Newest Astute-class sub completes first dive

The Navy's second hunter-killer submarine in the Astute-class has completed her first dive.

HMS Ambush completed the important milestone at Barrow-in-Furness in Cumbria ahead of sea trials early next year.

More than 70 Ministry of Defence personnel, BAE Systems engineers and Navy staff were involved in the two-day maiden dive, which proved the boat's safety and stability in water.

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U.S. sees missile defense deal with Russia by May

The U.S. ambassador to Russia was quoted on Monday as saying he was confident Russia and NATO would reach an agreement by May to cooperate on missile defense despite Moscow's statements that the former foes are far from a deal.

U.S. plans for a shield against potential missile attacks from Iran were a big factor in deteriorating relations with Russia during the administration of George W. Bush and have continued to strain improving ties under President Barack Obama.

Moscow is demanding binding guarantees from the United States and NATO that the system would not threaten Russian security, a non-starter in Washington because of strong opposition to any set restrictions on missile defenses.

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Russia to lease troubled nuclear sub to India in November

A Russian nuclear submarine in which 20 people died during a 2008 sea trial will be leased to India in mid-November, a source in the Russian defense industry said on Tuesday.

The delivery will make India only the sixth to operate nuclear-powered submarines, after France, China, Russia, UK and USA.

The Nerpa was to have been leased in 2008 but the transfer was put on hold following a fatal accident three years ago when a freon gas fire suppressant system was accidentally set off.

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Taiwan-developed UAVs to be commissioned

Taiwan-developed unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) will be commissioned early next year as part of the military's efforts to build up asymmetric/innovative defense capabilities, a local newspaper reported Monday.

A total of 32 UAVs have been produced in the initial stage, with eight to be deployed in each of the country's four major combat sectors, the Chinese-language China Times daily said.

Citing unnamed senior officials, the paper said the indigenously produced UAVs can fly as high as 6,000 feet and stay in the air for up to 12 hours.

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Decommissioned Patrol Ship to Be Given to Colombia

Korea will donate a decommissioned 1,200 ton-class Navy patrol ship to Colombia in efforts to support arms exports to the Latin American country.

"We plan to give the Navy corvette Gunsan, which was decommissioned last Thursday, to Colombia for free," a military source on Sunday said. "It will be delivered in the first half of next year."

This will be the first time a Korean-made combat ship with more than 1,000 tons displacement has been given to a foreign country for free.

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IAF to induct 214 fifth generation fighter jets

The Indian Air Force (IAF) will induct a total of 214 single and twin-seater variants of the advanced Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA) being developed jointly by India and Russia.

The fighters are likely to be inducted by 2017.

"We are looking for 166 single seater and 48 twin-seater versions of the aircraft," IAF Chief Air Chief Marshal NAK Browne said in New Delhi.

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Saab Receives Order for Control System from Thailand

Defence and security company Saab has received an order from the Royal Thai Air Force regarding extension of an Air Command and Control System. The order amounts to 104 MSEK.

Saab will extend the Royal Thai Air Force ACCS (Air Command and Control System), which was delivered by Saab in 2010.

The system is a part of the air defence system consisting of the Gripen fighter and the airborne early warning system Saab 340 Erieye AEW.

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US-Taiwan fighter jet deal remains grounded

On a gloomy, storm-cast morning, Lieutenant Colonel Cheng Kuang Jen looks out over the runway, as two of his squadron's fighter jets take off on their first patrol of the day.

His mood is as sombre as the weather.

The team leader of the 4th Tactical Fighter Wing of Taiwan's Air Force, he had been hoping for months that the US would approve the sale of a newer class of F16 jet fighter planes.

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F-35B Makes First Vertical Carrier Landing At Sea

The big news today: the Marines F-35B made a vertical landing on the deck of the USS Wasp, a small Marine aircraft carrier.

Ship trials will demonstrate how the stealth materials on the plane hold up to harsh conditions at sea, as well as show just how hot and noisy the aircraft is when making landings on a carrier.

There have been concerns that the enormous thrust and heat from the 43,000 pounds of thrust the engine can produce might soften carrier decks and require extra measures to cope with the stresses.

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Sea trials of newest LPD deemed ‘successful’

The Navy’s newest amphibious transport dock successfully completed builder’s trials for Huntington Ingalls Industries on Saturday, performing a series of tests to get the ship ready for delivery.

San Diego (LPD 22) is the sixth ship of the LPD 17 San Antonio class of amphibious ships designed to carry Marines, landing craft, vehicles and aircraft.

Beginning with the San Antonio, the class has been dogged by numerous construction and design problems.

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New Zealand Unveils Plan For Modernising Defence Force

The New Zealand government on Monday issued its Defence Capability Plan for equipping and training the nation's military over the next decade, reports China's news agency Xinhua.

Defence Minister Wayne Mapp said the plan includes upgrading or replacing the Seasprite helicopters, a systems upgrade for the ANZAC (Australia and New Zealand Army Corps) class frigates, a Special Forces Battle Training facility, and a land transport capability programme.

"It will guide our decisions on shaping frontline units and on the equipment and capability they will have. It takes into account affordability, resources and defence priorities," said Mapp.

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New navy chief also wants sub fleet

The new navy chief, Admiral Surasak Roonroengrom, says he will carry on his predecessor's bid to acquire a submarine fleet.

He said on Monday that under his leadership he was confident the navy would not get involved in politics and its personnel would be career soldiers.

The navy will have no problems with unity and it will strictly adhere to its duty to protect the monarchy, Adm Surasak said.

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The Return of the Zumwalt Guided-Missile Destroyers

The U.S. Navy has approved contracts to finish building the hulls of the second and third ships of the Zumwalt class of guided-missile destroyers being constructed at General Dynamics Bath Iron Works in Maine.

The $1.8 billion contract will also fund systems integration of the DDG-1001 Michael Monsoor and DDG-1002.

The second ship of the class is named after the late Navy SEAL Michael A. Monsoor, who received the Medal of Honor for sacrificing his life for his fellow SEAL team members in Iraq.

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Bell Explores New Missions for V-22 Tiltrotor

Bell Helicopter is exploring new markets and missions for its Bell-Boeing Osprey V-22 military tiltrotor.

The company recently demonstrated the V-22’s search-and-rescue (SAR) capabilities to the Canadian Forces.

The V-22 is ideally suited to the SAR mission in Canada, with its vast distances and harsh environments, and could do the work of several aircraft on a typical mission, according to a Bell spokesman.

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Navy AN/ALE-55 aircraft electronic warfare system moves to full-rate production at BAE Systems

The BAE Systems Electronic Systems Sector in Nashua, N.H., will begin full-rate production of the U.S. Navy AN/ALE-55 fiber-optic towed decoy, an RF airborne countermeasure designed to protect the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet carrier-based jet fighter-bomber from radar-guided missiles.

BAE Systems is doing the work under terms of a $36.7 million contract option from Naval Air Systems Command at Patuxent River Naval Air Station, Md.

The aircraft-towed decoy with onboard electronics works together with the Super Hornet's electronic warfare system to jam radar seekers in air-to-air missiles.

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Britain's nuclear spending soars amid defence cuts

Government spending on Britain's nuclear weapons programme is defying the swingeing budget cuts being experienced across Whitehall.

As the Ministry of Defence cuts frontline positions in the military, a previously confidential report reveals that the taxpayer is committed to paying almost £750m for the construction of a new enriched-uranium facility at the Atomic Weapons Establishment in Berkshire.

The 32-page MoD report, Defence Equipment & Support … UK Enriched Uranium (EU) Capability Investment Appraisal, spells out the taxpayer's commitment to funding Project Pegasus, which will replace the enriched-uranium facility built at the site in the 1950s.

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Indian Navy to upgrade Sea-king and Kamov, also seeking successor

A senior Indian Navy officer today said the force was planning to upgrade its Sea-king and Kamov helicopters, currently attached to INS Hansa base in Goa, and was also looking for a successor to them.

"We will soon augment helicopter force with the upgrade of Sea-king and Kamov helicopters," Rear Admiral Sudhir Pillai, Flag Officer Commanding Goa Area, told reporters here.

At the same time, he said, the navy was scouting for a worthy successor to the Seak-king and Kamov fleet.

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New Navy destroyer, USS Spruance, commissioned at sunset ceremony in Key West

The Navy’s newest destroyer, the 509-foot USS Spruance, was commissioned at a sunset ceremony Saturday in this island city whose naval history dates back to the 1820s.

The command to man the ship, sending members of the 285-person crew hurrying up two gangways, was spoken at sunset by Ellen Spruance Holscher, granddaughter of the late Adm. Raymond Spruance, the ship’s namesake.

Adm. Spruance commanded U.S. naval forces during two of the most significant naval battles of World War II, the Battle of Midway and the Battle of the Philippine Sea.

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Navy inducts fleet tanker INS Shakti

The Navy has got another major booster dose in its blue-water warfare and strategic reach capabilities, thanks to the induction of the second new fleet tanker from Italy this year.

The tanker INS Shakti was commissioned by Navy chief Admiral Nirmal Verma at Visakhapatnam on Saturday, and joins the first one INS Deepak inducted earlier in the year.

Much like mid-air refuellers extend the operational range of fighter jets, INS Deepak and INS Shakti will enable destroyers, frigates and other warships to operate for prolonged periods on the high seas without returning to harbour for replenishment.

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Boeing Returns E-4B to US Air Force Service After Scheduled Maintenance

The Boeing Company has successfully completed a regularly scheduled programmed depot maintenance (PDM) on one of the United States’ four E-4B National Airborne Command Centers on schedule. The E-4B was returned to home station Offutt Air Force Base, Neb., on Sept. 19.

A Boeing field team at Offutt Air Force Base now will support final modifications to return the aircraft to operational status. The aircraft was delivered from Boeing’s E-4B partner L-3 in Greenville, Texas, where it received new paint, following maintenance and some minor modifications performed at Boeing’s Global Services & Support facility in Wichita.

“This was an extremely challenging PDM because of the over-and-above issues that we uncovered on this aging aircraft,” said Glenn Winkler, Boeing program manager for the E-4B.

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JAGM In Jeopardy Amid Budget Talks

After multiple attempts to field a single replacement for the Hellfire, TOW and Maverick missiles, the U.S. Army may once again find itself without support for the project.

The U.S. Army has been slated to select a contractor to build the so-called Joint Air-to-Ground Missile (JAGM) by year’s end. Raytheon and Boeing are pitted against Lockheed Martin for the work.

“It is a program that is in trouble right now and needs a lot of support,” says Lt. Gen. Terry Robling, U.S. Marine Corps commandant for aviation. He underscored that the capability is needed by his service at a Sept. 29 breakfast hosted by the Navy League.

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Now, SU-30 fighter squadron in Jodhpur

Jodhpur air base
State-of-the-art premier multirole fighters, SU-30 Squadron of IAF will be stationed at the Jodhpur air base from Sunday.

With this induction, strike capability of IAF in Rajasthan has gained far reaching advantage and the air defence of the country has become impregnable .

The squadron taking on to the western skies with its lethal strike force, multirole function and weaponry carrying capability will give unassailable advantage to IAF in this sector, defence spokesperson Col S D Goswami said.

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Royal Navy sackings 'will lose aircraft carriers skills forever'

The officer, who plays a key role in maintaining the Fleet, has also told colleagues that there are substantial doubts over whether the Navy will have enough sailors to man its ships after it will lose one in seven sailors in defence cuts.

The lack of adequately training personnel could delay the carrier coming into service by another three or four years, the Navy commander has said.

Another officer has told The Telegraph that the loss of carrier deck handling skills could prove "disastrous" with fatal accidents caused by inexperienced ratings.

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Navy explores longer submarine deployments

The Navy is considering lengthening the standard deployment of attack submarines beyond six months as it faces rising demands with a fleet that has been shrinking since the end of the Cold War, the commander of American submarine forces told The Associated Press in an interview.

Already, attack submarines are at times asked to stay out longer than six months — extensions that can be trying for sailors who serve in tightly confined spaces with limited outside communication as members of the “silent service.”

Vice Adm. John Richardson told the AP this week that keeping subs out longer is one of several options the Navy is considering as the number of attack subs is projected to continue dropping in the next decade and beyond.

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No plans to retire Typhoon class subs soon - Russian military

A high-ranking source in the Russian Defense Ministry has denied rumors of a planned scrapping of Typhoon class strategic submarines in the near future.

Several media sources reported recently that the Russian military had decided to scrap the world's largest nuclear-powered subs by 2014.

"The Defense Ministry has not made such a decision. The submarines remain in service with the Navy," the official told RIA Novosti on Thursday.

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