Saab to integrate Meteor missiles onto Gripen E fighters

Saab of Sweden is integrating MBDA's Meteor missile system on Gripen E fighter aircraft under a contract from the Swedish Defense Materiel Administration.

The order from FMV for integration of the beyond-line-of-sight, air-to-air weapon system is worth nearly $29.3 million.

Saab said the order is in addition to an FMV contract issued in February for development and modification of the Gripen E, a multi-role fighter produced by Saab.

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Korea Aerospace signs 89.8 bln won depot maintenance deal with DAPA

The country's sole aircraft manufacturer, Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), said Thursday it has signed an 89.8 billion won (US$84.7 million) contract with the government to carry out depot maintenance on FA-50s entering service with the Air Force.

The FA-50 is a fully armed, mission-capable light fighter attack aircraft that has been developed from the T-50 Golden Eagle advanced trainer.

The contract with the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) calls for the KAI to provide maintenance, repair and overhaul services for the single-engine supersonic jets.

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Bagram runway reopens: First F-16s arrive

The first of several F-16 Fighting Falcons arrived at Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan, Dec. 15, 2013.

The F-16s, coming from Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, come into Bagram continuing to provide close-air support and armed over watch for the Service members on the ground. Before the F-16s could land however, the main runway on Bagram had to be renovated.

“When the main runway was originally built, it was only built to last so many years,” explained U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Scott Hoffman, 455th Operations Support Squadron commander. “The runway was reaching the end of its service life, so we had to take apart approximately 90 feet of the asphalt and re-lay it to extend the service life of the runway.”

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Pakistan inducts multi-role combat aircraft built with Chinese help

Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday hailed the induction of Pakistan Air Force's 50th JF-17 fighter aircraft, built with Chinese help, as a move towards "self-reliance" and said the country's defence strategy is being devised on modern lines.

Underlining that the objective situation has undergone a change due to new research and innovations, Sharif said, "Today, one can enter any territory sitting thousands mile away without physically moving one's armed forces. This has been possible only due to the capability of air force and the new technology".

"We know very well that no battle can be won with outdated technology and discarded strategies," Sharif said at the roll-out ceremony of the 50th JF-17 Thunder fighter aircraft at Pakistan Aeronautical Complex, Kamra.

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First ever Royal Navy drone launched in £30million mission to stop Somali pirates

The Scaneagle unmanned aerial system (UAS) was launched from the Royal Fleet Auxiliary Cardigan Bay in the Gulf and flew to a height of up to 19,500ft.

The UAS was then brought back by a pilot on the ship using remote controls after it had acted as an eye in the sky over the horizon.

The Scaneagle is one of two in a £30million deal with Boeing and each UAS will fly up to 300 hours a month.

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Russia upgrades Pantsir-S systems to create "UAV-killers"

Russia is upgrading its short-range Pantsir-S air defense systems with an improved capability to intercept unmanned aerial vehicles, a Defense Ministry spokesman said Wednesday.

“The modernization of these unique systems aimed at increasing their effectiveness against UAVs has already started,” Col. Igor Klimov said.

The modernized Pantsir-S systems will also be adapted for deployment in harsh climate conditions of the Arctic, the official said.

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AirMule successfully completes series of automated test flights

All unmanned aerial vehicles have a futuristic feel to them, but if you want something that looks like it came straight out of a science fiction film, you can’t beat a vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft.

The AirMule, an unmanned VTOL developed by Israeli company Tactical Robotics, certainly fits that bill, and it recently achieved a milestone by completing several fully automated test flights.

According to the company, the flights involved “take-offs, flights to and from a specified location and landing back at its point of origination.” Full mission demonstrations are scheduled for next year.

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David Cameron to oppose EU 'drones club' on visit to Brussels

A plan for the European Union to develop its own drone programme will be strongly opposed by David Cameron at a summit of EU leaders in Brussels today.

Seven EU nations have formed a “drones club” to produce the unmanned aircraft for civilian and military use by 2020. Their use by the United States against militants in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia has proved controversial because of civilian deaths.

EU leaders will discuss closer co-operation on defence but Mr Cameron will argue that national governments should remain in the driving seat and that any European integration should not undermine Nato. Pressure from Britain has already ensured that a proposal for “European armed forces” has been dropped from the draft conclusions.

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Kratos Receives Multi-Million Dollar Command and Control System Products Award for QF-16 Air Superiority Target

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc., a leading National Security Solutions provider, announced today that its Micro Systems, Inc. subsidiary has received a multi-million dollar award for the production of command telemetry system products for the QF-16 Air Superiority Target (AST).

This award, from QF-16 prime contractor Boeing, represents the first production lot for the QF-16 program, which recently completed its first unmanned flight at Tyndall AFB, Florida.

Kevin Ferguson, Senior Vice President of Kratos' Micro Systems, Inc. subsidiary, commented, "This important order provides critical command and control products for the QF-16. Like its predecessor, the QF-4, which enjoyed a 17-year production run using our command and control products, we expect the QF-16 to be a successful production program as well."

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Prepare For War In The East China Sea – Analysis

On December 5, a Chinese naval vessel tried to force a U.S. warship to stop in international waters in the latest instance of the growing Chinese tendency to flex their muscles.

This incident comes hard on the heels of the situation in the East China Sea region, where Beijing had declared an Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ) on November 23 which included the Japanese-controlled, but disputed, Senkaku/Diayou islands.

Some alarming analysis suggests that the Chinese may not be above seeking a limited conflict in the region.

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Tejas Needs to Cross 6 Milestones in 15 Months

The Tejas fighter will have to cross six milestones in the next 15 months, before the aircraft is given the final operational clearance (FOC).

The December 20 initial operational clearance event, ahead of the expected induction of the first series production aircraft into the Indian Air Force by March 2014, would pave way for the IAF pilots to undertake independent flight evaluation of Tejas.

Dr K Tamil Mani, Director-General (Aeronautical Systems), DRDO, and Chief Executive, Centre for Military Airworthiness and Certification, told Express that the integration of new missiles identified by the IAF will top the agenda in the FOC phase.

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UN approves resolution against US drone attacks

The United Nations General Assembly has adopted a unanimous resolution against drone attacks, local media reported.

Pakistan and several other countries tabled the anti-drone resolution in the UN's General Assembly.

The resolution insisted the international community to observe violation of international laws via spy plane strikes.

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Head of Armed Forces: military risks becoming 'hollow force'

Britain’s military will become a “hollow force” with state of the art equipment but no one to operate it unless manpower budgets increase, the head of the Armed Forces has warned.

Gen Sir Nick Houghton, chief of the defence staff, said the Royal Navy was already “perilously close to its critical mass” after cuts to the numbers of sailors.

Years of spending on high-end technology to support British arms firms while at the same time sacking servicemen could leave the Forces with an “incoherent” structure, he said.

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Second LHD on its way to Australia

The hull of the second Landing Helicopter Dock (LHD), one of the two largest ships ever to be built for the Royal Australian Navy, has left Spain bound for Australia.

It was loaded onto the heavy lift vessel, the Blue Marlin, on 10 December and left Spain December 17.

Director of Maritime for BAE Systems Australia, Bill Saltzer, said the hull, constructed by Spanish shipbuilder Navantia, would take approximately two months to reach the company’s Williamstown shipyard where work would start on the consolidation of the superstructure.

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New Thai Navy Frigate to Include Atlas Elektronik Sonar

Atlas Elektronik GmbH has been commissioned by the Korean yard Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) with the supply and integration of a bow sonar (ASO) as well as a low-frequency active towed array sonar (ACTAS) for a new frigate of the Royal Thai Navy.

Delivery of the systems is planned to take place early in 2016.

Together, the two systems offer active and passive sonars for the detection, tracking and classification of underwater vehicles, such as submarines, torpedoes and unmanned underwater vehicles (UUV). In addition, these sonars are able to detect and classify small speedboats, divers or floating obstacles, e.g. containers or tethered mines.

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Saab Tops Boeing in $4.5 Billion Brazil Deal Amid Espionage Spat

Saab AB beat out Boeing Co. to supply 36 jet fighters for Brazil’s air force after President Dilma Rousseff called alleged U.S. spying on her government an affront to the South American nation.

The deal is worth $4.5 billion through 2023, the Defense Ministry said in a statement yesterday. Brazil picked Saab over the Chicago-based company because of the performance and cost of its aircraft as well as willingness to transfer technology, Defense Minister Celso Amorim told reporters in Brasilia. The other finalist was Paris-based Dassault Aviation SA. (AM)

Rousseff in September called off her state visit to Washington following reports the U.S. National Security Agency intercepted her communications with staff. Yesterday she said the armed forces had a key role in strengthening cybersecurity to protect privacy and Brazil’s sovereignty.

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Russia weighs plans for Kyrgyz air base

The Russian government said it proposed transferring control over the Manas Air Base in Kyrgyzstan to Russian investment company Novaport.

The Russian government proposed placing Manas under the financial management of airport investment firm Novaport. The investment company is half owned by Roman Trotsenko, an adviser to oil company Rosneft, and is considering a $300 million investment in Manas, Russia's state news agency RIA Novosti reported Wednesday.

Last year, Russia and Kyrgyzstan signed a 15-year lease for Russian military bases in the country. Kyrgyzstan gets relief from the $500 million in debt to the Russian government in exchange.

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New TRS-4D naval radar for German F125 frigates demos capabilities in sea trials

Cassidian’s new radar for the German Navy’s F125 class frigates has demonstrated its particular reconnaissance and surveillance capabilities during tests in the North Sea and Baltic Sea and during factory acceptance tests.

In two test series of several weeks, the TRS-4D naval radar showed an extraordinarily high precision, particularly when detecting small targets such as UAVs, guided missiles and periscopes. Subsequently, the customer confirmed the system’s capabilities during the factory acceptance test at Cassidian’s Ulm location.

At the beginning of the test series, which ran for over a year, the radar underwent functional tests on the beach, which were carried out by the Bundeswehr Technical Centre No. 71 in Surendorf. Next year, the first system is planned to be integrated into the “Baden-Württemberg” lead ship.

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Lockheed F-35 Bad Deal as One Jet for All, Report Finds

Lockheed Martin Corp.’s F-35 jet fighter, designed by the Pentagon to serve the Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps, is likely to end up costing more than it would to build separate planes for each service, a Rand Corp. study has found.

“Under none of the plausible conditions we analyzed did” the F-35 “have a lower life-cycle cost estimate,” Rand, a nonprofit research institution, said in the report released this week on the plane known as the Joint Strike Fighter.

The report questions a fundamental tenet of the Pentagon’s costliest weapons program -- that building different versions on a common base will reduce costs. Rand analyzed an estimated $1.5 trillion “life-cycle cost” that includes acquisition plus long-term support of the fleet.

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Lockheed Martin-Built SBIRS GEO-2 Missile Defense Early Warning Satellite Certified for Operation

The second Space-Based Infrared System (SBIRS) Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (GEO) satellite built by Lockheed Martin to provide our nation continuous early warning of ballistic missile launches and other tactical intelligence was recently declared operational.

The SBIRS GEO-2 satellite received Air Force Space Command Operational Acceptance on Nov. 25, just eight months after its March 19 launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, with performance that matches, and in some cases exceeds requirements. SBIRS GEO-1 was declared operational on May 21, 2013.

The SBIRS program delivers timely, reliable and accurate missile warning and infrared surveillance information to the President of the United States, the Secretary of Defense, combatant commanders, the intelligence community and other key decision makers.

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2nd User Trial of Agni-III Deferred for Cyclone Madi

The second user trial of India’s China specific missile Agni-III has been deferred, courtesy cyclone Madi. The surface-to-surface ballistic missile, which was scheduled for launch on December 18, is likely to be test fired on December 23 from a defence base off the Odisha coast.

Defence sources said preparation for the launching of the country’s most potent missile Agni-III was near complete at the Wheeler Island test facility and the missile was expected to be flight-tested in full operational configuration with a dummy payload.

Though the 3,000-km range weapon was earlier planned to be tested on Wednesday, the downrange ship carrying tracking equipments could not reach the point of impact due to the tropical cyclone MADI formed over west-central Bay of Bengal.

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Minuteman III test missile launches from Vandenberg

A team of Air Force Global Strike Command Airmen successfully launched an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile Dec. 17 at 4:36 a.m. PST from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif.

Every test launch verifies the accuracy and reliability of the ICBM weapon system, providing valuable data to ensure a safe, secure and effective nuclear deterrent, said Maj. Gen. Jack Weinstein, 20th Air Force commander.

“Our Airmen maintain and operate this weapon system year round in some challenging environments, and today’s test is a result of their tireless devotion to this mission,” said Weinstein.

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China Conducts Second Flight Test of New Long-Range Missile

China’s military conducted the second flight test of its newest long-range missile that is capable of hitting targets in the United States with a nuclear warhead, according to defense officials.

The flight test of the new Dong Feng-41, or DF-41, took place Friday from the Wuzhai missile launch center in Shanxi province to an impact range in western China, said officials familiar with details of the tests.

It was the second test of the new, road-mobile, long-range ICBM that U.S. intelligence agencies assess will be outfitted with up to 10 multiple, independently-targetable reentry vehicles, or MIRVs.

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Russia Plans Rail-Mounted Missiles to Counter US Global Strike Program

Russia will draft a plan in the coming year to deploy rail-mounted nuclear missiles as a potential response to the United States’ Prompt Global Strike program, the commander of its Strategic Missile Force said on Wednesday.

“A Defense Ministry report has been submitted to the president and the order has been given to develop a preliminary design of a rail-mounted missile system,” Lt. Gen. Sergei Karakaev said.

The work will be carried out by the Moscow Institute of Thermal Technology – the developer of the submarine-launched Bulava nuclear missile – in the first half of next year.

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Russia plans new ICBM to replace Cold War 'Satan' missile

Russia will begin deploying a new type of long-range missile in 2018 to replace a Cold War standby known in the West as "Satan", a military commander said on Tuesday in a signal to the United States that Moscow is improving its nuclear arsenal.

A new Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) called the Sarmat is being developed to supplant the RS-20B Voyevoda, the Interfax news agency quoted the commander of Russia's Strategic Rocket Forces, General Sergei Karakayev, as saying.

"We are counting on being armed with this qualitatively new missile system ... by 2018-2020," he was quoted as saying.

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