Agni-IV launch successful

India on Tuesday successfully test-fired Agni-IV strategic missile for its full strike range of 4,000 km from the Wheeler Island, off the Odisha Coast.

The nuclear weapons capable long range missile in deliverable version was launched for the first time by the Army’s Strategic Forces Command (SFC) around 10.15 am.

Carrying a one-tonne dummy warhead, the missile splashed down near its pre-designated target point in the waters of Indian Ocean with high degree of accuracy as two naval ships located nearby recorded the terminal event.

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Germany proposes 'shared' multinational NH90 helicopter fleet

Germany is proposing that 22 NH Industries (NHI) NH90 troop transport helicopters it currently has on option could be acquired and used to form a pool of rotorcraft to be shared by NATO partners.

The concept, which it calls the “multinational helicopter unit”, is part of a broader framework agreement the nation’s defence ministry hammered out with Airbus Helicopters as it looks to formalise planned cuts to its overall NH90 order.

Berlin initially committed to 120 NH90 TTHs, but in 2013 it concluded a memorandum of understanding with the airframer – which is the majority shareholder in the NHI consortium – to cut its acquisition to 80 units with 22 options. In addition, it proposed to take 18 examples of the NFH variant for use by its navy.

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See Russian Jet Fighter Nearly Collide With NATO F-16 In Skies Over Norway In Startling Video

A Russian jet fighter came within a mere 60 feet of a NATO F-16 in an incident that could have ended with a disastrous mid-air collision in the skies over Norway — and the Norwegian military caught the whole frightening encounter on video.

Norway made the incredible video public on Sunday, to add visual proof of Russia’s increasing military brinksmanship.

The video is viewable above. According to the Norwegian military, the plane that appears directly in front of the Norwegian NATO F-16 in the video is a Russian Mig-31, during an incident in which Norway scrambled two of its own jet fighters to intercept a Russian fighter jet flying in international airspace, but dangerously close to Norway.

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What caused the mysterious 'loud bangs' heard in Surrey?

Mystery still surrounds a series of loud bangs heard across Surrey and the rest of the country on Saturday night (November 29), with chins wagging and conspiracy theories doing the rounds over what might have caused the strange sounds.

Speculation has suggested the loud noises, heard the length and breadth of Britain between 10pm and 10.30pm, could have been caused by a secret spy plane.

One scientist claimed the sound was like a "pulse detonation engine" - the technology which he and a team of experts are working on developing - which has been linked to the so-called Aurora spy jet.

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New Warships, Frigates Join Iran Navy’s Fleet

Two warships equipped with missile systems and 4 frigates for maritime patrol joined the Iranian Navy’s fleet on Monday.

Speaking to reporters in Iran’s southern port city of Bandar Abbas on Monday, Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari said the two warships, a Sirik-class and a Kalat-class, have been equipped with surface-to-surface missile systems.

He also noted that the four frigates, dubbed Fajr, Shams, Fath and Nour, are employed for maritime patrol operations, adding that they are armed with “sensitive and indigenous missiles.”

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France pushes for Rafale deal, but talks still stuck

India and France have decided to step-up bilateral cooperation in counter-terrorism and maritime security as well as hold a major aero-naval exercise in the Indian Ocean early next year, signaling their intent to further bolster their "strategic partnership".

But what could be the biggest project between the two, the almost $20 billion MMRCA (medium multi-role combat aircraft) project for 126 Rafale fighters, remains stuck in the final stretch of negotiations.

The two sides, however, resolved to sort out the 'differences' in a 'fast-track' manner, sources said on Monday.

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China dispatches escort fleet to Somali waters

The 19th Chinese naval squad left Qingdao, a coastal city in east China's Shandong Province, on Tuesday to conduct escort missions in the Gulf of Aden and Somali waters.

The fleet, sent by the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy, comprises of missile frigates Linyi and Weifang, as well as supply ship Weishanhu, with two helicopters and more than 700 troops.

It will replace the 18th escort fleet currently conducting similar missions in the area. It is the first time the two frigates will undertake the job.

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Defence Secretary announces new warships will be built in Scotland

Britain’s new fleet of Royal Navy frigates will be built in Scotland it has been announced.

There were fears that the Type 26 warships – some of which are likely to be based at Devonport – could be built overseas.

But Defence Secretary Michael Fallon yesterday said there should be “no confusion” over where the new generation of frigates will be constructed.

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Russia’s Cold War nuclear missile train back on track in new arms race

Russian scientists are reviving Soviet-era nuclear missile trains as part of the Kremlin’s $530 billion overhaul of its armed forces.

Disguised military trains loaded with nuclear missiles first rumbled across Russia’s railways in the 1980s.

They could travel more than 1000km a day without being detected and could launch missiles from any part of their route, making them a key part of the ­Soviet Union’s Cold War arsenal.

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Russia's Black Sea Fleet to Develop Bases in Crimea in 2015

Russia's Black Sea Fleet is planning to focus on the combat training of its new units, reconstructing ranges and building infrastructure in Crimea, the fleet's press service said Monday.

"The main efforts will be focused on the organization of combat training of newly formed units, reconstruction of ranges, construction of infrastructure of military camps in Crimea and along the coast of Caucasus and preparing for the reception of new ships, submarines and auxiliary vessels by the fleet," the statement said.

Earlier in October, Navy commander-in-chief Adm. Viktor Chirkov said that by the end of 2014, the Black Sea Fleet would commission an Admiral Grigorovich-class frigate and two Varshavyanka-class diesel electric submarines. Overall, six frigates and six submarines are expected to be commissioned by 2018.

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Arihant’s maiden sea sortie shortly; stringent safety audits to curb accidents, says Admiral Dhowan

The Indian Navy's future cruise will be guided by a perspective plan mapped to perfection after taking into account factors like threat perception, technological needs, likely environment in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) and India's state as a maritime nation.

In an exclusive interview to OneIndia, ahead of the Navy Day on December 4, the Chief of Naval Staff Admiral R K Dhowan said that the Indian Navy's structured phase of transformation has received a boost with the launch of the dedicated satellite -- Rukmini -- last year.

The country's maiden dedicated military satellite Rukmini (GSAT-7) was launched by the Arianespace from French Guiana in April 2013, giving Indian Navy more teeth for its missions in the IOR.

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North Korea Is In The Process Of Developing A Fleet Of Nuclear Missile-Capable Submarines

North Korea is attempting to develop submarines capable of launching nuclear armed ballistic missiles, Debalina Ghoshal writes for USNI News.

North Korea is developing a new class of submarines based on the designs of the Soviet-era Golf-II class submarine.

Although these vessels have been surpassed by later US and European models and are basically obsolete by modern standards, North Korea is gaining technological insight from the submarines that could lead to a functioning ballistic missile vessel.

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Australia rules out open tender for new submarines, Japan in box seat

Australia will not hold an open tender to replace its ageing Collins-class submarines, government officials said on Tuesday, a decision that bolsters Japan's position as the likely builder of the new multibillion-dollar fleet.

Reuters reported in September that Australia was leaning towards buying as many as 12 off-the-shelf stealth submarines from Japan despite domestic pressure to build them at home.

Since then, several European defence contractors have said they would be price competitive with Japan and do the work in Australia in a bid to win a piece of the overall A$40 billion ($33.96 billion) submarine programme.

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Chinese Navy (PLAN) commissions Type 056 and Type 056A Corvettes on the same day

Just a few days following the commissioning of its first Type 056A ASW corvette (read our story here) the Chinese Navy (PLAN) commissioned two more corvettes simultaneously: On the same day (November 28th), the PLAN inducted Type 056 Corvette (Jiangdao class) Chaozhou (hull number 595) and Type 056A ASW Corvette Zhuzhou (hull number 594).

According to Navy Recognition's Chinese sources, "Chaozhou" (hull number 595) was launched in the water one year ago (on 12/11/2013).

"Chaozhou" is 17th to be commissioned in the PLAN and the 9th corvette commissioned so far this year. It will serve in the PLAN's South Sea Fleet.

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USAF toasts Whiskey designation for CRH fleet

The US Air Force has settled on the HH-60W designation for its future fleet of Sikorsky UH-60M Black Hawk-derived combat rescue helicopters (CRH), some five years before it will start taking delivery of the new type.

Announced on 24 November, the step will lead to the “-60 Whiskey” replacing the air force’s current fleet of HH-60G Pave Hawks in performing the personnel recovery role. These entered use from 1982.

“The official name of the HH-60W will be determined at a later date,” says the USAF, which will eventually operate a fleet of up to 112 of the new rotorcraft under a June 2014 deal worth a potential $7.9 billion.

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RAF Marham future safeguarded

RAF Marham is set to be the new home of four Lightning II stealth combat aircraft after the Ministry of Defence signed the contract last week.

Helping to secure the long-term suture of the base, the Defence Minister Philip Dunne said the deal will “cement the central role of Norfolk in military aviation.”

South West Norfolk MP Elizabeth Truss welcomed the announcement, which comes after four years of campaigning alongside fellow MPs, local councillors, residents, businesses and the media to protect the base.

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Israel Air Force to get only 14 F-35 fighter jets, not 31 as planned

The ministerial committee on defense procurement on Sunday approved the purchase of just 14 new F-35 stealth fighter jets, instead of 31 as the Israel Air Force had wanted.

Defense officials said the purchase was merely being staggered, and that the additional 17 fighter jets would be acquired in 2017, after additional consultations and an additional vote by the committee.

The 31 F-35s are to be added to the 19 already purchased to form two stealth fighter squadrons of 25 planes each. The first group of 19 cost $2.75 billion, funded out of U.S. military aid to Israel.

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Xian JH-7B fighter-bomber has new homegrown engine: Huanqiu

A Russian military news website claims China has installed an indigenous engine in its Xian JH-7B fighter bomber.

The plane has been designed to be difficult to detect, reports Huanqiu, the website of China's nationalistic Global Times.

A Xian JH-7B that has carried out test flights has been powered by the LM6 turbofan engine designed specifically for the aircraft which boasts more powerful thrust than the country's latest WS-10A engine.

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China moves ahead to develop sixth-generation fighter

China is moving ahead to develop a sixth-generation stealth fighter after it finishes the fifth-generation J-20 and J-31, Igor Korotchenko, head of the Centre for Analysis of World Arms Trade, has told the Moscow-based Voice of Russia.

The United States is the first nation to forge plans for the design of a sixth-generation fighter. Several artist renditions have already been revealed by Lockheed Martin and Boeing.

In an official statement, the US Navy claimed that a sixth-generation fighter — called FAXX — will replace the F/A-18E/F Super Hornets and EA-18G Growler by 2030. A source from the US military said that the Department of Defense has already prepared a budget for the development of FAXX in 2015.

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Fort Hood first to get new radar system for unmanned aircraft flights

Installation begins next month on a first-of-its-kind radar system at Robert Gray Army Airfield. The ground-based, sense-and-avoid radar system will paint a 3-D picture on a computer screen to help unmanned aircraft system operators know what’s flying around them.

It eventually could lead to allowing unmanned and manned aircraft to share airspace at Fort Hood — something currently prohibited.

“We’re green light, all systems go to get this up and running,” said Viva Kelley, product director for the Unmanned Aircraft Systems Airspace Integration Concepts product office based at Redstone Arsenal, Ala. “In the end, it will provide them much safer and less restricted access.”

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Hood Tech to help with jet engine research

U.S. Navy flight-test experts needed a company that specializes in to in-flight aircraft jet engine blade vibration and monitoring to help conduct flight tests on the U.S. Marine Corps AV-8B Harrier jump jet. They found their solution from Hood Tech Corp. in Hood River, Ore.

Officials of the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division at China Lake Naval Weapons Station, Calif., have announced their intention to negotiate exclusively with Hood Tech for a one-year contract for AV-8B support.

The AV-8B is a vertical- and short-takeoff fighter-bomber designed to operate from aircraft carriers, amphibious assault ships, and undeveloped land bases.

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The US Fifth Generation Fighter F-22 At Japan Joint Exercise Was A Warning To China And Russia

The U.S. fifth-generation fighters F-22 and F-35 made a splash at the recent, biennial US-Japan Exercise known as "Keen Sword" in Japan. The mid-November exercise saw the participation of 11,000 U.S. personnel from the U.S. Forces, U.S. Naval Forces Japan, the U.S. Army Japan and Marine Expeditionary Forces.

The presence of lethal fighters were a warning of sorts for regional biggies like China and Russia with combat scenarios and strategies at the joint exercise sending clear messages aginst the duo, according to a report in Want China Times.

The highlights were F-22s, stationed at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska, according to the Virginia-based Air Force Times. The Air Force showcased the most advanced stealth fighter at Japan and it flew at the training exercise as a show of deterrence and assured security in the region.

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Heeding defense needs, China’s aircraft carrier ambitions appear to move closer to reality

Since China deployed the Liaoning, an aircraft carrier purchased from Ukraine and later refurbished and relaunched by the Chinese navy as a training carrier, speculation has swirled around the construction of a homegrown aircraft carrier.

Although Chinese authorities have never openly confirmed whether a homemade carrier is underway, they have also never denied it.

China's military officials have given some clues, however. Ministry of National Defence spokesman Yang Yujun said last August that although the Liaoning is China's first aircraft carrier, "there will surely be more in future." He said that China will consider the development of aircraft carriers in accordance with its national defense needs, leading many to wonder how many carriers China is planning to build.

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Launch video: Russian nuclear sub test-fires Bulava ballistic missile

Russia's Borei-class strategic nuclear submarine, the Aleksandr Nevsky, successfully launched a Bulava intercontinental ballistic missile, Russia's Ministry of Defense said in a Friday statement.

The test launch was made from the Barents Sea firing range Kura, located on the Kamchatka Peninsula, from an underwater position.

The test completes this year's launch series.

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Subs debate may help price, says Abbott

The political debate over who will build Australia's next generation of submarines has had an upside, says Prime Minister Tony Abbott.

The government is seeking options on how to replace the fleet of six Collins class submarines, due to be retired around 2030.

Labor says Mr Abbott has broken an election promise to build the submarines in Adelaide and argues Australian shipbuilder ASC can do the job.

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