Iran reveals drone designed to shoot down aircraft

Iran unveiled what it claimed was a new domestically produced unmanned attack drone on Tuesday.

"The research, trials and tests are over," Iranian Defense Minister General Amir Hatami told the semi-official Fars News Agency.

The new drone, called Karrar-4, is designed for anti-aircraft operations and is "capable of destroying various flying aircraft including fighter jets, unmanned aerial vehicles and helicopters," Hatami said.

Read more

Textron Systems Fury™ Lightweight Precision Weapon Engages Target During Live-Fire Demonstrations

Textron Systems Weapon & Sensor Systems, a Textron Inc. business, announced today a pair of successful live-fire demonstrations of its new FuryTM lightweight precision guided glide weapon off of a Shadow® Tactical Unmanned Aircraft System at the U.S. Army’s Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona.

The combined Textron Systems Weapon & Sensor Systems and Unmanned Systems team dropped Fury last month from a Shadow 200, engaging and detonating on the target. This marked the first live drop of the Fury and the first live weapon drop from the Unmanned Systems Shadow 200 aircraft configuration.

The Textron Systems team, along with partner Thales UK, achieved this milestone within 15 months of initiating work on the small, lightweight weapon system.

Read more

NATO concludes AWACS mission in Afghanistan

NATO has flown the final missions of its Boeing E-3A Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) over Afghanistan, the alliance disclosed on 21 September.

Flown under the auspices of Operation 'Afghan Assist', the last mission of the NATO Airborne Early Warning and Control Force (NAEW&CF) was flown out of Mazar-e Sharif in northern Afghanistan on the same day as the announcement.

The deployment of an undisclosed number of NATO AWACS aircraft to Afghanistan was first approved in 2009, with the aircraft arriving in theatre mid-January 2011.

Read more

Courting Vietnam, US prepares to ease arms embargo

Nearly 40 years after the United States helicoptered its last soldiers out of Vietnam in an ignominious retreat, Washington is moving closer to lifting an arms embargo on its former enemy, with initial sales likely to help Hanoi deal with growing naval challenges from China.

Senior U.S. officials with knowledge of the initiative said Washington wants to support Vietnam by strengthening its ability to monitor and defend its coastline, and said unarmed P-3 surveillance planes could be one of the first sales.

Such aircraft would also allow Vietnam to keep track of China's increasingly assertive activities in the South China Sea, a potential flash point because of interlocking claims from many countries to its islands and reefs.

Read more

Navy halts nuclear work at Norfolk Naval Shipyard

The Navy has suspended most nuclear work at Norfolk Naval Shipyard after discovering, on two separate occasions in recent weeks, that civilian workers improperly handled potentially contaminated equipment.

The problems that led to the nuclear work stoppage "were minor and did not result in any impact to the safety of the public, the environment or employees," said Jeff Cunningham, a shipyard spokesman.

The shipyard paused all but the most critical nuclear operations on Sept. 13 after the second safety violation, Cunningham said. It's unknown when the work will be allowed to resume.

Read more

Russia to Base Subs with Cruise Missiles at Novorossiysk

Novorossiysk
Russia plans to deploy submarines carrying cruise missiles with a range of over 1,500 km in the port of Novorossiysk, the Black Sea Fleet commander has said.

With NATO ships permanently present in the Black Sea since the outbreak of Ukraine crisis there are plans to create a submarine base in Novorossiysk to avoid concentration of all vessels in one base - a situation observed in February and March in Sevastopol, in Crimea, ITAR-TASS quoted Alexander Vitko as saying to Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday.

Putin, commander in chief of Russia’s armed forces, arrived in Novorossiysk earlier the same day for a conference on the port’s modernization.

Read more

Scotland No vote has halted a wider debate about Trident

Nowhere was the relief over Scotland’s decision last week to remain part of the United Kingdom more acutely felt than with those responsible for Britain’s nuclear deterrent system, Trident.

The Scottish National Party had promised that independence would lead to the removal of Trident submarines and the associated nuclear warhead storage facilities from their bases on the Clyde estuary, not far from Glasgow.

Irrespective of various Ministry of Defence contingency plans, it would have been very difficult if not impossible to relocate them. Consequently, a vote for Scottish independence could also have been a vote for UK unilateral nuclear disarmament.

Read more

Ingalls Shipbuilding Authenticates the Keel on Aegis Destroyer Ralph Johnson (DDG 114)

Huntington Ingalls Industries' Ingalls Shipbuilding division today authenticated the keel for the company's 30th Aegis guided missile destroyer, Ralph Johnson (DDG 114).

To make it official, Georgeann McRaven, ship sponsor and wife of retired Adm. William McRaven, former commander, U.S. Special Operations Command, proclaimed the keel of DDG 114 to be "truly and fairly laid."

"We have a long history of building surface combatants, and the DDG 51 destroyers have become the backbone of the U.S. Navy's fleet," said Ingalls Shipbuilding President Brian Cuccias. "These are complex vessels built by experienced shipbuilders. This ship class is benefitting from serial production and commonality and is one of our most successful programs."

Read more

USS Coronado (LCS 4) Performs Live-Fire Test of Norwegian Naval Strike Missile

The crew of the littoral combat ship USS Coronado (LCS 4) successfully performed a live-fire demonstration of a Kongsberg Naval Strike Missile (NSM) during missile testing operations off the coast of Southern California, Sept. 23.

During the test, the Norwegian-made Kongsberg NSM was launched from the deck of Coronado and scored a direct hit on its intended target, a Mobile Ship Target (MST).

The Kongsberg NSM is a long range precision strike missile designed to be launched from a variety of ships against a variety of targets.

Read more

Finmeccanica unit sues to block U.S. helicopter deal for Airbus

AgustaWestland, a unit of Italy's Finmeccanica SpA, has sued the U.S. Army to block its plans to buy 155 helicopters built by Europe's Airbus without a competition, arguing that its own helicopters would be cheaper to buy and operate.

AgustaWestland asked the U.S. Court of Federal Claims in Washington to issue a temporary restraining order barring the Army from awarding the contract to Airbus without a competition, according to the complaint filed Sept. 19.

The U.S. Army issued a notice to industry on Sept. 4, saying that it planned to buy only EC-145 helicopters to replace its fleet of primary training helicopters.

Read more

MEADS Multifunction Fire Control Radar Proves Capabilities in Performance Tests

The Medium Extended Air Defense System (MEADS) program has completed a six-week performance test of its 360-degree Multifunction Fire Control Radar (MFCR) at Pratica di Mare Air Base near Rome, Italy, and at MBDA Germany’s air defense center in Freinhausen in the presence of representatives from the German Air Force and guests from MEADS partner nations. This was the first time the MFCR has been operated in Germany.

“The latest test again gives evidence of the maturity of the MEADS development results,” said Siegfried Bücheler, director of Programs and Supply Chain at MBDA Germany and chairman of the Board of Directors at MEADS International.

“They form an excellent basis for Germany’s future air defense system. MEADS technologies are designed to fulfill requirements for an advanced tactical air and missile defense system that anticipates future threats. Competing systems would require further development to achieve the advanced MEADS capabilities.”

Read more

Russian Air-to-air Missiles Hit Target

In a first ever exercise, three rounds of air-to-air short range Russian missile were test fired by the Indian Air Force (IAF) as part of their user trial on Tuesday. The missiles were coordinated to destroy tow bodies released from pilotless target aircraft (PTA) flown from a defence base off the Odisha coast.

The tests which were initially planned on last Thursday could not be conducted due to technical glitches in the PTA. Another attempt on Friday was postponed due to inclement weather.

Sources said the non-DRDO Russian missiles were fired from fighter aircraft targeting the floating objects released from unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) Lakshya flown from the launching complex-II of the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur-on-sea.

Read more

Fighter aircraft for Thiruvananthapuram station

The Indian Air Force (IAF) station here will host more military aircraft, including jet fighters, in the coming days, senior air force officials said on Tuesday.

The increased military activity, the officials said, was a sign of the IAF fast-tracking its strategic doctrine to exert a stabilising influence over the Indian Ocean from the straits of Malacca to that of Hormuz, one of the world’s busiest sea routes. The Southern Air Command (SAC) was the pivot of India’s emerging “look east” strategy, they said.

The bulk of the world’s trade, including a lion share of its oil shipments, passed through the IAF’s sphere of influence. The threat to international maritime trade from pirates and armed non-State actors could not be discounted.

Read more

In Syria, Pentagon's F-22 Fighter Plane Makes First Combat Appearance

The Pentagon's most advanced fighter plane made its combat debut in the U.S.-led strikes on Syria,serving a crucial purpose for a sensitive mission that depended on stealth.

Pilots flying the F-22 Raptor flew bombing runs over Syria to target the militant Islamic State group, U.S. officials said.

Officials didn't say what targets the F-22 struck, but said it was used later in the series of strikes, which lasted several hours.

Read more

In first, Fire Scout drone helicopters being deployed to Pacific

The Navy will soon deploy unmanned surveillance helicopters to the Pacific for the first time, according to defense contractor Northrop Grumman.

Four MQ-8B Fire Scouts will be aboard the USS Fort Worth — one of several new fast, shallow-water vessels known as littoral combat ships — when it leaves San Diego later this year, Northrop Grumman Fire Scout project manager Tom Twomey said this week.

The ship’s deployment to the Asia-Pacific theater will mark the start of a continuous LCS presence in the region, according to the Navy.

Read more

Navy says may trim Northrop drone order due to better reliability

I mproved reliability of Northrop Grumman Corp's unmanned MQ-4C Triton spy plane means the U.S. Navy may buy fewer of the drones than the 68 it now has on order, a senior navy official said on Tuesday, a move which may result in lower revenues for the planemaker.

The Navy's goal is to have 20 of the huge drones available at any given time to use for five continuous "orbits" of maritime surveillance. It takes four planes to make up one orbit.

Rising reliability rates mean the Navy may not need as many of the high-altitude aircraft as first thought, said Captain Jim Hoke, who runs the Triton program for the Navy.

Read more

Navy mulls N-powered aircraft carrier

The navy on Tuesday said it was working on the design of the second indigenous aircraft carrier which may be propelled by a nuclear-powered engine.

The design is at a conceptual stage, Director-General of Naval Design Bureau Rear Admiral Atul Saxena said when asked if the force was considering using nuclear-powered engine for it.

The navy is already constructing the 40,000-tonne first indigenous aircraft carrier at the Cochin Shipyard Limited and has plans of building one more such vessel which is expected to be more than 60,000 tonnes in weight.

Read more

USS McClusky Returns Friday From Final Deployment

The guided-missile frigate USS McClusky is scheduled to return to San Diego on Friday from its final deployment, the Navy announced Tuesday.

The vessel and its crew of more than 200 left San Diego on April 10 to conduct anti-drug smuggling missions off Central and South America.

The Navy is phasing out frigates in favor of the new littoral combat ships, which are fast, maneuverable vessels designed for fighting in coastal areas.

Read more

Russia's large-scale military drills Vostok-2014

Large-scale military drills Vostok-2014 are coming to an end in Russia. Over 100,000 servicemen, thousands of tanks and aircraft, dozens of ships participated in the drills. The exercises are to continue until September 25. The drills are the final stage of a series of command and staff, and special exercises, drills, and surprise inspections in 2014.

Snap checks and military drills in the Russian Armed Forces

This is not the first large-scale checkup of the operational readiness of the country's Armed Forces. Since the beginning of the year, Western, Central, and Eastern Military Districts underwent inspections, including those through the holding of large-scale exercises, the involvement of the newest quantity-produced hardware that is provided for the forward striking groups.

Read more

Iran to launch different Mowj class destroyers, Fateh submarines soon

A senior Iranian Navy official announced the country’s plans to launch Fateh submarines and different Mowj Class destroyers in the near future, APA reports quoting Fars News Agency.

“We will soon launch the Fateh class submarines and the second, third, fourth and fifth version of Mowj class destroyers, and one of them will be unveiled this year,” Head of the Navy’s Research and Self-Sufficiency Jihad Office General Ali Gholamzadeh said in a press conference in Tehran on Tuesday.


Asked if Iran is capable of building heavier and bigger destroyers than its first home-made destroyer, ‘Jamaran’, he said, “Now that we have acquired the know-how to build destroyers, there is no doubt that we can construct destroyers better than Jamaran.”

Read more

Senator David Fawcett says submarine maintenance more important than building them

It is “far more important” that South Australia secures ongoing submarine maintenance work than it is to build 12 submarines in the state, an SA Liberal MP has told the Government.

The Advertiser understands that Senator David Fawcett, who has a wealth of Defence experience, including military service and Defence committee work, spoke about submarines at the partyroom meeting yesterday.

Debate has flared recently about the Future Submarines project as the Government gets closer to making a decision about buying submarines from overseas or building them here.

Read more

Russian Defense Minister orders tighter control over Pacific nuclear sub base construction

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu expressed his displeasure on Tuesday over the construction of the docking and maintenance facilities at a naval base in the country's Far East intended for the deployment of Russia’s Borei-class strategic nuclear-powered missile submarines.

While inspecting the construction of the Pacific Fleet’s facility on the Kamchatka Peninsula in the Avacha Bay on Tuesday, Shoigu expressed his dissatisfaction with the work of the local supervising bodies overseeing the quality of construction works.

“This is a very serious matter to joke about [the construction dates],” Shoigu said. “There are no more jokes.”

Read more

Meet Israel’s Newest, Most Expensive Weapon: The INS Tanin Submarine

In a commemoration aboard Israel’s 4th and newest submarine, the INS Tanin (“crocodile,” or “alligator”), the IDF on Sunday held a wreath-laying ceremony at the site where 69 soldiers of INS Dakar went down with the ship, in the Mediterranean Sea some 270 miles off the Israeli coast in 1968, the Israeli army said.

“We will guard, protect, and act in any enemy coast, and fight bravely for the navy and the state of Israel,” Adm. Ram Rothberg, said at the event, The Jerusalem Post noted.

Referring to the prowess of the new Dolphin-class craft, IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Benny Gantz said that, “Without a doubt, this power, operationally and strategically, is very important for Israel, the IDF and the navy.”

Read more

Devon naval contractor signs torpedoes deal with Malaysian navy

A subcontractor to the naval industry has won a major contract to supply torpedo launchers to the Malaysian navy.

J+S Ltd, which employs 130 staff in the UK, have been successfully selected to supply the Torpedo Launcher System (TLS) for the new Royal Malaysian Navy littoral combat ships being constructed by Boustead Naval Shipyard Sdn Bhd in Malaysia.

The Barnstaple company will supply a triple tube torpedo launcher system with associated weapons handling and storage equipment across each of the six platforms.


Read more

The A-10 Thunderbolt, Saved By Congress, Joins Airstrikes Against ISIS In Syria

As the U.S. begins bombing ISIS targets in Syria with a campaign of airstrikes that started Monday, a venerable airplane that was almost sent to the scrapyard joins the fight.

The Pentagon will send a dozen A-10 Thunderbolt aircraft and up to 300 airmen to the Middle East in early October, to help in the conflict against the Islamic State group, the Indiana National Guard said.

The deployment of the 40-year-old aircraft comes just four months after it was controversially saved from defense cuts by Congress, whose rationale for saving it was simple: Cutting it would lead to the deaths of U.S. servicemen on the ground.

Read more