With an eye on China, India steps up defence spending

India increased annual defence spending by about 11.6 percent on Monday, aiming to overhaul the military to counter the rapidly growing capabilities of giant neighbour China.

The hefty increase suggests the government plans to move ahead with some of a slew of planned defence acquisitions, analysts said, including a $10.5 billion fighter jet contract, one of the world's largest on offer.

India, among a host of countries wary of China's economic and military heft, is also eyeing surveillance helicopters, transport aircraft and submarines to beef up defences in the air as well as in the Indian Ocean.

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Indonesia to get Brunei patrol ships

Brunei plans to grant Indonesia patrol vessels KDB Waspada and KDB Pejuang for military training as part of efforts to promote the expansion of defence ties.

Deputy Minister of Defence Dato Paduka Hj Mustappa Hj Sirat said yesterday that various programmes on Brunei-Indonesia defence ties would be carried out.

"KDB Waspada and KDB Pejuang are still in operation, possibly in April ...these will be delivered to Indonesia to be used as (military) training vessel for the Indonesian Navy (TNI AL)," Dato Paduka Hj Mustappa told The Brunei Times prior to joining a morning walk with His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam and Indonesia President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono at the Tasek Lama Recreational Park.

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Russia could 'lose $4 bn' in Libya arms deals

Russia could lose almost $4.0 billion in arms export contracts to Libya after Moscow joined other world powers in slapping an arms embargo on Moamer Kadhafi's regime, a report said on Sunday.

The Interfax news agency quoted a military source as saying that Russia had a swelling order book for contracts from Libya worth $2.0 billion while negotiations had been in progress for deals worth $1.8 billion more.

"Among the countries of the Middle East and North Africa, Libya is one of the main buyers of Russian weapons," the source, which was not identified, told the agency.

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No nuclear limit: China

High-ranking Chinese officials have declared that there can be no limit to the expansion of Beijing's nuclear arsenal, amid growing regional fears that it will eventually equal that of the United States, with profound consequences for the strategic balance in Asia.

Records of secret defence consultations between the US and China reveal that US diplomats have repeatedly failed to persuade the rising superpower to be more transparent about its nuclear forces and that Chinese officials privately admit that a desire for military advantage underpins continuing secrecy.

According to US diplomatic cables obtained by WikiLeaks and provided exclusively to The Age, the deputy chief of China's People's Liberation Army General Staff, Ma Xiaotian, told US Defence and State Department officials in June 2008 that the growth of China's nuclear forces was an ''imperative reality'' and there could be "no limit on technical progress''.

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China sends navy ship to fetch citizens from Libya

In a bid to protect its citizens stranded in conflict-hit Libya, China is dispatching a navy ship that American media sees as an unprecedented step.

According to an American news agency reporting from Chinese capital, the move was not only to underscore the navy’s growing capabilities but also Beijing’s need to protect its citizens abroad.

The missile frigate Xuzhou was ordered to break off from anti-piracy patrols in the Gulf of Aden and is sailing toward Libya, the Defence Ministry said in a notice reported by state media on Friday.

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Three ex-ministers identified over submarine deal

An investigation by the financial crimes squad (SDOE) has concluded that three former ministers as well as several public officials should face prosecution over the complex purchase of four submarines by the Greek navy, Sunday’s Kathimerini understands.

SDOE is due to deliver its findings to the Athens Prosecutor's Office this coming week and Greek judicial authorities will then make a request to German authorities for details of the financial transactions involved in the purchase of the submarines.

SDOE will also ask for the bank accounts of all those alleged to be involved to be frozen.

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U.S. trims its nuclear arsenal while upgrading production

The construction site of the new billion-dollar Honeywell plant in south Kansas City is quite the head-turner.

Workers everywhere, trucks scurrying about like mice, monster earth movers, cranes reaching to the sky and enough trailers to start a retirement community. All on 185 acres inside a perimeter fence and under a wind-whipped Old Glory.

But drive past the former bean field on Missouri 150 enough times and the thought occurs: Kansas City produces parts for every nuclear weapon now in our arsenal. The country is making more nuclear bombs, has been building them virtually non-stop for 65 years, hasn’t used one against an enemy since 1945, and a significant new arms reduction treaty went into effect just this month.

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Iran plans to build new fighter aircraft

Iran’s Air Force in cooperation with the Defense Ministry plans to build the country’s newest fighter plane, Brigadier General Mohammadreza Karshki said on Saturday.

Karshki, a senior Air force commander said the new fighter is an upgraded version of the Saeqe aircraft.

Saeqe (thunderbolt) is Iran’s first domestically-manufactured fighter.

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Syria and Iran agree to cooperate on naval training

Iran and Syria have agreed to cooperate on naval training, Reuters reported Iran’s official news agency saying on Saturday.

“The two parties will cooperate with each other in training issues and the exchange of personnel,” the Iranian news agency quoted the agreement, signed by the commanders of both navies, as saying.

The agreement came days after two Iranian warships – the Khark, which has 250 crew members and can carry three helicopters, and the Alvand, which is armed with torpedoes and anti-ship missiles – arrived at Syria’s Latakia seaport on Thursday via through the Suez Canal.

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Russia confirms plans to supply Syria with Yakhont missiles

Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov said on Saturday Russia has not dropped its plans to supply Syria with Yakhont missiles.

"The contract [on supplies] is in progress," Serdyukov told journalists in Vladivostok, Russia's Far East.

Russia earlier announced it would honor a 2007 contract on the delivery of several Bastion anti-ship missile systems armed with SS-N-26 Yakhont supersonic cruise missiles to Syria, despite efforts by Israel and the United States to stop the deal.

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Iran Is Exploring Nuclear Weapons, Watchdog Says

The United Nations' nuclear watchdog said it has uncovered new information indicating that Iran is exploring ways to militarize its nuclear program, including ways to affix atomic weapons onto long-range missiles.

The quarterly report released by the International Atomic Energy Agency, and reviewed by the Wall Street Journal, also said Tehran continues to expand its production of nuclear fuel, despite a recent slowdown that Western diplomats attributed to a cyber attack on Iran's Natanz uranium-enrichment facility.

The IAEA said Iran is trying to move more advanced centrifuges into its Natanz facility that could significantly reduce the amount of time Tehran would need to produce weapons-grade fuel. The IAEA report didn't say if and when Iran would be able to deploy these more advanced machines.

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Cancelling F-35 will cost taxpayer $1 billion in benefits, royalties: MacKay

A battle of numbers has broken out over the Harper government's deal to buy the F-35 joint strike fighter jet.

Defence Minister Peter MacKay says the country stands to lose up to $1 billion if the purchase of the stealth jets is scrapped, largely because of lost economic benefits in research and development.

The loss estimate includes up to $100 million in royalties earmarked for the federal treasury because of Canadian research on the aircraft. Ottawa invested in the development phase and is in line for a cut of export sales to other countries.

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New wings for the AFM

The Armed Forces of Malta’s brand new King Air B200 maritime patrol aircraft, suitably equipped to meet Malta's requirements for offshore patrol arrived this afternoon.

This AFM-operated aircraft will augment the current fixed wing fleet and perform an additional role in the protection of the southern external borders of the EU, through missions which include detection, identification and coordination operations. In a secondary function, the aircraft will perform search and rescue flights.

The KingAir B200 is manufactured by Hawker Beech Corporation, based in Wichita, USA.

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Shipyard cuts first steel for next carrier; funding remains in flux

Three Hampton Roads congressmen, Navy officials and Newport News shipyard executives donned ceremonial safety glasses and hardhats Friday, but stood idly by while Wayne Kania, a shipyard machine hand specialist, punched a few orders into his computer.

Kania set in motion a hulking machine that fired a flaming mix of oxygen and propane onto a 2.5-inch slab of American steel, cutting two bevels that will allow the sheet to be welded to another, teaming to form a part of the understructure of a new aircraft carrier.

The event at Northrop Grumman Corp.'s Newport News shipyard marked an important milestone in the life of the yet-unnamed CVN-79 aircraft carrier: The official beginning of construction.

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HMS Cumberland in Benghazi, Libya

Latest Footage of HMS Cumberland in Benghazi, preparing to evacuate British nationals from Libya on 24 February 2011.
For more information and the latest updates visit http://www.mod.uk

T-AKE Class Ship USNS Washington Chambers Accepted into Military Sealift Command's Fleet

Military Sealift Command accepted delivery of its newest dry cargo/ammunition ship, USNS Washington Chambers, during a short ceremony at the General Dynamics NASSCO Ship Yard San Diego today.

The ship, which was christened and launched Sept. 11, 2010, in San Diego, honors Navy Capt. Washington Irving Chambers, a pioneer in Navy aviation who arranged the world's first airplane flight from a warship Nov. 14, 1910.

The flight confirmed the potential for carrier-based naval aviation. Since its launch, the ship has been undergoing a series of tests and trials in preparation for its delivery to MSC.

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Northrop Grumman Delivers U.S. Navy's Newest DDG 51 Class Destroyer, William P. Lawrence (DDG 110)

The U.S. Navy accepted Northrop Grumman Corporation's latest Aegis guided missile destroyer today in a ceremony held on the fantail of the Navy's newest ship. William P. Lawrence (DDG 110) is the 28th DDG 51 Class destroyer built at the company's shipbuilding operations in Pascagoula.

"We are here today celebrating the culmination of 175 weeks of hard work and dedication from thousands of shipbuilders, teammates and shipmates," said George Nungesser, program manager of Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding's DDG 51 program. "This ship went to sea as the most complete DDG to-date. To the officers and crew of DDG 110, the shipbuilders will always be watching you and supporting your success. We wish you fair winds and following seas."

William P. Lawrence will be commissioned later this year in Pensacola, Fla.

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Russian military abandons defense satellite after failed launch

The Russian defense ministry said on Thursday it would not use a military satellite that was sent into the wrong orbit earlier this month.

The high-tech Geo-IK-2 was launched from the Plesetsk spaceport to help draw a three-dimensional map of the Earth.

"The satellite is lost for the defense ministry," First Deputy Defense Minister Vladimir Popovkin told reporters on Thursday. "It will not be used for military purposes, but could still be used for checking control systems."

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Azerbaijan buys 24 Russian attack helicopters

Azerbaijan is continuing to build up its army with the purchase of 24 Russian helicopters and the possible joint production of armoured vehicles.

Russian company Rostvertol signed a deal in September-October 2010 to sell 24 Mi-35M attack helicopters to Azerbaijan, Rostvertol General Director Boris Slyusar said yesterday.

The agreement came to light as the general director announced Rostvertol's 2010 trading figures.

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Mid-East seeks India's BrahMos missile

Several Middle Eastern countries seek to acquire the BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles, an Indian official has said.

The UAE crown prince, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahayan, visited the BrahMos Aerospace exhibition stand, CEO and Managing Director of BrahMos Aerospace, Dr Sivathanu Pillai said at the 10th International Defence Exhibition and Conference (IDEX 2011).

Pillai demonstrated him different types of BrahMos missiles.

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Unstable Momentum in Middle East Causes More U.S. Need for Missile Defense

Riki Ellison, Chairman and Founder of the Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance (MDAA), www.missiledefenseadvocacy.org has released a statement on the momentum of recent events in the Middle East and North Africa in regards to U.S. missile defense needs. Ellison is one of the top experts in the world in the field of missile defense. His comments follow below:

Today, for the first time in thirty years Iran is sending two naval war ships through the Suez Canal in Egypt to Syria; a display of military presence and force. Momentum initiated by the transition of the Egyptian Government, overthrow of the Tunisian government and the anti-government protests in Libya, Jordan, Yemen and Bahrain is creating a sense of instability in North Africa and the Middle East. It is possible that some entities in the region may look to take advantage of this instability.

The United States' ability to project power through its presence of military force in the region is paramount to its allies' stability, security and deterrence of potential escalation.

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Libya requests return of Mirage fighters

The Libyan government has formally requested the return of two Mirage F1 fighter jets flown to Malta by defecting pilots on Monday.

The aircraft are under armed guard at the airport. The pilots have requested political asylum and their case is being considered. The pilots claimed they flew to Malta after being ordered to bomb fellow Libyans in Benghazi.

A Foreign Ministry spokesman said there has been no contact with the Libyan government on the fighter aircraft.

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Boeing Receives US Air Force Contract to Build Next-Generation Refueling Tanker

The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] has received a contract from the U.S. Air Force to build the next-generation aerial refueling tanker aircraft that will replace 179 of the service’s 400 KC-135 tankers.

The contract calls for Boeing to design, develop, manufacture and deliver 18 initial combat-ready tankers by 2017.

"We're honored to be given the opportunity to build the Air Force's next tanker and provide a vital capability to the men and women of our armed forces," said Jim McNerney, Boeing chairman, president and CEO. "Our team is ready now to apply our 60 years of tanker experience to develop and build an airplane that will serve the nation for decades to come."

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Northrop Grumman Completes Main Mast Installation on USS Theodore Roosevelt

Northrop Grumman Corporation completed a significant work performance milestone on the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) with the installation of the final section of the ship's main mast today.

The carrier is undergoing a refueling and complex overhaul (RCOH) at the company's Shipbuilding sector in Newport News, Va., the nation's sole designer, builder and refueler of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers.

An important aspect of this availability includes modernizing the ship's island with the latest technology and installing a new main mast.

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Factbox: Country, company Libya evacuation plans

Following are details of countries and companies evacuating nationals and employees from Libya or closing operations due to the political turmoil in the country.

* Denotes new or updated entry:

COUNTRIES:

BOSNIA: Bosnia's Foreign Ministry said three planes received clearance from Libyan authorities to evacuate from Tripoli the first group of up to 1,500 Bosnian nationals. It said the first three aircraft should arrive back at Sarajevo late on Thursday.

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Russian Navy to use NATO warships in distant future?

Russian warships will be equipped with foreign arms soon. Admiral Vysotky, the commander of the Russian navy, considers an opportunity to install artillery systems of foreign production on board Russian frigates, or anti-boat vessels.

According to Vysotsky, it goes about the French-made 100-millimeter Creusot-Loire Compact artillery system and the Italian 127-millimeter OTO-Melara 127/64LW.

Moreover, the admiral said that Russian vessels could be equipped with diesel engines and air conditioning systems - all made outside Russia.

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Labour call for re-think on frigate disposal

Labour politicians have called on the Government to reconsider its plans to scrap a fleet of frigates in the wake of Middle East unrest.

The plea comes as a Type 22 frigate, HMS Cumberland, was re-deployed to Libya to possibly rescue stranded British nationals.

Before being re-tasked HMS Cumberland was on deployment in the Northern Arabian Gulf protecting the oil platforms and shipping.

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Russia plans $650bn defence spend up to 2020

Eight nuclear submarines, 600 jets and 1,000 helicopters feature in plans to renew Russia's military by 2020, priced at 19tn roubles (£400bn; $650bn).

One hundred warships are also due to be bought in, including two helicopter carriers, in addition to two already being purchased from France.

The submarines will carry the Bulava missile, despite recent test failures.

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Unmanned K-MAX Achieves Numerous "Firsts" During Recent Demonstration Flights

Kaman Aerospace Corporation, a subsidiary of Kaman Corporation [NASDAQ GS: KAMN] and the U.S. Army Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center (NSRDEC) recently made aviation history with the Unmanned K-MAX© helicopter by successfully completing multiple guided airdrops via sling load at 10,000 ft above sea level.

In four separate flights conducted January 24-25, 2011, at the Army’s Yuma Proving Ground near Yuma, Arizona, the K-MAX successfully airdropped 16 payloads; 10 GPS guided Joint Precision Aerial Delivery Systems (JPADS), two of which were triggered remotely from the Unmanned K-MAX ground control station.

Payloads included medical equipment, food, simulated leaflets and bulk cargo.

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EU arms to Libya: fresh details emerge

Malta has denied any responsibility for a massive shipment of Italian-made guns to Libya that went through its port in 2009. Meanwhile, video footage on YouTube appears to show Belgian-made weapons currently being used by Gaddafi mercenaries.

The Maltese foreign ministry has rejected EU data saying that it exported €79.7 million worth of "smooth-bore weapons with a calibre of less than 20mm, other arms and automatic weapons with a calibre of 12.7 mm (calibre 0.50 inches) or less and accessories" to Libya two years ago.

The Maltese foreign ministry in an official statement on Tuesday (22 February) said the guns originated in Italy and "as far as customs can confirm, they did not touch dry land [in Malta]."

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Russia says S-300 deliveries to Venezuela pending

Deliveries of S-300 missile defense systems to Venezuela have been delayed, but will go ahead, an official at Rosoboronexport, Russia's state-owned arms export monopoly, said on Tuesday.

In November, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said that Russia had agreed to lend his country over $4 billion to buy weapons.

"There is a contract with Venezuela but it's not yet being implemented," Rosoboronexport special programs director Nikolai Dimidyuk told reporters.

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Second Russian fifth-generation jet fighter completes first flight

Russia's second fifth-generation jet fighter successfully completed its first test flight in Russia's Far East region of Komsomolsk-on-Amur on Wednesday, according to local reports.

The warplane was jointly developed by the Russian Sukhoi Aircraft Company and MIG design bureaus. So far, only two models of the type have been built, said chief designer Mikhail Pogosyan.

In 2011, three more fighters of fifth generation would be ready for tests, Pogosyan added.

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Northrop Grumman Incorporates Laser Autoboresight Functionality to Enhance Protection of U.S. Army Rotary Aircraft Against Missile Attacks

Northrop Grumman Corporation and SELEX Galileo today announced the successful integration of a continuous laser autoboresight module into an advanced jam head to enhance the signal jamming capabilities of the company's U.S. Army Common Infrared Countermeasures (CIRCM) self-protection system offering.

The CIRCM jam head is lightweight, small, inexpensive and highly reliable, designed specifically for rotary-wing applications. The laser autoboresight module ensures that laser energy is aligned with the jam head track point to maintain jamming energy on the threat missile.

The continuous autoboresight hardware monitors the laser boresight relative to the jam head track source and makes real-time adjustments to keep the two aligned.

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Aurora's Orion stalls due to funding

A budget crisis in Congress has caused Aurora Flight Science's Orion unmanned air system to stall out before it even leaves the ground.

Officially unveiled in November 2010, Orion was selected by the US Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) in late August to meet the objectives of the medium altitude global ISR and communications (Magic) Joint Capability Technology Demonstration (JCTD). The programme's goal is to demonstrate a five-day flight of the Orion at 20,000ft with a 453kg (1,000lb) intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance payload.

Before the contract announcement, the company had hoped to make a first flight with the UAV in late October 2010 but agreed to slow the schedule for further evaluation of payload options, concepts of operations and requirements by the air force, Aurora says.

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MBDA Introduces A New Ground Based Air Defence Capability At IDEX

At the IDEX 2011 exhibition in Abu Dhabi, MBDA is revealing an addition to its air defence range by presenting for the first time a new combination of systems to coordinate the firing of Mistral and VL MICA missiles.

IMCP (Improved Missile Control Post) is the first element of this set up. It integrates, within a shelter mounted on an all-terrain vehicle, a command and control unit and latest generation 3D radar capable of detecting and identifying aerial targets at ranges of 80 km.

IMCP is an evolved version of the Mistral Coordination Post of which more than 40 have already been sold.

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End of the MiG era by 2017, says Antony

Russian-origin MiG-21s were the first truly supersonic fighter jets to be inducted into IAF in 1963, which then was a move by India to counter the F-104 Starfighters provided to Pakistan by US.

The MiG-23s, MiG-25s, MiG-27s and MiG-29s, each with their own specific roles, followed in later years.

The MiGs, in fact, once constituted over 75% of India's combat fleet, and still constitute a bulk of it.

But now, with IAF going in for modern fighters, the end of the entire MiG era, except for the latest MiG-29s, is in sight.

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The Case for Reviving the F-22 Fighter

As Congress begins to take up the Obama administration's defense budget, one item not even under discussion needs to be considered.

Events of the past 18 months have made clear that it's time to rethink the fate of the F-22 Raptor.

The presumptions that led the Senate to cancel funding for this fighter have been turned upside down, as new threats have emerged and old ones have become clearer.

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Britain no longer has the military equipment for a no-fly zone in Libya

I had to stifle a laugh this morning when I heard a discussion on the Today programme about the possibility of establishing a no-fly zone in eastern Libya to protect anti-government protesters from Col Gaddafi’s genocidal intentions.

John Humphrys, that renowned opponent of the Iraq War, was talking to Sir Jeremy Greenstock, our former man at the UN and Lord Owen, the former foreign secretary.

Everyone seemed to be in accord that Gaddafi was a nutter, and that Britain and other Western powers should intervene militarily asap.

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Canadian naval base gets sonar upgrade

CFB Esquimalt
The capital region's military sector received another boost Wednesday with the announcement that a new $3.8-million facility will be built at CFB Esquimalt to maintain the navy's submarine-detecting sonar system.

The facility will replace an aging building where work on the Canadian Towed Array Sonar System — CANTASS — is carried out for use in patrol frigates and DDH-class destroyers.

"Because the facility will be newer and state of the art, there will be other functions they'll be able to do in the facility as well," said Capt. Craig Baines, base commander at CFB Esquimalt. "But the primary function of it will to maintain these towed-array systems."

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Canadian submarine refit wildly over budget

The cost to refit one of Canada's trouble-plagued submarines is skyrocketing, according to documents obtained under an access to information request by CBC News.

In the year 2010 alone, the Canadian navy spent $45 million on repairs to HMCS Windsor. It had budgeted to spend just $17 million, the documents show.

It appears that every system on the British-built submarine has major problems, according to the documents, including bad welds in the hull, broken torpedo tubes, a faulty rudder and tiles on the side of the sub that continually fall off.

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Induction of India's Scorpene submarines delayed by three years

The first of the six Scorpene submarines would now be inducted into the Navy by 2015 against the planned induction in December next year, the Defence Ministry said on Wednesday.

Defence Minister A K Antony said the Government has also granted sanction for cost revision of the Project-75 contract signed with French company DCNS in 2004 under which the first submarine was scheduled to be delivered in 2012 and was to be followed up by delivery one vessel each year up to 2017.

"The first submarine is scheduled to be delivered in the second half of 2015. There has been a delay due to initial teething problems and absorption of technology," the Minister said in a written reply in Rajya Sabha.

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New-type military transport helicopter makes successful maiden flight

In mid-February, the reporters learned from an army aviation regiment of the Nanjing Military Area Command (MAC) of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) that China’s first batch of new-type military transport helicopters had made their first flight successfully after they entered service.

According to Shan Yifu, deputy commander of the regiment, the regiment is the first troop unit to be organically equipped with the new-type transport helicopters. They will try highly-difficult subjects later on.

According to the Army Aviation Department of the General Staff Headquarters (GSH) of the PLA, the new-type helicopter is a medium-size transport helicopter with great improvements in controlling, mobility, flight distance and flight speed comparing with the existing similar transport helicopters.

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Libya replete with EU arms as Gaddafi massacres protesters

As dead bodies pile up on the streets of Tripoli and blocked phone lines hamper the EU evacuation effort, the latest EU figures show that EU countries just two years ago granted over €160 million of export licences to Libya for small arms and electronic jamming kit.

The Union's latest report on arms exports, out in January and covering 2009, says that EU countries granted €687.6 million worth of Libya licences just two years before the massacre. Figures for actual shipments are incomplete.

With the UK's Associated Press agency reporting on Tuesday (22 February) that the streets of Tripoli "are littered with the bodies of scores of protesters shot dead by security forces," the EU report notes that Malta in 2009 granted licences and actually shipped €79.7 million of small arms to the regime. Belgium granted €18 million of licences and Bulgaria €3.7 million.

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Eurofighter Naval Version makes debut at Aero India 2011

At Aero India 2011 Eurofighter and partner company BAE Systems unveiled for the first time more details about the studies carried out for the initial definition of the navalised version of the Typhoon.

These studies have included the assessment of required design changes, piloted simulations to refine the aircraft's handling qualities and discussions with key suppliers.

The studies indicate that these changes are feasible, and would lead to the development of a world-beating, carrier-based fighter aircraft.

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UAE air force to get Airbus transporter planes by year-end

The UAE Air Force will receive the first of three new Airbus military transporter planes by the end of the year.

A military version of the Airbus A330 passenger airliner, the Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT), is designed as both a transport and an air-to-air refuelling aircraft.

Having ordered three MRTT planes in early 2008, the UAE will receive the first of them in December, Didier Vernet, the head of market development at Airbus, said yesterday.

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Trident nuclear fleet cuts ruled out by Liam Fox

A cut in the number of Trident submarines is not possible if the UK's nuclear deterrent is to be maintained, the defence secretary has said.

Dr Liam Fox told BBC Scotland that the current technology required the retention of all four submarines.

The Royal Navy currently operates 58 nuclear-armed ballistic missiles and about 200 nuclear warheads on four Vanguard-class submarines at Faslane.

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Switzerland Approves 2011 Armament Programme

Last week, the Swiss Federal Council (Bundesrat) approved the 2011 Armament Programme, comprising four individual defence modernisation programmes valued at a total of CHF 433 million ($447.8 million; €331.9 million).

The comprehensive programme includes the procurement of state-of-the-art NBC reconnaissance vehicles, the replacement of the “Feste Brücke 69” bridge system, the further modernisation of the vehicle fleet, as well as the partial replacement of AIM-120B AMRAAM air-to-air missiles.

According to the Swiss Ministry of Defence, the 2011 Armament Programme (RP 11) seeks to improve the Swiss Armed Forces’ capabilities and operational safety by replacing ageing systems.

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Royal navy to buy new aircraft

The Royal Navy is looking to buy a fleet of maritime patrol aircraft for up to £1 billion just weeks after the Ministry of Defence scrapped the new Nimrod aircraft at a cost of £3.6 billion.

The MoD confirmed last week that the navy wanted to buy its own maritime patrol aircraft to track enemy submarines to replace the Nimrods, which are being broken up for scrap.

The new RAF Nimrod MRA4s had not even come into service when the prime minister announced last October that as part of the strategic defence review he was scrapping Nimrod.

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GA-ASI Completes Key Wind Tunnel Test on Sea Avenger UAS Model

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc., a leading manufacturer of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), tactical reconnaissance radars, and sensor systems, today announced that it has successfully completed a key wind tunnel test on a model of its Sea Avenger™ UAS. Sea Avenger supports the Unmanned Carrier-Launched Airborne Surveillance and Strike (UCLASS) program by providing a long-endurance, survivable, carrier-based UAS for the U.S. Navy.

The wind tunnel test validated the low-speed characteristics of a new wing, resulting in higher endurance and lower approach speeds.

The new wing is also designed to increase aircraft dash speeds, decreasing the time to respond to potential threats.

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SA to join counter-piracy fight

Cabinet has tasked Minister of Defence and Military Veterans Lindiwe Sisulu with developing a strategy to address the threat of piracy in Southern African waters.

Sisulu told a media briefing this morning the Valour-class frigate SAS Mendi was already off Mozambique informally collecting information on piracy and cooperating with authorities there “to ensure maritime security in Southern African waters.”

Government spokesman Jimmy Manyi at a post-Cabinet media briefing earlier said the executive had “noted the increasing threat of piracy in South African waters and agreed to explore initiatives aimed at assisting Somalia to counter some of the root causes of piracy.”

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Harper announces new chopper base for Victoria area

Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt
A new $155-million helicopter base will be built near Victoria to house some of the 28 Cyclone choppers on order to replace Canada's decades-old Sea Kings, Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced Tuesday.

The 20,000-square-metre facility — part of Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt — is expected to be completed by the end of 2014, prior to the helicopters' expected arrival that following spring. Nine of the new choppers will be housed at 443 Squadron just outside of Victoria.

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‘Blocks’ to protect Indian mountains

Russia’s NPO Mashinostroeniya and India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation established the joint venture BrahMos Aerospace Private Limited in 1998.

The new anti-ship cruise missile was modelled after the Soviet Union’s Oniks system (called Yakhont for export markets) and is distinguished by its outstanding technical features.

The joint efforts of Russian and Indian specialists have resulted in the emergence of a new series of cruise missiles that are superior to any of their global analogues.

There are different versions of the missile capable of striking both ship-based and land-based targets. They can be launched from aircraft (Su-30MKI), ships, submarines and land.

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Super-stealth sub powered by fuel cell

It is almost totally silent, radiates virtually no heat and is constructed entirely from non-magnetic metals.

Meet the U212A -- an ultra-advanced non-nuclear sub developed by German naval shipyard Howaldtswerke Deutsche Werft, who claim it to be "the peak of German submarine technology."

And few would argue. The super-stealth vessel is the first of its kind to be powered by a revolutionary hydrogen fuel cell that lets it cruise the deep blue without giving off noise or exhaust heat.

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Oman’s first Khareef put through its paces

Al-Shamikh, the first of three new 99m ocean patrol vessels being built by BAE Systems Surface Ships for the Royal Navy of Oman (RNO) under Project Khareef, has completed its platform and machinery trials during just over three weeks of testing off the south coast of England.

Ordered from what was then VT Shipbuilding in January 2007, the three 2,600-tonne displacement Khareef ships will be the largest and most complex surface combatants ever to serve with the RNO.

Thales Nederland is principal subcontractor for the combat system scope of supply, while MBDA is equipping the Khareef ships with its VL MICA local area air defence system and MM40 Block 3 Exocet anti-ship missile.

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Israel, US successfully test Arrow missile

Israel and the U.S. carried out a successful test of the Arrow anti-missile system off the coast of California, Israel's Defense Ministry said Tuesday.

Israel's Defense Ministry said the Arrow detected, intercepted and destroyed a target missile launched from an offshore platform inside a U.S. Navy firing range in a test carried out late Monday.

Tuesday's statement said the trial, the latest in a series of successful tests of the system, "provides confidence in operational Israeli capabilities to defeat the developing ballistic missile threat."

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Iran naval ships enter Suez Canal, says official

Two Iranian naval ships entered the Suez Canal on Tuesday and were heading towards the Mediterranean, a canal official said.

"They entered the canal at 5:45 a.m.," the official told Reuters.

Israel had said it takes a "grave view" of the passage of the ships, which would be the first naval vessels to go through the canal since Iran's 1979 Islamic revolution.

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Onward and Upward: Afghan Air Force C-27 fleet half way to goal

The Afghan Air Force received its tenth C-27A Spartan transport aircraft at the Afghan Air Force Base in Kabul Feb. 20.

The addition marks the half-way point in the AAF’s C-27 fleet as it continues to build to 20.

Not only valuable for Afghanistan’s burgeoning cargo capabilities, the addition provides a greater training platform for the AAF as it gains a greater proficiency in the aircraft.

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Embraer presents first early warning and control plane to India

Brazilian plane maker Embraer presented the first of three EMB 145 Airborne Early Warning and Control aircraft to representatives of the Indian government on Monday in Brazil.

The EMB 145 is based on the Embraer ERJ 145 regional jet, modified with an in-flight refueling system, SATCOM capability, a significant increase in electrical and cooling capacities and aerodynamic and structural changes, according to Embraer.

India’s Defence Research & Development Organisation is developing electronic systems to be installed in the aircraft.

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New era for Thai air force with modern jets

The arrival of six Gripen jet fighters today will usher in a modern era for the Royal Thai Air Force, commander Itthaporn Subhawong says.

The air force will take delivery of 12 Swedish-made Gripen fighters, worth almost 40 billion baht, after the cabinet approved the purchase of the jets in 2008 when Samak Sundaravej was the prime minister and defence minister.

The Gripen 39 C/D aircraft will replace the ageing F-5A/B jets. The F-5A/B aircraft will be completely phased out by the end of this year.

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MPs attack MoD over £8bn weapons project waste

Weapons projects that have been written off or delayed have cost the taxpayer more than £8bn, a cross-party committee of senior MPs said in a withering critique of waste in the Ministry of Defence.

The decision to cancel the Nimrod MRA4 and Sentinel reconnaissance aircraft will lead to greater operational risks as well a write-off of nearly £5bn, the Commons public accounts committee says in a report which also sheds new light on the row over the decision to go ahead with the contract to build two new large aircraft carriers for the navy.

The RAF spent an extra £2.7bn on the Eurofighter/Typhoon project, including the purchase of 16 additional aircraft it did not need, to honour contractual commitments to other countries assembling the planes. The MoD assumed other partner nations would also not wish to purchase the final tranche of aircraft, so the requirement would be waived, says the committee.

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Iran, U.S. warships face down in Suez

U.S. Navy warships are keeping a close eye on two Iranian warships expected to make a rare passage through the Suez Canal, a U.S. spokesman says.

"If the ships move through the canal, we will evaluate what they actually do," State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said. "It's not really about the ships.

It's about what the ships are carrying, what's their destination, what's the cargo on board, where's it going, to whom and for what benefit."

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Latest Chinese naval escort fleet leaves for Somali waters

The eighth Chinese naval escort fleet, which consists of two missile frigates, left on Monday for the Gulf of Aden and Somali waters to protect merchant ships from rampant piracy in the area.

After arriving, the two ships -- Ma'anshan and Wenzhou -- will be joined by Qiandaohu, a supply ship that is already patrolling the waters with the seventh escort fleet.

China sent its first convoy fleet to the Gulf of Aden and the Somali waters in December 2008. The seven convoy fleets have so far escorted over 3,400 Chinese and foreign ships through troubled waters and have rescued 33 ships from pirate attacks.

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Russia poised for more missile tests

2011 will see more test firings of the Russian submarine-launched intercontinental ballistic missiles Bulava and Sineva, a source in the Russian Defense Ministry said on Monday, stressing the necessity of maintaining the country’s nuclear deterrent.

Russian submarines are set to be equipped with the Bulava missiles by year-end, the source said, adding that preparations for a planned Bulava test launch are currently underway.

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Top global arms industry increases arms sales despite ongoing recession, says SIPRI

Despite the continuing global economic recession in 2009, the total arms sales of the SIPRI Top 100 of the world’s largest arms-producing companies increased by $14.8 billion from 2008 to reach $401 billion, a real increase of 8 per cent, according to new data on international arms production released today by Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).

With e total arms sales of the SIPRI Top 100 maintained the upward trend in their arms sales, an increase of a total of 59 per cent in real terms since 2002.

Arms sales of the Top 10 arms-producing companies approached $228 billion, which is 56.9 per cent of the SIPRI Top 100 total arms sales in 2009.

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Suez Canal Says Iran Navy Passage Delayed

The planned passage of two Iranian naval vessels through the Suez Canal is reported to have been delayed by 48 hours.

The two vessels had been due to enter the canal early this morning.

An Egyptian canal official did not give a reason for the postponement.

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ATK Strengthens Coastal Defense Capabilities With the Modular Advanced Weapon System (MAWS)

ATK introduced its newly-developed Modular Advanced Weapon System (MAWS) at the 10th International Defence Exhibition & Conference (IDEX) in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

MAWS is a flexible, remote weapon system designed to integrate ATK's field-proven medium-caliber Chain Guns® and ammunition into watercraft and ground platforms. Armament options include the M230LF cannon, a link-fed variant of the highly reliable M230 cannon carried on the AH-64 Apache helicopter.

Developed in partnership with the U.S. Navy, MAWS offers a total weapon solution with an integrated stabilization system, ballistic computation, and state-of-the-art sighting system that provides superior targeting for shipboard and ground engagements.

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