Editorial note, NOSInt on a break

Due to other commitments and a short summer-break the next update will be on Wednesday July the 7th See you then.

Astute comes to the big screen

TV viewers will be given a fascinating insight into the design and construction of the Astute class submarines this Sunday in a BBC2 documentary titled How to build . . . a nuclear submarine (9pm).

BAE Systems has for the past 18 months worked with a BBC camera crew at its Submarine Solutions site to film exclusive, behind the scenes footage of one of the world's most intriguing and covert engineering projects.

The hour-long documentary will take viewers on a journey of construction, starting with the design of what are the largest and most powerful attack submarines ever ordered by the Royal Navy, right up to the beginning of the first of class Astute's sea trials.

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Pakistan Navy inducts two U.S. maritime patrol aircraft

In an induction ceremony held today at PNS Mehran, Karachi, U.S. and Pakistani officials commemorated the delivery of two P-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft to the Government of Pakistan from the United States. The aircraft will enhance the Pakistan Navy's maritime patrol operations.

Approximately 250 U.S. and Pakistani officials attended the ceremony, including Pakistan Chief of Naval Staff, ADM Noman Bashir, U.S. Consul General Steve Faken, and U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Michael Nagata.

"The delivery of these aircraft to Pakistan demonstrates the U.S. Government's commitment to a long-term, strategic partnership with Pakistan-one based on shared interests and mutual respect, that will continue to expand and deepen in future years," said Brig. Gen. Nagata.

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Submarine Philadelphia Decommissioned in Groton

Navy decommissioning ceremonies in Groton today brought the 33-career of the Los Angeles-class attack submarine Philadelphia to an end.

The decommissioning came on the 33rd anniversary of the sub's commissioning.

The sub's seventh commanding officer, Rear Admiral Douglas McAneny, now commander of the submarine force in the Pacific, said he was glad to have one last look at his old boat and to eat one more meal in its wardroom.

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BAE hits its target with new cannon

At its unveiling this week, the new Navy cannon swung its 30-foot barrel with robotic precision like something out of science fiction, and you could sense the relief of its maker, Fridley-based BAE Systems.

The defense contractor rolled out its new cannon at a ceremony full of corporate suits, red, white and blue cakes and a piped-in "Stars and Stripes Forever." The cannon is known as the Advanced Gun System. Six of the systems will be produced for three Navy Destroyers. The first of the ships, which is about 20 percent complete and is being built in Maine, is expected to be operational in 2015.

The destroyer program has been severely scaled back because of cost overruns, but there was relief at the plant that its part of the program came off the production line on time and on budget.

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Super carrier care

Babcock's Charlie Forrester turns the spotlight onto the HMS Illustrious refit, and how the project is being collaboratively delivered on time and to budget…

The Royal Navy flagship HMS Illustrious is undergoing a maintenance and upgrade programme at Rosyth, in a project that sees Babcock, the MoD and the Royal Navy working closely together to ensure the carrier can continue in service until the new aircraft carrier, HMS Queen Elizabeth, is in service.

'Lusty', as she is affectionately known in the Royal Navy, arrived in February for the 13 month docking period, the fifth refit to be undertaken by Babcock on the Invincible class aircraft carriers (CVS), and second on Illustrious. Many of the team have been involved in all four previous CVS refit contracts, bringing a wealth of valuable platform knowledge and experience.

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German Navy retires its last Atlantic

The German Navy retired its last Breguet Br.1150 Atlantic maritime reconnaissance aircraft at Nordholz on June 20 with an open day and flypast.

The Atlantic has been operated by 1 Staffel of Marinefliegergeschwader 3 (MFG-3) since the 1960s and the last aircraft, 61+03, was accompanied by three Sea Lynx helicopters as it made its last touchdown.

The Atlantic has been replaced by eight P-3C Orions purchased from the Netherlands a few years ago.

Source

U.S. ships and Israeli nuclear submarines in the Persian Gulf

The crossing of a U.S.-Israeli fleet through the Suez Canal should be interpreted less as a signal against Iran than a direct threat against Pakistan.

True, it took place just after the Security Council vote on the Iranian sanctions, but it responds first and foremost to the gas agreement concluded between Tehran and Islamabad.

"Israel To Deploy Nuclear Submarines Off Iran Coast", headlined Israeli newspaper Haaretz on 22 June, reporting on an investigation by the British Sunday Times.

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Bush conducts first missile launch

The aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) successfully fired two Evolved NATO Sea Sparrow missiles and two Rolling Airframe Missiles (RAM) for the first time, to conclude its first Combat Systems Ship's Qualification Trials (CSSQT) on Wednesday.

CSSQT is part of the series of qualifications and certifications the aircraft carrier must undergo in preparation for her upcoming maiden deployment.

According to Combat Systems Officer, Cmdr. John B. Vliet, CSSQT is a combined effort between the Combat Systems, Operations and Weapons departments to test the aircraft carrier's self-defense systems.

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British prime minister addresses sailors on board Ark Royal before heading to G8

British Prime Minister David Cameron made a special trip today to the aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal in Halifax harbour.

A spokesman with 10 Downing Street says the prime minister met with the crew just before 2:30 p.m. AT.

He says Cameron addressed about 500 sailors on deck and thanked them for their work in an upcoming international fleet review.

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LCA's Naval version set for launch

The first Naval prototype (NP1) of the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) being developed by the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) in partnership with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), is set for launch on July 6 this year.

The Naval version of the LCA (Navy) capable of operation from an aircraft carrier, is touted as the only carrier borne aircraft in the light category, which can be deployed in various operational role equipment like the beyond visual range (BVR) missile, anti shipping missiles, conventional bombs, air defence guns and drop tanks.

According to a statement from Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral Nirmal Verma would be the Chief Guest at the function to mark the ‘Roll-Out’ of LCA, post which the aircraft will be ready to undergo various system integration tests including ground runs, taxi trial and flight.

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Russian naval task force returns to homeport from Gulf of Aden

Russian Pacific Fleet commander, Adm. Konstantin Sidenko, presented sailors from a naval task force that returned from the Gulf of Aden with three roast piglets symbolizing a successful mission completion, a RIA Novosti correspondent reported.

The task force, led by the Udaloy-class guided-missile destroyer Marshal Shaposhnikov, arrived on Friday at its home base in the Russian Far Eastern city of Vladivostok.

The naval task force accomplished its anti-piracy mission in the Gulf of Aden on June 5. Russia is expected to resume the mission near Somalia in early July.

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McInerney sailors help prepare Pakistani crew to take over ship

Over its 30-year history, the USS McInerney racked up a lot of firsts, from new propulsion systems to cutting-edge weaponry.

Now at dock at Mayport Naval Station for the final time, the crew of the oldest-serving Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate in the U.S. fleet is once again trying something new.

This time, it's figuring out how to help another crew from another country get ready to run its ship.

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Toll North to transport AWD modules

The Air Warfare Destroyer (AWD) Alliance has signed a $25 million contract with Toll North Pty Ltd for the transport of 66 modules by sea from Newcastle and Melbourne to Adelaide where they will be consolidated into Australia's three Hobart Class AWDs.

Hull block production is underway at ASC in Adelaide, BAE Systems in Melbourne and Forgacs in Newcastle.

The completed blocks will be transported on a barge from the Melbourne and Newcastle shipyards to Adelaide.

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Swedish Parliament votes in favor of procuring new submarines

On June 16 the Swedish Parliament voted in favor of allowing the government to procure two new submarines during 2010.

I am not surprised that the parliament decided to make this decision as it was a part of the proposed spring budget presented earlier this year by the government.

The decision is however very important since it formally allows the government to continue the process of procuring these submarines.

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Taiwan sends 2 early-warning planes to U.S. for upgrades

Two E-2T early-warning planes traveled through Kaohsiung by road on their way to the United States for upgrades, reports said Wednesday.

Washington agreed in October 2008 to upgrade Taiwan’s four Northrop Grumman E-2T early-warning aircraft to E-2K Hawkeye status, reports said.

The two first planes received widespread public attention when they traveled over roads from Kaohsiung’s Hsiaokang Airport to the city’s port early Wednesday morning, reports said.

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Succesful Sea Trials of Juan Carlos I LHD for the Spanish Navy

From 24 May to 2 June in the waters off Ferrol, Navantia carried out the sea trials of the LHD class Juan Carlos I (L-61) that the company is building for the Spanish Navy.

The ship's seakeeping has been excellent, obtaining a sustained speed more than a knot above that initially foreseen.

The technicians taking part in the trials also underlined the ship's docile seakeeping and its great capacity for short distance turning thanks to its podded propulsion system.

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Latest Russian bombers stand long-distance test

A wing of latest Russian Sukhoi-34 fighter bombers has successfully accomplished a non-stop 6-thousand-kilometre test flight from the region of Lipetsk south of Moscow to the region of Khabarovsk in the Russian Far East.

The Sukhoi-34’s predecessor in the niche, the Sukhoi-24, cannot fly further than 3 thousand kilometres.

The Sukhoi-34 is a two-seater with a length of 22 metres and a wingspan of 14.7 metres. The maximum speed is 19 hundred kilometres an hour.

Source

Boeing Receives Contract to Upgrade US Air Force KC-10 Cockpits

Boeing today announced that it has received a $216 million contract from the U.S. Air Force to upgrade the service's 59-jet KC-10 tanker fleet with a new communication, navigation, surveillance and air traffic management (CNS/ATM) system.

The KC-10 upgrade will enable the fleet to comply with the forecasted 2015 CNS/ATM Federal Aviation Administration/International Civil Aviation Organization standards, which allow shared access within both civil and military airspace, enabling tanker refueling operations worldwide.

"As air traffic continues to increase, modern CNS/ATM systems become essential for communicating precise flight data and obtaining the most direct routing," said Mike Harris, Boeing vice president of Weapon Systems Modernization. "This upgrade is critical to the Air Force for pilots' safety, mission effectiveness and lower operational costs."

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Lockheed Martin F-35 Navy Jet Confirms Carrier-Landing Strength Predictions

A Lockheed Martin F-35C Lightning II carrier variant successfully completed testing in which it was dropped from heights of more than 11 feet during a series of simulated aircraft-carrier landings.

The tests validated predictions and will help confirm the F-35C's structural integrity for carrier operations.

The jet, a ground-test article known as CG-1, underwent drop testing at Vought Aircraft Industries in Grand Prairie, Texas.

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Second P-8A Moves To Pax River Testing Site

Boeing has shifted the second P-8A to the Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md., to support the U.S. Navy maritime patrol aircraft’s development program, and the company also is finishing up work on the third and final flight test aircraft.

The second P-8A, designated T-2, is the first with the primary mission system. The aircraft, which first flew with the mission equipment installed on June 8, was shifted to Pax River on June 19.

Prior to that it already underwent system checkout during a mission operating alongside a U.S. Navy P-3 based at Whidbey Island, Wash., according to Chuck Dabundo, Boeing vice president in charge of the project.

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Russia floats out 2nd frigate for Indian Navy

A Russian shipyard took out of dry dock on Wednesday the second of three frigates being built for India's Navy, a Yantar spokesman said.

The ceremony for the Tarkash frigate in Russia's Baltic exclave of Kaliningrad was attended by senior Russian and Indian military and civilian officials.

The first of three Project 11356 frigates, named the Teg, was floated out last November. The third frigate, Trikand is due to be delivered in 2011-12.

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Indian navy to decommission 40-year-old submarines

Curtains are being drawn on the last of Navy’s Soviet-era Foxtrot submarines, were commissioned around 40 years ago.

At a ceremony in Vishakhaptnam on Friday, INS Vela, one of the last two Foxtrots left, would be de-commissioned. These were probably the oldest submarines in active service anywhere in the world. The last one - Vagli - is also on its final leg and would be removed from the naval fleet later this year.

Vela and Vagli are also known as the V-class are part of second batch of eight Foxtrots bought by India from the Soviet Union in the late 1960s. The V-class had slightly superior sensors than the first four - the K-class Kurusura, Karanj, Khanderi and Kalvari.

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Iran warns Russia over failure to deliver S-300 missile systems

Russia will be responsible for the consequences caused by its failure to deliver S-300 surface-to-air missile systems to Iran, the Islamic Republic's Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi said on Tuesday.

In an interview with Fars News Agency he said the delivery of the air-defense systems would not violate Russian or international laws.

Moscow said last week it would freeze the delivery of S-300 systems following a new round of UN sanctions imposed on Tehran June 9.

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Northrop Grumman's APG-81 Radar Sensor Performs Flawlessly On First Mission Systems Flight of Lockheed Martin F-35 Aircraft

Northrop Grumman Corporation's new APG-81 active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar met and exceeded its performance objectives successfully tracking long-range targets as part of the first mission systems test flights of Lockheed Martin's (NYSE:LMT) F-35 Lightning II BF-4 aircraft.

"Over the last five years, Northrop Grumman has demonstrated unparalleled levels of program success with the APG-81 radar," said Jeff Leavitt, vice president of combat avionics at Northrop Grumman's Electronic Systems sector. "During the F-35 flight, the Northrop Grumman APG-81 radar met and exceeded performance expectations, tracking long range targets at all aspect angles with excellent stability. We look forward to working with Lockheed Martin in demonstrating the APG-81's high resolution synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and other advanced capabilities on subsequent test flights."

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Gripen Czech Republic Offset Programme successfully completes second contractual milestone

Gripen International has announced succesfull fulfillment of the second contractual milestone of the Programme of Industrial Cooperation accompanying the lease of 14 Gripen fighters provided by the Swedish government.

According to the Annual Report on Offset performance for the calendar year 2009, approved by the Czech Ministry of Defence, the Gripen offset programme has by the December 31st 2009 generated 19.92 billion CZK of cummulative offset value for the Czech Republic.

For the calendar year 2009 transactions value of 3,68 billion CZK have been approved.

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Indian carrier's deck systems tested with MiG-29K prototype

A non-flying MiG-29K naval strike fighter prototype is being used to test aircraft handling systems in the former Soviet aircraft carrier being refitted for the Indian Navy at the Sevmash shipyard in Severodvinsk, northern Russia.

Sevmash announced on 9 June that the MiG-29K was brought on board Vikramaditya (ex-Admiral Gorshkov ) to trial flight-deck hardware, in particular the restraints that are designed to hold an aircraft in place until its engines generate sufficient thrust for take-off.

The yard's head of production for military-technical co-operation, Sergey Novoselov, said that successful testing of the restraints was a condition for the next contractual payment for the carrier refit.

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Japanese refueling warships off Somalia eyed

The government is considering deploying Maritime Self-Defense Force tankers to refuel foreign vessels engaged in antipiracy operations off Somalia, government sources said Tuesday.

Prime Minister Naoto Kan is hoping to reveal the new international contribution during his planned talks with U.S. President Barack Obama in Canada on Sunday, they said.

A new law will have to be passed before such a mission can start. The government is expected to submit the necessary bill to the Diet during the extraordinary session expected later this year.

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Government says spent RM6.7b on Scorpene submarines

The Defence Ministry today revealed that it had spent a total of RM6.7 billion (1.34 billion euros) on the purchase of two Scorpene submarines.

In a written reply to PKR MP Chua Tian Chang, the ministry stated that the acquisition was completed last year, during the 2009 LIMA exhibition.

The reply listed down the cost of the two submarines as well as the price of buying 40 SM-39 Block 2 torpedoes from France and 30 Black Shark torpedoes from Italy.

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Northrop Grumman Successfully Demonstrates Naval S-Band Radar Testbed

Northrop Grumman Corporation has marked a significant milestone in the development of advanced surface warfare radars with the successful live outdoor testing of the company's S-band radar testbed.

Northrop Grumman successfully conducted live outdoor testing at the company's Linthicum test range, tracking aircraft and other targets of opportunity with its S-band radar testbed, while demonstrating key advanced S-band radar technologies, including distributed receivers and digital beam forming.

Northrop Grumman's S-band radar is being developed to provide the U.S. Navy with significantly enhanced capabilities to detect, track and engage ballistic missiles while simultaneously performing anti-air warfare in high clutter environments.

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Lockheed Martin’s Scorpion™ Successful In Flight Test

A Lockheed Martin Scorpion munition was successfully flight tested June 17 from a C-130 aircraft at Yuma Proving Ground, AZ.

Ejected at an altitude of 5,000 feet through a Common Launch Tube on the aircraft, Scorpion successfully deployed its fins and wing, allowing it to precisely glide 1.65 nautical miles to the target.

Utilizing a Global Positioning System / Inertial Navigation System to locate the target area, Scorpion employed its Semi-Active Laser (SAL) seeker to strike the laser-designated target. The SAL seeker is one of several seekers that can be used with Scorpion.

Lockheed Martin

Boeing Begins Flight-testing B-1 with New Link 16 Communications

The Boeing Company today announced the start of flight tests for a B-1 Lancer bomber upgraded with new digital avionics for the aft cockpit, including a line-of-sight Link 16 data link.

The B-1 Fully Integrated Data Link (FIDL) made its first flight test on June 4 at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.

The four-hour flight was conducted by the U.S. Air Force around the local Edwards test ranges.

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Algeria orders 16 more Flankers from Rosenboronexport and Irkut

The Sukhoi “Flanker” is recognised today as one of the world’s best multi-role fighters. and is the first serially produced combat aircraft featuring super-maneuverability and the first export fighter in the world fitted with the onboard AESA radar.

In 2009 IRKUT Corporation successfully fulfilled the contracts for the delivery of the Su-30MK-type fighters to both Algeria and Malaysia and has since delivered Su-30MKI to India and also supplies Su-30MKI technical kits for license production by India’s Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd Corporation. All these countries ordered more than 300 aircraft with over 150 already delivered.

The Algerian additional order was negotiated earlier this month by Rosoboroneksport which said additional prospects for the aircraft in the region are possible.

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Canada to purchase 65 U.S. stealth fighter aircraft

Canada will soon join the ranks of 21st century military aviation. The Federal Government announced that it will purchase 65 new F-35 Lightning II's to replace the aging, multi-role workhorse of the Canadian Forces Air Command, the CF-18/A Hornet.

This decision, to an untrained observer, may seem to be just part and parcel with the otherwise dull and innocuous process of military procurement.

In reality, it is perhaps the most expensive military purchase by the Canadian government for a single weapon system in the history of this country.

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L-3 set to deliver New Zealand's first delayed C-130H

New Zealand’s Lockheed Martin C-130H upgrade programme is years behind schedule, but the country’s defence minister is confident that the first upgraded aircraft will be ready in the coming weeks.

The first modernised transport will to come to New Zealand in July or August, with the second to follow shortly after that, says defence minister Wayne Mapp.

The most recent delays to the programme were caused by software integration issues, says Mapp, who adds: “This was a lot more challenging than anyone anticipated.”

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PTC seeks role in adapting Mistral for Russian Navy

Parametric Technology Corporation (PTC) intends to participate in the development of software for construction of Mistral-class helicopter carriers if Russia decides to purchase them, the company's vice president said on Monday.

Russia is negotiating the purchase of at least one French-built Mistral-class ship and plans to build three more vessels of the same class in partnership with the French naval shipbuilder DCNS.

PTC's Paul Grenet said that if Russia decided to purchase Mistral-class ships for the Russian Navy, the corporation would ensure the compatibility of all vital systems with Russian standards.

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The Netherlands sends a submarine to help anti-piracy efforts

The Netherlands is sending a submarine to help efforts to combat piracy in the Gulf of Aden, acting defence minister Eimert van Middelkoop said on Monday evening.

Van Middelkoop said the submarine would help gather vital information for anti-piracy operations off the coast of Somalia.

The Netherlands has four submarines in its naval fleet, all equipped with state of the art listening apparatus.

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Norwegian Advanced Surface to Air Missile System

Chile is joining Finland, and several other countries, and adopting the Norwegian NASAMS (Norwegian Advanced Surface to Air Missile System) for their air defense needs.

Chile was particularly impressed by the track record of reliability NASAMS has compiled. Norway developed this system in the early 1990s and deployed the first missiles and radars in 1995.

NASAMS uses the American AMRAMM radar guided air-to-air missiles, but fired from a six missile container, instead of an aircraft.

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Royal Navy to allow female sailors on subs (after fears over affects of nuclear reactors)

The Royal Navy is preparing to allow women to serve on its submarine fleet for the first time, defence sources say.

The final barrier to allowing females aboard Britain's 11 nuclear submarines has been broken down after a report found that life aboard a submarine would not adversely affect pregnant women.

Previously, accepted thinking was that recycled air and living and working so close to a nuclear reactor would affect unborn babies. But this has been dispelled.

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Tejas cockpit will be a pilot's delight

Test pilots flying India’s much-debated home-grown fighter Tejas (Light Combat Aircraft-LCA) will soon experience a cool and compact cockpit.

The fifth limited series production (LSP-5) platform of Tejas, set to fly in the first week of August, will have an onboard “re-arranged and modified cockpit” to increase the comfort levels of the pilot.

Program director (combat aircraft) and director of Bangalore-based Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) PS Subramanyam told DNA that the layout changes will make the glass cockpit more pilot-friendly and even enhance its night flying capabilities.

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Did Pyongyang really sink the Cheonan?

Even as the United Nations Security Council got ready to listen to the governments of North and South Korea this week over the sinking of the South’s navy ship Cheonan, it received a third petition.

This came from a South Korean civic group, raising doubts about an international team’s findings that a North Korean torpedo had sunk the corvette.

The People’s Solidarity for Partici­patory Democracy wrote to the 15 members of the Security Council suggesting further investigation into the sinking.

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Burma Buys 50 Fighter Jets From China

The Burmese air force continues to expand with the recent procurement of 50 K-8 jet trainer aircraft from China, according to sources within the air force in Meikhtila.

“Parts of the K-8 aircraft were transported by cargo ship from China and are being assembled at the Aircraft Production and Maintenance Base in Meikhtila,” said one of the sources.

The purchase of the 50 aircraft comes after Burma’s air force chief Lt-Gen Myat Hein traveled to China in November to negotiate an upgrade to the fleet of Chinese-made military aircraft already owned by Burma.

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Global Hawk In Tailspin, Maybe

The Air Force’s head of acquisition is unhappy with Northrop Grumman’s Global Hawk program. David Van Buren held a rare on-the-record briefing with reporters today and said he was “unhappy” with the program at least three times.

Van Buren said he was unhappy with the program’s approach and achievements on cost. He said he was unhappy with the sensors that go on the aircraft. And he said he was unhappy with the aircraft itself. Oh, and by the way, he said the program takes way too long to submit proposals. How slow can the pace be, you ask? Van Buren said it was “excruciating.”

“Testing and delivery has been slower than expected,” Van Buren said of Block 30 of Global Hawk. “I am not happy with the pace of that program and we are not happy with the cost of the air vehicle.”

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Russian missile cruiser arrives in San Francisco on friendly visit

A task force from the Russian Pacific Fleet led by the missile cruiser Varyag arrived on a friendly visit to the United States, a Pacific Fleet spokesman said.

The naval group, which also includes the Fotiy Krylov salvage tug and the Boris Butoma tanker left the Far Eastern port of Vladivostok for a month-long voyage on June 4.

"An official welcoming ceremony began at 0:00 Moscow time [20:00 GMT]," Capt. 1st Rank Roman Martov said.

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Ship decoy contract awarded to BAE Systems

About 130 Australian Defence industry jobs will be shored up under a new ship decoy contract awarded to BAE Systems, the Minister for Defence Materiel and Science Greg Combet said today.

The company has been awarded its 12th consecutive contract for the Nulka decoy, guaranteeing production and Defence industry jobs around the country until at least 2013.

BAE-Systems made Nulka decoys have been fitted to 12 ships across the Royal Australia Navy, protecting ships such as the Adelaide Class guided missile frigates and the Anzac-class frigates.

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China seeks to neutralize Japan-U.S. security treaty

A rapid buildup of nuclear weapons by China and its apparent determination to restrict United States forces' access to the western Pacific is threatening to transform the balance of power in East Asia.

Tensions in the region were demonstrated at a meeting of the foreign ministers of Japan, China and and South Korea in Gyeongju in South Korea on May 15.

Though the main topic of the meeting was the sinking of the South Korean corvette Cheonan, a testy exchange between the foreign ministers of Japan and China showed strategic concerns simmering below the surface.

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Iran’s missiles no threat to other countries: defense minister

Iran’s missiles pose no threat to any country, Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi said on Saturday.

Vahidi made the remarks in response to the recent claims of U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who said on Thursday that Europe could face hundreds of Iranian missiles.

“The missile capability of the Islamic Republic of Iran was developed and built for defending itself against any kind of military attack and it does not threaten any country,” he stated.

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Flat denial on Nimrods delay

Reports that the arrival of new Nimrod search and rescue planes at Moray’s RAF Kinloss airbase had been hit by delays were flatly denied by defence chiefs last night.

The claims prompted a major scare over the future of the base which was virtually mothballed when the last Labour government scrapped the old Nimrod fleet a year early, but a statement issued by the Ministry of Defence last night said: “There has been no further delay to the delivery of the MRA4 aircraft to RAF Kinloss.”

A spokeswoman said the first of the new fleet of nine planes was delivered to the RAF in March, and subject to trials will be delivered to Kinloss in the middle of next month. The plane is expected to be on display at a friends and families day at the base on August 21.

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Thales Onboard the Tiger

Thales is proud to be onboard Eurocopter’s Tiger, the most versatile attack and armed reconnaissance helicopter available on the market.

The Tiger, known in France and Spain as Tigre, is a multi-mission helicopter capable of carrying out day and night time missions in all-weather conditions.

The Tiger has additional capabilities compared to other attack helicopters. These include measures for armed reconnaissance and escort, destruction, anti-tank and fire support.

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Details of New Japanese 'Helicopter Destroyer'

Rumors that the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force's third "aircraft carrying destroyer" would mark a major improvement in size and capability over the Hyuga class ships now entering service have been confirmed.

The new 22DDH will be 248 meters long and 39 meters in beam, and displace more than 24,000 tons.

This makes her almost 50 percent larger than the Hyuga class and places an unbearable semantic strain on the use of the term "destroyer" to describe these ships.

To put the size of the ship into context, she is comparable with a World War II Essex-class fleet carrier.

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Lockheed Would Accept More Cost Risk on F-35 Fighter

Lockheed Martin Corp. said it would assume more risk for any cost increases on the next trial lot of F-35 Joint Strike Fighter jets, the most-expensive U.S. weapons program ever.

Negotiations with the U.S. Defense Department are “weeks away” from completion on the next batch of 32 F-35s, Chief Executive Officer Robert Stevens said today. The new contract would be for a fixed price plus incentives and would come two years earlier than planned, Stevens said.

“We are doing that because of the confidence we have in the program,” he told reporters at a briefing in Arlington, Virginia.

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Chinese military experts fully exposured the true face of China's aircraft carrier

China's aircraft carrier has become the international media of "hot words." In the Chinese mind, the aircraft carrier construction is long-standing, if there must be on the 1st, China will have its own aircraft carrier, that is what it would look, faster action than the scientists, is the carrier fans, they have to use a rich bold the imagination of countless species outlined China's future aircraft carrier.

Then China's future aircraft carrier look like, today's "Oriental Horizon" to pay attention to this topic.

What kind of aircraft carrier for China?

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Keel laid at BIW for newest DDG-51

There were smiles and tears in Bath Friday, as the keel was laid for the newest destroyer at Bath Iron Works.

The ship is named for Lt. Michael Murphy, a young Navy SEAL, and the first American to win the Congressional Medal of Honor in Afghanistan.

Murphy was killed in 2005 when his small team of SEALs was attacked by a much larger Taliban force. Unable to communicate with his support base because of the mountainous terrain, Lt. Murphy stepped into an open area so he could get a call through.

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INS Tarkash to be launched in Russia next week

INS Tarkash, a guided missile frigate of the Talwar class, will be launched next week at a Russian shipyard that is constructing the warship for the Indian Navy.

Ramma Dewan, wife of Navy vice chief Vice Admiral D K Dewan, would launch the vessel at a ceremony in the Russian shipyard on June 23, a Navy official said here today.

Tarkash (meaning Quiver), fifth under the Talwar class of frigates of the Indian Navy, is expected to be ready for commissioning in the later part of next year.

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Lockheed Martin and Alaska Aerospace Partner for GMD Development and Sustainment Contract

Lockheed Martin and Alaska Aerospace Corporation announced today that they are partnering to pursue the U.S. Missile Defense Agency’s Ground-Based Midcourse Defense (GMD) Development and Sustainment Contract.

Together, the corporations will apply their proven experience to ensure the reliability and readiness of the GMD element of the Ballistic Missile Defense System, which defends our nation, deployed military forces, friends and allies against a limited attack by intermediate- and long-range ballistic missiles. The GMD Development and Sustainment Contract will entail development, manufacturing, test, training, operations and sustainment support.

“We are honored to welcome Alaska Aerospace to our GMD team,” said Mathew J. Joyce, GMD vice president and program manager, Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company. “Alaska Aerospace will be a key contributor to an open government-industry partnership that will ensure responsiveness and mission focus.”

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India Test Fires First Home-Grown Nuclear Missile

India successfully test-fired a nuclear-capable, short range ballistic missile Friday. The test was conducted under India's Integrated Guided Missile Development Program and reported by state media.

The surface-to-surface Prithvi-II is India's first domestically produced ballistic missile. The missile, mounted on a mobile launcher, blasted off from the Chandipur firing range on the ITR complex in the eastern state of Orissa around 6:50 a.m. Friday.

Defense officials said the 30-foot-long missile has a range with a range of 217 miles and payload capacity of 1,100 pounds. India conducted an earlier test on the device from the same base on March 27.

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Steel-cutting already way on fifth Astute submarine

Work has already started on a £1bn Barrow submarine that is to be the subject of a new defence spending review.

Prime Minister David Cameron revealed on Wednesday that a £300m order placed by Labour for work to start on a fifth Astute class sub, and for some items for a sixth, will be part of the Con/ Lib government’s Strategic Defence and Security Review.

Mr Cameron, who visited Barrow shipyard during the general election campaign, was answering a question from Labour MP for Barrow and Furness, John Woodcock, during Prime Minister’s Questions.

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Dutch air force flies 'green' Apache

The Netherlands air force flew its Apache combat helicopter on a blend of bio-kerosene and standard fuel with no engine modifications, Boeing said.

U.S. defense company Boeing announced that its AH-64D Apache became the first rotorcraft to use the sustainable biofuel blend.

"Today is an important milestone for the more intensive usage of sustainable bio-kerosene in aviation," said Dutch Defense Minister Eimert van Middelkoop.

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Russia's 5G fighter to be '3 times cheaper than foreign analogs'

Russia's fifth generation fighter will be about three times as cheap as its foreign analog, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said on Thursday.

He observed the test flight of a prototype fighter and later talked to the pilot, Sergei Bogdan.

"It will be a machine superior to our main competitor, the F-22, in maneuverability, armament and range," Putin said.

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Building Australian submarine maintenance industry capability

Greg Combet, Minister for Defence Materiel and Science, today congratulated ASC on their continued commitment to building the local submarine industry in Western Australia.

“With the recent successful docking of the first submarine at Australian Marine Complex (AMC) in Henderson, Western Australia, ASC have marked a key milestone for the $35 million purpose-built submarine support facility,” said Mr Combet.

“The establishment and growth of industry bases in key Defence areas continues to improve the capacity for industry partners to respond efficiently and effectively to Defence requirements.

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Doubt thrown over future of submarines

Weeks before the general election, the Labour government announced a £300m contract allowing BAE to start on a fifth Astute-class submarine, Agamemnon, and to order some long-lead items for the sixth boat, Anson.

But now the new coalition government has thrown doubt over the submarines by saying they will be included in the SDSR.

David Cameron made the announcement in response to a question from Barrow and Furness MP John Woodcock during Prime Minister’s Questions yesterday.

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