Mongolia to import fighter jets from Russia

The Mongolian Defense Ministry will buy five Mikoyan MiG-29, fourth generation fighter jets, from Russia this year, local media said Friday.

Minister of Defense L. Bold also said Mongolia has plenty of good pilots who were trained in Russia.

To date, there is no MiG-29 in Mongolian Air Force. The media said from 1977 to 1984, Mongolia bought 44 MiG-21 aircraft from Russia, but only ten are now still in use.

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P-8A Poseidon Completes Flutter Program

The P-8A Poseidon moves another step forward to Operational Assessment next year, as the aircraft completes a major testing milestone.

The P-8A Integrated Test Team (ITT) completed the clean flutter program in June and has begun loads testing.

Flutter flight testing was conducted over the past year on a "clean" aircraft, which means an aircraft with no external stores.

Also, the weapons bay doors were tested in open and closed positions.

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Bulgaria’s Verni frigate certified at international military drill

Bulgaria’s Verni frigate has been certified during the Briz/Sertex 2011 international drill, said Navy Commander rear admiral Plamen Manushev, cited by FOCUS – Burgas Radio.

The international drill was attended by the vessels and aircraft of Bulgaria, Romania, Turkey, Greece and the U.S.

According to the second level assessment, which evaluates the operative abilities of the vessel, the frigate is operatively ready.

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Diving into the abyss aboard Britain's world-leading submarine rescue system

Eleven years after 118 submariners met a grisly death at the bottom of the ocean in the Kursk, a British team has developed the most advanced underwater rescue system in the world. Andrew Preston watches them go into action

The British co-pilot of the rescue vehicle speaks slowly and deliberately into his microphone: ‘Lima, Lima, Lima.’

The signal is broadcast directly into the Mediterranean Sea via ‘underwater telephone’ using low frequency sound waves. The message is picked up in the control room of the Alrosa, a Russian submarine from the Black Sea fleet. The code words mean that the Nato rescue vehicle, known as Nemo, has successfully ‘mated’, or docked, with the Russian sub.

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Russia builds missile shield

Russia has built a missile defence shield covering two-thirds of the country, said a top military commander.

The new system will provide protection against missile attacks on Moscow and central Russia, where most of the industry is located, said Lieutenant General Valery Ivanov, commander of the newly formed air-and-space forces.

The missile defence system, which features S-300 and S-400 long-range anti-missiles, is undergoing tests and will become operational by December 1, he told reporters on Friday.

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U.S. Said to Decide on Lockheed F-16 Jets to Taiwan by October

The Obama administration has committed to deciding by Oct. 1 whether to allow the sale of 66 Lockheed Martin Corp. (LMT) F-16 jets to Taiwan, according to an aide to Sen. John Cornyn.

Cornyn, a Republican from Texas and member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, has been pressing the administration for a decision by blocking Senate confirmation of William Burns to become U.S. deputy secretary of state.

Cornyn has agreed to allow the nomination to proceed in exchange for the commitment from Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, said the Cornyn aide, who was not authorized to speak publicly.

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Vandenberg to Launch Yet Another Nuclear-Capable Missile

On July 27, 2011, the United States plans to launch a Minuteman III Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California to a target in the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands.

This test closely follows a similar test from Vandenberg on June 22.

The test comes just two weeks before the 66th anniversary of the US atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. It is a reminder of the United States’ continued reliance on nuclear weapons in spite of proclamations by the Obama administration of the goal of a nuclear weapons-free world.

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Wasp prepares for Joint Strike Fighter

The crew of the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1) is preparing the ship to become the first at-sea test platform for the U.S. Navy’s test variant of the F-35B Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF).

Recently, four members of Wasp’s Air Department traveled to one of the Navy’s premier test facilities at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md., to help give them a good idea of what WASP can expect when testing begins.

The group consisted of Cmdr. Stephen McKone, Wasp’s Air Boss; Lt. Michael Curcio, Wasp’s Aircraft Handling Officer and F-35B Ship Integration Project Officer; Ens. Maguel Brooks, Wasp’s Air Bos’n; and Senior Chief Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Handler) Richard McCray.

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Iran denies shooting down US spy plane

Iran's Revolutionary Guard denied Friday that it shot down an unmanned U.S. spy plane over a uranium enrichment site, saying that its air defenses had only hit a test target.

The statement carried on the official IRNA news agency was in response to a claim earlier this week by Iranian lawmaker Ali Aghazadeh Dafsari, who said the U.S. drone was shot down as it was flying over the Fordo facility near the holy city of Qom in central Iran. He claimed that the drone was trying to gather information on the underground site.

"What caused the spread of the news was related to the hitting of a test air target by the Guard's air defense unit in the general region of Qom province," IRNA quoted the statement as saying.

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China is working on pulse weapons

China is working on electromagnetic pulse weapons that it could use against U.S. aircraft carriers if there is a future conflict over Taiwan. Is China itching for a fight?

According to The Washington Times, the information originates from an intelligence report made public on Thursday.

Excerpts of a National Ground Intelligence Center study on electromagnetic pulse (EMP) and high-powered microwave (HPM) weapons claim the arms are a part of Beijing's "assassin’s mace" and "trump card" arsenal - designed to help technologically inferior China beat U.S. military forces.

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Baby steps for the Navy’s LCS equipment testing

Back in the day, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Vern Clark used to tell anyone who would listen that he needed littoral combat ships “yesterday.”

Some top Navy officials continued to say that after he left, given the toll they said a high operational tempo was taking on the force. But even before the Navy got its next batches of LCS under contract, all that urgency seemed to evaporate.

Today, the fleet’s two existing ships, the steel and aluminum monohull USS Freedom and the aluminum trimaran USS Independence, are laid up for repairs.

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U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet to stay put

The U.S. State Department denied reports that the U.S. Navy was considering removing the 5th Fleet from its port in Bahrain.

U.S. and regional sources suggested to The Times of London that Navy officials were reviewing their presence there.

The source said U.S. lawmakers are concerned the military presence is seen as tacit support for Bahrain's response to the Shiite uprising.

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David's Sling to protect Israel from cruise missile attack

Israel's "David's Sling" air defence system is scheduled to undergo its first intercept tests in early 2012, with the design capable of intercepting air threats including cruise missiles.

Yosi Druker, director of Rafael's air-to-air and air defence directorate, said tests already conducted using the "Stunner" interceptor developed for the system have been successful.

Rafael is developing the David's Sling weapon system to protect populated areas in Israel against attack by medium-range rockets.

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North Korea and Iran increase collaboration on nuclear missile, report claims

According to a study by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), North Korea's weapons programmes are now benefiting from technology from Iran.

Pyongyang also possesses technology that would enable Iran's uranium enrichment programme to increase its output. However concrete evidence that North Korea has supplied the Iranians with its superior equipment has not been uncovered by IISS.

The disclosure marks a disturbing escalation in the race for nuclear weapons technology by the two states which are seen to present the biggest threat to global security.

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Future of UK's largest missile range secure says MoD

The Hebrides
The future of the UK's largest missile range is secure for at least the next five years, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has said.

The Hebrides Range, set up in the 1950s, has sites on Benbecula, North and South Uist and a radar station on the remote St Kilda archipelago.

The range offers the largest area in the UK for the live-firing of rockets and missiles. About 200 staff run it.

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South Korea's Naval Buildup

A southern island with long-standing issues with the mainland; local residents up in arms over the construction of a new, large military base; environmentalists concerned that these plans will disrupt sensitive under sea coral formations.

Another chapter in the unending Okinawa Marine base saga?

No. In this instance the island is Jeju-do off the southern coast of South Korea. The issue is Seoul’s desire to build a major naval base in Gangjeong village on the southern part of the island to serve as a home port for South Korea’s growing fleet of large and sophisticated warships.

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Bulava fits Dolgorukiy like a glove

The Bulava intercontinental ballistic missile was first launched from the projected carrier: the Yuri Dolgorukiy strategic ballistic missile submarine (SSBN), Project 955, Borei Class, launched a year ago.

According to the ministry of defense, in the nearest future will be launched the serial production of Bulava.

During the previous 14 trials, the Bulava missiles were launched from another specifically modified nuclear submarine, the world’s largest SSNB Dmitry Donskoy, Project 941U, Typhoon (a.k.a. Akula) Class.

True, only few of these fourteen launches were successful. Half failed completely and five more were partially successful.

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F-22 Oxygen Problems Possibly Linked to JBER Procedures

Air Force investigators are looking into whether engine startup procedures for F-22 Raptor jets at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson could be responsible for reports of hypoxia related to the stealth fighters' oxygen-supply system.

According to the Air Force Times, most of the hypoxia incidents have occurred at JBER, where F-22s are often started up inside hangars due to harsh weather outside.

Investigators believe carbon monoxide generated by the Raptors’ own jet engines could be getting ingested back into the engines’ bleed air intakes.

Those intakes supply the on-board oxygen generation system, or OBOGS, which provides oxygen to the pilot.

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Defence cuts leave Europe in 'decline'

Cuts in European defence budgets could lead to the "gradual decline" of Europe on the world stage, NATO's Secretary General has warned.

Anders Fogh Rasmussen, speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, said that while operations in Libya were largely "a positive story" for European powers, the operation would not be possible without the "unique and critical" intelligence gathering assets provided by the United States.

"For the first time in the history of NATO we have seen an operation not led by the Americans," said Fogh Rasmussen.

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Boeing, US Navy Mark Harpoon Missile System's 40th Anniversary

Boeing and the U.S. Navy recognized the 40th anniversary of the Harpoon Missile System today at a ceremony near the company’s St. Charles facility.

“After four decades of cooperation with our Navy partners, Boeing’s dedicated and talented Harpoon team continues to find innovative ways to meet the needs of warfighters on today’s ever-changing battlefields,” said Debbie Rub, vice president and general manager for Boeing Missiles and Unmanned Airborne Systems (MUAS).

“Throughout the life of this legacy program, Boeing has continually incorporated system upgrades to enhance the Harpoon’s reach and interoperability.”

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Russia Selling Warships to Mystery Post-Soviet State, Maybe Turkmenistan

Russia has announced it's selling three new warships to an unnamed "former Soviet republic," but is keeping mum about the precise identity of the buyer.

The ships are Molniya missile corvettes, built by United Shipbuiding Corporation and the state arms exporter Rosoboronexport, and it seems like the most likely buyer would be Turkmenistan.

Turkmenistan's military purchases are very opaque, so it's hard to tell with any specificity what their plans are.

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France selects Heron TP over Predator B for new contract

French military officials will acquire the Israel Aerospace Industries Heron TP unmanned air system to fill an interim need for a medium-altitude, long-endurance surveillance vehicle.

The twin-boomed UAS, with 35h endurance, beat a rival bid from General Atomics Aeronautical Systems based on the Predator B.

The selection was announced after a meeting on 20 July by France's Ministerial Committee for Investment. French officials will now enter negotiations with Dassault, IAI's partner, to finalise the contract.

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First EURO HAWK® Unmanned Aircraft System Touches Down in Germany

EURO HAWK®, the first high-altitude, long-endurance (HALE), signals intelligence (SIGINT) unmanned aircraft system (UAS) based on the RQ-4 Global Hawk produced by Northrop Grumman for the German Bundeswehr, successfully touched down in Manching, Germany, today.

The EURO HAWK® took off on July 20 at 2:50 PDT (11:50 Central European Summer Time) from Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., and landed at 10:06 Central European Summer Time July 21 in Manching Air Base.

The EURO HAWK® will carry a new SIGINT mission system developed by EADS Deutschland GmbH (Cassidian) and integrated in Manching, Germany.

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40% of Missiles in Developing World Came from N.Korea

Forty percent of ballistic missiles developing nations have imported since 1987 came from North Korea, VOA reported Thursday.

The claim comes in a report titled "The Evolution of North Korea's Ballistic Missile Market" by Joshua Pollack, a nuclear proliferation expert at the U.S. Science Applications International Corporation, who says, "More than 40 percent of the roughly 1,200 theater ballistic missile systems supplied to the developing world between 1987 and 2009 came from North Korea."

During this period Iran, Egypt, Syria, Libya, Yemen, the U.A.E., and Pakistan imported missiles from the North. The North topped the list of ballistic missile suppliers, followed by Russia (400) and China (270).

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Nellis Air Force Base to house new jets

Nellis Air Force Base
The U.S. Air Force is moving forward with a plan to base three dozen new fighter jets at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada.

The base announced this week that it will phase in 36 of the F-35 Lightning II fighter aircraft between 2012 and 2020 for use in the Weapons School pilot training program and another program that develops tactics for the aircraft.

The Air Force gave final approval after eight years of reviewing the environmental impacts of adding the fleet.

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