Fond farewell to Ark Royal

The last chance to visit HMS Ark Royal, the Royal Navy’s flagship aircraft carrier, was expected to draw 6,000 people but at least twice that number could descend on Portsmouth’s historic docks this weekend.

Waiting to board was John Wetherill, 52, who served on Ark Royal as a Petty Officer in 1988 and whose daughter Grace was christened on her quarterdeck.

“We all wanted to come and see one last time,” he said, standing next to his wife Bev and Grace, now 20.

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Navy orders six P-8A Poseidon advanced maritime patrol jets from Boeing in $1.5 billion contract

The U.S. Navy ordered six P-8A Poseidon anti-submarine warfare (ASW) maritime patrol jets from the Boeing Co. in Seattle on Friday in the Navy's effort to improve its long-rang ASW and maritime patrol capability by replacing the venerable P-3 Orion turboprop with P-8A -- a Navy version of the Boeing 737 jetliner.

Officials of the Naval Air Systems Command at Patuxent River Naval Air Station, Md., awarded a $1.53 billion contract to Boeing to procure six P-8A multi-mission maritime aircraft (MMA) under terms of an advanced acquisition low-rate initial production I contract.

The contract includes associated spares, support equipment and tools, logistics support, trainers and courseware, in addition to the six P-8A Poseidon aircraft. Boeing should complete work by January 2013.

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Ambush evacuated after fire on board

HMS Ambush, which is in the water in Devonshire Dock, Barrow, was evacuated at around 12pm yesterday when crew members activated the fire alarm.

BAE Systems Submarine Solutions, who built the submarine, said there had been an electrical fault which caused a piece of equipment in the rear of the boat to overheat.

Firefighters from Barrow’s Blue Watch crew dealt with the incident. Crew manager Steve Harrison said: “It was a small fire contained in a piece of equipment, and it caused smoke. We used a CO2 hose reel.”

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Russian missiles must penetrate any defenses — parliament

Russia must quickly modernize its nuclear deterrent focusing on the deployment of ballistic missiles capable of penetrating the most sophisticated missile defenses, a draft supplementary statement to the new START treaty ratification document says.

The lower house of the Russian parliament, the State Duma, posted on its official website on Friday the texts of two draft statements that would accompany the resolution on ratification of the treaty.

"The State Duma believes that maintaining Russia's nuclear deterrent in an adequate state of readiness is a key venue of the country's military doctrine, with the focus on the deployment of strategic offensive weapons that possess the most combat effectiveness and the highest potential to penetrate missile defenses," says the statement dedicated to the upkeep of Russia's nuclear deterrent and the development of new missile defenses.

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Cameron welcomes new C-17

Prime Minister David Cameron has unveiled the RAF's seventh C-17 Globemaster at RAF Brize Norton.

The RAF took delivery of the aircraft at Boeing's Long Beach facility in California in November last year.

The aircraft will start flying troops and equipment to the frontline as part of the UK's airbridge at the beginning of February.

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Emergency debate on Joint Strike Fighter

A request by the Green Left party in the Dutch parliament for an emergency debate has been granted following the release of US cables revealing comments by the Ministry of Defense regarding the purchase of Joint Strike Fighter planes.

The cables sent by the US embassy in The Hague in 2007 were uncovered by Wikileaks and passed onto Dutch daily NRC Handelsblad.

The newspaper says the United States was better informed on the government's position with regard to the project than parliament.

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IAF plans to leapfrog into networked force this decade

The Indian Air Force (IAF) is planning to leapfrog into network-centric operations within this decade to beat its adversaries in battle scenario mind games, a senior officer said Friday.

'There is going to be a shift in paradigm in the way we operate, in what we are used to during most part of the century. We will take better part of a decade,' IAF Assistant Chief (Space) Air Vice Marshal M. Matheswaran told reporters here.

The IAF will showcase the modernisation process it is going through to put in place a networked air force in its Jan 26 Republic Day parade tableau, which will depict a Sukhoi Su-30 fighter jet integrated into the communication system of an airborne early warning and control system (AWACS) that the IAF had acquired last year.

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U.S. Navy conducts missile defense exercise off Eastern Shore

Three Norfolk-based Navy ships will spend the weekend off the Eastern Shore training to shoot down short-range ballistic missiles.

The guided missile cruiser Monterey and the destroyers Gonzalez and Ramage began the exercise Thursday. It's part of the Navy's sea-based Aegis ballistic missile defense program.

The exercise is taking place near Wallops Island. The ships will practice tracking rockets fired from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility, and then simulate shooting them down. The training is scheduled to wrap up Tuesday.

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Researchers Test Underwater Acoustic Laser

A U.S. Naval Research Laboratory team recently tested an underwater acoustic laser capability that might one day provide a source of voice or data communications for submarines; navigational data for submarines or underwater robots; and sonar to locate mines or other objects in shallow water—all from an aircraft and without the need for hardware in the water.

Communicating with or from a submerged submarine remains a challenge in the 21st century and often requires the submarine to surface, exposing crewmembers to potential danger.

Using trailing wires or buoys for submarine communications limits maneuverability and hinders stealth.

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Talk of the day -- Reasons behind poor showing of missile drill

The Ministry of National Defense has reportedly attributed the less-than-ideal results of a recent live-fire air defense drill to the malfunction of Banshee target drones that simulate enemy aircraft or missiles.

Six of the 19 missiles with different ranges fired in the Jan. 18 exercise missed their targets, prompting President Ma Ying-jeou, who witnessed the drill, to express dissatisfaction with the results and demand a review.

Military insiders said the failure could be related to the drones' weak signals, which the missiles could not pick up.

The following are excerpts from local media coverage of the issue:

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K-15 test rescheduled to Jan 31

The DRDO has rescheduled the test-firing of submarine launched ballistic missile (SLBM) K-15 to January 31. It was supposed to be test-fired from an underwater platform off the Vishakhapatnam coast on January 20.

"The test was first scheduled on January 16, but was postponed to January 20. Now it has again been rescheduled to January 31 due to delay in arrangements. It is a coordinated exercise of both land and Navy personnel," a source said.

"India can join the league of five nations, Russia, US, France, Britain and China, with the successful launch of the K-15 missile. These countries already possess advanced missiles that can be launched from a submarine," sources said.

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Brunei Finally Gets its Gunboats

The Sultanate of Brunei this week took delivery of two 80-meter Darussalam-class offshore patrol vessels, with a third on the way, 14 years after the sultanate went looking for warships to replace its now 30-year-old Waspada-class missile gunboats.

It was also several years after the Royal Brunei Navy bit off more than it could chew.

The sultanate originally ordered three 95-meter-long Nakhoda Ragam-class corvettes, built by BAE Systems of the UK, before cancelling the purchase ostensibly because they failed to meet technical specifications.

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Indian Navy accelerates Nuclear Submarine programme

According to well placed sources, while work on Arihant, the first nuclear submarine that was launched in 2010, was going on as scheduled, construction of the hull and sub components of the remaining two submarines was also underway.

Considerable experience has been built from the development of Arihant, and the successive two submarines would be successively more potent with more power and punch.

The Indian Navy also hopes to get the nuclear powered K-152 Nerpa from Russia around March 2011, and that would help Indian officers and seamen in gaining renewed experience in operating nuclear vessels.

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Russia, EADS continue fight for Indian aerial tanker

Russia's Il-78 Midas and the EU's Airbus A330 MRTT are the only competitors in a re-tender to supply six aerial tankers to the Indian air force (IAF), the India Strategic defense magazine said.

The Indian government cancelled the initial tender, won by the European Aeronautic Defense and Space Company (EADS) at the beginning of 2010, saying the A330 MRTT aircraft was too expensive.

The IAF announced a new tender in September 2010. Russia's United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) and EADS entered the tender with the planes they put forward for the first tender. U.S. aircraft maker Boeing considered its new-generation 767 model as a possible contestant, but missed the January 12 deadline to submit its bid.

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Chopped up for scrap, Britain's £4 billion fleet of Nimrods

On Monday private contractors hired by the Ministry of Defence will take chop off the wings of the first of nine Nimrod MRA4 aircraft.

To avoid government embarrassment each £400 million aircraft will be draped in tarpaulin and dragged to a remote corner of an airfield where they will be “brutally” dismantled.

Politicians and defence workers have accused the Government of acting too swiftly as the implications to national security have not been fully understood.

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Raytheon Signs $475 Million Paveway™ Contract With the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Raytheon Company signed a contract worth $475 million with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the combat-proven Paveway family of precision-guided munitions. Raytheon's Paveway is a kit that transforms "dumb" bombs into precision-guided munitions.

"Raytheon's Paveway family of weapons provides the warfighter unmatched precision and standoff capability," said Dr. Taylor W. Lawrence, Raytheon Missile Systems president. "This sale is the latest chapter in Raytheon's four decade-long commitment to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and regional security in the Arabian Gulf."

This deal cements Raytheon's long-standing commitment to Saudi Arabian industry and keeps production lines operational in the U.S.

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BAE Systems to Build Gun Systems for U.S. Navy Littoral Combat Ships

As the country's leading naval guns producer, BAE Systems will provide the primary gun systems on 10 U.S. Navy Littoral Combat Ships (LCS) to be built by the Lockheed Martin-led team. BAE Systems will equip the 10 ships with 57 millimeter Mk 110 gun systems.

"We're very happy to be part of the LCS program," said Gary Slack, president of BAE Systems U.S. Combat Systems. "We look forward to furnishing these dynamic new ships with the absolute best in naval gun technology."

BAE Systems will also provide a digital fire control system that allows the Mk 110 to accurately fire automatic salvos of the highly lethal 57-mm Mk 295 ammunition at a firing rate of 220 rounds per minute and a range of up to nine miles.

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Lockheed Martin Receives $218 Million for Long Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM) Demonstrations

Lockheed Martin has received two contracts totaling $218 million for the Demonstration Phase of the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency’s (DARPA) Long Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM) program.

The program encompasses the rapid development and demonstration of two distinct variants of the LRASM missile: LRASM-A is a stealthy air-launched variation and LRASM-B is a high-speed ship-launched missile.

Lockheed Martin’s LRASM-A team received a $60.3 million cost plus fixed fee contract to execute two air-launched demonstrations, leveraging its Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile – Extended Range (JASSM-ER) experience and demonstrating Navy and Air Force tactical aircraft employment.

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Dassault's $53 Billion Rafale Jet Seeking First Order After Brazil Setback

The Rafale fighter, made by France’s Dassault Aviation SA, is loaded with high-tech avionics, radar, and targeting systems. Now all it needs are customers.

France has been peddling the supersonic jet since 2000 and hasn’t sold a single one.

In the latest setback, Brazil said on Jan. 17 that it would reopen bidding for a fighter contract worth up to $7 billion -- a deal France had thought it was close to sealing last year, Bloomberg Businessweek reports in its Jan. 22 edition. Neither Dassault nor the French Defense Ministry would comment on Brazil’s decision.

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Congress told Taiwan needs aircraft

A US congressional committee was told on Wednesday that Taiwan needed more advanced fighter aircraft and diesel submarines to defend itself against a possible attack by China.

Testifying before the US House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs, Larry Wortzel, a specialist on the Chinese and Taiwanese military, said that despite a notable improvement in relations across the Taiwan Strait, Beijing continues to insist on its right to use force should Taiwan move toward independence.

“The cross-strait military balance increasingly favors China. Beijing has deployed over 1,100 short-range ballistic missiles opposite the island. In my view, Taiwan’s most pressing need is for new or modernized fighter aircraft,” Wortzel said.

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India to buy 3 French Scorpene submarines

India will buy three more French Scorpene submarines to bolster the rapidly declining submarine fleet. This is in addition to the six Scorpenes India had signed up for in 2005.

Sub-killer Boeing Poseidon, 737’s ‘lethal twin,’ passes key test

Boeing Co. said that its P-8A Poseidon passed a key series of tests this month and “performed as expected.”

The Navy is slated to buy 117 of the maritime and patrol aircraft, in a deal valued at $40 billion. Boeing’s (NYSE: BA) P-8A aircraft contains sophisticated detection equipment and weaponry that are designed to find and sink submarines that could threaten aircraft carriers.

The latest testing included 154 different full-scale static tests of the airplane’s structural integrity.

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French DCNS unveils concept for submerged nuclear power plant

France's naval construction firm DCNS has agreed with Areva, EDF and the CEA R&D organization on a joint study of DCNS' concept for a submerged nuclear power plant unit that its promoters say could provide energy for millions of people in coastal locations worldwide.

The technical, economic and market feasibility study will be conducted over the next two years by 100-150 people from DCNS and the nuclear organizations, after which a decision could be made to build a prototype, DCNS Chairman and CEO Patrick Boissier said Wednesday.

The concept, called FlexBlue, involves a cylindrical vessel about 100 meters long and 15 meters in diameter that would encase a complete nuclear power plant with an electrical capacity of between 50 MW and 250 MW, Boissier said in an interview in his Paris office.

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Bring Back The F-22

Only two years after Secretary of Defense Robert Gates’ decision to end production of the F-22 Raptor at 187 aircraft, the program may be poised to rise like a phoenix from the ashes.

When Gates made his decision, it was on the assumption that other countries -- notably Russia and China -- would not develop their own fifth-generation fighters for at least another decade or more.

Yet, even as the Secretary met with his counterparts from the Chinese military, that institution announced the first test flight of the J-20, their entrant into the fifth-generation fighter competition.

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Australian navy eyes redundant UK vessel

Defence officials have travelled to Britain to inspect a Royal Navy ship destined to be mothballed under savage spending cuts announced by the British government last year.

The Defence Minister, Stephen Smith, announced this week that Defence is considering buying the RFA Largs Bay, a large ship capable of providing a landing spot for helicopters, and of carrying dozens of vehicles and hundreds of troops.

However, Defence confirmed yesterday that navy officials had visited England last month to ''examine the potential utility of a Bay Class vessel'' before the delivery of two giant troop transport assault ships, starting in 2014.

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