Indian Navy inks Rs 3000-cr AJT deal

With two new aircraft carriers set to be inducted in the next five years and its air fleet in expansion mode, the Indian Navy has signed a Rs 3,042 crore deal to procure advanced trainer aircraft to train its aviators.

The deal to procure 17 new Hawk Advanced Jet Trainers (AJTs) was signed on Friday and the aircraft will be delivered starting 2013.

While the Air Force has already inducted advanced trainer aircraft, this is the first time that such high capability trainers are being inducted by the Navy, which is rapidly expanding its aerial capabilities, and has recently inducted its first supersonic fighter — the MiG 29 K that will be operated from the Gorshkov aircraft carrier.

Read more

N. Korea threatens to use nukes against S. Korean-U.S. joint naval drills: KCNA

North Korea Saturday threatened to counter with nuclear weapons the joint military exercises between South Korea and the United States in the East Sea on Sunday.

"The army and people of the DPRK will legitimately counter with their powerful nuclear deterrence the largest-ever nuclear war exercises to be staged by the U.S. and the South Korean puppet forces," the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said, citing a statement issued by the North's powerful National Defense Commission. DPRK is short for North Korea's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

South Korea and the U.S. will conduct the naval drills in the East Sea for four days as the first in a series of exercises scheduled for the coming month in the Yellow and East seas to show joint deterrence against North Korea's torpedoing of the South Korean warship Cheonan.

Read more

Bofors Ghost Forces Army To Scrap Gun Deal Again

MiG crash kills four near Jalpaiguri

An Indian Air Force MiG-27 crashed into a village near Jalpaiguri on Saturday, its exploding debris burning homes and cutting clean through people.

At least four people were feared dead and 25 were admitted to hospital, some with severe burn injuries. The pilot managed to eject safely.

The aircraft took off from the Hashimara air base on a routine sortie just after 10am.

Read more

NATO closer to missile defense

A missile defense system for NATO will be ready for commanders by the end of the year following a series of key tests, leaders said in Brussels.

The Dutch air force wrapped up testing of NATO's Active Layered Theater Ballistic Missile Defense Program during Joint Project Optic Windmill last week.

Italian Brig. Gen. Alessandro Pera, NATO's director of the missile defense program, said the test put the defense system one step closer to its official release at the end of 2010.

Read more

Damage found to submarine HMS Resolution at Rosyth Dockyard

A second decommissioned nuclear submarine stored at Rosyth Dockyard has had a hole found in its hull, The Courier can exclusively reveal.

HMS Resolution, one of seven old subs at the Fife yard, was found to be listing after water got into one of its ballast tanks.

The leak was discovered by divers during a routine check of the Polaris submarine's outer hull at the privately-owned dockyard.

Read more

ESC awards contract to upgrade Saudi AWACS aircraft

The Airborne Early Warning and Control International Branch of the Electronic Systems Center here recently awarded a $73 million contract to Boeing Integrated Defense Systems in Seattle to enhance and improve capabilities for the Royal Saudi Air Force's fleet of E-3 Airborne Warning and Control System aircraft.

"This foreign military sales contract is for the Radar System Improvement Program, which is a battle-proven operational capability," said Ann Choi, deputy program manager. "The contract moves us into Phase II-A -- the production phase."

The RSIP will provide increased operational flexibility, enhanced radar performance and improved abilities to respond to electronic attacks.

Read more

Bulgarian Navy Set to Discard Submarine Force

Bulgaria’s armed forces will most likely do away with their submarine unit, according to Defense Minister Anyu Angelov.

According to the Minister, the life of the only operational Bulgarian submarine “Slava” (i.e. “Glory”), has expired, and it will probably be retired in the coming months which will mean shutting down altogether Bulgaria’s submarine force.

“Calling it a submarine force is too strong because any such unit must include at least two vessels. As you know, we have only one submarine. Its life has expired, and thus the submarine component of the Bulgarian Navy probably won’t exist any more,” declared the Defense Minister in Varna where he observed the international naval drills call “Breeze/Sertex 2010.”

Read more

MOD: No talks with Germany over sub

The Defense Ministry released a rare statement on Friday denying media reports that talks were being held with Germany regarding the potential sale of a new submarine.

The statement clarified that since Israel was not in talks with Germany regarding the procurement of a sixth submarine, there were, as a result, no talks regarding an Israeli request to receive German government financial assistance for the deal.

Israel and Germany were widely believed to have held talks over the past year regarding the possibility that Berlin will pay for a percentage of the cost of a new submarine – a sixth for Israel – and two new Meko-class missile ships.

Read more

Russia to resume test launches of troubled Bulava missile Aug.-Sept.

Test launches of Russia's ill-fated Bulava ballistic missile will resume in August or September, a high ranking Russian Navy official said on Friday.

"In all, three test launches are to be carried out before the end of the year," he said.

A source close to the government commission probing the incident said earlier on Friday the failure of the Bulava's latest test launch, from the Dmitry Donskoy nuclear submarine in the White Sea on December 9, 2009, was caused by a defective engine nozzle.

Read more

Brazil To Buy 28 Embraer KC-390s

A letter of intent has been signed by the air force with the expectation that the first of the tactical aircraft will be delivered in 2016.

Embraer president and chief executive Frederico Fleury Curado said he expected the contract to be firmed up within the next three years.

The aircraft will replace the Brazilian air force’s C-130 Hercules fleet.

Read more

South Africa Purchases Raytheon Paveway™ Laser-Guided Bombs

The South African Department of Defence awarded Raytheon Company a contract for Paveway II laser-guided bombs.

Raytheon will provide the South African military with LGB computer control groups and air foil groups that transform "dumb" bombs into precision-guided munitions for operational test and evaluation on South Africa's Gripen fighter aircraft.

ARMSCOR awarded a contract on behalf of the South African Air Force for the procurement of LGB bomb kits. ARMSCOR, the Armaments Corporation of South Africa, is the officially appointed acquisition organization for the South African DoD.

Read more

India evaluating Patriot ground-based air defence system

India is evaluating the advanced Patriot ground-based air defence system for its ballistic missile shield and the US has provided "classified" material to it on the weapon unit, which was successfully used during both Desert Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom, Patriot's manufacturer Raytheon has said.

"A number of exchanges have taken place between the government of India and the US and information has been given to India at the classified level," Joseph Garret, Vice President of the company's Patriot Programmes told PTI.

Replying to questions, he said tests of the Patriot system, which has been procured by 12 countries, by India's Defence Research and Development Organisation and other agencies had been "highly successful".

Read more

Su-35 jetfighter plane: in 2010 the first sale abroad, according to forecasts of Rosoboronexport

This year's edition of "Farnborough" (London, July 19 to 25) also marks the announcement of the next export of the new Russian multi-role fighter aircraft Su-35, at least according to the statement yesterday by Alexandre Mikheiev, who in terms of sales abroad knows something, being general director of Rosoboronexport, the Russian government agency in charge of exporting defense equipment of various kinds, including aircraft, helicopters and weapons.

"We hope the first export contract of Su-35 will be signed by 2010", he told the press. "Russia has already designed a draft agreement with Libya" and other countries are interested in purchasing.

Designed for air superiority and capable of destroying targets on land and ships in any weather, the Su-35 has a fifth-generation technology that endows it with excellent flight performance. The aircraft can hold up to 8200 kg of weapons carried under 14 points of attack.

Read more

Avenger UAV Will Come in Two Variants

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems plans to offer its Avenger/Predator C unmanned combat air vehicle in two variants, with the second featuring radar absorbent materials, a Joint Strike Fighter-type electro-optical sensor and other features for survival in heavily defended airspace, according to aircraft systems group president Frank Pace.

“We are working that program, but it’s a few years out,” Pace said at the Farnborough International Airshow today.

The result, Pace says, will be a three-tier unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV) covering the three types of threat environment — permissive, contested and denied — that will confront U.S. and allied forces in the decades ahead.

Read more

AW-159 Lynx Wildcat helicopter made its first appearance at "Farnborough International Air Show"

AgustaWestland (AW), a Finmeccanica company, announced that the AW-159 Lynx Wildcat has been made its first appearance at the "Farnborough International Air Show" (July 19-25).

The AW-159, which will be known as the Lynx Wildcat in Royal Navy and British Army service, is a new generation multi-role helicopter that will replace existing Lynx helicopters.

Sixty two aircraft, 34 for the Army and 28 for the Royal Navy, will be built at AW’s factory in Yeovil with deliveries being completed in 2017.

Read more

U.S. Navy to inactivate 11 ships

Eleven Navy vessels face inactivation in the upcoming months, according to an administrative message released Wednesday.

The Los Angeles-class USS Memphis fast-attack submarine will be inactivated in March , which will lead to its decommissioning, according to the message signed by Vice Adm. J.T. Blake, deputy chief of naval operations.

The frigate USS Hawes will be inactivated later this year and will be used as a logistic support asset for remaining Perry class frigates. Two other frigates, the USS Doyle and USS Jarrett, will be sold to foreign militaries after inactivation next year.

Read more

Ultra Electronics wins C$25 mln sonar contract for Dutch navy

Defence and aerospace group Ultra Electronics Holdings PLC said its Maritime Systems business, based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, has been awarded a C$25 million contract by the Defence Material Organisation in Den Haag, Netherlands, to supply advanced sonar systems.

The two Multi-static Active Passive Sonar (MAPS) systems will be fitted to the Dutch navy's M-class frigates as part of an upgrade process to prepare them for operating new NH-90 helicopters.

Each MAPS system includes an acoustic projector and receive array together with handling equipment to allow deployment and recovery of the sonar while the ship is under way.

Read more

Pakistan Navy to acquire 4000 ton Frigates

The Pakistan Navy will be acquiring Type 054 (NATO Codename JIANGKAI I) 4000 ton type of frigates from China.

As India’s domestic carrier with submarines and plans to expedite the Indian Navy, Pakistan Navy’s technological advantage is rapidly widening.

In such a situation, Pakistan’s new love Chinese frigate is also reasonable Moreover, Europe and the United States and Russia are flirting with India, Pakistan does not want to offend the export of advanced warships and New Delhi.

Read more

Peruvian submarine in Hampton Roads for training

The Peruvian submarine BAP Angamos arrived at Naval Station Norfolk Thursday for a scheduled port visit.

Commanded by Capitan de Fragata Luis Del Carpio Azalgara, the submarine will participate in a training exercise with the Kearsarge Amphibious Ready Group.

"This is an excellent opportunity for the Angamos to receive some realistic training with the U.S. Navy," said de Fragata.

Read more

Pakistan navy vows to expand co-op with China

Pakistan Navy is very satisfied with the performance of the F-22P frigate it bought from China and hopes to further the cooperation with the nation, said Admiral Noman Bashir, Pakistan’s Chief of Naval Staff.

Two of the four F-22P frigates it ordered are already in service in Pakistan Navy, with the third one scheduled to be commissioned on September 15 this year. It is also expected that all the four ships will be in service by 2013.

“We are very happy with the performance, and some technology is as good as in Western countries,” the China Daily quoted Admiral Noman Bashir, who visited China four times last year.

Read more

Google Helping U.S. Army To Launch Missiles From Their Phones

Smartphones are already commonly used in most workplaces, and now the folks at Google are working with military contractors to equip G.I. .Joes.

Reuters is reporting that Google, Motorola and HTC have been working along side Raytheon, markers of the Patriot missile defense system, to develop software which could allow a soldier on the battlefield to gain important information via an Android OS device.

According to Raytheon, Google has helped push the limits of the phone and integrate features such as detailed satellite imagery, unmanned drone video and even tap into the Patriot missile system itself.

This software could certainly allow the soldiers to gain all the intelligence they need to authorize a missile launch, and one day may even launch missiles from their phones.

Read more

U.S. Saudi Sale Is Said to Approach $30 Billion Including 84 F-15 Fighters

A proposed U.S. arms sale to Saudi Arabia will include 84 new Boeing Co. F-15 fighter jets and may be valued at as much as $30 billion, according to a government official familiar with the plan.

The deal also calls for selling 72 UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters built by United Technologies Corp.’s Sikorsky unit and refurbishing 70 Saudi F-15s, said the official, who asked not to be identified because terms are still under discussion.

Navy Vice Admiral Jeffrey Wieringa, director of the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, which oversees foreign sales, said separately today that Congress may be formally notified “within two months” about the transaction, which he said includes F-15s, helicopters, ships and missile-defense systems. He said he couldn’t give specifics.

Read more

Pakistan offers jet fighter to Indonesian Military

Pakistan Defense Minister Chaudhary Ahmed Mukhtar offers his Indonesian counterpart the latest jet fighter called the JF-17 during his visit to Jakarta on Wednesday.

Defense Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro responded to the offer, saying that further discussion would be conducted in October.

Minister Mukhtar was here to sign the Defense Cooperation Agreement between the two countries at the Defense Ministry.

Read more

Northrop Grumman Delivers AN/AAQ-37 Distributed Aperture System Operational Software for the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter

Northrop Grumman Corporation has announced the delivery of the operational software package for the AN/AAQ-37 Electro-Optical Distributed Aperture System (EO-DAS) to Lockheed Martin Corporation for integration into the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter.

"EO-DAS is the first capability of its kind, providing pilots with unprecedented full, 360-degree, situational awareness around an aircraft," said Mark Rossi, Northrop Grumman program development director for the Joint Strike Fighter radar and Electro Optical Distributed Aperture System.

"This software delivery represents the final, full-performance, operational flight program-approved version, following an in-depth, eight-year product development and test phase. This delivery marks the critical first step in a series of milestones that will provide the warfighter with the most game-changing technologies available in the avionics industry."

Read more