Chinese Jin-SSBNs Getting Ready?

Two of China’s new Jin-class nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines were photographed at Xiaopingdao in late-March 2011, possibly in preparation for missile test launches.
Two of China’s new Jin-class nuclear ballistic missile submarines have sailed to the Xiaopingdao naval base near Dalian, a naval base used to outfit submarines for ballistic missile flight tests.

The arrival raises the obvious question if the Jin-class is finally reaching a point of operational readiness where it can do what it was designed for: launching nuclear long-range ballistic missiles.

The Pentagon reported a year ago that development of the missile – known as the Julang-2 (JL-2) – had run into developmental problems and failed its final test launches.

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Anti-Ship Missile Defence trials a success

Sea acceptance for the Anti-Ship Missile Defence (ASMD) capability for HMAS Perth has been completed successfully after the ship engaged a Phoenix unmanned aerial target using an Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile.

Perth is the first of eight Royal Australian Navy ANZAC Class frigates to be upgraded under the Anti-Ship Missile Defence Project.

The ASMD project is being managed under the ANZAC Alliance by BAE Systems, Saab Systems and the Defence Materiel Organisation (DMO).

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Russia to resume Bulava missile test launches in mid-June

The Russian Defense Ministry will resume test launches of the newest submarine-launched ballistic missile Bulava in mid-June, the Ministry's press service said Thursday.

The missiles will be test-fired from a standard carrier, the Yuri Dolgoruky nuclear submarine, the ministry said.

Russia plans to perform five launches from the White Sea toward the designated district of the Kura range on the Kamchatka peninsula, the ministry added.

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Russia may buy An-70 transport planes by 2012-13

Russia may start buying Ukrainian-built An-70 propfan military transport aircraft in 2012-2013, deputy commander of the Russian Air Force Maj. Gen. Viktor Bondarev said on Wednesday.

"The plane is undergoing factory tests, and next year it will be tested by [Russian] military pilots," Bondarev said.

A final decision on the purchase of the An-70 will be maid by a state commission on the basis of the tests results, General Bondarev said.

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Czech army grounds L-39 jets after accident probe

The Czech army has ordered the grounding of its nine jet trainer and combat aircraft, the L-39 Albatros, following an accident investigation into a engine failure that forced the pilot to eject in December 2010.

Five of the planes will be immediately removed from service and a further four only used for training young pilots — after thorough overhauls of the engines.

The accident investigation found that the engine failure was caused by a titanium fire in the high-pressure compression section of the motor.

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First Global Hawk Arrives at Its New Home in Grand Forks

Northrop Grumman Corporation and the U.S. Air Force commemorated the arrival of the first RQ-4 Global Hawk unmanned aircraft system (UAS) at Grand Forks Air Force Base. The aircraft landed on May 26 from Beale Air Force Base, Calif. The arrival of the Global Hawk also commemorates Grand Forks as the second main operating base in the United States after Beale.

"Expanding the Global Hawk's mission of high altitude intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance in today's fight is essential," said Brig. Gen. Paul H. McGillicuddy, 9th Reconnaissance Wing commander.

"Having this platform at Grand Forks allows us the ability to fly more missions providing continuous support to combatant commanders around the world."

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Congress c'tee approves budget for Israeli missiles

The House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee yesterday approved a record budget for US-Israeli missile defense programs for fiscal year 2012, which begins in October - $235.7 million.

The funding is on top of the $205 million special grant for the procurement of more Iron Dome anti-missile batteries announced by President Barack Obama and already appropriated by Congress, and it is in addition to the $3 billion in annual US military aid.

US aid for joint missile defense programs with Israel totaled $217.7 million for fiscal year 2011.

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Dassault aims to seal €8bn contract with UAE

Dassault Aviation hopes to seal a proposed order for 60 of its Rafale fighter jets with the UAE worth up to €8 billion (Dh42.34bn), despite reports claiming engine specifications were a major sticking point.

The ongoing sales campaign is now in its third year of negotiations and has been one of the most closely watched aerospace developments in the Gulf, especially by rival fighter jet manufacturers in Europe and the US.

Charles Edelstenne, the chairman and chief executive of Dassault Aviation, said he was "always hopeful" of a deal with the UAE Air Force and Air Defence, which has been operating Dassault aircraft since 1974.

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Russia, NATO planes to hold first anti-terror drill

Russia and NATO fighter aircraft will take part in the first ever joint exercise during the upcoming Vigilant Skies 2011 anti-terrorism drill to run between June 6-10, Russian National Antiterrorism Committee spokesman Nikolai Sintsov said on Wednesday.

This is the first such counterterrorism exercise held between NATO and the Russian Federation, Sintsov said, adding that it will be held as a part of "the NATO-Russia Council Cooperative Airspace Initiative."

"This initiative is designed to prevent terrorist attacks which use civilian aircraft, such as the attacks on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, by sharing information on movements in NATO airspace and Russian airspace, and by coordinating interceptions of renegade aircraft," a press release on NATO's webpage said.

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Top admiral reassures on Whidbey Poseidons

The Navy's top brass has reaffirmed that Whidbey Island Naval Air Station is still in line to receive four squadrons of the new P-8A Poseidon aircraft, according to statement released today from U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen's office.

Larsen, a Second District Democrat and a member of the House Armed Services Committee, said he recently met with Admiral Gary Roughead, chief of Naval Operations, for breakfast at the admiral's home in Washington, D.C.

"During our breakfast, I impressed upon Admiral Roughead the importance of the Navy in Washington, particularly at Naval Station Everett and Naval Air Station Whidbey Island," said Larsen, in the release.

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Ambush torpedo tests a success

Ambush, the second-in-class nuclear sub being built at the shipyard, will have the ability to fire weapons with pinpoint accuracy from more than 1,000km away.

In order to test the weapons stowage compartment, a series of trials was carried out in the docks during which dummy Tomahawk cruise missiles and Spearfish torpedoes were fired from the 7,400 tonne sub.

Ambush was launched in January and over the following nine months will undergo tests leading up to the switch-on of its Rolls-Royce nuclear reactor in the autumn.

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Navy may need to extend lives of attack subs

A projected shortfall in the number of attack submarines may force the Navy to examine whether it can extend the lives of some subs and keep them in the fleet beyond their scheduled retirements, a top Navy admiral told Congress on Wednesday.

Vice Adm. John Blake, the service’s top requirements officer, acknowledged that that the Navy’s sub fleet will grow smaller than its own acceptable minimum, which could force it to look for ways to keep boats serving longer.

But that may be difficult, cautioned a top naval analyst. Shipbuilding expert Ron O’Rourke of the Congressional Research Service, appearing after Blake before a panel of the House Armed Services Committee, warned lawmakers that it may be hard to extend the service of the Navy’s fast-attack subs because of limitations on the lives of their pressure hulls.

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Rolls-Royce signs long-term support contract for Daring-class air defence destroyers

Rolls-Royce has signed a long-term in-service support contract with BAE Systems for the Royal Navy’s Type 45 destroyers. The Type 45 Daring Class destroyers are powered by a pair of Rolls- Royce WR-21 gas turbines.

According to Rolls-Royce, the £20 million ($38.8 million) six year contract is part of an innovative approach to supporting the Type 45 fleet called “Class Output Management.”

This arrangement will deliver guaranteed availability of the WR-21 engines to support the ships’ demanding operational schedules, allowing the MoD to focus solely on meeting its operational requirements, the company says.

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German Armed Forces Deploy Mikado Mini-UAS to Afghanistan

As the German Army recently announced, a team of instructors has been deployed to Afghanistan to introduce German soldiers in the operation of a new small tactical reconnaissance unmanned air system (UAS).

The Mikado AR 100 B, built by the German manufacturer AirRobot GmbH & Co. KG, is intended to provide additional situational awareness to troops in northern Afghanistan.

The vertically take-off and landing (VTOL) system is powered by four rotors and is equipped with a video sensor, which transmits the collected data in near real-time.

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IAF to deploy indigenous radar along Pak border in Gujarat

The Gujarat coastline has several economically important installations and the new radar will help in extending their security.
To enhance its air defence capabilities along the Pakistan border, the Indian Air Force on Friday will induct an indigenous medium-power radar at Naliya air base in Gujarat.

Developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), ''Arudhra'' medium-power radar would be commissioned by IAF Chief Air Chief Marshal (ACM) P V Naik on the sidelines of three day-long Commander''s Conference of South Western Air Command (SWAC), IAF officials said here.

This state-of-the-art radar is being inducted to strengthen air defence capabilities in the Surashtara-Kutch region as part of radar upgradation, and forms an important component in IAF''s plan to achieve network centric operations, they said.

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Pipavav Shipyard bags $660 million order from Indian Navy

Pipavav Shipyard won an order from the Indian Navy worth Rs 2,975 crore and swung to a consolidated net profit in full year FY11, sending its shares up as much as 3.75%.

India's largest shipbuilder by market capitalisation also said it was the first to receive the warship production licence from the Indian government and has signed contracts to build five naval gunboats and offshore patrol vessels for the Indian Navy.

"Increasing focus of government of India on indigenisation of defence production will propel private participation in this segment," the firm said in a presentation to investors.

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Space Shuttle Endeavour Sails to Home Port for Final Time

Space shuttle Endeavour and its six-astronaut crew sailed home for the final time, ending a 16-day journey of more than 6.5 million miles with a landing at 2:34 a.m. EDT on Wednesday at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

STS-134 was the last mission for the youngest of NASA's space shuttle fleet. Since 1992, Endeavour flew 25 missions, spent 299 days in space, orbited Earth 4,671 times and traveled 122,883,151 miles.

"We are very proud of Endeavour's legacy, and this penultimate flight of the space shuttle program once again demonstrated the amazing skill and dedication of our astronauts and the entire workforce," said NASA Administrator Charles Bolden.

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Chavez condemns US sanctions, jokes about missiles

President Hugo Chavez mocked U.S. concerns about Venezuela's ties with Iran on Tuesday, joking that while his adversaries worry about Iranian-made missiles lining his country's coast his government is actually erecting windmills there.

The socialist leader at first said missiles could be launched at Washington and other U.S. cities, then held up a photograph of windmills along the South American country's coast, saying "here they are."

"They are pointing directly at Washington," Chavez joked during a meeting with top government officials that was broadcast on state television.

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Boeing cites increased interest in Super Hornet

Boeing Co has seen increased interest in its Super Hornet fighter jet from potential international customers as Lockheed Martin's F-35 Joint Strike Fighter has faced development and cost challenges, a Boeing executive said on Tuesday.

"We have definitely gotten a lot more interest," Chris Chadwick, president of Boeing Military Aircraft, told reporters.

Chadwick said customers in Asia-Pacific have expressed interest in the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, a jet that can carry air-to-air missiles and air-to-surface weapons. He also said potential customers in the Middle East were looking at different versions of that fighter aircraft.

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China Among Indian Air Force Concerns

The Indian Air Force (IAF) has long had big ambitions, and the pending arrival of a new service chief with a broad agenda indicates there will be no easing up in efforts to improve the breadth of the service’s capabilities.

The first major restructuring of the IAF’s order of battle, a revival of border air bases to counter Chinese air force deployments and quick acquisitions of weapons and systems to plug capability gaps will be the operational priorities of the IAF’s next chief, Air Marshal Norman Browne, who takes office at the end of July.

The flow of foreign hardware into India will be substantial during the new chief’s time in office. Browne’s tenure as IAF chief also stands to see the signing of tens of billions of dollars in contracts.

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Converteam Delivers First 36MW Generator for Queen Elizabeth Class Aircraft Carriers

Power conversion specialist Converteam has shipped the first of two massive 75 tonne, 36 Megawatt generators designed specifically to match the electrical power requirement of the propulsion motors for the Royal Navy's Queen Elizabeth Class (QEC) aircraft carriers.

These are major components of the electrical system for the two new 65.000 tonne ships for which Converteam has designed the innovative Integrated Full Electric Power (IFEP) and propulsion system.

The two 36 MW generators, manufactured in Rugby, will supply the four 20 MW Converteam Advanced Induction Motors. The generators will be coupled with their Rolls-Royce MT30 gas turbines before final installation in the ship.

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Training shortfall so new assets stand idle

The arms deal has been a point of controversy for much of the past decade, with estimates of the total taxpayer costs ranging from R60 billion to R70bn.

Now, some experts feel the Defence Department doesn’t have enough money to man and equip its new purchases, which included 28 Gripen jet fighters and four frigates.

“The military is most definitely not capable of manning all their frigates and submarines or fighter jets,” said Pikki Greeff, national secretary of the SA National Defence Union (Sandu), which has about 15 000 soldiers on its books.

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Ceremony marks closing of Navy base in Maine

Brunswick Naval Air Station
Its aircraft long gone, its sailors shipped out and most of its buildings vacant, Brunswick Naval Air Station lowered its flag a final time Tuesday as the Navy ended a presence dating back 68 years, paving the way for private sector to write a new chapter on the 3,500-acre property.

Capt. William Fitzgerald, the final commanding officer, told 1,000 people attending the closing ceremony outside the base headquarters that there's no way to escape the nostalgia people feel for the base, but he urged local residents to enjoy the memories while looking to the future.

"There are some really bright redevelopment opportunities on the horizon, so I think that bodes well for the community," he told The Associated Press. "That's where people ought to have their focus."

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Taiwan subs plan tests the waters

To help speed up a long-awaited arms deal, Taiwan has decided to accept a United States proposal that Taipei buy four diesel-electric submarines instead of eight, according to local media. The story is difficult to believe as submarines are the last weapons system Beijing wants the Taiwanese to get their hands on.

Almost immediately after People's Liberation Army (PLA) Chief of General Staff Chen Bingde ended his recent high-profile visit to the US, Taiwan's Kuomintang (KMT) government-leaning China Times carried a report according to which Washington proposed and Taipei accepted a watered down arms deal.

The transaction in question concerns the sale of eight conventional submarines to Taiwan, approved by then-US president George W Bush in 2001.

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DDG 1000 Achieves Major Power System Testing Milestone

The Navy successfully tested the DDG 1000's Integrated Power System (IPS) at full power at the Land Based Test Site located in Philadelphia, Pa., May 11.

DDG 1000 will be the first U.S. Navy surface combatant to leverage this technology - an all electric architecture providing electric power generation common for propulsion and ship services.

An IPS generates the total ship electric power requirements, then distributes and converts it for all ship loads, including electric propulsion, combat systems and ship services.

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