NOSInt on a break

Wishing you all the joys of the season and happiness throughout the coming year.

I'll be back monday, january 5^th 2015,

Kobus

‘Stealth’ frigate handed over to Taiwan's Navy

Taiwan's Navy yesterday took possession of the island’s first self-developed missile-carrying “stealth” corvette.

The ship has been described by the Taiwanese media as an aircraft carrier killer and the 500-tonne twin-hull vessel, Tuo Jiang, was built by the Taiwanese shipbuilding company Lung Teh.

The handover to the navy took place at Suao, a fishing port in the eastern part of Taiwan, and comes after the mainland has objected to the US sale of four Perry-class frigates to the island.

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Raytheon awarded $491 million contract for AMRAAM®

Raytheon Company is being awarded a fixed-price contract $491,478,068 for the Advanced Medium Range Air to Air Missile.

The contract is for the production of the AMRAAM® missile and other AMRAAM system items, including the captive air training missile, common munitions bit/reprogramming equipment and non-developmental item airborne instrumentation unit.

The contract includes foreign military sales to Korea, Oman, Singapore and Thailand.

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USMC receives first F-35C

The US Marine Corps has received its first carrier-based Lockheed Martin F-35C Lightning II, marking the 36th and final delivery of a Joint Strike Fighter in 2014.

Lockheed Martin says the 22 December delivery of aircraft CF-19 meets the 36 aircraft delivery target for 2014, and marks the 109th overall delivery of operational F-35s to the USA and partner operators.

The first USMC F-35C out of a planned 80 will be assigned to the US Navy’s VFA-101 “Grim Reapers” squadron, 33rd Fighter Wing, based at Eglin AFB. After delivery CF-19 will be used for F-35C pilot training.

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Air force preps B3.5bn purchase of new fighter jets

Italian aerospace company Alenia Aermacchi again has offered its M-346 Master advanced jet trainer aircraft to Thailand as the air force looks at aircraft from as many as six countries to replace its ageing fleet of Czech-made L-39 Albatros jets.

According to a report in HIS Jane's Defence Weekly, the offer was made following last week's announcement by the air force it would purchase four new fighter planes as part of its Advanced Jet Trainer/Light Attack Aircraft programme.

The air force currently operates 36 L-39ZA/ART aircraft from Aero Vodochody of the Czech Republic, which last week told Jane's that it offered the Thai military either its L-159 ALCA or L-39NG as replacements the older aircraft.

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Russia Plans to Deliver New Aircraft to Belarus Air Base: Defense Minister

Russia will increase the number of airplanes and helicopters at its base to be opened in Belarus, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said Tuesday during a meeting with his Belarusian counterpart Andrei Ravkov.

“I’m ready to continue our discussion of cooperation on a practical basis today. This is in regard to the S-300 [anti-aircraft missile system], as well as the creation and basing of [our] aviation in Belarus by increasing the number of airplanes and helicopters. This should provide for the security of our common airspace,” Shoigu said.

The Russian airbase is to be opened near the city of Bobruisk in 2016. Neither defense minister specified the amount of hardware to be based there.

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Parliamentary panel criticises delays, cost overruns in navy projects

The price of indigenous aircraft carrier has shot up a whopping six times and will now cost Rs 19,341 crore, a parliamentary panel has said, criticising the "regular delays" and cost overruns in almost all acquisition activities of the navy.

The Standing Committee on Defence also said it is "high time" that adequate budgetary provisions are made to the force so that deficiencies are mitigated and the country is capable of taking on two-front challenges.

The panel that it is "perturbed" to find a spurt in accidents involving navy vessels in the recent past. In 2012, the government's Defence Acquisition Committee had approved 198 ships and submarines for the navy but the present force level is 127 ships and 15 submarines.

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Fire Scout Drone’s First At-Sea Takeoff

In video released today (above), the MQ-8C helicopter takes off from the destroyer Jason Dunham with its eyes closed — or rather with its cockpit windows painted over, because there’s nobody inside.

Though derived from the widespread Bell 407, the Northrop Grumman MQ-8C is a drone.

This month’s tests are the first time the unmanned helicopter has taken off from a Navy ship at sea, and the first time any unmanned helicopter of any kind has taken off from a destroyer.

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New destroyer Ji'nan commissioned to East China Sea Fleet

A simple and grand ceremony marking the commissioning of the guided missile destroyer Ji'nan to the East China Sea Fleet of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) was held at a naval port in Zhoushan of east China's Zhejiang province on the morning of December 22, 2014.

The newly-commissioned guided missile destroyer Ji'nan, together with the guided missile destroyer Changchun and Zhengzhou, are all new-generation guided missile destroyers independently developed by China.

The guided missile destroyer Ji'nan (hull number 152), is equipped with multiple sets of home-made new-type weapons.

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Vietnamese ambassador says Russia to remain top arms seller

Vietnam's continued acquisition of Russian weapons will depend on regional developments and Hanoi's financial capacity, Vietnamese Ambassador to Russia Nguyen Thanh Son said in a recent interview with Russian news agency Interfax.

The ambassador made the statement when asked about Hanoi's plans to continue buying weapons from Russia following several orders for submarines, frigates and warships.

He said Vietnam buys Russian weapons for defensive purposes.

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Maritime spats 'stirring undersea arms race'

Territorial disputes in the East China Sea and South China Sea are fuelling a build-up in submarine fleets that can spark more frequent armed clashes in the already volatile waters, according to a US-based think-tank.

"The currency of naval power in the ESCS (East and South China seas) has become the submarine," Wikistrat, a consultancy that relies on "crowdsourced" analysts, said in its latest "simulation report".

With disputes in the region unlikely to be resolved soon via diplomacy, China, Japan and Vietnam will keep sending submarines to the East and South China seas in the next six years at least, it said.

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Raytheon awarded $2.4 billion contract to provide the State of Qatar with Patriot Air and Missile Defense System

Raytheon Company has received a $2.4 billion Foreign Military Sales contract for new-production fire units of the combat-proven Patriot Air and Missile Defense System for the State of Qatar.

Qatar, a new Patriot customer, now brings the total number of global Patriot customers to 13.

The acquisition is part of an Armed Services modernization and recapitalization effort announced by Qatar in March of this year. The contract includes the latest Patriot fire units featuring increased computing power and radar processing efficiency, improved man-machine interface and reduced life-cycle costs.

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Airbus Helicopters delivers aircraft to Spanish military

The Spanish military has received the first three of 46 Spanish-assembled utility and combat helicopters under separate contracts given to Airbus Helicopters.

The aircraft officially delivered by the company were two Tiger attack helicopters in the HAD-E version and one NH90 GSPA, a Spanish-version tactical transport.

"The delivery of these three helicopters is a very important milestone for our company, and we wish to thank the Spanish Ministry of Defense for trusting in us," said Francisco Verge, chief executive officer of Airbus Helicopters España.

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China’s Military Plane Crashes In Weinan City, Kills 2 Pilots

A Chinese military plane crashed Monday in northwestern Shaanxi province claiming the lives of at least two people, local media reports said. The plane reportedly crashed near the city of Weinan, about 600 miles west of capital Beijing.

Local media reports suggest that the two people killed in the accident were pilots. Initial investigation suggested that the pilots tried to steer the jet to avoid crashing into a village, according to a local media report.

The debris of the plane’s main body had been reportedly recovered at an uninhabited area. Local media reports said that no villagers were hurt in the incident.

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Navy considers upgrading AV-8B jump jet with small-form-factor Link 16 MIDS terminals

The U.S. Navy and Marine Corps AV-8B Harrier II jump jet has provided a substantial avionics engineering challenge since the aircraft entered service in 1985. The small aircraft's tight spaces can make avionics upgrades difficult.

One recent challenge has been equipping the AV-8B with U.S. military Link 16 tactical data exchange networking capability. The aircraft simply doesn't have the room onboard to install Link 16 Multifunction Information Distribution System (MIDS) terminals ... that is, until now.

Navy avionics experts have acknowledged that electronics miniaturization has yielded promising small-form-factor Link 16 terminal products, and it's time to find out any of them is suitable for the venerable AV-8B vertical- and short-takeoff jet fighter-bomber.

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PLA setting up new base on Zhejiang's Nanji islands

The People's Liberation Army plans to construct a new naval base on the Nanji islands off the coast of east China's Zhejiang province in readiness for potential conflict with Japan over disputed islands in the East China Sea, according to the Tokyo-based Kyodo News on Dec. 22.

Various sources from China told Kyodo that the PLA is constructing a new radar station and airfield on Nanji, which is 300 kilometers from the Diaoyu islands (Senkaku to Japan, Diaoyutai to Taiwan) currently under Japanese administration.

China can use Nanji as a base for warships and maritime patrol vessels if a conflict should break out with Japan over the islands, the sources said.

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Navy Pays Texas Ship Breaker a Penny to Dismantle Carrier Ranger

The Navy has paid a Texas ship breaker $0.01 to transport and dismantle the third American super carrier — Ranger (CV-61), according to a Monday statement from Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA).

The letting of the contract follows an October decision from the Navy to not donate the ship to the USS Ranger Foundation. The foundation had planned to moor the ship in Oregon on the Columbia River near Portland and create a museum.

“After eight years on donation hold, the USS Ranger Foundation was unable to raise the necessary funds to convert the ship into a museum or to overcome the physical obstacles of transporting her up the Columbia River to Fairfview, Oregon,” read the statement from NAVSEA.

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USS Zumwalt nearing completion

In life, Tulare native Elmo “Bud” Zumwalt led a distinctive, storied career that included being the youngest-ever chief of U.S. Naval Operations and the architect of Navy personnel policies that eased racial tensions in the service.

Though he died in January 2000, Zumwalt’s name took a step closer this year to becoming immortalized in a new way by the Navy.

The first of a new class of navy destroyers bearing his name was christened in April at the General Dynamics Bath Iron Works in Bath, Maine. Five months earlier, the future “USS Zumwalt,” was put in the water for the first time for the final phases of construction.

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1990s-era Ingalls destroyers getting modernized before heading to Japan

The Navy's DDG 51 modernization program has met a key milestone on two Ingalls-built destroyers, the Naval Sea Systems Command announced today.

The milestone involves the installation and testing of the new Aegis baseline 9 combat system on USS Barry (DDG 52) and USS Benfold (DDG 65), launched at Ingalls in 1991 and 1994 respectively.

The modernization program ensures Arleigh Burke-class ships keep pace with evolving threats while meeting service life requirements and future operational commitments.

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Russia Upgrades Supersonic Bombers, ‘Blackjack’ Bomber Could Beat Out U.S. B1 ‘Lancer’ in Skies

Russia has finished a $103 million upgrade to its fleet of supersonic “Blackjack” bombers, bringing what was already considered the world’s fastest nuclear bomber into the 21st century with new electronic systems that could give the 33-year-old Soviet-era planes an edge in the skies over the United States B1 “Lancer” bomber.

When the Tu-160, known to American military experts as “Blackjack,” was introduced in 1981, the bomber was the crown jewel of the Soviet Union’s Air Force.

Following the collapse of the communist empire a decade later, many of the Blackjack bombers were destroyed as part of nuclear disarmament deals with the West.


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General Dynamics Corp. (GD) Wins Contracts worth $605M

General Dynamics Corp. won several contracts worth a total of about $605 million from the U.S. Department of Defense ("DoD") on Dec 19, 2014.

The largest of the contracts is worth $498.1 million. It is a fixed-price-incentive, firm-target modification contract. Per the contract, General Dynamics will construct the fourth Mobile Landing Platform Afloat Forward Staging Base for the U.S. DoD.

The contract work will be done by General Dynamics National Steel and Shipbuilding Co. ("NASSCO"), a unit of General Dynamics, and is expected to be over by Mar 2018. The contracting activity is the Naval Sea Systems Command, WA, District of Columbia.

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Navy ups surveillance in the Gulf of Finland

The Finnish Navy has increased its patrols and surveillance tasks by nearly 70 percent in the Gulf of Finland due to an upsurge in Russian naval activity.

Russia’s heightened military presence in the Baltic Sea can be seen in a rise in the Finnish Navy’s tasks in the Gulf of Finland. Commodore Juha Vauhkonen says the number of vessel identification assignments has risen drastically.

”Compared with last year, we’ve had to increase our presence in the Gulf by about 68 percent,” Vauhkonen says. “We primarily go out to identify so-called government ships, so they aren’t necessarily all military and Finland’s maritime border has not been compromised.”

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Navy seeks US UAVs for ocean surveillance

The Indian Navy has earlier shown interest in acquiring six to eight of the maritime variants of the US high altitude, long endurance (HALE) Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) for extended ocean surveillance.

The drones have been upgraded as the MQ-4C Triton maritime surveillance platform for the U.S. Navy, providing real-time intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance over vast ocean and coastal regions.

The Global Hawk has been deployed by the U.S. in Japan, and the U.S. this week approved the sale of four Global Hawks to South Korea.

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Air Force Leaders Admit Nuclear Problems, But Will Fixes Work?

Faced with one of its biggest challenges in years — repairing a troubled nuclear missile corps — the Air Force has taken an important first step by admitting, after years of denial, that its problems run deep and wide.

Less certain is whether it will find all the right fixes, apply them fully and convince a doubting force of launch officers, security guards and other nuclear workers that their small and narrow career field is not a dead end.

The stakes are huge.

The nation's strategy for deterring nuclear war rests in part on the 450 Minuteman 3 missiles that stand ready, 24/7, to launch at a moment's notice from underground silos in five states.

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Seizing the ASuW Initiative with Land Based Patrol Aircraft

Recent months have found uniformed officers and naval strategists writing and speaking about regaining the ability of U.S. Navy (USN) ships to conduct offensive anti-surface warfare (ASuW).

The discussion has been lively and featured many authors and many different approaches. Some solutions are incremental, such as fielding more capable long-range weapons in existing launch systems.

Others are more radical, such as trading large long-range missile defense interceptors for small point defense missiles and building a new generation of multi-role cruise missiles.

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Pakistan Navy strengthens its relations with Oman

Strong ties between Oman and Pakistan were highlighted at a reception held to welcome the Pakistani Navy frigate, PNS Aslan, which docked at the Sultan Qaboos Port recently.

"We underwent a series of bilateral exercises with the Royal Navy of Oman in conducting anti-piracy operations and other aspects," said Commodore Suhail Hammad, Commanding Officer of PNS Aslat.

The exercises covered the regions of the Sea of Oman, the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean. Captain Jamal Alam said that the strong relationship between Pakistan and the Sultanate was based on "respect, loyalty and trust."

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Israeli Navy to Receive New Warships from Germany

Four new corvette warships are on their way to the Israeli Navy, courtesy of the German government.

According to a report by Reuters news agency and Israel Hayom, Germany announced it would be funding the ships, made by German company ThyssenKrupp, to the tune of €115 million ($143 million), pending approval by German parliament’s budgetary committee.

The deal, which was formulated in November and could be approved by the end of this month, is part of the country’s restitution for the Holocaust.

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Reasons Why Russia’s Emerging Borei-Class Submarine Fleet is a Fearsome Nuclear Weapon at Vladimir Putin’s Disposal

Russia plans to commission eight Borei-class submarines that will be at the disposal of President Vladimir Putin by 2020. The Kremlin characterises the subs as "the backbone of Russia's naval strategic forces for the coming decades."

The Borei subs, also known as Dolgorukiy-class, is being advertised by Moscow as a strategic nuclear deterrent, according to a report by ITAR-TASS news agency, in the same manner that Putin had described the 80 plus intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) that his country will acquire by 2015 as potent weapons against aggressions directed to Russia.

Yet as specs of the Vladimir Monomakh, the third of the Borei subs to join the Russian navy since last year, were revealed last week, it became clear that Putin is adding another war tool that will give him significant edge in engaging the United States and the West into a shooting war.

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PM: Two submarines to be added in navy

The process for induction of two submarines in Bangladesh Navy has already been finalised, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said.

The premier made the disclosure while addressing the Winter President Parade of Midshipman-2013/A Batch and Direct Entry Officers (DEO) 2014/B Batch at Bangladesh Naval Academy in Chittagong on Sunday morning, reports BSS.

"We hope that theses submarines would be added to the force by 2016," she said.

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Netherlands MoD resumes deliveries of NH90 helicopters

The Netherlands Ministry of Defence (MoD) has resumed deliveries of the final seven NH90 helicopters, following a new agreement with the manufacturer, Netherlands Defence Minister Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert has said.

NHIndustries has agreed to fix issues with wear and corrosion, which had caused the suspension of deliveries in June.

As part of the deal, the aircraft manufacturer will pay for expenses involved in the development of modifications, patch ups for corrosion damage and scheming preventative measures, according to the Netherlands MoD.

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European multirole tanker transport fleet takes shape

The Netherlands, Poland and Norway have decided to prepare negotiations with Airbus Defence & Space for the acquisition of a fleet of A330 MRTT multirole transport and air-to-air refuelling aircraft. The participating nations would welcome other nations to join the initiative either before an actual procurement or subsequently.

This initiative, facilitated by the European Defence Agency, consists of the pooled acquisition and operation of a common fleet of aircraft by the three nations. Other nations will also be able to contribute to the overall programme through joining the acquisition phase and/or in-service phase.

An initial operating capability is expected for 2019.

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Russian stealth jet technology surpassed by China: Global Times

China's stealth fighter technology has overtaken Russia based on newly-released photos of China's J-20 stealth fighter, reports the Global Times, a tabloid under the auspices of the Communist Party mouthpiece People's Daily.

Photos of the latest version of the J-20 — a stealth, twin-engine fifth-generation fighter jet being developed by the Chengdu Aerospace Corporation — bearing the serial number 2015, reveal that the aircraft has commenced ground testing and may be conducting its first flight soon. This appears to be another step in the right direction after an earlier J-20 model with a serial number of 2013 was unveiled in September, the Global Times said.

Experts speculate that the J-20 may have already entered a rapid prototype production phase.

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LCA naval version achieves milestone

The first prototype of the light combat aircraft (LCA) Tejas' Naval version — LCA NP-1 — completed its maiden flight as part of the carrier compatibility tests at the shore-based test facility INS Hansa in Goa at 12.34pm on Saturday.

LCA-Navy is the second Ski Take Off But Arrested Recovery (STOBAR ) carrier-borne aircraft in the world, after a Russian deck based aircraft. And, this will be the only Carrier borne Fighter aircraft in the Light category.

The flight in Goa comes more than two years after the aircraft completed its maiden flight on April 27, 2012.

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Defense spending will grow despite economic problems

Russia’s defense sector gets guarantees that expenses are confirmed despite economic meltdown. On Friday, yet another brand new strategic missile submarine joined the Northern fleet.

“The nuclear shield of our homeland is updated with this modern, worthy, beautiful, powerful vessel.”

With these words, Russia’s Deputy chief of the Navy, Vice-Admiral Aleksandr Vedotenkov honored the crew lined up on top of “Vladimir Monomakh” during the solemn ceremony in Severodvinsk on Friday, the portal of the Sevmash yard reports.

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First Stan Patrol 3007 for Bahamas at Damen Shipyards Gorinchem

The first Damen Stan Patrol 3007 has arrived at Damen Shipyards Gorinchem in the Netherlands for outfitting. The vessel is one of nine that the Royal Bahamas Defence Force has ordered from Damen Shipyards.

The order features four Stan Patrol 4207 vessels, one RoRo 5612 and a further three Stan Patrol 3007 vessels. Damen has designed the Stan Patrol 3007 with the client’s requirements in mind.

Robin van der Zon, Project Manager at Damen Shipyards Group explains: “These patrol vessels will prevent smuggling and people trafficking, so it’s vital they can quickly reach places other vessels cannot. For that reason we have developed the Stan Patrol 3007 to reach up to 24 knots with shallow draught.”

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GDEB Awarded $36 Million for Development of Advanced Submarine Technologies

General Dynamics Electric Boat has been awarded a $36.5 million contract modification from the U.S. Navy to develop advanced submarine technologies for current and future undersea platforms.

Electric Boat is a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics.

Under the terms of the modification, Electric Boat will perform advanced submarine research and development studies in support of a wide range of technology areas including manufacturability, maintainability, survivability, hydrodynamics, acoustics and materials.

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Navy to take delivery of new stealth missile corvette next week

The Navy is set to take delivery of its first locally designed stealth missile corvette from a Taiwanese shipbuilder during a ceremony slated for Dec. 23, the Ministry of National Defense said Friday.

During the ceremony in a commercial harbor in Suao, the 500-ton corvette -- the Tuo Jiang ("Tuo River") -- will be officially transferred from Lung Teh Shipbuilding Co. to the Navy.

After receiving the corvette, the Navy will begin training personnel to familiarize them with the craft, and Navy officials did not think it would take long before the vessel is put into service.

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Canister Launch of Agni-V Next Month

Preparations are afoot at the defence base off Odisha coast for the first canister launch of India’s longest range nuclear capable missile Agni-V. The test is likely to be conducted on January 7 or 8 and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been invited to witness the launch.

The motor, body and other sub-systems of the indigenously developed missile having a strike range of 5,000-km have been brought to the Wheeler Island test facility and DRDO scientists are busy assembling the weapon system.

Sources told this paper that the schedule of the missile test depends on the programme of the Prime Minister.

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Pilots Died Because of Lack of Trainer Aircraft and Training Aid, Says Government Auditor

Accidents involving fighter aircraft of the Indian Air Force in 2012-13 were caused due to "technical defects" and "human error", according to a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General. The number of such mishaps were considerably higher than in the past, says the government auditor.

The CAG report says there were as many as 33 accidents in which 27 pilots lost their lives in the period that was audited.

These accidents happened, the report says, because the Air Force could no longer train its pilots properly - it didn't have the full complement of basic trainer's aircraft, intermediate and advanced jet trainers and even simulators.

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US Grants $3B Sale Of Tanks, Armored Vehicles To Iraq; Will Send 1,300 Troops To Assist Iraqi Forces

The U.S. State Department has approved sales of tanks and other armored vehicles to Iraq as part of a deal worth about $3 billion.

The latest development coincided with a statement from the Department of Defence announcing the deployment of more than 1,000 U.S. troops in Iraq next year.

“The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to Iraq for M1A1 Abrams tanks and associated equipment, parts and logistical support for an estimated cost of $2.4 billion,” the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said in a statement on Friday.

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Insitu lands $41M Navy drone order

Insitu, the Bingen-based manufacturer of drones, has landed a $41.07 million Navy contract to supply three RQ-21A Blackjack unmanned aircraft systems.

The company, a subsidiary of aerospace giant Boeing, will perform the contract work in Bingen and is expected to complete it in January 2016, the U.S. Department of Defense said Thursday.

The $41.07 million will pay for "the air vehicles, ground control stations, launch and recovery equipment, initial spares, and system engineering and program management," according to the Defense Department. Following federal acquisition rules, the contract wasn't competitively bid, the Defense Department said.

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Canada commits $200 million to development of next generation of Seasparrow missile

The Department of National Defence has announced that it is joining efforts to improve missile systems for naval vessels.

The upgrade process includes the recent signing of a Memorandum of Understanding for the development of the Evolved Seasparrow Missile Block 2 – the next generation of that missile.

Canada’s contribution to participate in the development memorandum of understanding is approximately $200 million, according to DND.

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Canada sending HMCS Fredericton to Mediterranean Sea over Ukraine crisis

Canada is sending another one of its frigates to help a NATO maritime force aiming to provide reassurance to eastern European allies that are jittery over the crisis in Ukraine.

The Defence Department says HMCS Fredericton will deploy in the coming weeks to replace HMCS Toronto in the Mediterranean Sea.

HMCS Toronto has been in the area since August.

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Sale of US Warships to Taiwan Violates China-US Agreements: Beijing

The sale of four Perry-class guided missile frigates by the United States to Taiwan violates joint communiques signed by China and the United States, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said Friday.

"The Chinese side is firmly opposed to the arms sales by the US to Taiwan. This position is steadfast, clear and consistent.

The aforementioned act constitutes a grave breach of the spirit of the three joint communiqués between China and the US, especially that of the August 17 Communiqué," Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Qin Gang was quoted as saying in a statement issued on Friday.

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Russian Nuclear Bombers Again Buzz Guam

Russian strategic bombers conducted a third circumnavigation of the U.S. Pacific island of Guam last week as other bombers flew close to Alaska and Europe, defense officials said.

Two Tu-95 Bear H bombers made the flight around Guam, a key U.S. military hub in the western Pacific, on Dec. 13. No U.S. interceptor jets were dispatched to shadow the bombers.

Separately, two Canadian F-18s intercepted two Bear bombers that intruded into the Alaska air defense identification zone on Dec. 8 that a military spokesman called “unwanted, provocative, and potentially destabilizing.”

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Russian military received 38 intercontinental missiles in 2014 — defense minister

Russia's Strategic Nuclear Forces added 38 new intercontinental ballistic missiles to their tables of equipment this year, including 22 submarine-based missiles, Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said on Friday at an expanded session of the Defense Ministry's Board.

The percentage of upgraded armaments in the Armed Forces has thus reached 56%, he said. The Strategic Missile Troops now have three new regiments operating Yars missile complexes.

By the end of December, the Navy will have three strategic nuclear-powered submarines of the Borei class. The first of them, the Yuri Dolgoruky, has already come on full-scale combat duty.

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Repair of nuclear-powered submarine Yekaterinburg completed at Zvezdochka shipyard

Zvezdochka shipyard has completed repair and extension of the lifetime of the strategic nuclear-powered submarine Yekaterinburg (project 667BDRM), the shipyard says in its press release. The ship has been officially delivered to Russian Navy on December 19, 2014.

In June 2012, the ship was delivered to Zvezdochka (Severodvinsk) for repair and extension of the ship’s lifetime by 3 years.

In early June 2014, the Yekaterinburg left the slip dock of Ship Repair Center ‘Zvezdochka’, the outfitting work was completed in the first half of November 2014 and the ship started shipbuilder’s sea trials.

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CAG says submarines hit by delay in buying spares

The comptroller and auditor general (CAG) on Friday slammed the government for unreasonable delays in projects that compromised the navy's ability to fully exploit its Russian-origin Kilo-class submarines and also hit the training of air force pilots.

In a report tabled in Parliament, the national auditor condemned the defence ministry over its failure to indigenise heavy-duty Tatra trucks used for carrying missiles, a target that should have should have achieved in 1991.

The trucks were at the centre of a controversy in 2012 when former army chief General VK Singh had alleged that he was offered Rs. 14 crore for clearing sub-standard Tatra vehicles.

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NSM Coastal Defence contract valued at NOK 1,3 Billions with Poland

Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace (KONGSBERG) has signed a contract with the Polish Ministry of National Defence for an NSM (Naval Strike Missile) Coastal Defence System valued at NOK 1.3 Billion. The scope of delivery is a Squadron-size unit similar to the contract won with Poland in 2008.

After a successful delivery and acceptance of the first Squadron, this second Squadron will increase the cooperation with the Polish Government and industry and further enhance security of supply by establishing the capability to maintain the system in Poland in an alliance with WZE (Wojskowe Zakłady Elektroniczne S.A).

The system uses NSM in conjunction with a command and weapon control system similar to the renowned NASAMS air defence system in use by four NATO countries, including the US.

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Germany takes delivery of its first Airbus A400M

Airbus Defence and Space has formally delivered the first Airbus A400M military transport ordered by Germany.

A total of nine aircraft have now been delivered and the aircraft is in service with four nations.

The Bundeswehr accepted the aircraft at the A400M Final Assembly Line in Seville, Spain on 18 December.

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PLA's JH-7 fighter bomber modified for S China Sea conflict

Facing a potential conflict with Vietnam in the South China Sea, China is continuing the modification of Xian Aircraft Industry Corporation's two-seat JH-7 fighter bomber for the PLA Navy, according to the Sina Military Network based in Beijing.

Photos released on the website indicate that a new version of the JH-7 attacker is under development, constructed with composite materials. Internet users believe that the avionics and engine of the aircraft, referred to as the JH-7B, have been upgraded as well, while the Communist Party paper Global Times said the plane is equipped with an LM6 turbofan engine.

Once the JH-7B enters service, it may also be fitted with the more advanced WS-10 Taihang engine designed by Shenyang Liming Aircraft Engine Company.

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No C-17 delivered to Algeria, Boeing confirms

Algeria has not received into service a Boeing C-17 Globemaster III strategic airlifter, the manufacturer confirmed to IHS Jane's on 17 December.

A C-17 in Algerian Air Force (al Quwwat al Jawwiya al Jaza'eriya) markings was reported to have landed at Algiers Houari Boumediene Airport on 10 December, the Secret Difa3 blog reported eyewitnesses as saying.

However, it has since emerged that this may have in fact been an aircraft belonging to the Qatar Emiri Air Force, though it is unclear how the roundels could have been confused.

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AFM receives second twin-engine helicopter

The Armed Forces of Malta’s second AW139 twin-engine helicopter landed at Luqa a few minutes ago.

The helicopter, which is to be registered AS1429, will be used to perform border control tasks and SAR missions.

Together with the AFM’s first twin-engine helicopter, it will help strengthen the AFM’s capabilities through the External Borders Fund 2007-2013.

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Europe to begin testing of UAV-based maritime surveillance system

Tekever’s AR5 Life Ray Evolution unmanned air vehicle has been selected to participate in the testing of Europe’s first UAV maritime surveillance system, following a contract award from the European Space Agency and European Maritime Safety Agency.

Through the Rapsody programme, the UAV will be involved in two years of testing in two different scenarios – search and rescue and pollution and oil spill monitoring – over the Atlantic and the North and Mediterranean seas.

This is the first time UAVs will be introduced into maritime surveillance missions in Europe, Tekever says.

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China Test Launches Deadly DF-41 Multi War Head Super Ballistic Missile: Threat Perceptions Up For USA

Showing its missile prowess, China on Saturday carried out a long-range missile flight test at a secret locaton. The missile is significant for its use of advanced multiple, independently targetable reentry, according to the U.S. defence officials.

The new DF-41 missile of China will use multiple warhead capabilities as the longest-range intercontinental ballistic missile, reported Free Beacon.

The report also claimed that the multiple-warhead technology, originated from the U.S and passed into the hands of China illegally, in the 1990s, when the Clinton administration was in power.

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Taiwan publicize Hsiung Feng III supersonic anti-ship missile tests

Taiwan has recently released photos and videos of the latest generation surface launched anti-ship and surface-to-air missiles.

The two include the supersonic surface launched Hsiung Feng III anti-ship missile and Tien Kung III surface-to-air missiles.

Both were developed at the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology.

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Five Navy helicopters sold to Peru

Five Royal New Zealand Navy Seasprite helicopters have been sold to Peru, Defence Minister Gerry Brownlee announced today.

"Our recent purchase of eight new, more sophisticated Seasprite helicopters meant the older model Seasprites were available for sale and a deal has been struck with the Peruvian Government for them to buy them for their Navy," Mr Brownlee says.

As well as the helicopters, Peru is buying spares and the Maverick missiles which are used with the helicopters.

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