Chinese warships participate in Russian Navy Day celebrations

Two Chinese navy ships are taking part in the festivities dedicated to the celebration of the Russian Navy Day in the Far Eastern port of Vladivostok, a spokesman for Russia's Pacific Fleet said on Sunday.

Frigate Luoyang and training ship Zheng He arrived in Vladivostok on Friday.

The ships are hosted by the Russian Udaloy class destroyer Admiral Vinogradov.

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China to give squadron of J10-B fighters to Pakistan

Taking bilateral defence relations to a new high,China will givePakistan a squadron of the advanced J-10B fighter aircraft, a media report said.

The offer was made by senior Chinese military leaders to visiting Pakistan Army's Chief of General Staff, Lt. Gen.Waheed Arshad, the Urdu daily Jang reported on Saturday, quoting defence sources.

The J-10B fighters are equipped with the latest weapons and Pakistan will be the first country, after China, to have these advanced aircraft, it said.

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Introduction of US Spy Planes Hits Snag

The government plan to purchase Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) from the United States is expected to hit a snag as the National Assembly cut almost all the budget proposed for the project in late December.

Parliament cut 5.8 billion won of 5.85 billion won proposed for an initial contract for the introduction of high-altitude UAVs, citing a U.S. arms sale ban on the spy plane, Defense Ministry officials said Wednesday.

Seoul has sought to purchase four Global Hawks by 2011 as part of efforts to build independent intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities for its planned takeover of wartime operational control of its military from the United States in 2012.

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China wants more aircraft carriers to compete with India

A serving Chinese military general is citing India's capabilities in his efforts to edge the government to have more than one aircraft carrier.

General Luo Yuan, a senior researcher with the Academy of Military Sciences, said China needs at least three aircraft carriers to defend its interests in the face of neighbors developing their capabilities.

"If we consider our neighbors, India will have three aircraft carriers by 2014 and Japan will have three carriers by 2014," General Luo was quoted as saying by Beijing News.

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DDG 1000 Program Tests Integrated Power System

The Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) observed live tests of the DDG 1000 Integrated Power System (IPS) at the Land Based Test Site at Naval Surface Warfare Center Carderock Division - Ship Systems Engineering Station (NSWCCD-SSES) July 22.

DDG 1000 will be the first U.S. Navy surface combatant to use electric power for propulsion and ship services. An IPS generates the total ship electric power requirements, then distributes and converts it for all ship loads, including propulsion, combat systems and ship services. The first successful test of the IPS occurred May 11.

CNO Adm. Gary Roughead received an overview of the DDG 1000 program from Capt. James Downey, DDG 1000 program manager from Program Executive Office (PEO) Ships, and a tour of the test site by Matthew Stauffer, NSWCCD-SSES DDG 1000 IPS LBTS program manager.

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Cost, quality problems dog Navy's LCS warship

A decade-old, multibillion-dollar attempt by the Navy to develop a radically different family of warships is reeling from cost overruns, structural problems and doubts about the design, staffing, role and survivability of the speedy new vessels.

This month, a bipartisan group of seven U.S. senators demanded that the Pentagon explain why Freedom, the first of the new littoral combat ships, suffered a small but worrisome crack in its hull and had to return to its homeport of San Diego for repairs.

The group, led by Arizona Republican and former naval aviator John McCain, also asked why an even newer, different version of the ship named Independence developed “aggressive” corrosion in its propulsion system.

The problem may have slowed its move to San Diego, which will be home to the first 12 of the 55 LCS ships that are planned.

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Iranian Navy To Set New Record In Submarine Missions In High Seas

A senior Iranian commander announced that the country's Navy plans to dispatch its submarines to several-month-long missions in the high seas in the near future, Iran's Fars News Agency (FNA) reported.

The Iranian Navy submarine 'Younus' managed to set a new record in sailing the international waters and high seas for 68 days.

Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari said that his forces plan to increase the record to 90 days.

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Vietnam, India Boost Naval Ties to Counter China

Even as Vietnam and China continue to conduct tit-for-tat naval maneuvers in the South China Sea, Hanoi has started making direct calls for foreign involvement in the two nations' maritime territorial dispute.

While many commentators saw this as a thinly veiled invitation to the United States, it could also be a precursor to India establishing a permanent presence in Vietnamese waters.

India has apparently responded favorably to Vietnam's offer of permanent berthing rights in Na Thrang port.

The move would not only add military heft to India's "Look East" policy, but is also emblematic of a larger Indian effort to counter China's activities in South Asia.

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$2.4bn deal inked with French firms for Mirage upgrade

India on Friday inked the $2.4-billion (Rs 10,900 crore) deal with French armament majors Thales and Dassault Aviation for the upgrade of 51 Mirage-2000 multi-role fighters in IAF's combat fleet.

Under this long-awaited project, the first two jets will be upgraded in France with new avionics, radars, mission computers, glass cockpits, helmet-mounted displays, electronic warfare suites, weapon delivery and precision-targeting systems.

After their delivery to IAF in 44 months, the rest of the jets will be retrofitted in India by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) after transfer of technology and training from the French companies.

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Newport News shipyard gets $504 million more for Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier

Huntington Ingalls Industries Inc. on Friday received an additional $504.1 million for the Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier, the first ship of a new class of flattops under construction at the Newport News shipyard.

The money, a planned outlay for design and engineering work, brings the total amount Huntington Ingalls has received from the Navy on the ship's construction contract to $6.05 billion, according to government figures.

The Ford, also known as CVN-78, is rising in Dry Dock 12 in the shipyard's northern end. Construction of the ship's structure is about 50 percent complete and the vessel remains on track for a September 2015 delivery, said Mike Shawcross, the shipyard's vice president of engineering for the Ford class and construction chief for the following carrier, the John F. Kennedy.

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Russian Black Sea Fleet to receive 6 new diesel subs

Russia's Black Sea Fleet will be strengthened with six Kilo class diesel-electric submarines in the next few years, Navy Commander Adm. Vladimir Vysotsky said on Friday.

"Six diesel-electric submarines of Project 636 [Kilo class] will be built for the Black Sea Fleet in the next few years," Vysotsky said in an exclusive interview with RIA Novosti.

The Black Sea Fleet, based in Sevastopol, has only one submarine, the Project 877 Alrosa, which is undergoing scheduled repairs in Kaliningrad.

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Indonesia to boost submarine fleet next year

The Surabaya docks owned by PT PAL Indonesia
Indonesia plans to build two diesel-powered submarines early next year at a dock in Surabaya, with technological help from another country, a military official said.

Several countries had been approached and one had agreed to build the submarines on a joint-production basis, Brigadier-General Hartind Asrin, head of communications at the Defence Ministry, was reported as saying on Thursday by news website Vivanews.com

He said the identity of the partner country would be revealed by the end of the year.

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Newport News Shipbuilding Successfully Redelivers USS Albany (SSN 753)

Huntington Ingalls Industries today announced that the company's Newport News Shipbuilding division has successfully redelivered the Los Angeles-class submarine USS Albany (SSN 753) to the U.S. Navy.

The redelivery took place today, one day earlier than originally planned, following successful sea trials.

The ship began its Docking Continuous Maintenance Availability March 15 at Newport News Shipbuilding. The work included upgrades to the submarine's sonar, navigation, communication, combat and weapons systems and maintenance work on the propulsion, weapons, sonar, auxiliary and habitability systems.

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USS Doyle to be decommissioned

The Navy will decommission one of its aging guided missile frigates in a ceremony at Mayport Naval Station this morning.

The ceremony will end the service of the USS Doyle, which was named after an admiral who led the amphibious invasion of Inchon during the Korean War.

The ship returned from its final deployment on April 5 after operating in the Central and South American region.

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Poland asks U.S. support for frigates

Poland is seeking U.S. technical support and a service life extension program for two ex-FFG-7 class frigates.

The U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency said the Foreign Military Sale request carries a value of $200 million.

The service life extension program would include upgrade and conversion of MK15 PHALANX Close-In Weapon Systems from the Block 0 to Block 1B, Baseline 2 configuration; spare and repair parts; support and test equipment; publications and technical documentation; system overhauls and upgrades; personnel training and training equipment; U.S. government and contractor technical support; and other related elements of program support.

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NATO fears spy missiles

The United States is urging Turkey not to buy Russian S-300 long-range surface-to-air missile (SAM) systems, threatening to cease cooperation. Washington claims this deal jeopardizes NATO secrets.

Turkey declared a tender to buy S-300 missiles for its national air defense system back in 2005. Director of the Center for strategy and technology analysis Ruslan Pukhov explains their importance for Ankara:

"Until recently, Turkey had almost no air defense facilities of its own. Rearmament issues, including air defense means, are becoming increasingly important in view of this country’s role in the region and its president’s ambitions to make it a regional leader," Ruslan Pukhov said.

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Russian Navy to commission 8 Graney class nuclear subs by 2020

Graney (NATO: Yasen) class submarine
The Russian Navy will receive at least eight Graney class nuclear-powered attack submarines in the next decade, Navy chief Adm. Vladimir Vysotsky said on Friday.

"We are expecting to receive at least eight attack submarines of this [Graney] class by 2020," Vysotsky said in an exclusive interview with RIA Novosti.

The admiral said that the first Graney class sub, the Severodvinsk, will start two-month-long sea trials in the White Sea in August, and it is expected to enter service with the Russian Navy by the end of 2011.

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Govt sets terms for missile interceptor transfer

Japan would allow the United States to transfer a missile interceptor under joint development by the two nations to third parties, on the condition that the third parties can effectively control its re-export, according to draft guidelines compiled by the government.

The draft guidelines set criteria for making judgment on permitting the export of the next-generation Standard Missile-3 Block IIA interceptor, which is to be positioned on a sea-based destroyer as part of the Japan-U.S. missile defense system, sources said Thursday.

The draft stipulates that Japan would allow the transfer on two conditions:

• Third-party nations have domestic systems for export control and information integrity, and are members of international frameworks on these matters.
• The transfer contributes to Japan's security given the threat of ballistic missiles from North Korea and other nations.

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Helium anomaly forces Lockheed airship down on maiden flight

Lockheed Martin is investigating why a high-altitude airship was forced to make a controlled landing less than 3h after lifting off on a maiden flight that was supposed to last several days.

The high-altitude long-endurance demonstrator (HALE-D) rose to 32,000ft after lifting off at 05:47 from Akron, Ohio, on 27 July, but then experienced a serious anomaly, Lockheed said.

Helium was escaping from the airship's gas envelope, preventing the demonstrator from ascending to 60,000ft, the company said. The US Army's Space and Missile Defence Command (SMDC), the project's sponsor, directed Lockheed to land the aircraft as quickly as possible.

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Denel Dynamics’ latest UAV design on course for first flight

The prototype of South Africa’s latest Unmanned Air Vehicle (UAV), the Denel Dynamics Seeker 400, has been completed and is due to make its maiden flight in the first quarter of next year. It is a long-endurance tactical UAV.

“The Seeker 400 has been funded by the Denel group itself – alone,” highlights Denel Dynamics CEO Jan Wessels. “This reflects the group’s very strong belief in the market for UAVs.”

The aircraft has already been displayed in mock-up form, for example, at Africa Aerospace and Defence 2010, in Cape Town.

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Umbani becomes first SA weapon trailed off Hawk

The Denel Dynamics Umbani precision guided munition (PGM) bomb kit optimised for the NATO Mk 82 gravity bomb has been test dropped from a South African Air Force's BAE Systems Hawk Mk120, making it the first indigenous guided weapon trialled from the lead-in fighter aircraft.

Denel Dynamics CE Jan Wessels last year May said the development of the bomb kit was being funded by the SAAF as a technology project. According to the Armscor Bulletin System some R34 537 231.11 was spent on the kit between 2008 and last year.

He added the tests would also open opportunity for the weapon in the 17 other air forces that operate the light fighter, giving them a precision stand-off attack range of some 40km.

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Malaysian Navy successfully test-fires missiles

The Royal Malaysian Navy successfully test-fired its missiles during a week-long military exercise conducted off Sabah waters.

Two missiles, an Exocet MM40 and a Sea Skua, were fired by navy vessel KD Lekir and a Super Lynx helicopter respectively on Sunday.

Both missiles managed to destroy a surface target barge in the sea training exercise, which was conducted by six ships, two submarines and four helicopters.

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Russia against U.S. missile shield elements in Black Sea

Russia is opposed to deploying sea-based missiles and radars of the planned U.S. missile shield in Europe in Turkey's Black Sea region, Russia's envoy to NATO said on Thursday.

Dmitry Rogozin, who is in the Turkish capital of Ankara as part of the NATO capitals' tour for missile defense talks, said Russia was against deploying naval forces of countries "that shake their weapons and have no relation to the Black Sea basin."

"The Black Sea has always been a sea of friendship and cooperation and it should remain so in the future," Rogozin said.

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Catapult launches F-35C for the first time

The F-35C completed its first steam catapult launch July 27 marking another milestone toward initial ship trials in 2013.

Chief Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Launch and Recovery Equipment) Brandon Barr used a TC-13 Mod 2 test steam catapult, representative of current fleet technology, launching F-35C test aircraft CF-3 into the sky.

“It was great to be able to be a part of this milestone in the F-35C test program,” said Navy test pilot Lt. Chris Tabert. “Due to the hard work of the entire test team, the event went very well and I look forward to seeing the airplane operate from the carrier.”

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Hypersonic X-51A Scramjet Failure Perplexes Air Force

Air Force engineers are scratching their ends after a test flight of an experimental hypersonic X-plane ended last month prematurely when the vehicle failed to reach full power.

A rocket successfully boosted the hypersonic X-51A Waverider vehicle to just over five times the speed of sound (Mach 5) on June 13.

The experimental craft's air-breathing scramjet engine then lit briefly on ethylene but failed to transition to its primary JP7 fuel, Air Force officials said.

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Navy's new $100 million ship labelled 'HMAS Lemon Scented'

The navy's newest $100 million amphibious ship has been tagged "HMAS Lemon Scented" after a major inspection earlier this year uncovered a raft of serious technical faults in the second-hand British vessel.

The problems include overheating of the propulsion motors and transformers and faulty air handling units that "could cause respiratory problems among passengers and crew - in particular legionnaires disease", the chief engineer officer's report says.

Overheating means that the ship cannot maintain full speed and the lack of natural ventilation means she can't operate at higher speeds "especially in higher sea temperature conditions".

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Lockheed Martin JASSM® Lot 8 Software Validated During Flight Test

Lockheed Martin’s Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM) recently completed a successful Product Verification Test (PVT) at White Sands Missile Range, N.M.

Released by a B-52 at an altitude of 25,000 feet, and speed of Mach 0.76, JASSM navigated through a preplanned route before destroying its intended target, meeting all mission objectives. The test validated software upgrades for 158 Lot 8 JASSM missiles, which will begin delivery in third quarter 2011.

“Flight validation of JASSM’s software enhancements continues our efforts to expand missile capability and demonstrate reliability,” said Alan Jackson, JASSM program director in Lockheed Martin’s Missiles and Fire Control business. “Additionally, we are constantly striving to make JASSM more affordable for our customers.”

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Russia test fires Sineva missile in Barents Sea

Russia successfully test fired a Sineva submarine launched ballistic missile in the Barents Sea on Wednesday, Defense Ministry spokesman Col. Igor Konashenkov said.

The missile was launched from the Northern Fleet's Yekaterinburg nuclear powered submarine and hit a designated target at Kamchatka's Kura test site in Russia's Far East.

The RSM-54 Sineva (SS-N-23 Skiff in NATO classification) is a third-generation liquid-propellant submarine-launched ballistic missile that entered service with the Russian Navy in July 2007.

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IAI/ELTA Systems Awarded a $17 Million Contract to Supply Surveillance and Air Defense Radars of the STAR product line to a Far- Eastern Customer

ELTA Systems Ltd., an IAI group and subsidiary, has been awarded a $17 million contract to supply its successful Surveillance & Air Defense Radars of the STAR product line to a Far-Eastern customer.

The STAR radar family, designated ELM-22X8, comprise of 3D multi-purpose radars operated from ground and naval platforms and providing superior performance in air defense, air traffic control and also sea surface search as well as threat identification and alert.

The STAR radars are designed to support air defense mission including networked Anti-Air Missile (AAM) weapon systems and sea surface gunnery engagements.

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Minuteman III missile launch fails minutes after launch

A missile test at Vandenberg Air Force Base this morning ends in failure. Air Force officials say they had to destroy the unarmed Minuteman 3 missile just minutes after launch because of safety concerns.

The missile blasted off from the base on time at 3:01 a.m. It was supposed to travel about 4200 miles southwest to the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands, but did not reach its target.

There have been problems with both Minuteman 3 missile tests so far this year. Just five weeks ago, the launch had a communications glitch. That missile eventually reached its target, but that was not the case Wednesday morning.

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Russian Sukhoi T-50 fighter aircraft will make its first public appearance in August

The Deputy General Director of Russian Aviasalon company Nikolai Zanegin announced today July 27 that the Russian Sukhoi T-50 fifth-generation fighter aircraft will appear for the first public flight during "MAKS-2011" air show, biennial event to be held from 16 to August 21 in Zhukovsky, near Moscow.

The Sukhoi T-50 fighter, also known as PAK-FA, was designed and built in the plant of Komsomlsk-on-Amur in the far east of Russia and currently has performed more than 40 test flights starting in January 2010; Russian Air Force said it plans to buy more than 60 units after 2015.

According to Russian press reports, the design of the T-50 also includes some of the latest technology, like an advanced stealth capability, supersonic cruise speed and integrated control and avionics systems.

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China Says Carrier Won't Alter Naval Strategy

China's Defense Ministry said its first aircraft carrier would be used for "research, experiments and training" and would not affect its defensive naval strategy, in an apparent attempt to ease regional concerns that the vessel could be used to enforce Chinese territorial claims.

Senior Col. Geng Yansheng, a Defense Ministry spokesman, also confirmed for the first time that Chinese pilots were training to operate from the carrier, which is based on an empty hull bought from Ukraine, and which is due to start sea trials this summer. But he said it would take a long time to become fully operational.

"Building an aircraft carrier is extremely complex and at present we are using a scrapped aircraft carrier platform to carry out refurbishment for the purposes of technological research, experiments and training," Col. Geng said, according to a Chinese transcript of a monthly Defense Ministry news conference published on its web site.

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Biro RfI issued

The South African Navy (SAN) has issued a request for information (RfI) for both offshore and inshore patrol vessels, Jane's understands from SAN sources.

The new vessels are to be acquired under Project Biro to replace the remaining strike craft and minehunters acquired in the 1970s and 1980s and will complement the SAN's four MEKO A200 frigates, Jane's Defence Weekly (JDW) reported earlier this month.

JDW correspondent and defence analyst Helmoed-Römer Heitman says the RfI is intended as a market scan to give the SAN “a clear idea of what is on the market.”

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Indian Navy to commission INS Satpura on Aug 20

Strengthening its strike capabilities, the Indian Navy will commission its second indigenously-built stealth warship INS Satpura on August 20 in Mumbai.

The second of the three-ship Project-17 Shivalik Class frigates built by the Mumbai-based Mazagon Docks (MDL) would be commissioned by Defence Minister A K Antony there, Navy officials said here.

The first ship of the Class INS Shivalik was commissioned on April 29 last year and launched India into the league of countries with the capability of building stealth frigates.

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Orbital Launches 25th Coyote Supersonic Sea-Skimming Target Missile For U.S. Navy

Orbital Sciences Corporation recently carried out the 25^th launch of its Coyote supersonic sea-skimming target (SSST) vehicle for the U.S. Navy, the company stated today.

In a mission that included the launch of two Coyote missiles, known as a "stream raid," Orbital successfully supported the Navy’s ongoing ship self-defense exercises that are designed to counter potential threats from high-speed, low altitude and highly maneuverable anti-ship cruise missiles.

The latest mission was conducted from Hawaii, during which two Coyotes were rail-launched from the coast, executed their planned flight pattern and were successfully engaged by a U.S. Navy ship.

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More S-E Asian navies eyeing subs

A scan of recent naval procurement by South-east Asian navies shows that submarines top their shopping lists, with Thailand and the Philippines both talking of adding submarines to their fleets.

Thailand plans to buy six former German Navy Type 206 submarines. Despite domestic criticism against the plan, Bangkok believes that the US$257 million (S$309 million) purchase will be money well spent.

The Thai navy argues that the underwater warships are needed to patrol the Andaman Sea and Gulf of Thailand, and to catch up with neighbouring navies' modernisation.

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Northrop Grumman's Global Hawk Unmanned Aircraft System Completes First Full System Flight With MP-RTIP Sensor

Northrop Grumman Corporation's RQ-4B Block 40 Global Hawk unmanned aircraft system (UAS) completed its first full system flight with the high performance AN/ZPY-2, also referred to as the Multi-Platform Radar Technology Insertion Program (MP-RTIP) sensor. The flight took place at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., on July 21.

This is a first for a fleet of Block 40 Global Hawks that will be delivered to the UAS' main operating base at Grand Forks Air Force Base, N.D.

The MP-RTIP-equipped Block 40 Global Hawk provides unprecedented capabilities for both military and domestic applications. Flying at altitudes up to 60,000 feet for more than 32 hours per sortie at speeds approaching 340 knots, the Block 40 Global Hawk provides persistent coverage to see through all types of weather, day or night, thereby providing vital near real-time imagery to the warfighter.

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Putin urges prompt completion of 2011 state defense order

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin ordered on Tuesday to complete promptly the remaining 30% of contracts under the 2011 state arms procurement program.

"According to the information that I have, there are still no contracts for over 30% of the total volume of the state defense order," Putin said.

"I ask to submit the report [on the completion of contracts] with the government by August 31," he said.

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Museveni inspects Uganda’s fighter jets

The President, Gen Yoweri Museveni, has said the fighter jets the country has procured were manufactured on order to last and fit Uganda’s military needs contrary to reports that they were second-hand.

The SU-30mk2 are termed as ‘fifth’ generation planes, which ranks them among the newest fighter planes.

The sources call them ‘Air superiority fighters’ because of their swiftness in air-to-air combat.

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China tells US to halt spy plane flights

China has demanded that the United States stop spy plane flights near the Chinese coast, saying they have "severely harmed" trust between the two countries, state-run media reported Wednesday.

The comments came after Taiwanese media reported two Chinese fighter jets
attempted to scare off an American U2 reconnaissance plane that was collecting intelligence on China while flying along the Taiwan strait in late June.

Beijing's defence ministry said the US must discontinue such flights, calling them a "major obstacle" as the two Pacific powers try to put a series of military disputes behind them, China's Global Times reported.

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Chinese sub Jiaolong sinks to new depths with 5,000-metre dive

Chinese scientists aim to complete the world's deepest dive in a manned submersible in 2012 by going to 7,000 metres (22,966 ft) beneath the sea after a successful test dive in the Pacific Ocean.

The Jiaolong, named after a mythical Chinese sea dragon, reached 5,057 metres, its lowest-ever depth, in a dive in international waters in the Pacific in the early hours of Tuesday, Xinhua state news agency said.

"Such a depth means the Jiaolong is capable of reaching over 70% of the seabeds in the world," it quoted the head of the diving operation, Wang Fei, as saying. "It will pave the way for a record-breaking 7,000-metre test dive in 2012."

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Australia may reconsider F-35 order after cost blowout, delays

Australia may reconsider a A$16 billion ($17.5 billion) plan to buy 100 of Lockheed Martin Corp's F-35 Joint Strike Fighters because of delivery delays and cost overruns, the government said on Wednesday.

Repeated delays and ballooning costs in the F-35 programme are now starting to rub against already generous delivery and cost limits set by the government and military planners, Australian Defence Minister Stephen Smith said.

"We are running close up to those schedules, particularly on delivery. So I've made the point very clear that we are now monitoring very closely the delivery timetable and we are also monitoring very closely the cost," Smith told Australian radio after meeting defence officials in Washington.

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Navy gets OK to sink ships in Gulf of Alaska target practice

The Navy has obtained authority to blast and sink as many as two real ships a year in the Gulf of Alaska over the next five years to give pilots and gunners authentic targets for their sights.

But ocean campaigners say that even decommissioned, stripped-out ships, like the ones the Navy will use as targets, contain residual hazardous materials that can poison the Gulf's rich habitat for years. They're trying to stop the target practice before it begins.

In May, the Navy finished an environmental review of new training options and authorized itself a maximum of two ship sinkings a year in the Gulf.

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Investigation continues into sub crash

A military investigation continues after a Canadian submarine struck the ocean floor off the west coast of Vancouver Island.

The Canadian Forces launched a board of inquiry less than a week after HMCS Corner Brook, Canada's only operational submarine before the accident, hit bottom on June 4 while on a 12-day advanced submarine officer training exercise. Lt.-Cmdr. Paul Sutherland took command of the vessel in May.

Since June 10, the investigation team is taking witness testimony and reviewing evidence to determine what led to the collision and who, if anyone, may be at fault, said navy Lt. Heather McDonald, with public affairs at the Department of National Defence in Ottawa.

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Rudd raises concerns over North Korea's nuclear threat

Australia's Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd has given further weight to Australian involvement in the development of America's ballistic missile shield, warning that his country could become a potential target for North Korean nuclear weapons.

Rudd's warning followed talks at the Asean Regional Forum and East Asia Summit about the emerging threat of long-range missiles, North Korea's uranium enrichment programme, Pyongyang's role in nuclear proliferation and attacks on the South.

Rudd also discussed regional concerns about North Korea in separate talks with his Chinese counterpart, Yang Jiechi. China carries serious weight in Pyongyang as the North's economic prop and sole friend among major powers.

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Navy agrees to build two more destroyers at BIW

A deal has been struck to build two more Naval guided missile destroyers at Bath Iron Works.

The agreement initially was announced by U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, who said Tuesday afternoon that she was informed of the deal between the Navy and General Dynamics-Bath Iron Works by Assistant Secretary of the Navy Sean Stackley.

BIW and Navy officials confirmed that the agreement is in place, after months of negotiations and concerns by some in Maine about potential defense cutbacks.

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Bloomberg Enters F-35 Fighter-Engine Fray, On The Wrong Side

On July 20, a Bloomberg L.P. market intelligence unit waded into the long-running battle over whether the Pentagon should buy two competing engines for its next fighter aircraft with a study claiming up to $3.3 billion could be saved by doing so.

The study was a welcome bit of good news for the General Electric-Rolls Royce team that has been fighting a losing battle to keep its so-called “alternate engine” alive.

Pentagon policymakers have argued since 2007 that the GE-Rolls engine is a waste of money, because United Technologies‘ Pratt & Whitney unit was already under contract to build an engine that would meet all of the single-engine aircraft’s needs.

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Biggest deal: IAF may buy 189 jets for $20bn

The "mother" could well become the "granny" of all defence deals in the years ahead.

India is likely to go in for another 63 fighters after delivery of the first 126 MMRCA (medium multi-role combat aircraft) if the "timelines" for its other fighter development projects are not met, say top defence officials.

When the MMRCA selection process was initiated by the defence ministry in mid-2007, the overall project cost was pegged at Rs 42,000 crore, or $10.4 billion for 126 fighters.

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Smith raises doubt over Strike Fighter project

Defence Minister Stephen Smith has refused to guarantee Australia will buy 100 US-built F-35 Joint Strike Fighters, saying the project is getting close to the cost and delay overruns Defence built into the order.

The Government has placed a tentative order for 100 of the stealth aircraft to replace its ageing fleet of less-capable F/A-18 Hornets and the now-retired F-111 fighter-bomber.

Speaking in the United States before a meeting with defence secretary Leon Panetta, Mr Smith says Australia has made it clear the order, at present, is for only 14.

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India negotiates for more AEW systems

The Indian ministry of defence is in negotiations to purchase an additional airborne early warning system from Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI).

If the deal goes ahead, the AEW system will be deployed on an Ilyushin Il-76 transport aircraft, as with the three systems IAI supplied last year.

India's AEW aircraft are designed to integrate information from sensors carried on a number of manned and unmanned platforms.

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NATO warns Turkey against buying Chinese, Russian air defense systems

NATO may avoid sharing ballistic missiles intelligence with Turkey if the nation decides to buy Chinese or Russian systems for its missile defense program.

Ankara would have to operate without NATO’s intelligence information on incoming ballistic missiles if it chooses to buy Chinese or Russian systems for its national air and missile defense program, officials of the Western alliance have warned Turkey.

Participating in the ongoing competition to win Turkey’s national air and missile contract are the U.S. partnership between Raytheon and Lockheed Martin, with their Patriot air defense systems; Russia’s Rosoboronexport, marketing the S300; China’s CPMIEC (China Precision Machinery Export-Import Corp.), offering its HQ-9; and the Italian-French Eurosam, maker of the SAMP/T Aster 30. Turkey is planning to make its selection late this year or early next year.

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JLENS Successfully Completes Endurance Test

Raytheon Company's aerostat system – Joint Land Attack Cruise Missile Defense Elevated Netted Sensors (JLENS) – recently completed a successful endurance test.

"Providing long endurance surveillance for cruise missile defense is a very important capability of JLENS," said David Gulla, vice president for Global Integrated Sensors at Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems (IDS).

"This recent test demonstrates JLENS' ability to stay aloft for extended periods performing its surveillance mission at lower costs than other systems and in a reliable manner.

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Prahaar Missile

The Prahaar (Sanskrit for ‘Strike’) is a supersonic short range tactical surface-to-surface ballistic missile currently being developed by the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) of India. It’s development involves several private players such as Tata and Larsen & Toubro (L&T) who have been approached to play a greater role in India’s ambitious indigenization plans for it’s defense requirements.

DEVELOPMENT

The Prahaar is the latest missile to be added to India’s arsenal of ballistic missiles and was developed keeping in mind the Indian Army’s ‘Cold Start’ doctrine, which envisions a rapid thrust by armored regiments into Pakistan in the event of a provocation.

The Prahaar would play a key role in disrupting and destroying enemy infrastructures as well as lines of communication before Indian ground forces move in.

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Iran Navy ready to counter threats

A top Iranian Navy commander has emphasized the role of the nation's Navy, stressing the ongoing progress the country is making in designing and building submarines.

The strong presence of Iran's Navy at any place should cause fear for enemies who “intend to carry out acts of aggression against the country's interests,” said Iran's Navy Deputy Commander Rear Admiral Gholam Reza Khadem Bigham on Monday.

He added that Iranian experts have obtained the technical know-how to build various submarines and stated that the processes will continue in the future, IRNA reported.

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Thai army grounds helicopters after third crash near Burmese border

Bad weather has been ruled out as the cause of a third Thai army helicopter crash near the Burma border on Sunday, according to the Bangkok Post.

The Bell 212 helicopter was on a mission to pick up the bodies of nine people killed in the crash of a Black Hawk helicopter on Tuesday, the paper reported.

The Bell helicopter crashed in the morning killing three people on board. The crash killed the first and second pilot and first mechanic. The second mechanic was seriously injured.

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Taiwan says Chinese fighter jets entered its airspace

Two Chinese fighter planes intruded into Taiwanese airspace, the defence ministry said Monday, in an incident local press said resulted from their attempts to drive away a US spy aircraft.

In the high-altitude face-off, one Chinese jet did not leave until two Taiwanese planes were sent to intercept it, the island's United Daily News reported.

The incident took place in late June when two SU-27 fighter planes of China's People's Liberation Army tried to drive away a US U2 reconnaissance aircraft, the News said.

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Government Considering Replacing MiGs With Eurofighter Typhoon - Zahid Hamidi

The government is considering replacing the 10 MiG-29 aircraft of the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) with the Eurofighter Typhoon multi-role combat aircraft (MRCA).

Minister of Defence Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the service period of the Russian-made MiG-29s had ended and they needed to be replaced.

He said his ministry was now evaluating the Eurofighter Typhoon MRCA fighter jet which cost RM3 billion each for its capabilities and specifications.

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Arms race: 24 more missiles to be added to arsenal

Pakistan plans to add at least two dozen nuclear-capable, short-range missiles to its swelling arsenal this year, sources said in a revelation that indicates a growing ‘urge’ in the powerful security establishment to seek ‘strategic parity in the region’.

If the government successfully achieves its target, this would be the highest number of missiles Pakistan had ever produced in a year.

These air-to-air and surface-to-air missiles would be able to hit a target at a distance between 700 to 1,000 kilometres, which would put nearly all major Indian cities within their range.

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N.Korea Lays Train Tracks to New Missile Site

missile test site in Tongchang-ri
North Korea has been laying train tracks between a new missile test site in Tongchang-ri, North Pyongan Province and a nearby railroad station.

In October last year before it shelled Yeonpyeong Island, the regime reportedly conducted an engine combustion test for the Taepodong-2 or an improved version of a long-range intercontinental ballistic missile in Tongchang-ri.

A South Korean government source said the North is laying the tracks at the Tonchang-ri site, which is believed to have been completed early this year.

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India not to reactivate J&K airfield

Chushul
The Indian Air Force may not reactivate the Chushul Advanced Landing Ground (ALG) in the Ladakh sector of Jammu and Kashmir for the time-being.

“Already, three other ALGs — Daulat Beg Oldi, Nyoma and Fuk Che — have been activated. So, at the moment, there may be no need to re-activate Chushul ALG.

Also, Chinese sensitivities about the Line of Actual Control is an issue,” defence sources said.

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Smith seeking US help to build 12 subs

Defence Minister Stephen Smith will seek US help with Australia's plan to build 12 big conventional submarines to replace the navy's six troubled Collins-class boats.

Mr Smith arrives in Washington today with Defence Department secretary Ian Watt, and the new chief of the Australian Defence Force, General David Hurley, for their first face-to-face talks with new US Secretary of Defence Leon Panetta and other senior officials.

While the US Navy operates only nuclear-powered submarines and some defence analysts have suggested that Australia should buy or lease a nuclear fleet from the Americans, Mr Smith told The Australian before he left on Friday that nuclear submarines were not an option for Australia.

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Kevin Rudd warns of North Korean Nuclear threat

Foreign Affairs Minister Kevin Rudd has raised the prospect of Australia becoming a potential nuclear target if North Korea is allowed to continue developing its weapons program.

His warning came as the US, South Korea and Japan demanded North Korea "address" its uranium enrichment program before stalled six-party talks could resume.

"It's a serious matter. It's not out of there in the margins of our national security concerns," Mr Rudd said.

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IDF issues tender for rocket systems

The missile is fired from a new launcher developed by IMI called Lynx
The army is moving forward with plans to equip its ground forces with precision rockets, and issued a tender last month to Israeli industries for rocket systems which it believes will increase its strike capabilities ahead of a future conflict with Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Under the IDF’s plan, the Artillery Corps, which will operate the rockets, will establish a number of new rocket battalions within its various brigades.

The tender was issued to leading Israeli defense firms, including Israel Military Industries, Elbit Systems, Israel Aerospace Industries and Rafael Advanced Defense Systems.

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Preparations apace for Agni V launch

Preparations for the launch of Agni-V in December 2011 are gathering speed, with all the three stages of the missile having been successfully tested at Jagdalpur in Chhattisgarh's Bastar district.

Agni-V will be India's most powerful missile, capable of targeting places as far as 5,000 km away with a one-tonne nuclear warhead, giving teeth to the country's nuclear deterrence programme.

It will be the missile with the longest range in India's arsenal: in comparison, Agni-III has a range of 3,500 km.

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