Meet LEMV: the first of a new generation of advanced military airship

If you thought all unmanned air vehicles (UAVs) were variations on the familiar fixed-wing autonomous aircraft then think again.

Working with $0.5 billion of US defence funding, a team of American and British engineers are developing a 250 ft long reconnaissance drone based on a class of vehicle that many regard as little more than an intriguing footnote in aviation history: the airship.

Dubbed LEMV (long endurance multi intelligence vehicle) the helium-filled drone will, when it takes to the skies sometime next summer, become the world’s longest endurance UAV.

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France To Delay Air Programs

A sketchy outline of affected programs emerged during a July 7 hearing in which Defense Minister Hervé Morin appeared before the parliamentary defense committee.

Morin said the government plans to postpone orders for a new fleet of multirole tanker and transport (MRTT) aircraft to replace the C-135 fleet and the 700 million euro ($888 million) upgrade of Mirage 2000D aircraft, according to Jean-Claude Viollet, a member of Parliament who attended the hearing.

Other programs to be pushed back include an upgrade to level four of the SCCOA national air command-and-control system, worth some 500 million euros to Thales in new radars, and elements of the Scorpion land systems modernization program, Viollet said.

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Navy drill cause for concern

Negotiation, rather than flexing military muscle, is the best way to resolve disputes between key global powers.

A joint navy drill by the US and the Republic of Korea (ROK) in the Yellow Sea has aggravated concern among East Asian nations, especially China, over regional peace and stability.

The participation of the 97,000-ton US aircraft carrier George Washington in the exercise has attracted widespread media coverage and its involvement is a move that is hostile to China.

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Malaysian Navy's second Scorpene sub arrives home

Royal Malaysian Navy’s second Scorpene submarine 'KD Tun Razak' has arrived at the port of Lumut in Malaysia after a 64-day voyage from France.

The vessel, which set sail from France’s Toulon port on April 30, 2010, reached the Lumut naval base with an official welcome on July 2.

During its homeward journey, the submarine made four ports of call at Alexandria (Egypt), Jeddah (Saudi Arabia), Salalah (Oman) and Cochin (India).

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Defence Ministry 'in principle' nod to new submarine project

With the Navy trying to speed up a new production line for the next generation diesel-electric submarines, the Defence Ministry has given its "in principle" nod to a Rs 50,000-crore project for building six vessels, but is stuck on finding a private shipyard to take on the mantle.

At a recent Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) meeting, chaired by Defence Minister A K Antony, the urgency in having the second production line was discussed with all seriousness and the nod for the project, codenamed Project 75I, was given, a senior Defence Ministry source said in New Delhi on Sunday.

"Though the Ministry is yet to work out the formula by which the submarines will be produced, it has been decided to encourage private sector to participate and take the responsibility upon themselves."

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F22 Arrival Ceremony at Hickam AFB

Russian Navy expands anti-piracy mission in Gulf of Aden

The Russian Navy has extended the convoy route in the pirate-infested Gulf of Aden to 380 kilometers, the Pacific Fleet commander said on Friday.

Adm. Konstantin Sidenko said in an interview with RIA Novosti that the decision was made following the hijacking of the Moscow University tanker in May.

"There is an international, so-called green, three-point corridor where we escort [commercial] vessels. After that incident we extended the route, moving further from the coast and now the convoy route is 200 nautical miles, or nearly 380 kilometers," he said.

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First launch of Sagem AASM missile with terminal laser guidance a success

On June 17, 2010, Sagem (Safran group) and the French defense procurement agency DGA successfully carried out the first launch of a 250 kg AASM modular air-to-ground weapon with terminal laser guidance, in a demonstrator version

This new version combining GPS, inertial and laser guidance enables the AASM to engage agile land or sea targets with outstanding accuracy.

It joins the current range of Sagem AASM weapons, comprising two versions already qualified on the Rafale fighter: GPS/inertial and GPS/inertial/infrared.

The latest version features a laser seeker instead of the infrared imager, plus dedicated algorithms for the terminal phase.

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Boeing F-15 Silent Eagle Demonstrator Makes 1st Flight

The Boeing Company Silent Eagle flight demonstrator aircraft F-15E1 completed a successful first flight on July 8 from Lambert St. Louis International Airport.

During the 80-minute flight, F-15E1 opened and closed its left-side Conformal Weapons Bay, which contained an AIM-120 Instrumented Test Vehicle (ITV) missile. The ITV was not launched.

"The Silent Eagle demonstration flight validated our initial engineering design approach," said Boeing F-15 Development Programs Director Brad Jones.

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General Dynamics Wins Navy Nuclear Submarine Contract

Electric Boat, a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics Corp., reports it has a new contract worth $171.8 million from the U.S. Navy to provide “lead-yard services” for manufacturing the Virginia Class nuclear submarine.

The Virginia Class is planned as a series of 30 stealth multi-mission nuclear-powered submarines for deep ocean anti-submarine warfare and littoral (shallow water) operations.

According to General Dynamics, the contract has a potential cumulative value of $881 million if all options are fully funded and exercised.

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NATO To Purchase Russian Choppers for Afghanistan Despite Congressmen’s Protests

NATO forces in Afghanistan will receive a batch of Russia’s Mi-17 helicopters that were designed especially for the mountainous area and desert climate of this country.

Russia and NATO are about to close the deal on the joint delivery of 21 Mi-17 combat helicopters to Afghanistan.

Russia’s Ambassador to NATO Dmitry Rogozin said that it would be an “unprecedented action, when Russia and NATO provide assistance to a third country.”

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Australian army Iroquois choppers become national treasures

An Army squadron of 11 Iroquois helicopters will be transformed into local tourist attractions around Australia.

They'll be on display in Townsville and eight other communities.

Serving the nation since 1962, the UH-1H or "Huey", as they are affectionately known, first flew with the Australian Defence Force (ADF) in Malaysia. However it was their use in the Vietnam War that gave them the iconic status they have today with their familiar silhouette and rotor sound.

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Sukhois set for Gwalior as IAF evolves new tactics

As part an upgrade and to evolve new tactics in aerial warfare, Indian Air Force’s (IAF’s) Gwalior-based Tactics and Air Combat Development Establishment (TACDE) will for the first time receive frontline fighters Sukhoi-30MKI by the end of this year.

Gwalior is essentially a base for French Mirage-2000 fighters.
TACDE is an aerial warfare training institution which devises combat tactics for its top 1% fighter pilots.

The Sukhois will replace MiG-27s, which will go back to their original bases in Kalaikunda, Hashimara and Bagdogra in the east.

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US Navy awards modification contract for Zumwalt class ships

The General Dynamics subsidiary Bath Iron Works has received a $105.4 million modification contract by US Navy for providing engineering and production support services to the long-lead time construction for DDG 1001, and long-lead time material procurement for DDG 1002.

The construction of all the three destroyer of Zumwalt class (DDG 1000) will be done in the several facility centers of General Dynamics.

The new order is an extension of a previously awarded contract by US Navy.

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U.S. Posts Pictures of Nuclear Sub in 'Show of Force'

The U.S. nuclear-powered submarine Michigan docked at a South Korean naval base in Busan from the end of June until last Friday.

According to South Korean military sources on Wednesday, the Michigan, armed with 154 Tomahawk cruise missiles with a range of 1,600 km, docked in Busan for a week to get fresh supplies and allow its crew a rest following exercises in waters off the Korean Peninsula.

In an unprecedented move, the U.S. Navy posted a photograph of the docked submarine on its website.

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Boeing Anticipates Approval To Export F-15 Silent Eagle

Boeing expects to receive an export license for its new F-15SE Silent Eagle within the month, a development that brings the company to openly pitch the jet to South Korea as a potential launch customer.

The Chicago-based defense giant has been in tentative talks with Seoul about the aircraft over the last year. However, it has not been able to openly market the semi-stealthy jet to international customers until it received clearance from the U.S. Government to sell low-observable technology abroad.

Boeing now expects to receive a government license to market the jet to foreign countries this month following a review of the jet's stealth technology by the U.S. Government, according to Brad Jones, Boeing's F-15SE program manager.

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BAE Systems Seeker Performs in Detecting Complex Target in Latest THAAD Test

A BAE Systems seeker detected and destroyed a unitary target performing the lowest endo-atmospheric intercept to date for the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense weapon system flight test program on June 28 at the Pacific Missile Range Facility in Kauai, Hawaii.

The test, conducted by the U.S. Missile Defense Agency and Lockheed Martin [NYSE:LMT], the THAAD prime contractor and systems integrator verified the interceptor and other system components capability to detect and to intercept a unitary Short Range Ballistic Missile.

The test also demonstrated the seeker's ability to perform target acquisition and track-and-aim point selection by the interceptor's seeker and its avionics flight software.

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Germany drafts 9 bln euro defence savings plan

German defence ministry experts have drawn up a list of potential savings in weapons and equipment worth more than 9.3 billion euros in the long-term.

The defence ministry said the savings proposals, details of which emerged in German media on Wednesday, were merely the basis for ongoing discussions and not final.

Defence Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg has been unusually vocal with his calls for budget consolidation in Germay, saying the military budgets would not be immune to cuts even though some of his predecessors had resisted cutbacks.

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Astra missile test-fired

Air-to-air missile Astra was test-fired from the Integrated Test Range, Balasore in Orissa, at 8.15 p.m. on Tuesday.

The Beyond Visual Range missile was tested for its high manoeuvring performance and ability for high lateral acceleration. After the final tests, the missile is planned to be integrated with fighter aircraft Su-30 and subsequently with MiG-29 and the LCA.

Project director Gollakota told The Hindu that the telemetry and other data of the test were being analysed and the details would be available on Wednesday.

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Indian Navy issues RFI for Submarine Mine Laying Equipment

The Indian Navy has issued a Request for Information (RFI) to vendors and manufacturers of Submarine Mine Laying Equipment (SMILE) to augment the existing capabilities of its diesel-electric submarine fleet.

The RFI indicates that the SMILE should be a blister system capable of laying 24 ground mines and withstanding the maximum underwater speeds of the submarine.

Each system should have a glass-reinforced plastic casing designed to fit the contours of the submarine.

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Bulgaria Joins NATO's Anti-Missile Shield with Russian Missiles

The command of the Bulgarian army has decided to upgrade the Russian missile systems C-200, C-300 and KUB that it has in stock in order to prevent possible air strikes.

This is one of the options concerning Bulgaria's participation in NATO's missile defense shield in Europe.

In an interview with the National Radio, Defense Minister Anyu Angelov explained that the range of these missile systems is rather limited.

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U.S. Navy Awards Raytheon $368 Million in Contracts for Standard Missile-6

The U.S. Navy awarded Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) contracts totaling $368 million with potential modifications for low rate initial production to manufacture Standard Missile-6 systems over a three-year period.

The contracts include the production of missiles, spare parts, and system and design engineering efforts. Raytheon will deliver the first missiles in early 2011.

"Low rate initial production begins our process of delivering this integral weapon system to the warfighter," said Frank Wyatt, vice president of Raytheon's Air and Missile Defense Systems product line. "Standard Missile-6 remains on schedule, and we brought in the first three years of production well under the Navy's budget."

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Ecuador police seize 100-foot narco-submarine being built secretly

Police in Ecuador seized a 100-foot submarine being built by suspected drug traffickers capable of carrying a crew of six and 10 tons of cocaine on underwater voyages lasting up to 10 days — a "game changer" for U.S. anti-drug and border security efforts, officials said Monday.

A raid Friday by 120 police officers and soldiers netted the fiberglass sub as it was nearing completion in a clandestine "industrial complex" hidden in mangrove swamps near San Lorenzo, a town just south of the Colombian border.

The craft was outfitted with a conning tower, a periscope, air conditioning and "scrubbers" to purify the air, and bunks for a maximum crew of six. But what set the craft apart from semi-submersible craft that drug traffickers have used for years was a complex ballast system that would have enabled it to dive as deep as 65 feet before surfacing.

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Another six Super Hornets arrive at Amberley

Another six F/A-18F Super Hornets – Australia's first new air combat aircraft in 25 years – have arrived at RAAF Base Amberley in Queensland.

Today's touch down followed a four-day journey from Naval Air Station Lemoore in California.

The Super Hornets, affectionately known as 'Rhinos', will replace the F-111s which have been stalwarts of Australia's air combat fleet and will be retired at the end of this year.

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Study says Aegis radar systems on the decline

The advanced radar systems aboard cruisers and destroyers are in their worst shape ever, according to an independent probe into Navy readiness, raising questions about the surface fleet’s ability to take on its high-profile new mission next year defending Europe from ballistic missiles.

Poor training, impenetrable bureaucracy and cultural resignation have caused a spike in the number of technical problems and a dip in the operational performance of the Aegis system, considered the crown jewel of the U.S. surface force, according to members of a “fleet review panel” tasked with assessing the surface fleet.

And if that’s the situation with Aegis — which includes warships’ iconic, hexagonal SPY-1 radar arrays — the panel wondered what that could mean for other, lower-profile equipment.

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