DPRK declares no-navigation zone in western border: S.Korea

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) declared a no-navigation zone in waters near the western maritime border Monday, indicating another missile launches, South Korea's Defense Ministry said.

The DPRK issued the warning, which bans ships from sailing near the Northern Limit Line (NLL), or the disputed sea border, hinting that it would conduct firing exercises with rocket-propelled artillery guns near the tense maritime border.

Army Col. Wi Wong-seop, vice spokesman at the South Korean Defense Ministry, told a routine press briefing that Pyongyang informed Seoul of its shooting exercise plan, saying such a notice is believed to have an intention of raising tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

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China opens 2014 campaign with secretive satellite launch

The Chinese finally opened their 2014 campaign with the launch of a Shijian-11 class satellite. A Chang Zheng 2C (Long March 2C) rocket lofted a mysterious satellite – understood to be part of the Shijian-11 series of early warning satellites - from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center’s 603 launch pad at the LC43 launch complex at 02:58 UTC.

This is the sixth in a series of satellites that – according to the Chinese media – are only known to be “experimental satellites” developed by the DongFangHong Satellite Company of the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp.

As with the previous Shijian-11 satellites, the true mission of Shijian 11-06 was not revealed by the Chinese authorities. However, some observers noted that the Shijian-11 series could be related to a constellation of operational early warning satellites.

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Space plane X-37B sets new endurance record

The X-37B, a secretive space plane developed by the defense Department, has shattered the space flight endurance record for these vehicle designs.

The Orbital Test Vehicle 3 (OTV-3) mission is the third long-endurance trip to space. The launch, payload, and data collected by the space plane are highly-classified.

An X-37B was launched on 11 December 2012, and remains in space. On 26 March, the craft surpassed the endurance record of 469 days, set by the same model of space plane on a previous mission.

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Rafale can ‘easily meet Qatar’s defence needs’

The “omnirole” fighter jet Rafale can “easily” meet all the requirements of Qatar’s defence needs for the present and the future, a top Dassault Aviation (DA) official said recently.

Benoît Dussaugey, DA’s senior executive vice-president (international), told Gulf Times that the French company was in the race to win the multi-billion dollar contract for new fighter jets for Qatar’s Emiri Air Force and was “very confident” of its chances given the “excellent capability” of its aircraft.

“The final decision, of course, is with the Qatari authorities and we are sure that they will choose the best aircraft,” he said.

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PLA needs bigger advanced destroyers to strike fear

The commissioning of China's first Type 052D destroyer is only the beginning of the nation's future fleet of advanced destroyers, reports the country's official newswire Xinhua, which called the vessel a state-of-the-art destroyer.

The Type 052D has 64 launch silos capable of firing air defense, anti-ship, cruise and anti-submarine missiles.

Compared to its predecessor, the Type 052C, the Type 052D has fewer anti-air and anti-submarine missiles because it needs more space to carry other types of missile against ground and surface targets.

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Admiral Explains LCS Survivability to Senate Committee

Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Jonathan Greenert has assured members of the Senate Armed Services (SASC) Committee on the survivability of the littoral combat ship (LCS).


Alongside Secretary Ray Mabus the two defended the need for 52 small surface combatants in front of the SASC and in front of media following their testimony.

The secretary emphasized how LCS costs have been driven down and Greenert responded to questions on LCS survivability, informs CNO Public Affairs, Washington.

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India's defence preparedness has hit rock bottom under AK Antony

The failure of AK Antony's defence ministry to develop indigenous manufacturing and research, several scams that caused delays in procuring defence equipment and technology, and its lethargy in implementing administrative reforms have added to decades of negligence, and reduced India's armed forces to a sad state of disrepair.

If anyone ever wanted a patron saint for incompetence, they need look no further than India’s defence minister, AK Antony.

Ostensibly given the portfolio by the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) in October 2006 because of his clean image, the country’s defence preparedness has plummeted to rock bottom during Antony’s tenure.

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Major submarine accidents remain isolated but costly

When the periscope of the USS Montpelier rose from the water during training off the coast of Florida on Oct. 13, 2012, the submarine crew saw a Navy cruiser approaching a mere 100 to 200 yards away.

The cruiser USS San Jacinto tried to reverse, but it was too late.

The Montpelier-San Jacinto collision was one of 906 submarine accidents from late 2004 through 2013, according to data obtained from the Naval Safety Center by The Day through a Freedom of Information Act request.

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Germany ready to reinforce Nato-Russia borders

Germany has said its air force is ready to increase security on Nato’s border with Russia, despite Moscow’s promise not to escalate the crisis in Ukraine.

A German defence ministry spokeswoman told the Reuters news agency on Sunday (30 March) “the army could take part in flights to patrol airspace with Awacs machines [surveillance planes] over Romania and Poland as well as training flights in the framework of a Nato air policing mission over Baltic states”.

The statement comes after Denmark and the US in the past few weeks agreed to send more than a dozen extra F-16 fighter jets to the region.

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Finland aborts missile acquisition from United States

Finland has announced that it will not carry out the planned acquisition of tactical missiles from the United States for roughly one hundred million euros. Manufactured by Lockheed Martin, the army tactical missile system (ATacMS) missiles are surface-to-surface missiles fired from launchers.

The missiles have a range of up to 300 kilometres.

“The project has been put on hold due to budgetary reasons, due to high unit price. It's a very expensive and relatively old system. We must now evaluate our entire materiel development,” says Arto Koski, a commercial counsellor at the Materiel Command of the Finnish Defence Forces.

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First upgraded IAF base commissioned

The Sukhoi-30MKI fighter swept low and fast over the Punjab landscape, heading for the Indian Air Force (IAF) base at Bhatinda.

It had completed a simulated combat mission, in which fighter controllers had directed it from an Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) - a flying command centre inside a giant IL-78 aircraft that controls air operations from 33,000 feet.

Now the Bhatinda air base had been ordered to "recover" the fighter, i.e., guide it back to base and facilitate its landing.

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Russian Black Sea Fleet gives up Ukrainian submarine Zaporizhzhya

The diesel-electric submarine Zaporizhzhya, project 641, which earlier formed part of Ukraine’s Navy, is out of order and will not be used by the Russian Black Sea Fleet, the Russian Navy Main Staff told the Interfax-AVN news agency on Saturday.

The news agency interlocutor said the sub may be handed over to Ukraine’s Navy for further use or scrapping. According to him, the submarine was built 44 years ago. The submarine is morally obsolete and has failed to leave the harbour to carry out combat missions for decades.

The submarine has mostly lain alongside, while the crew did their best to keep her afloat, according to the source.

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Lockheed says wins first production order for new PAC-3 missiles

Lockheed Martin Corp has won a U.S. Army contract worth $611 million to build 92 missiles and 50 launcher modification kits, the company's first production contract for a new enhanced missile designed to upgrade the Patriot missile defense system.

The Pentagon announced the contract modification late Friday, and said a total of $874 million, including funding from fiscal 2013 and 2014, was now available for Lockheed's work on the new missiles through May 31, 2016.

Lockheed's Patriot Advanced Capability-3 Missile Segment Enhancement (PAC-3 MSE) adds a larger, more powerful motor to extend the missile's reach by 50 percent, and larger fins and other structural modifications to help the weapon intercept faster and more sophisticated ballistic and cruise missiles.

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Saab and Pilatus secure closer ties through Memorandum of Understanding

Defence and security company Saab has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Swiss company Pilatus which includes working together to provide a PC-21 training solution for the Swedish Air Force if they decide to replace their SK 60.

On Friday 28 March, inBern,Switzerland, Saab CEO and President Håkan Buskhe and Lennart Sindahl, Executive Vice President and Head of Aeronautics at Saab, put their signatures to a MoU with Pilatus, the Swiss aircraft manufacturer.

The MoU, signed by Pilatus’ CEO Markus Bucher and Jim Roche, Vice-President Government Aviation and Deputy CEO, places Saab and Pilatus on a footing to cooperate in the replacement of the Swedish Air Force’s current pilot trainer aircraft, the SK 60, shouldSwedendecide to replace the fleet.

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Royal Navy Signs £500m Weapons Deal with France

The Ministry of Defence has announced it will equip new helicopters with state-of-the-art missiles after a landmark deal was signed.

The agreement will see the MoD contribute £280m towards a £500m UK and French government project to arm the Royal Navy's new Wildcat helicopters.

It is the first time the goverments have signed off a project since last month's Anglo-French summit held at RAF Brize Norton.

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Russia to deploy Iskander missiles at Kazakhstan border

Russia will deploy its missiles at the border with Kazakhstan, Tengrinews reports citing Izvestiya. The missiles expected at the border are Iskander mobile theater ballistic missile systems.

These short-range ballistic missiles can be equipped with several different warheads, including a cluster munitions warhead, a fuel-air explosive enhanced-blast warhead, a high explosive-fragmentation warhead, an earth penetrator for bunker busting and an electro-magnetic pulse device for anti-radar missions. The missiles can also carry nuclear warheads.

Russian Federal Agency for Special Construction is planning erect storage facilities for Iskander-M missile systems 100 kilometers away from the Kazakhstan border before the end of this year.

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US mulls giving missiles to Syria rebels

US President Barack Obama is weighing whether to allow shoulder-launched anti-aircraft missiles to be shipped to moderate factions of the Syrian opposition, possibly with help from the Saudi government, a US official says.

Obama "is considering" sending man-portable air defence systems, known as "manpads," along with other supplies to help opposition groups fighting to overthrow Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, said the official, who requested anonymity to talk about the internal White House discussions.

The Saudi government has long wanted to provide such armaments to bolster the Syrian opposition.

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Surveillance aircraft deemed not affordable

Canada's air force concluded almost two years ago that the Conservative government's plan to buy new maritime surveillance aircraft was unaffordable, leaving it little choice but to upgrade the existing fleet of 30-year-old Aurora surveillance planes, according to documents obtained by Postmedia News.

Defence Minister Rob Nicholson announced March 19 that four additional Auroras would be structurally overhauled and modernized, and that additional improvements would be made to another 10.

In total, Canada will operate a fleet of 14 Auroras, flying them until 2030.

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Naval variant of LCA Tejas to undergo tests in Goa soon

The naval variant of light combat aircraft (LCA) 'Tejas' will soon undergo carrier compatibility tests at the newly commissioned shore-based test facility at the Indian naval base INS Hansa in Goa, the LCA's programme director Kota Harinarayana told TOI on Friday.

"Before we go to the ship, we have to do something on the ground that is similar to the ship," Harinarayana said, while pointing out that the shore-based test facility is primarily a ramp - similar to the ones on aircraft carriers - which facilitates ski-jump take-off and arrested landing of a naval aircraft. "The aircraft will go to the test facility in a month's time," he added.

"Apart from enabling carrier compatibility, the new facility will aid certification of the LCA naval variant, which is critical to the LCA's future induction in the Indian Navy," he said.

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Costs higher, risks greater with joint aircraft programs like F-35: think-tank

A report highly critical of joint-aircraft programs like the controversial F-35 stealth fighter has been delivered at the U.S. Congress, along with a pointed warning that the American military should avoid such initiatives in the future.

The paper, produced at the request of the former head of the U.S. air force procurement unit, was presented Friday at a congressional briefing by the Rand Corp. think-tank, which conducted the analysis.

It analyzed 11 joint-aircraft projects over a half-century and concluded they were plagued by unexpectedly high costs that, under every scenario studied, raised the price tag beyond what it would cost to acquire jets separately.

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The Robert G. Bradley is Decommissioned at Naval Station Mayport

A Navy vessel commissioned in 1984 is back at Naval Station Mayport. The USS Robert G. Bradley was decommissioned.

The arrival of the ship at Naval Station Mayport left sailors with a bittersweet feeling.

"This was our home for many years and its sad to see the old girl go. It's also a celebration of what's she's delivered to the U.S. Navy and what's he's accomplished," said Commanding Officer Peter Ehlers.

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US Navy to boost long-term Gulf operations

US Navy operations in the Arabian Gulf will go well into the middle of the century, the commander of the 5th Fleet and the US Naval Forces Central Command has said.

Referring to the $580 million base expansion in Bahrain that includes modifications to accommodate the US Navy’s new littoral combat ships (LCS), due to be operational in the Arabian Gulf by 2018, Vice Admiral John Miller said that it indicated “an enduring presence.”

“Some of the modifications that we are doing right now will help us get the base ready for the arrival of the littoral combat ships, which will start right around 2018,” Miller told Defence News at the Doha International Maritime Defence Exhibition (DIMDEX).

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U.S.S. Miami decommissioned at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard

In a bittersweet ceremony, it was clear that the legacy of the U.S.S. Miami will be carried by its crew even as the submarine was officially decommissioned Friday.

More than 100 people — both military and civilian and their families — attended the ceremony inside the main auditorium at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard.

The Miami's first commanding officer, retired Capt. Thomas Mader, recalled how the Los Angeles-class attack submarine, which was launched in 1998, had a rocky start as its commissioning was delayed, much to the frustration of the first crew.

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Russia Floats Out Fourth Stealth Submarine for Vietnamese Navy

The fourth Russian Varshavyanka-class submarine for delivery to the Vietnamese navy has been launched in a ceremony at the shipyard where it was built, St. Petersburg city officials said Friday.

Vietnam signed a contract in 2009 to buy six of the diesel-electric submarines - dubbed "black holes in the ocean" by US navy officials for their near invisibility - in a deal reportedly worth $2 billion.

Analysts saw the purchase as a move to counterbalance China's expanding maritime influence in the region.

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5 crew members killed as IAF’s C-130J Super Hercules plane crashes near Gwalior

In a major setback to the Air Force, a newly acquired US-made C-130J transport aircraft on Friday crashed near Gwalior after taking off from Agra air base, killing five crew members, including four officers.

Two Wing Commanders, two Squadron Leaders and another crew member were killed in the Super Hercules Special Operations plane crash, Defence PRO told PTI in Jaipur.

“One C-130J aircraft crashed 72 miles (115 km) west of Gwalior air base. The aircraft was airborne from Agra at 1000 hours for a routine flying training mission. A Court of Inquiry has been ordered to investigate into the cause of the accident,” an IAF spokesperson said in New Delhi.

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Republic Of Korea Air Force Accepts First C-130J Super Hercules

The Republic of Korea ushered in a new era in air mobility today with the delivery of the country’s first two C-130J Super Hercules aircraft at the Lockheed Martin facility here. With today’s delivery, South Korea became the 14th country to fly the proven C-130J.

South Korea’s new Super Hercules will be operated by Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) aircrews, which currently operate a fleet of C-130H legacy aircraft.

“For almost three decades, Republic of Korea Air Force crews have relied on C-130s to support humanitarian and peacekeeping missions in the Pacific Rim region. The arrival of South Korea’s new Super Hercules fleet ensures that these critical missions not only will continue, but extend for many more decades the added capabilities only the C-130J can provide,” said George Shultz, vice president and general manager, C-130 Programs.

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Kazakhstan halts Russian missile tests on its land after rocket crash

Kazakhstan said on Friday it had suspended rocket and missile tests by Russia at military testing sites rented by Moscow on Kazakh territory after a Russian rocket crashed near a village.

A meteorological rocket of the MN-300 type was launched from the Kapustin Yar testing site in Russia early on Thursday, Kazakhstan's Defence Ministry said, but exploded near the village of Shungai in the West Kazakhstan Region.

No casualties or serious damage were reported, the ministry said. It quoted Russia's Defence Ministry as blaming the incident on a failure of the rocket's engine system which prevented it reaching a targeted testing ground in Kazakhstan.

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India successfully tests n-capable Prithvi-II missile

India Friday successfully test-fired its nuclear-capable Prithvi-II surface-to-surface missile from a military base in Odisha, a senior official said.

The indigenously-developed ballistic missile with a maximum range of 350 km was fired from the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur in Balasore district, about 230 km from Bhubaneswar.

"It was a perfect launch. It met all mission objectives," test range Director M.V.K.V. Prasad told IANS.

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Pentagon plans to seed ocean floor with payloads waiting to be activated

Sensors, drones and other devices can be a great help to U.S. forces at sea, but not if forces get caught in a situation without them. That’s why the military is planning to plant them in potential trouble spots ahead of time, and have them wait on the ocean floor to be called into action.

The program is called the Upward Falling Payloads (UFP) and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is preparing for Phase 2 and Phase 3, according to a pre-solicitation notice. The distributed systems would be remotely activated when needed and recalled to the surface by “falling upward.”

The project is a part of an effort to develop low-cost, unmanned and distributed systems in response to the limits imposed by costs and complexity in working in forward operating areas.

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Navy's most advanced command and control aircraft joins fleet in Norfolk

The Navy's newest advanced Hawkeye, an early warning command and control platform, officially joins the fleet.

Airborne Early Warning Squadron One Twenty Five, the "Tigertails," is the first squadron to become fully operational with the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye.

Built by Northrop Grumman, the company calls the aircraft a "digital quarterback" to conduct sophisticated, concurrent battle management command and control for the Navy.

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Qatar buys helicopters, missiles in $23-billion deals

Qatar announced contracts worth about $23-billion (U.S.) on Thursday to buy attack helicopters, guided missiles, tankers and other weapons from Boeing Co., Airbus SAS and other arms makers as the Gulf state accelerates its military build-up.

The world’s top liquefied natural gas (LNG) exporter announced deals with about 20 global companies, including firms from the United States which were awarded deals worth 27.5 billion riyals ($7.6-billion), said a spokeswoman for a Doha defense conference where the announcements were made.

The weapons purchases include large deals with Lockheed Martin, Raytheon and others.

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DND, suppliers to sign multi-billion contracts for trainer jets, attack choppers

The Department of National Defense (DND) will be signing on Friday contracts with suppliers for the manufacture of 12 training jet fighters worth P18.9 billion and 8 attack helicopters worth P4.8 billion.

South Korea’s Korean Aerospace Inc. (KAI) will be supplying FA50 jets and the Canadian Commercial Corp. will manufacture Bell 412 combat utility helicopters.

The defense materials are all intended for use by the Philippine Air Force (PAF).

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Navy's Sikorsky helicopters cancellation would cost government $250 million

The U.S. Navy's plan to cancel an order for 29 MH-60 Sikorsky helicopters under a current five-year agreement would trigger termination fees of at least $250 million and raise the cost of Army helicopters covered by the same contract, a top U.S. senator said Thursday.

Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin, a Michigan Democrat, criticized the Navy's plan to "break" the multi-year purchase agreement during a hearing on the Navy and Marine Corps budget requests.

"This action would result in the government having to pay termination charges of at least $250 million but get nothing in return," he said.

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Planes, ships involved in search for Flight MH370

The Australian-led search for Flight MH370 switched focus to a new area Friday after fresh analysis radically changed estimates of where the aircraft is believed to have crashed into the Indian Ocean.

Seventeen aircraft, some carrying state-of-the-art submarine-hunting technology, and six ships, five of them Chinese, are involved in the southern corridor search zone, focusing on a 319,000-square-kilometre (123,000-square-mile) expanse of sea.

Here is a breakdown of the ships and planes at the disposal of those in charge of the operation, which is now focused on an area some 1,100 kilometres (685 miles) northwest of previous estimates.

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Bulava missile launch by Russian nuclear subs planned for summer-autumn 2014

Russian strategic nuclear-powered submarines Vladimir Monomakh and Alexander Nevsky will conduct Bulava missile launches in summer-autumn 2014, says a source in the Russian Navy.

Two strategic Project 955 Borey class nuclear-powered submarines of the Russian Navy will conduct single launches of transcontinental ballistic Bulava missiles in summer-autumn 2014 as directed by Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.

This was reported by a source in the General Headquarters of the Russian Navy.

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Review of Collins Class submarine maintenance regime nears completion

The latest review into how Australia's submarine fleet is repaired and maintained is expected to be given to the Federal Government shortly.

The review by British expert John Coles began in 2011 and has recommended structural changes to the Australian Submarine Corporation (ASC) to improve efficiency and productivity.

The latest instalment is expected to focus on what improvements have been made and comes as the ASC completes a two-year refit of one submarine, the HMAS Rankin.

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Russia begins increased submarine patrols off the coasts of the United States

Last year in July we reported on the fact that Russia will increase patrols off both coast of the United States.

On June 1 or a bit later we will resume constant patrolling of the world’s oceans by strategic nuclear submarines,” Russian navy Commander Adm. Vladimir Vysotsky said Friday.

This in apparent response to the “threat” posed by the United States which has adopted a “pre-emptive war strategy” and is considered by Russian military and intelligence officials as the single largest military threat to world peace and stability.

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DALO completes C-Guard sea acceptance trials onboard HDMS Niels Juel

The Danish Defence Acquisition and Logistics Organization (DALO) has successfully completed the sea acceptance test for the Terma-built C-Guard decoy launching system onboard Ivar Huitfeldt-class vessel HDMS Niels Juel (F363).

Designed for naval platforms to defeat stream attack with multiple missiles and torpedoes from multiple directions, the C-Guard system can effectively counter advanced threats such as small-range gate radio frequency (RF) missiles, imaging InfraRed (IR) seeker missiles, and advanced next-generation torpedoes.

The trials involved a full functional and operational system test including a full integration test with a Terma C-Flex combat management system.

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Russia Dismisses Rumors of Seeking Military Base in Argentina as 'Provocative Lie'

The Russian Foreign Ministry on Wednesday dismissed as a “provocative lie” rumors of Moscow’s plans to build a military base in Argentina.

“We were surprised to see reports circulated on the Internet alleging that Russia is planning to open a military base in Argentina,” spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said in a statement.

“This provocative lie would not be worth our comments if not for the accompanying speculations on how Russia is going to develop relations with Argentina in the future,” the statement said.

Source

Battery leak is suspected in Raytheon missile failure

An electrical leak from a battery may have prevented a warhead made by Tucson-based Raytheon Missile Systems from separating from its booster rocket in a missile-defense test that failed in July, according to findings emerging from a Pentagon review.

The “most likely root causes” are a combination of electrical leakage during activation of the warhead’s battery after launch and the “susceptibility of some” components to such leaks, according to a Jan. 23 letter to Congress that wasn’t previously made public.

The failed test has clouded prospects for the Pentagon’s plan to increase the number of Orbital Sciences Corp. (ORB) booster rockets in silos to 44 by fiscal 2017 from 30 today.

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Navy requests new Growler jets

The U.S. Navy has put 22 new Growlers on its unfunded priority list for this year, but it's not clear if Congress will approve the request, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

The Navy submitted the priority list at Congress' request, but the Boeing-made EA-18G Growlers are not included in the Defense Department's formal appropriations request. Growlers are the electronic warfare version of Boeing's Super Hornet fighter jet.

Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus and Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Jonathan Greenert told the House Armed Services Committee earlier this month that the Navy is now at the minimum requirement of five Growlers per squadron.

Source

Congress to Air Force: Wrong Time to Kill Fleets

Congress cited Russia's invasion of Ukraine as an example of why it's foolish for Air Force leaders to propose killing entire fleets of aircraft such as the A-10 in anticipation future aircraft like the F-35 will take over the missions in time.

Member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense asked the Air Force's top two leaders Wednesday why they chose to eliminate the A-10 Thunderbolt and the U-2 Dragon Lady fleets as near term conventional threats remain in places like Russia and North Korea.

Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh told the committee members the flattening of the defense budget had left them little choice.

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U.S. demands sharp rise in price of F-15K's sensor parts

The United States has demanded that South Korea accept a six-fold increase in the purchase price of F-15K's night sensors, citing discontinued production, a senior defense ministry official said Thursday.

The South Korean Air Force currently operates 60 F-15K Slam Eagles acquired from U.S. aerospace contractor Boeing through two deals in 2002 and 2008. It received the last jet in 2012.

Lockheed Martin installed 10 Tiger Eye sensor suites in the first batch of 10 jets in 2009 to help them fly at a low altitude in order to avoid radar detection and launch precision attacks at night and in bad weather. They consist of navigation systems and targeting pod devices.

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US arms supply to Pakistan rising

US arms supply and fresh military aid to Pakistan has quietly gained momentum in the last one year, Congressional sources have said.

The Pentagon, according to publicly available documents, reports total Foreign Military Sales (FMS) agreements with Pakistan worth about USD 5.2 billion for FY2002-FY2012.

The resumption of US military aid to Pakistan is seen as a sign of normalisation of military-to-military ties between the US and Pakistan that had hit rock bottom after the killing of Osama bin Laden by US forces in Abbottabad in May 2011.

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US GAO highlights F-35 software delays

The US Government Accountability Office has released its annual report into the F-35 JSF program. The GAO says delays in testing the revolutionary aircraft’s critical software systems put at risk planned in-service dates for the three major US services.

It says “persistent software problems” have meant flight testing has been delayed and often requires re-testing, particularly of the aircraft’s navigation, targeting and reconnaissance systems.

It says software testing is as much as 13 months late in some areas, putting at risk US Marine Corps plans to achieve an initial operational capability with the Block 2F software load in 2015.

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Military Cuts Render NATO Less Formidable as Deterrent to Russia

President Obama and European leaders pledged Wednesday to bolster the NATO alliance and vowed that Russia would not be allowed to run roughshod over its neighbors. But the military reality on the ground in Europe tells a different story.

The United States, by far the most powerful NATO member, has drastically cut back its European forces from a decade ago. European countries, which have always lagged far behind the United States in military might, have struggled and largely failed to come up with additional military spending at a time of economic anemia and budget cuts.

During the height of the Cold War, United States troops in Europe numbered around 400,000, a combat-ready force designed to quickly deploy and defend Western Europe — particularly what was then West Germany — against a potential Soviet advance.

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While its own navy waits, Canada sells military helicopters to the Philippines

There's a certain amount of irony in word that Canada is selling new military helicopters to the Philippines when it's in its third decade of trying to procure replacements for the navy's ancient Sea Kings.

Postmedia News reports the sprawling Pacific island nation will spend more than $100 million to buy eight Bell 412 helicopters from Canadian Commercial Corporation, a federal Crown corporation that helps industry with government-to-government business.

The purchase, along with the purchase of 12 Korean-built jet fighter-trainers for $420 million, is part of a program to bolster the Philippine military against growing Chinese pressure in the South China Sea.

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Ukraine's combat dolphins fall into Russian hands after Crimea takeover

Russian forces have completed their takeover of the Ukrainian navy's assets in Crimea with the storming of the minesweeper Cherkessy.

The Ukrainian navy has been reduced to only 10 vessels, with the other 51 it held at the beginning of this month, including its only submarine, now flying the Russian flag.

But of all the Ukrainian military assets Russia has seized during the annexation, none is quite as unusual as the combat dolphin programme.

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U.S. Navy plans competition for next-generation missile

The U.S. Navy on Wednesday said it planned to launch an open competition around fiscal 2017 for a next-generation missile, seeking to reassure weapons makers they still have prospects after a separate deal with Lockheed Martin Corp for 90 air-launched missiles sparked a formal protest.

Navy acquisition chief Sean Stackley told reporters the Lockheed program was limited in scope and the future, bigger missile development program would be open to all potential bidders.

"That will be competed. That is 100 percent competition," he said after a hearing held by the House Armed Services Committee's seapower and projection forces subcommittee.

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Qatar Coast Guard Services orders 17 new fast patrol boats from ARES Shipyard at DIMDEX 2014

Further expanding on business relations between Qatar and Turkey, Deputy of Director Logistics Department, Brig. Abdullah Saad Al Kharji, representing the Ministry of Interior for the State of Qatar and Kerim Kalafatoglu, Chairman & Executive Director for ARES Shipyard, today signed an initial Memorandum of Understanding to deliver 17 new fast patrol boats within the next 56 months for the Qatar Coast Guard Services.

ARES Shipyard are a specialist composite boat builder (though they also build in aluminium and steel) located on the southern shores of Turkey, in the Antalya Free-Zone.

The deal of 17 vessels consists in 10x "ARES 110 Hercules" multi-role patrol craft, 5x "ARES 75 Hercules" multi-role patrol craft and 2x "ARES 150 Hercules" multi-role patrol craft.

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Elbit Systems Awarded Contract to Supply Brazil with Hermes™ 900 UAS

Elbit Systems Ltd. announced today that it was awarded a contract by the Brazilian Air Force ("FAB") for the supply of a Hermes 900 Unmanned Aircraft System ("UAS").

The Hermes 900, which will be equipped with a new and advanced intelligence gathering system considered as a breakthrough operational solution, will be operated by FAB in combined missions with the Hermes 450 fleet, already in operational use.

Both UAS will carry safety and security missions in the 2014 FIFA World Cup Games. The contract is in an amount that is not material to Elbit Systems, and the Hermes 900 will be supplied within two months.

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TriStar Retires After 30 Years Service with the RAF

The Lockheed TriStar has flown its last operational mission with the Royal Air Force bringing to an end 30 years of service which saw the aircraft at the heart of operations around the world.

On Monday 24th March two TriStar’s of 216 Squadron based at RAF Brize Norton flew an air-to-air refuelling mission over the North Sea before one conducted flypasts at airfields associated with its history.

During its service the TriStar, fondly known as ‘Timmy’ by its crews, has formed the backbone of long range air transport and air-to-air refuelling, participating in nearly every British conflict since it was brought into service.

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US Navy achieves initial operating capability on Patrol Coastal Griffin Missile System

The U.S. Navy has achieved initial operational capability (IOC) on the MK-60 Patrol Coastal Griffin Missile System that includes the Raytheon Company Griffin missile.

The milestone comes as the Navy continues to conduct littoral security operations in areas that require an immediate and precise response to confirmed threats.

The MK-60 Patrol Coastal Griffin Missile System includes a proven laser targeting system, a Navy-designed launcher and battle management system combined with Raytheon's combat-proven Griffin missile.

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North Korea Launches Two Midrange Missiles

North Korea demonstrated its ballistic missile capabilities by launching two midrange missiles on Wednesday, after the leaders of the United States, Japan and South Korea gathered in the Netherlands to discuss the North’s nuclear threats.

In North Korea’s first tests of midrange projectiles in nearly five years, two Rodong missiles blasted off from mobile launching vehicles from Sukchon, north of Pyongyang, early Wednesday and flew 403 miles before landing in the sea between North Korea and Japan, said Kim Min-seok, a spokesman of the South Korean Defense Ministry.

“By launching them from mobile vehicles which are difficult to monitor and allow North Korea to fire missiles from anywhere it wanted, the country appeared to show off its ability to attempt a surprise attack,” Mr. Kim said.

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Dutch Nuclear-Arms Base Infiltrated on Eve of Summit

Protesters infiltrated a nuclear-arms base in the Netherlands last week, days before leaders gathered to discuss atomic security less than 100 miles away.

Four members of the group "Disarm" entered the country's Volkel air base and photographed the exterior of a building possibly used to hold B-61 nuclear gravity bombs from the United States, the organization indicated in Dutch-language comments quoted by other activists.

The installation is one of six bases in five European nations believed to hold such weapons, which Washington fields and maintains for the defense of its regional NATO allies.

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IAI courts buyers for AEW-equipped C295

Israel Aerospace Industries is in different stages of negotiations with four countries that have shown interest in the Airbus Defence & Space C295 medium transport, fitted with an airborne early warning and control system suite supplied by its Elta Systems subsidiary.

Airbus has previously flown one of its C295 development aircraft with an aerodynamic model of an AEW rotodome installed.

Elta is offering a mission system including a radar, command, control and communications equipment and electronic intelligence sensors.

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General Says U-2 Superior to Global Hawk in Korea

The U-2 spy plane currently gives better early warning of a potential attack from North Korea than its proposed Global Hawk drone replacement, the commander of U.S. Forces-Korea said Tuesday.

“In my particular case, the U-2 provides a unique capability that the Global Hawk presently does not provide,” said Army Gen. Curtis M. “Mike” Scaparrotti.

The U-2 Dragon Lady was still the best platform to give “the warning I need on a short timeline” to defend against a potential North Korean attack into South Korea, Scaparrotti said at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing.

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Turkish Navy task force en route to Africa

Just over a week ago the Barbados Turkish Maritime Task Group departed Turkish Naval Base Golcuk to start its circumnavigation of Africa.

The task force comprises the frigates F-495 TCG Gediz, F-245 TCG Orucreis, the corvette F-511 TCG Heybeliada and the replenishment tanker A-595 TCG Yarbay Kudret Gungor Bosphorus Naval News reported.

South Africa is penned is as a definite for the group with SA Navy fleet headquarters at Simon’s town a port of call . The Denel Overberg Test Range will host the visitors for missile firing exercises in May.

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Neglected South African military needs big investment

South Africa’s cash-strapped armed forces are in a "critical state of decline" that will take at least a decade to fix even with urgent action, says a military strategy review seen by Reuters news agency.

It said "neglect" of defence capability could affect everything from border security to trade and constrain Pretoria’s continental peace-keeping and diplomatic ambitions.

A regular contributor to United Nations peace missions in Africa, South Africa has troops in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Sudan, and its ships and frigates support antipiracy efforts off Mozambique.

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Black Sea fleet base construction in Novorossiysk to be completed in 2015 - Russian Defense Minister

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu has called to step up the construction of the facilities of the Black Sea fleet base in Novorossiysk.

Shoigu particularly asked to complete the construction of a mooring front and the western pier ahead of schedule - in 2015.

Shoigu, accompanied by a group of top officials, flew in a helicopter over the fleet facilities under construction.

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Heat damage from fire aboard HMCS Protecteur may have warped hull

The deck and other metal structures on HMCS Protecteur, which caught fire and was towed to safety by the U.S. navy, may have warped because of the intense blaze, significantly damaging the vessel.

The extent of the damage is still being assessed. It will also take several months before a board of inquiry has the full details of the fire. However, the Canadian Forces fire marshal expects to deliver a report about the blaze to senior naval officers soon.

Sources say the fire started on the port side of the engine room. Large amounts of oil from systems on board the vessel helped feed the fire, they add.

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Britain's largest warship nears completion

In exactly 100 days, the Royal Navy’s biggest ever warship will be named by the Queen, who will smash a bottle of champagne on the 65,000 tonne aircraft carrier’s bow and name the vessel after herself.

The ceremony will mark 16 years of work on the £6.2bn project which now employs 10,000 people at 100 firms working in every region of the country.

When the HMS Queen Elizabeth becomes operational in 2020, she will deliver a radical change in the Navy’s capabilities, with her 4.5 acres of flight deck and 40 F35B joint strike fighters able to deliver bombs with pinpoint accuracy hundreds of miles away.

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