U.S. nuclear missile silos still use floppy disks, but have Battlestar Galactica-style cyber security

You’d probably expect to encounter all sorts of crazy technology in a U.S. Air Force nuclear silo. One you might not expect: floppy disks.

Leslie Stahl of CBS’s 60 Minutes reported from a Wyoming nuclear control center for a segment that aired on Sunday, and the Cold War-era tech she found is pretty amazing. But it also makes sense.

The government built facilities for the Minuteman missiles in the 1960s and 1970s, and though the missiles have been upgraded numerous times to make them safer and more reliable, the bases themselves haven’t changed much.

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Seoul to upgrade missile defense

South Korea on Monday approved a plan to purchase scores of Patriot Advanced Capability-3 missiles from the U.S. for deployment from 2016-2020, the state defense acquisition agency said.

During a top defense decision-making meeting presided over by Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin, Seoul endorsed the plan that also includes upgrading the current missile interception system from 2014 through 2020.

The upgrading work includes enhancing radars, launchers and control programs.

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Raytheon developing the world's most advanced digital radar

The Office of Naval Research (ONR) has awarded Raytheon Company an $8.5 million base contract to design the Flexible Distributed Array Radar (FlexDAR), enabling dynamic multi-mission radars capable of executing a variety of functions including surveillance, communications and electronic warfare.

"Raytheon is a pioneer in radar development, pushing the limits of technology to achieve the best possible solutions for our customers," said Paul Ferraro, vice president of Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems Advanced Technology Programs.

"Migrating digital technologies closer to the front end of radars will allow for more re-configurability and ultimately more flexible radars resulting in game-changing improvements."

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Saudis parade nuclear missiles for the first time in defiance of US-Iranian nuclear accord

Saudi Arabia became the first Middle East nation to publicly exhibit its nuclear-capable missiles.

The long-range, liquid propellant DF-3 ballistic missile (NATO designated CSS-2), purchased from China 27 years ago, was displayed for the first time at a Saudi military parade Tuesday, April 29, in the eastern military town of Hafar Al-Batin, at the junction of the Saudi-Kuwaiti-Iraqi borders.

The DF-3 has a range of 2,650 km and carries a payload of 2,150 kg. It is equipped with a single nuclear warhead with a 1-3 MT yield.

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The F-35 JSF: what is a fifth-generation fighter aircraft?

Any conversation about Australia’s commitment to the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter refers to it as a fifth-generation fighter aircraft. But what exactly is a fifth-generation aircraft, and why is it important?

Both the Prime Minister Tony Abbott and Defence Minister David Johnston spoke of the JSF’s “fifth-generation” capability as Australia now plans to buy a further 58 aircraft.

The political mantra of the importance of a fifth-generation aircraft begs the question: What does it mean?

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Boeing continues efforts to keep Chinook, V-22 production humming

Boeing continues to search for new buyers of its CH-47 Chinook tandem-rotor helicopter as it seeks to keep production at its factory near Philadelphia active beyond the end of this decade.

The company is also seeking overseas customers for the Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey, and is pursuing a plan under which the US Navy would use the type as resupply aircraft for its carrier battle groups.

“With the way the US defence budget is, international sales [will] help stabilise the production line and suppliers,” Mark Ballew, Boeing’s director of vertical lift business development, tells Flightglobal.

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China to bring 4 ships to RIMPAC naval exercise

China plans to bring four ships to Hawaii this summer as its vessels participate in the world’s largest naval exercises for the first time.

China is expected to bring the Peace Ark, a navy hospital ship, as well as an oiler, a frigate and a destroyer, said Lt. Lenaya Rotklein, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Third Fleet, which is organizing the Rim of the Pacific exercises.

The drills are scheduled to begin on June 26 and last through Aug. 1.

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F-35 is Liaoning's worst nightmare, says Global Times

The US F-35 Joint Strike Fighter is capable of combating China's first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, reports Huanqiu, the website of China's nationalistic Global Times tabloid.

In a hypothetical aircraft carrier battle between China and the United States, the main fighter jets would include the United States' F-35C fifth-generation multirole fighter developed by Lockheed Martin and China's J-15 carrier-based jet developed by Shenyang Aircraft Corporation.

The F-35 is equipped with extremely powerful offensive capabilities for both land and sea combat, with a weapons load of eight tonnes and the capacity to carry four AIM20C and AIM-9X mid-range and short-range air-to-air missiles.

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EU Firms Help Power China's Military Rise

As China boosts its military spending, rattling neighbors over territorial disputes at sea, an Agence France Presse investigation shows that European countries have approved billions in transfers of weapons and military-ready technology to the Asian giant.

China's air force relies on French-designed helicopters, while submarines and frigates involved in Beijing's physical assertion of its claim to vast swathes of the South China Sea are powered by German and French engines -- part of a separate trade in "dual use" technology to Beijing's armed forces.

Chinese President Xi Jinping announced stepped-up production of the Airbus EC175 helicopter in China during his visit to France this month -- a deal analysts said could result in technology transfers to the military.

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House markup cuts one LCS, supports 11 carriers

The House Seapower subcommittee markup that was revealed on Tuesday offered at least one surprise — cutting the Navy’s request for three littoral combat ships to only two — but the bill supports the other new ship requests, including two destroyers and two submarines.

As expected, the mark supports a full 11-carrier fleet and opposes the Navy’s desire to decommission the aircraft carrier George Washington if there is no change in the mandated sequestration budget cuts.

The Seapower and Projection Forces subcommittee would provide full funding for the carrier’s reactor refueling overhaul, as well as ensuring full funding for the Gerald R. Ford, first of a new class of carrier now under construction.

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MiG21-LanceR military pilots haven't flown in long time how much they flew this period

National Defence Minister Mircea Dusa announced on Friday, in Targu Mures (central Romania) that MiG 21 Lancer fighter jets fly sorties every day and that Romanian military pilots haven't flown in a long time how much they've flown in this period.

'Since the beginning of the crisis in Ukraine, measures have been taken by NATO for the supervision of the airspace of NATO border countries and these AWACS planes that are used for electronic surveillance, together with the MApN aviation execute supervisory missions everyday and air-space policing missions.

(...) Since the beginning of the crisis, that NATO AWACS plane is in Romanian airspace and our MiG 21 Lancer fighter jets execute missions daily.

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Russian shipyard lays keel of new class Replenishment Oiler "Academician Pashin” (project 23130)

On April 26th, 2014, a keel-laying ceremony in presence of Admiral Viktor Viktorovich Chirkov (Russian Navy's Commander-in-Chief) took place at Nevsky Shipyard for a new generation of Replenishment Oiler for the Russian Navy.

Described by the shipyard as "Medium-sized sea tanker Academician Pashin” (Project 23130) the vessel is the first tanker to be built for the Russian Navy since the collapse of the Soviet Union.

The new class of vessel will bring much needed logistical and replenishment at sea support to the Russian Navy fleet.

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Thales finalises delivery of maritime patrol aircraft to Turkey

Thales announces the delivery of the final standard for the maritime patrol aircraft to Turkey as part of the MELTEM II programme, for which Thales is the prime contractor.

To this day, five of the six aircraft have been delivered to this standard, with the sixth set for delivery before the summer.

This follows the three maritime surveillance aircraft which were sent to the Turkish coastguards last year.

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New U.S. Stealth Jet Can’t Hide From Russian Radar

The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter—the jet that the Pentagon is counting on to be the stealthy future of its tactical aircraft—is having all sorts of shortcomings.

But the most serious may be that the JSF is not, in fact, stealthy in the eyes of a growing number of Russian and Chinese radars. Nor is it particularly good at jamming enemy radar.

Which means the Defense Department is committing hundreds of billions of dollars to a fighter that will need the help of specialized jamming aircraft that protect non-stealthy—“radar-shiny,” as some insiders call them—aircraft today.

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Lockheed Martin Receives $611 Million Contract for Production of First PAC-3 MSE Missiles

Lockheed Martin received a $611 million contract from the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command for the first production order of the PAC-3 Missile Segment Enhancement (MSE) following the Army’s successful Milestone C decision earlier this year.

The contract includes the production of both PAC-3 MSE missiles and Launcher Modifications Kits (LMKs).

The PAC-3 MSE’s revolutionary two-pulse solid rocket motor provides increased performance in both altitude and range – while employing the same proven hit-to-kill technology that the PAC-3 Missile uniquely brings to the Patriot system.

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Iraqi helicopters strike Al Qaida ISIL convoy in Syrian territory

For the first time in decades, Iraq has attacked neighboring Syria.

The government of Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki said the Iraq Army attacked a convoy in eastern Syria.

Officials said Iraqi helicopters fired missiles toward vehicles sent by Al Qaida’s Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.

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Putin gives green light to sale of S-400 missile system to China

Russia's president, Vladimir Putin, has given a green light to sell the country's newest S-400 air defense guided missile system to China, which Russian media claim will give Beijing an edge in the airspace of the Taiwan Strait and over islands in the East China Sea at the center of a dispute with Japan, reports the military news website of Huanqiu.com, the Chinese-language website of China's Global Times.

Beijing has been interested in acquiring the guided missile system since 2011.

Two years ago, Russia talked with several countries interested in buying the system but was forced to suspend negotiations in order to ensure its supply to the Russian military, the general manager of a Russian national defense export company told Russian newspaper Kommersant in January this year.

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Conservatives vow to speed release of report on CF-18 replacement

Ottawa is relenting to external pressure and now promising to speed up the release of a “public report” on the fighter jets pegged to replace Canada’s fleet of CF-18s.

The document, which has been put together for widespread release, lists the risks and benefits of the four fighter jets that were involved in an “options analysis” overseen by the Canadian Forces.

Last week, officials at Public Works and Government Services Canada told The Globe and Mail that the report would only be released “once the government has made a decision on a path forward.”

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UK Deploys Four RAF Jets to Patrol Baltics

Britain is deploying four Typhoon fighter-jets to the Baltics as part of a Nato show of support against the backdrop of the Ukraine crisis.

The defence secretary, Philip Hammond, said: "In the wake of recent events in Ukraine, it is right that Nato takes steps to reaffirm very publicly its commitment to the collective security of its members."

The events in the Ukraine have increased nervousness in the Baltic states, formerly part of the Soviet Union. Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are, unlike Ukraine, members of Nato, and Russian action against any of them would automatically trigger a Nato response, making any move by Russia less likely.

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In Wake of Zumwalt Launch, Higher Costs Seen in DDG-1000 Program

A couple of weeks ago, the world's most advanced warship, the USS Zumwalt, formally hit the water at a christening ceremony at Bath Iron Works.

The midcoast shipyard is due to build two more of the DDG-1000 destroyers for the U.S. Navy over the next several years.

The program, however, has ended up being much more costly than originally intended, in part because it was drastically cut back a few years ago from 32 ships to just three.

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BAE Systems to Maintain and Modernize U.S. Navy Ships in Hawaii

BAE Systems has received a multi-ship, multi-option (MSMO) contract from the U.S. Navy to repair, maintain, and modernize nine destroyers and cruisers, either homeported in or visiting Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

The five-year contract, awarded by the Naval Sea Systems Command, includes modernization, maintenance, and repair work for the USS Chafee, USS John Paul Jones, USS Chung-Hoon, USS Hopper, USS Michael Murphy, USS O’Kane, USS Halsey, USS Milius, and USS Preble.

This award marks a continuation of work BAE Systems has been performing on the same type of ships in Hawaii under a previous seven-year contract.

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NZ Govt announces $100m boost for Defence

The government plans to invest more than $500 million in the Defence Force over the next four years, Defence Minister Jonathan Coleman says.

The investment followed several years of budget cuts which were outlined in a Defence white paper in 2010.

In the Budget next month, government would commit to $100.9m in operation funding for 2014/15 and a total of $535.5m over the next four years.

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Raytheon tests new guidance system for Tomahawk cruise missile

Raytheon Company successfully completed a passive seeker test designed for a Tomahawk Block IV cruise missile using company-funded independent research and development investment.

The captive flight test, using a modified Tomahawk Block IV missile nose cone, demonstrated that Raytheon's advanced, next-generation; multi-function processor can enable the cruise missile to navigate to and track moving targets emitting radio frequency signals.

For the test, the nosecone of a Tomahawk Block IV missile was equipped with passive antennas integrated with Raytheon's new modular, multi-mode processor, and fitted to a T-39 aircraft.

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Mazagon Dock looks at next sub project

Project 75 is one of India's most closely guarded military projects, almost as inaccessible to outsiders as the nuclear ballistic missile submarine, INS Arihant, nearing completion in Visakhapatnam.

In a giant shed in the East Yard of Mazagon Dock Ltd, Mumbai (MDL), a 200-feet-long, cigar-shaped, metal cylinder is the first of six conventionally powered Scorpene submarines that the Indian Navy contracted to build with Franco-Spanish company, Armaris (since taken over by French shipbuilding major, DCNS).

The boat (as submariners call their vessels) is obviously close to completion - a small remaining gap at the rear will be filled by the section that holds the engine. Nearby, a second Scorpene is taking shape, metallic rings being welded together to form a hull. In the shed next door, a third vessel is racing towards completion.

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EB signs deal with Navy for 10 Virginia-class submarines

Navy officials have signed a $17.6 billion contract with Electric Boat, committing the service to buy the next 10 Virginia-class submarines.

For the Groton shipyard, which has faced a cycle of layoffs and recalls in recent years, the contract represents nearly a decade’s worth of work.

“This award has great significance for the U.S. Navy, our company and the entire submarine industrial base,” Jeffrey S. Geiger, president of Electric Boat, said in a statement. “By continuing to produce two ships per year, the Navy and industry team retains the stability required to achieve increased efficiencies, providing the fleet with the submarines it needs to sustain the nation’s undersea dominance.”

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Devon-built Samuel Beckett ship handed to Irish Naval Service

A 50m euros (£41m) vessel has been handed over to the Irish Naval Service at a Devon shipyard.

The 295ft (90m) craft, called the Samuel Beckett, is the first completed ship to be built at Appledore Shipyard, near Bideford, since 2002.

The Irish Navy ordered two vessels from the shipyard in October 2010 for 99m euros (£81m). The second, called the James Joyce is still being built.

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India successfully test fires exo-atmospheric missile interceptor

India successfully test-fired for the first time an exo-atmospheric missile interceptor at a defence base in Odisha Sunday.

The missile operates outside the atmosphere and is part of the country’s efforts to create a shield against an incoming enemy missile at an altitude of over 100 km, a senior defence official said.

The indigenously developed interceptor missile was fired from Wheeler Island off the coast near Dhamra port in Bhadrak district, about 170 km from here.

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Iranian Ground Force Test-Fires New Missiles

Iran's Ground Force has test-fired new mid-range ballistic missiles, Commander of the Army Ground Force Brigadier General Ahmad Reza Pourdastan announced on Sunday.

"A series of new missiles have been designed to be built by the Army's Ground Force," Pourdastan told FNA.

"The laboratory production of these missiles has started and one or two samples have been test-fired," he added.

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Five F-16 aircraft added to PAF’s fighter fleet

A first batch of five F-16 fighters was added to fleet of Pakistan Air Force (PAF) on Sunday.

Air Chief Marshal Tahir Rafique Butt said that addition of new fighter aircrafts would increase the capacity of air force.

The PAF chief was speaking at the PAF Base Mushaf in Sargodha where the force received its first batch of five F-16 fighter jets from Jordan.

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U.S.-Philippines Pact Could Boost Arms Sales

A new 10-year security pact between the United States and the Philippines could lead to modest increases in U.S. weapons sales in coming years, especially for maritime surveillance equipment, analysts said on Sunday.

The agreement, to be signed on Monday, establishes a framework for an increased U.S. military presence in the Philippines and is part of a "rebalancing" of U.S. resources toward the fast-growing Asia-Pacific region.

The deal comes 23 years after the Philippine Senate voted to evict the U.S. military from bases there, ending 94 years of American military presence in the Asian nation.

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PLA may build 3 more carriers amid territorial disputes: Kanwa

The People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy may build three Liaoning-class aircraft carriers to prepare for a potential conflict with Japan in the Asia-Pacific region, according to the Canada-based Kanwa Defense Review operated by Andrei Chang, also known as Pinkov.

Light aircraft carriers such as the Liaoning and Japan's Izumo have become vital for the PLA Navy and Japan Maritme Self-Defense Force amid territorial disputes between the two countries, the article said.

It added that Japan may become an even greater threat to China if the country successfully introduces a Tarawa-class amphibious assault ship from the United States and deploys its F-35B fighters with vertical take-off and landing ability aboard the ship.

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Iran to Target Decoy US Aircraft Carrier in Drills

An Iranian newspaper is reporting that the country's military plans to target a mock-up American aircraft carrier during upcoming war games.

The Sunday report by independent Haft-e Sobh daily quotes Adm. Ali Fadavi, navy chief of the powerful Revolutionary Guards as saying Iranian forces should "target the carrier in the trainings, after it is completed."

Adm. Fadavi said: "We should learn about weaknesses and strengths of our enemy."

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Navy chief regrets lies about Scorpene submarines functions

The Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) regrets action by certain parties who spread lies about the functions of the French made Scorpene submarines.

The RMN chief, Admiral Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Jaafar said the submarine team had conducted their responsibilities to the best of their abilities and he was proud of them.

"As the navy commander, I am disappointed with the lies. The submarines and MV Mega Bakti submarine rescue vessel are brought here for public viewing during armada open day.

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Iran equips S-200 air defense system with new missiles

Iran’s S-200 air defense system has been equipped with domestically manufactured Sayyad-3 missiles, the deputy commander of the Khatam-ol-Anbiya Air Defense Base announced on Saturday.

Brigadier General Shahrokh Shahram said that Sayyad-3 missiles are able to hit targets at medium altitudes.

Iranian experts had previously upgraded the Russian-made long-range medium-to-high altitude surface-to-air S-200 air defense system by installing Sayyad-2 missiles on it and designed a mobile launcher for the system.

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Five dead in British military helicopter crash in Afghanistan

Five service members were killed when a British helicopter crashed in southern Afghanistan on Saturday, the NATO-led coalition forces and the British Ministry of Defence said.

An Afghan official said the helicopter carrying soldiers from the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) had crashed due to technical problems.

"ISAF is still in the process of reviewing the circumstances to determine more facts," ISAF said. It did not provide details of their nationalities.

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Afghan militant group shoots down US spy aircraft

An insurgent militant group Hizb-e-Isami Afghanistan said on Saturday that its fighters had shot down an American spy aircraft in Kunar province.

The militant group’s spokesperson, Haroon Zarghoon told sources by phone.The drone aircraft was flying over Kunar’s Shegal district when hit by the Hizb’s fighters,

He said the US drones are routinely fly over the border regions and also carry out strikes on the positions of the armed resistance groups. There was no comment from the ISAF forces in Afghanistan.

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Original sub designer has high hopes for Truong Sa submarine

Nguyen Huu Bao, now an old engineer, is remembered by many as the person who successfully built the unmanned torpedo disarming vessel called T5. At the time, Bao worked for the Ship Design Sub-institute, now called the Ship Technology Institute.

As a young engineer, Bao was assigned to design the engine for a mock-up of a ship which could “swim under the water to serve combatant purposes”.

In 1960s, the engineers of the sub-institute undertook the design and manufacture of implements of war. An idea was raised at that time that Vietnam needed a ship which could travel under the water in the strictest secrecy.

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Power in numbers: China surpasses Japan with surface combat ships

China has surpassed Japan in the construction and purchasing of new surface combat vessels, according to an Apr. 25 article on the Canada-based Kanwa Defense Review operated by military analyst Andrei Chang, also known as Pinkov.

China's surface combat vessels may not be as good as their Japanese counterparts in terms of quality, the article said, but the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy has a greater number of destroyers and frigates equipped with active electronically scanned array radar.

The PLA Navy currently has six Type 052C guided-missile destroyers, each carrying up to 49 HQ9 air defense missiles. In addition, the vessel can fire YJ-62 anti-ship cruise missiles, which have a range of 280 kilometers.

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Govt allocates HUF 2.8 billion to prepare Gripen fleet for close air support

The government has decided to allocate 2.8 billion forints (EUR 9m) for capability development of the Hungarian army’s Gripen unit, the defence ministry said on Thursday.

The army’s JAS-39 multi-purpose Gripens currently perform airspace defence and airspace control tasks, the ministry told MTI in a statement.

The ministry’s ten-year army development concept defines obtaining full capability of close air support as an objective, which means “developing the operational capability of the armed forces’ most modern arms system,” the statement said.

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Surface-to-air 'Akash' missile test fired successfully

India on Saturday successfully conducted two rounds of trials of its indigenously developed surface-to-air Akash missile as part of a user trial by the air force from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur near Balasore in Odisha.

"The sophisticated Akash missile was test fired twice in quick succession from launch complex-3 of ITR at about 11.55 am and 12 noon," defence sources said.

Describing both the trials as 'fully successful', ITR Director M K V Prasad said the whole exercise was carried out as part of a user trial by the Indian Air Force.

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USAF team checks Estonia air base for NATO mission

A U.S. Air Force team has conducted a technical inspection of a military airfield in Estonia, which will likely be used as a new basing alternative for NATO’s Baltic Air Policing mission.

Airmen from the 48th Air Expeditionary Group RAF Lakenheath recently visited Amari Air Base in Estonia to certify the base’s aircraft arresting system, seen as a critical step toward validating the airfield as a new NATO forward operating base, a news release on Friday said.

NATO’s Baltic Air Policing mission was set up a decade ago to patrol the skies over Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, which don’t have fighter aircraft of their own.

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US Warship Leaves Black Sea as Ukraine Crisis Heats Up

The US guided missile destroyer USS Donald Cook has left the Black Sea, two weeks after it was deployed there to reassure Eastern European allies worried by the Ukraine crisis, the Navy said Friday.

The presence of the warship, which departed on Thursday, was an "example of the US Navy's commitment to enhancing interoperability at sea, serving as a cornerstone of NATO's military strength, while demonstrating the US and allied forces' capability to provide the right presence, in the right place, at the right time."

Word of the Donald Cook's departure came as Kiev accused Moscow of seeking to trigger a "third world war."

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Boeing Builds the Navy an F-35C Exit Strategy

A rival aircraft manufacturer has worked not so quietly this past year to offer the Navy an escape hatch from the costly Joint Strike Fighter program.

The Navy's decision to reduce its F-35C five-year acquisition plan from 69 to 36 aircraft over the past year raised questions about the service's commitment to the fifth generation fleet. More questions have been asked since the Navy included 22 EA-18G Growlers on its unfunded priorities list.

Boeing officials started their effort in earnest this past summer at the Paris Air Show to get the Navy to buy more F/A-18 Super Hornets and Growlers as a hedge against problems in the Joint Strike Fighter program, the costliest military acquisition program in U.S. history.

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Obama Expected to Sign Defense Agreement on Visit to Philippines

Opposition to American military involvement in the Philippines forced Washington to abandon what once was its largest overseas Navy base, Subic Bay, in 1992, along with the rest of its military network in the country.

Now, more than two decades later, Manila is urging Washington to come back, and not just to Subic.

That change of heart, driven by worsening fears over China's military rise, forms the backdrop to President Barack Obama's two-day trip to Manila starting Monday, the first by a U.S. president since 2003.

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India, China agree to deepen naval ties after landmark exercise

As the Indian Navy's INS Shivalik prepared to leave Qingdao port on Friday after a six-day stay in China, both countries declared that the missile frigate's visit had gone a long way in deepening strategic trust between two navies that are increasingly coming into contact on the high seas.

Officials on both sides said the Shivalik’s visit and participation at the People’s Liberation Army Navy’s (PLAN) 65th anniversary celebrations – marked by first-ever maritime exercises involving 7 nations in China – had sent a strong signal of India’s keenness to deepen navy-to-navy links with China.

The United States did not send a ship to Qingdao after Japan was not invited to participate.

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Pentagon: Russian Spy Ship, Tug Operating Near U.S.

A Russian intelligence-gathering ship has been operating off the U.S. East Coast and near the Gulf of Mexico for the past month, the Pentagon said Thursday.

“We are aware that the Russian ships Viktor Leonov and Nikolay Chiker are currently operating in waters that are beyond U.S. territorial seas but near Cuba,” said Lt. Col. Tom Crosson, a Pentagon spokesman. “We respect the freedom of all nations, as reflected in international law, to operate military vessels beyond the territorial seas of other nations.”

The Leonov is an intelligence gathering ship outfitted with high-tech electronic spying gear. The Chiker is an ocean-going naval tug that has been accompanying the spy ship on its mission.

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Royal Malaysian Navy future Gowind SGPV-LCS program update with Boustead Heavy Industries

During DSA 2014, the 14th Defence Services Asia Exhibition and Conference currently held in Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), Anuar bin Murad, Director of Defense & Security at Boustead Heavy Industries Corporation Berhad (BHIC) gave us the latest update on the Gowind Second Generation Patrol Vessel - Littoral Combat Ship (SGPV - LCS) program for the Royal Malaysian Navy.

Talking to Navy Recognition Mr. Anuar Murad explained that the latest design tweaks are currently focused around the top part of the ship, around the mast area. Kelvin Hughes of UK was recently selected to deliver the navigation radar for the class. Altough the decoy launcher provider has been nominated, its identity can not be announced yet.

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Northrop Grumman Completes Preliminary Design Review for B-2 Bomber Software Upgrade

Northrop Grumman Corporation has successfully completed a major U.S. Air Force review of a new software upgrade for the B-2 stealth bomber.

The upgrade is part of the Air Force's Flexible Strike Phase 1 program. It is the first step in a process that will help increase the jet's mission capabilities and reduce its maintenance costs.

Northrop Grumman is the Air Force's prime contractor for the B-2, the flagship of the nation's long range strike arsenal and one of the most survivable aircraft in the world.

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2,500kg Trinitrotoluene blows a hole in INS Sindhurakshak's salvage operations

INS Sindhurakshak has more than 2,500 kilos of "unused" Trinitrotoluene(TNT), considered the world's deadliest explosive. And that is why salvaging the submarine is no easy task.

The Russian-made Kilo class submarine sank at the Mumbai naval dockyard on August 14 last year, following a series of explosions, claiming the lives of 18 navy men on board.

At that time, the battle-ready submarine was loaded with at least 16 torpedoes and Klub-S missiles. To be precise, there were six firing tubes and 12 racks in the submarine's nose carrying torpedoes and missiles, an officer said.

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Sweden wants cruise missiles 'for defence'

The Swedish government has announced plans to beef up its defence forces by fitting its fleet of Gripen fighter jets with long-range cruise missiles.

Defence Minister Karin Enström said the high-precision missiles would chiefly act as a deterrent to other countries that might be considering an attack on Sweden.

“They would give new capabilities by offering a longer reach, but also the ability to fight targets that are further away,” she told Sveriges Radio (SR) on Thursday.

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First domestically produced attack helicopter delivered to Turkish Army

The Undersecretariat of the Defense Industry announced that the first T129 ATAK Raid Helicopter (ARH), which is the first domestically produced helicopter, was included in the inventory of the Turkish Armed Forces on April 22.

The ATAK was produced within the agreement signed between the Undersecretariat of the Defense Industry and Turkish Aerospace Industries (TUSAŞ) on Sep. 7, 2007, which envisages the supply of nine pieces of T129 ARHs helicopters.

The T129 ARH helicopter with two crews has two LHTEC CTS800-4ATurboshaft engines, each of which has a power of 1.360 horsepower and is able to reach a maximum speed of 288 kilometers an hour.

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Army says Apache co-pilot only injury in crash landing

The co-pilot of one of Taiwan's new AH-64E Apache helicopters was the only one injured when the attack helicopter crashed into a residential building in Taoyuan County Friday morning during flight training, the Army said.

Early reports said both the pilot and co-pilot had been injured.

The aircraft had to make a forced landing on top of the three-story building because of an emergency situation. The Army said it was mostly intact despite the rough landing, and no other injuries, civilian or military, had been reported.

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Ten NATO allies to back Baltic States

Ten countries have suggested strengthening the airspace above the Baltic States, the Estonian Ministry of Defense has informed DELFI reported.

According to representatives of the Estonia’s Defense Ministry Artur Jugaste, the United States, Poland, the United Kingdom, France, Denmark, Germany, Portugal, the Netherlands, Canada and Turkey have informed about their preparation to send the additional forces to the Baltic States. Jugaste has highlighted that the list of these countries can be expanded.

Moreover, the representative of the Estonia’s Defense Ministry has informed that the above-mentioned countries suggest various services, for example, to send the additional fighter aircrafts, fuel tankers and AWACS planes.

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Meet Boeing's Ramis Tactical ISR Testbed

Boeing has been pushing hard to come on strong into the tactical ISR market.

Despite the sputtering of the Enhanced Medium-Altitude Reconnaissance Surveillance System (Emarss) program for the U.S. Army, it seems the company had secretive customer that helped underpin the business a few years ago.

But, what was known as the Yellow Jacket demonstrator for that unnamed customer has been morphed for roughly three years into what we now know as Ramis, the Reconfigurable Airborne Multi-Intelligence System.

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Russian aircraft carrier still in the Mediterranean Sea. NATO planes watch closely

Aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov is still in the Mediterranean where it operates watched closely by NATO E-3 AWACS.

Even if it has reportedly ended its mission and headed for Severomorsk, Russia’s aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov is still sailing in the Mediterranean Sea.

Its position can be determined based on the NOTAMs (Notice To Airmen) issued for the Algiers FIR (Flight Information Region).

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