker from AM General Corp. in 1999 (AM General had created the US military's HUMVEE), is now a sub-brand of GMC, akin to the luxurious Denali and off-road AT4 designations.The move was brilliant. Hummer had a basically terrible reputation among the environmentally-conscious crowd, and that was more than a decade before the Green New Deal and Tesla's takeover of the EV market.The reputation wasn't entirely deserved. Yes, the Hummer was a rolling ad for American exceptionalism and chugged fuel like a thirsty bull in the desert. But in its more hardcore trim levels, it was an absurdly robust and well-built vehicle.One could buy an H1 as a zombie-apocalypse conveyance and feel pretty confident that the money was well spent. A Hummer was possibly the last vehicle anyone would have to buy: Amortize the environmental impact over a few decades, maybe a century, and you could come out way ahead of a Prius.That didn't matter to GM's leadership, post-Chapter 11. In those days, the company was streamlining itself to have just four brands: Chevy, GMC, Buick, and Cadillac — and Buick barely made the cut, with GM saving it mainly because of its long and successful history in China, the world's largest growth market, then as now.In fact, GM tried to sell Hummer to the Chinese, but the deal fell through. So the brand went into limbo, awaiting its resurrection.<h2>Hummer and rumors of Hummers</h2><div type="image" title="2022 GMC HUMMER EV 010" height="1667" width="2500" msid="78983746" hostid="261"></div>The rumors about an electric Hummer only started percolating about a year ago, but once the mill started churning, it started to look very good for Hummer 2.0. Why? Because GM had an utterly unique opportunity: revive a great brand that people were still interested in, but without the baggage of macho preening and sordid plumes of tailpipe emissions.It worked like a charm. As soon as the GMC Hummer was teased, enthusiasm exploded. It helped that GM also saw the brand as a way to support, in dramatic fashion, the Ultium battery technology is unveiled in early 2020, not to mention beat the <keyword id="8304544" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="tesla-cybertruck">Tesla Cybertruck</keyword> to market by years. If anything, the GMC Hummer is even more over-the-top than its controversial predecessor. The powertrain is rated at a near-comical 1,000 horsepower, and torque is a claimed 11,500 pound-feet, which makes a striking headline for a pickup that dreams of towing locomotives but, it's a figure that under some debate. The 0-60 mph time is a supercar-quick three seconds. The truck can also execute groovy maneuvers, like a sideways "crab walk," useful when dueling with difficult offroad situations.So who buys this thing, priced as it is for launch at north of $110,000?<h2>Not your father's Hummer</h2><div type="image" title="2022 GMC HUMMER EV 038" height="1437" width="2500" msid="78983749" hostid="261"></div>Nobody, really. The new Hummer is what the old Hummer never quite managed to be: a halo vehicle for GM's transformation to an electric automaker. The old Hummer was for dudes (usually dudes) who, for whatever reason, wanted to be like Arnold Schwarzenegger. It was, despite its combat lineage, a cartoon car.But the new GMC Hummer is virtue amplified by the resonance of a brand deftly inverted. It isn't your father's Hummer, and how!Few customers will buy it, even at lower prices (it starts at $80,000, a figure that most backwoods warriors would find excessive when they have many superb four-wheel-drive pickups to choose from that cost much less).But who cares? The truck should be the star of the auto-show circuit, when and if auto shows ever come back, there are likely to be plenty of amped-up TV commercial sports during various Big Games (when those come back in force), and the vehicle is going to make little kids and grownups alike perform impromptu jigs when they spot it in the wild. Prepare yourselves for the GMC Hummer owners club and for lots of YouTubed Hummer rallies (when rallies come back).I can honestly say <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHLmoswkkAQ">I sort of saw this coming</a>, although I'd mostly consigned Hummer to the junkyard of automotive history until early this year. The electric-pickup action, I assumed, would wait for the Ford F-150 EV, and who wouldn't want to take a test drive in a Cybertruck?Hummer lost its thunder in the late 2010s. But boy, does it ever have the lightning back!

GM's revival of the Hummer as an all-electric halo car is a stroke of marketing genius

<div class="image-container float_right"><div class="image"><a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Eagle%28owl%29-eye_-_modified.JPG">Wikimedia Commons</a></div></div>The U.S. markets are closed. But the rest of the world goes on.
<a href="http://www.stifel.com/">Dave Lutz of Stifel Nicolaus </a>has a roundup of what traders are reading and chatting about as they wait for markets to come back online:
Good Morning! Following is a roundup of overnight Market Action - Key headlines (With Story Links), and this week's calendar. 
Euro Markets are under pressure - weighed down by Banks after DB released early. DAX off 40bp in average trading, but most EU markets trading 30% light to average volumes. EU Fins are retreating, losing 1% on the back of DB's 6% drop overnight. Asian Markets were under pressure on Weak China data - Nikkei lost 60bp, Shanghai lowest in 6 months, and most EM Asia weaker. India's market jumped as the RBI injected capital into their bond Markets. Aussie lost 20bp, but Miners under pressure after recent run on weak China data. China's CDS has jumped 10% overnight on liquidity concerns into the New Year Holiday
The 10YY is slightly lower as Bills have a slight bid in CBOT trading. The DXY is weaker as both the Euro and Yen pop against the Greenback. Platinum is jumping 2% overnight and 7% over the last week (South Africa Strikes). Gold hit a new YTD peak overnight, testing $1260/oz before retreating. Copper and Steel futures remain under pressure (China). The energy complex is mostly red, with WTI off 50bp (Iran deal), but Nat Gas is off 1.5% despite the frigid temperatures in the USA this week. 
 
<a href="http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-01-20/market-trading-hours-during-us-holiday" target="_blank">Market Trading Hours</a> During The US Holiday Today
· New York, Chicago trading floors: closed
· CME Equity products closes at 11:30 AM Eastern, resume trading at 6:00 PM Eastern
· CME and CBOT Interest Rate &amp; FX Products close early at 1:00 PM; resume trading at 6:00 PM
· NYMEX, COMEX early close 1:15 Eastern; resume trading at 6:00 PM Eastern
· NYSE Liffe - Normal close
· Eurex - Normal close
 
Summary for the week ahead
· Holiday Monday
· Light US Economics, Highlights: PMI, Existing Homes
· Heavy China Data - GDP, IP, Retail Sales, Flash Manufacturing PMI
· Earnings Season accelerates in Tech
· Bank of Japan and Bank of Canada Rate Decisions
· Bank of England Minutes + Carney Speaks
· AIA architectural billings Index
· Sov Ratings Reviews: France, UK and Germany
 
SOME OF THE HEADLINES TRADERS ARE READING
CHINA / ASIA
· <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/china-business/10583462/China-GDP-grows-as-slowest-rate-since-1999.html" target="_blank">China growth lowest in 14 years</a> - the country's economy grew 7.7pc last year, the same as 2012, which was the slowest since 1999. Gross domestic product expansion for the October-December quarter also came in at 7.7pc, the National Bureau of Statistics said, from 7.8pc in the previous three months.
· <a href="http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/e82310f6-817c-11e3-95aa-00144feab7de.html" target="_blank">China banks face sub-10% profit growth</a> - Analysts expect single-digit growth for first time since 2005
· China Traders are also anxious about <a href="http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/7405e1d4-8182-11e3-b3d5-00144feab7de.html#ixzz2qwifb5Te" target="_blank"> tightening credit conditions</a> ahead of the Chinese New Year holiday at the end of the month. The seven-day repo rate rose 145 basis points to 6.6 per cent.
· In a rare accommodative measure, the state-run People's Bank of China is providing short-term cash to the country's biggest lenders, in a move seen as a <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304757004579332213977239226.html?mod=WSJ_hp_LEFTWhatsNewsCollection" target="_blank"> bid to avoid a liquidity crisis near the Lunar New Year holiday</a>
· Crédit Agricole said they maintained a bearish position on the Japanese currency but short-term gains were possible because <a href="http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/7405e1d4-8182-11e3-b3d5-00144feab7de.html#ixzz2qwifb5Te" target="_blank"> market participants do not see the Bank of Japan easing policy further after Wednesday's policy meeting</a> - "[BoJ governor Haruhiko Kuroda] stressed that the economy is moving smoothly towards inflation as prices will continue to rise for the time being. Under such conditions the central bank is unlikely to become even more aggressive unless sentiment turns sour"
EURO/UK
· The early release of Deutsche Bank's earnings late last night, <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/banksandfinance/10583174/Deutsche-Bank-posts-shock-1.2bn-loss-for-fourth-quarter.html" target="_blank"> which showed a €1.2bn Q4 loss</a>, weighed on Banks
· According to Sky News, the <a href="http://news.sky.com/story/1197837/imf-upgrades-uk-growth-forecast-above-rivals" target="_blank"> IMF will increase its forecast for UK growth</a> in 2014 from 1.9pc to 2.4pc - The upgrade will be significantly stronger than the upgrade expected for world economic growth.
ENERGY / MENA
· Iran <a href="http://apnews.myway.com//article/20140120/DABEEU4G0.html" target="_blank"> halted its most sensitive uranium enrichment work</a> on Monday as part of a landmark deal struck with world powers, easing concerns over the country's nuclear program and clearing the way for a partial lifting of sanctions, Tehran and the U.N. said.
· Iran said it will attend this week's (weds) Geneva conference aimed at finding a resolution to Syria's war, and that it will do so <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304302704579332253898330382.html?mod=%3C%25mst.param%28LINKMODPREFIX%29" target="_blank"> without agreeing to anything in advance</a> - Syria's main opposition group in exile Syrian National Coalition (SNC) said here on Monday that it <a href="http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/world/2014-01/20/c_133059898.htm" target="_blank">suspends its participation in Geneva II conference</a> due to UN's invitation to Iran.
· Hedge Funds Cut Brent Crude Net-Longs to <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-01-20/hedge-funds-cut-brent-crude-net-longs-to-lowest-in-14-months-1-.html" target="_blank"> Lowest in 14 Months </a>
OTHER COMMODITIES
· Militant union AMCU has today <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/business-news-markets-live/10583365/Business-news-and-markets-live.html" target="_blank"> served notice to strike within 48 hours at South Africa's top platinum mines</a> - Leading producers Anglo American Platinum, Impala Platinum and Lonmin confirmed members of the dominant Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union will start their strike for higher wages at morning shift from Thursday.
· A standoff over cost overruns in the Panama Canal expansion has Panamanians as anxious as the global shipping industry - Panama's plan has suddenly run into rough waters because of ballooning cost overruns. European construction companies hired to expand the canal are <a href="http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304027204579330852141445402?mod=WSJ_hpp_MIDDLENexttoWhatsNewsForth" target="_blank"> threatening to bring the project to a halt as soon as Monday</a>
· Bitcoin doesn't meet the definition of a currency or even an electronic payment form in Finland, where the <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-01-19/bitcoin-becomes-commodity-in-finland-after-failing-currency-test.html" target="_blank"> central bank has instead decided to categorize the software as a commodity</a>
· <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-01-20/uralkali-agrees-on-24-lower-china-potash-price-researchers-say.html" target="_blank">OAO Uralkali</a>, the largest potash producer, agreed to supply the soil nutrient to China at a price 24 percent less than a contract that expired in July
· South Korea discovered the H5N8 avian influenza virus in dead migratory birds after <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-01-20/flu-virus-found-in-wild-birds-as-korea-quarantines-farms.html" target="_blank"> confirming an outbreak at two duck farms</a> in the country's south - About 100 dead birds found in a reservoir in North Jeolla province tested positive for H5N8, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, said in a statement today.
· China is abandoning a stockpiling programme that has seen the nation run up an <a href="http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/5e0333ce-81a4-11e3-a600-00144feab7de.html#ixzz2qwmA3Pr5" target="_blank"> outsized hoard of cotton that it must now sell at a loss</a>, pledging instead to switch to a subsidy system for cotton farmers this year.
ASIDE
· It will be the <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/americanfootball/10583400/Super-Bowl-XLVII-Denver-Broncos-to-meet-Seattle-Seahawks-after-gruelling-NFL-Conference-finals-wins.html" target="_blank"> NFL's No. 1 offense (Denver) vs. the league's No. 1 defense (Seattle)</a> at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Feb. 2.
· Live Blog: <a href="http://thetally.efinancialnews.com/2014/01/hold-fs-fn-davos-2014/" target="_blank"> Davos 2014</a> 
· UBS has struck two deals to <a href="http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/dd8f6818-79ea-11e3-a3e6-00144feabdc0.html#ixzz2qwjqKqwf" target="_blank"> outsource most of its fixed income trading platform</a> in a radical step highlighting the scale of cost pressures in the investment banking sector - The Swiss bank will replace its patchwork of multiple trading platforms with standardised solutions from technology groups Murex and Ion Trading, people close to the situation said.
· Lenovo Group is in <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-01-20/lenovo-said-to-be-in-advanced-discussions-for-ibm-server-unit.html" target="_blank"> serious discussions</a> to acquire International Business Machines Corp.'s low-end server business, and a deal may be signed within weeks
· Argentina will make an offer to members of the Paris Club on Monday to <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/01/20/argentina-debt-paris-idUSL5N0KU1YK20140120" target="_blank"> renegotiate the terms of its outstanding debt</a> owed to the group of creditor nations, an Argentine source said.
· FT: US regulators '<a href="http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/ee99cec0-7f15-11e3-8642-00144feabdc0.html#axzz2quUe2GNH" target="_blank">funded at a level to fail'</a>
· A rising number of economists say the U.S. will reach 3% growth in 2014 for the first time in nine years - but similar predictions have <a href="http://www.marketwatch.com/story/us-seen-on-track-for-best-growth-since-2005-2014-01-19%27" target="_blank"> been dashed in the past few years</a>

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