Taiwanese navy finds Chinese submarine in territorial waters near base

Tsoying base in Kaohsiung
A Chinese submarine crossed into territorial waters close to Taiwan's largest naval base last week, reports said yesterday.

The unidentified vessel was moving just 24 nautical miles southwest from the Tsoying base in Kaohsiung last Wednesday morning as Taiwan's navy was holding maneuvers close by, the Chinese-language United Evening News reported.

A Navy spokesman denied the newspaper story later yesterday.

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US boosts missile presence in Gulf as warning to Iran

The Obama administration is intensifying pressure on Iran by increasing its missile defences in the Middle East to defend against potential missile strikes in the region by Tehran, it emerged today.

The US military has boosted the capability of land-based Patriot defensive missiles in several Arab nations in the Gulf, and one official told the Associated Press the navy was also increasing the presence of ships capable of knocking out hostile missiles in flight.

The move – reported in several US newspapers this morning – appears to be a deliberate attempt by the White House to ratchet up pressure on Iran ahead of attempts to increase sanctions against the country.

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China to establish mily bases overseas

China has signaled that it wants to establish military bases overseas, following US steps to portray India as a regional super power.

"It is baseless to say that we will not set up any military bases in future because we have never sent troops abroad," said an article posted on a Chinese government website. "It is our right," the article said, suggesting it would be done in the neighbourhood.

The article posted on the website said that China should be capable of counter attacking its enemy countries from the country as well as from neighboring countries. "We should also be able to put pressure on the potential enemies’ overseas interests," said the posting by well-known columnist Shen Dingli.

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A shot in the right direction

The US already has thousands of military robots and unmanned aircraft in Afghanistan. As for the prospect of killer robots stalking the battlefield – Russia is catching up, with a Russian team building one too.

'The US has been using unmanned drones for a number of years, and now it is testing land-based robots in Iraq and Afghanistan, which despite being in their early stages, are showing a lot of potential.

But military forces around the world are not ignoring robot technology either. A Russian team from Moscow’s Bauman Technical University has been at work to build one too.

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T-50: A Preliminary Analysis

Well, this brings back the old days when Flug Revue would pop out some over-the-fence shots obtained from the Military Missions in East Germany, and the assembled reptiles at Flight would adjourn to our secret analysis facility to figure out what it all meant.

First of all, for anyone contemplating the use of the word "Raptorski": don't. While this is an airplane that could have been the answer to the Advanced Tactical Fighter requirement, way back when, it's not an F-22 in many important ways.

In a lot of ways, the T-50 reflects the heritage of the T-10 Flanker series - it's much more like them than Sukhoi's last fighter prototype, the forward-swept-wing Su-47 Berkut, ever was.

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Germany says collapse of Indian Airbus deal 'nasty surprise'

Germany's ambassador on Friday described as a "nasty surprise" India's decision to scrap a tender for six refuelling planes, for which Franco-German group EADS was front-runner.

India promised earlier this month to stage the global tender again after saying the 60-billion-rupee (1.31-billion dollar) price for six Airbus A-330 mid-air refuelling aircraft quoted by EADS was too high. Airbus is an EADS company.

"It came as a little bit of a nasty surprise for us and very disappointing that it was rejected at the political level," Germany's ambassador to India, Thomas Matussek, told reporters in New Delhi.

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Mayport to get aircraft carrier

Navy finds Jacksonville to be best base for the East Coast vessel. It will take more than $500 million, five years to get station ready.
Mayport Naval Station will become the homeport for a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, according to the Quadrennial Defense Review to be submitted to Congress on Monday.

Echoing the wording used a year ago when the Navy said it planned to move a carrier here, the review says “to mitigate the risk of a terrorist attack, accident or natural disaster, the Navy will homeport an East Coast carrier in Mayport, Florida.”

The document was posted Friday night on the Web site of the political newsletter CongressDaily and confirmed by several sources.

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China suspends military exchanges with US

China suspended military exchange visits with the United States on Saturday in protest over $6.4 billion in planned U.S. arms sales to Taiwan and warned the U.S. ambassador that the sales would harm already strained ties.

The state-run Xinhua News Agency cited the Defense Ministry as saying the suspension is due to the "severe harm" of the arms sales on the two countries' military relations.

China took a similar step in 2008 after the former Bush administration announced a multibillion-dollar arms sale to Taiwan _ the most sensitive issue in U.S.-China relations.

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Raytheon-Boeing Team Completes First Joint Air-to-Ground Missile Captive Flight Test

Raytheon Company and The Boeing Company completed a series of captive flight tests for the Joint Air-to-Ground Missile competition. The tests prove the system is ready for guided test shots.

"The Raytheon-Boeing JAGM is a mature, capable system. We have proved the technical readiness of this superior warfighting solution," said Bob Francois, vice president of Raytheon Missile Systems' Advanced Missiles and Unmanned Systems product line.

"JAGM meets the warfighter's needs and is affordable across the acquisition spectrum including development, operations and support costs."

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Austal Contract for JHSV 2 and 3

The U.S. Navy has exercised contract options funding the construction of two additional Austal Joint High Speed Vessels (JHSV) – as part of an existing 10-vessel, $1.6b program.

Austal previously received US Navy funding for long lead-time material, including diesel engines, water jets and reduction gears, for these two vessels in June 2009. The additional work is valued at approximately $208m.

Intended as the U.S. Department of Defense’s next-generation multi-use platform, the two 338 ft high speed vessels will be constructed at Austal’s US facility, located in Mobile, Ala.

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Boeing B-52 With CONECT Upgrade Accomplishes 1st Test Flight

Boeing announced today that a B-52H upgraded with new communication technology successfully accomplished its first test flight at Edwards Air Force Base on Jan. 17. The Combat Network Communications Technology (CONECT) upgrade allows B-52H crews to receive and send real-time digital information during their missions.

The more than three-hour flight around the Edwards area included an initial system build-up test, interphone test and communication test. The test process included power-on of each system in flight to determine that there were no adverse effects on flight-essential systems.

"Completion of the first test flight brings us one step closer to giving command centers and troops on the ground the ability to communicate with the B-52 through the military's digital information network," said Jim Kroening, Boeing B-52 Development Programs manager. "Augmenting current voice-based communication gives B-52 crews greater situational awareness and significantly enhanced mission capabilities."

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First flight of new Su plane successful

The Russian fifth-generation fighter took off for its first flight in the Far East on Friday. The test flight was successful.

"The first flight of the fifth-generation plane has been carried out today. It took place in Komsomolsk-on-Amur. The plane was in the air for about 45 minutes. The flight was normal. The plane proved itself very well. All our expectations for the first flight came true. The premiere was successful," the Sukhoi company's spokeswoman Olga Kayukova said on Rossiya 24 Television.

The flight was originally planned for Thursday, but postponed for the next day due to the unfavourable weather conditions.

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Russia optimistic about MIG-35's victory in Indian Air Force tender

Russia on Thursday expressed optimism that the MiG-35 fighter jets fielded by it in the Indian Air Force's tender for acquisition of 126 Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) will prove an edge over its Western rivals and ultimately win the contract.

"We hope that our aircraft would be the winner," chief of Rosoboronexport (ROE), Russia's sole state intermediary agency for export-import of defence-related technologies and services, Anatoly Isaikin said.

"Russia is competing with top aircraft manufacturers of the US and Europe. Such tenders are carried out in several stages and takes time. We are in the middle and so far, no one has dropped out," he said.

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Flag moves include 1st woman CSG commander

The Navy’s newest aircraft carrier will be the first to have its strike group commanded by a woman, according to an announcement Thursday.

Rear Adm. Nora Tyson has been assigned as the next commander of the Norfolk, Va.,-based Carrier Strike Group 2, which includes the carrier George H.W. Bush, according to an announcement from the Pentagon. Lt. Justin Cole, a Navy spokesman, said Tyson would be the first woman to command a carrier strike group in Navy history.

Tyson will move from her current assignment as commander of the Western Pacific Logistics Group when her orders are issued in the early summer, Cole said.

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China's share in Russian arms export dropping

Buying of arms by Russia's one-time biggest customer, China, has seen a decline and such trend may continue, head of the country's sole state intermediary agency for export-import of defence-related technologies and services said today.

"China's share in our (arms) exports is now less than 18 per cent and will further drop," Director General of Rosoboronexport, Anatoly Isaikin said.

Addressing a press conference here, Isaikin said the dwindling volume of arms sales to China was logical.

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Despite weld problems, Navy official is 'confident' in Northrop Grumman

The Navy's top acquisition official said this week he is confident in Northrop Grumman Corp.'s ability to deliver quality ships to the Navy despite widespread problems reported last week on surface ships built at Northrop's Gulf Coast shipyards.

Sean Stackley, the Navy's assistant secretary for research, development and acquisition, called the issues "rare" and said Northrop and the Navy are reviewing waterfront processes and procedures to ensure similar problems don't arise in the future.

His comments came a week after the Navy confirmed that all vessels built at Northrop's shipyards in Avondale, La., and Pascagoula, Miss., over the last several years are under investigation for a host of problems, including improper welds and defective engines and lube-oil systems.

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Finland contracts Saab for RBS 70

Finnish defense authorities have awarded a follow-on contract to Saab for an additional delivery of the company's widely deployed air defense technologies.

Sweden-based Saab announced it has been selected by Finland to deliver an order of its Robotsystem 70, or RBS 70, ground based air defense system.

Under the approximately $35.6 million order, global defense contractor Saab will deliver its RBS 70s, a short-range man-portable laser guided missile system, to the Finnish army.

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Russian 5th-generation fighter to make maiden flight on Friday

Russia is set to hold the first test of its futuristic fifth-generation fighter jet on Friday, a source at the country's largest aircraft producer said on Thursday.

"The [test] flight was initially scheduled for Thursday, but has been postponed," the source at the Gagarin KNAAPO company, a subsidiary of aircraft holding Sukhoi, said.

Russia's only known fifth-generation project is Sukhoi's PAK FA and the current prototype is the T-50. It is designed to compete with the U.S. F-22 Raptor, so far the world's only fifth-generation fighter, and the F-35 Lightning II, but has yet to take to the skies.

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NATO looking for AWACS base in Gulf to support ISAF

The chairman of NATO’s Military Committee, Admiral Giampaolo Di Paola, has said here that the Alliance is in discussion with a Gulf state to deploy AWACS planes for reconnaissance mission over Afghanistan in support of its ISAF mission and also for anti-piracy off Somalia.

“The Alliance is close to closing the basic issue with one of the Gulf country,” he said in reply to a question during a press conference Wednesday following a two-day meeting of NATO’S military chiefs. Di Pialo did not mention the name of the country.

“We are looking forward to be in a position to follow on the temporary deployment that we have today in Oman with a more permanent long-term deployment,” he said.

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ASDF transport prototype tested

A prototype of the Air Self-Defense Force's next-generation transport aircraft performed its first test flight Tuesday in Kakamigahara, Gifu Prefecture, more than two years behind schedule due to structural integrity problems.

Code-named XC2, the two-engine jet is being developed by Kawasaki Heavy Industries.

KHI started work on the plane in 2001 as part of a ¥340 billion government project.

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Former USAF officer blows whistle on "illegal" anti-airship move?

US combat troops are "needlessly" dying because culturally-biased US Air Force officers rejected readily available lighter-than-air technology four years ago, says Ed Herlik, a former Air Force Space Command officer.

Now the managing director of the Market Intelligence Group (MIG), Herlik has gone public on YouTube with his frustration about what he calls an "illegal" move by a former Space Command official to countermand a direct order by a former USAF chief of staff.

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Aircraft carrier George H.W. Bush leaves for sea trials

The aircraft carrier George H.W. Bush left Northrop Grumman Newport News Shipbuilding for sea trials Wednesday after a seven-month maintenance period.

The carrier’s electronics, communication, navigation and other combat systems that were built or modified in the shipyard will be tested, a news release from the Navy said. The ship’s catapults, jet blast deflectors and berthing spaces also will be inspected.

After the trials, the Navy’s newest aircraft carrier will return to its homeport at Norfolk Naval Station to begin preparing for deployment.

Source

Fourth successful test launch of M-51 SLBM

The fourth successful trial launch of an M-51 submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) was carried out recently by the France’s Directorate General of Armaments (DGA).

According to news release by the French Ministry of Defence, the launch took place from the nuclear submarine Le Terrible in the Bay of Audierne, in Western Brittany.

Hervé Morin, Defence Minister of France, congratulated the team involved in the test launch.

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START-ing Without China

On Sunday, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev told reporters his country was close to agreement with the United States on extending the landmark Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, better known as START I, which expired in early December. Whatever one thinks of the proposed arrangement, there is a fundamental problem: China will not be a party to the deal.

As Beijing is fond of saying, we live in a multipolar world. If that is true, then bilateral-weapons agreements are out-of-date. Yet the Chinese, when it comes to arms-reduction matters, play the count-me-out card, even though they are supposed to dominate this century.

Their position is that they will talk about limiting their strategic weapons only after the U.S. and Russia have in fact reduced theirs.

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Koreas Exchange Fire Along Disputed Border

North and South Korea exchanged artillery fire along their disputed western sea border on Wednesday, an official said, escalating tensions on the divided peninsula. (Jan. 27)

Thales displays innovative integrated mast at Pacific 2010

Thales's innovative I-Mast 100 will be on display at this week's Pacific 2010 international maritime exposition in Sydney, demonstrating the company's leading international position in naval sensor systems.

The I-Mast 100 is a central mast structure that houses all of a ship's radar and optronic sensors, Identification Friend-or-Foe (IFF), electronic warfare antennas, communication antennas including SATCOMs, and all associated cabinets and peripherals.

More specifically, it is a reference design that can be adapted to meet specific requirements - in terms of shape and antenna configuration - from navies and shipyards.

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Libyan Minister Arrives for Arms Talks

Libya's defense minister arrived in Moscow on Tuesday for talks that Russian media said could result in a $2 billion defense contract including 20 jets.

Officials in the Libyan Embassy in Moscow confirmed that Major General Abu-Bakr Yunis Jabr was making the trip but declined to discuss the likelihood of a deal, saying only that a news conference might be scheduled for Wednesday.

"Libya is ready to buy around 20 fighter planes, not less than two divisions of S-300PMU-2 air defense systems, several dozen T-90S tanks from Russia, and also to modernize more than 140 T-72 tanks and other weapons," Interfax reported, citing what it called "a military-diplomatic source."

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RTAF seeks B20bn jet fleet budget

The air force is seeking cabinet approval to buy six more Gripen jet fighters and upgrade six F-16 fighters at a combined cost of more than 20 billion baht.

Royal Thai Air Force deputy spokesman Monthon Satchukorn yesterday said a proposal had been submitted to cabinet to buy the Gripens for about 15.4 billion baht and upgrade the F-16 fighters at a cost of about 6.9 billion baht.

The air force hopes the submission will be approved by the cabinet today.

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HMAS Sydney, Melbourne, Darwin and Newcastle return after $1.5bn upgrade

A troubled $1.5 billion upgrade of the Navy's four Adelaide class frigates has finally been completed, almost five years behind schedule.

Prime contractor Thales Australia today announced the four warships, HMAS Sydney, Melbourne, Darwin and Newcastle, had been contractually accepted into service by the navy and the project had been struck from the Government's notorious “Projects of Concern” blacklist.

Speaking at the opening of the Pacific 2010 Maritime Congress exposition in Sydney, Defence Minister John Faulkner said valuable lessons had been learnt.

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F-35 To Dominate Future Fighter Market

During the past decade, world fighter production totaled only around 2,500 units, but over the next 10 years, annual deliveries are set to rise.

Unlike the 1970s and 1980s, when large numbers of dedicated ground-attack aircraft were produced in addition to fighters, the modern market for combat aircraft is focused almost exclusively on multirole fighters that can handle both the air superiority and attack missions.

The U.S. Air Force recently proposed building a new bomber, but this program is not expected to deliver an aircraft until the 2020s.

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India debuts bioattack resistant frigate

India has revealed its fist indigenously built stealth class frigate, which will be inducted in April, that is equipped with state of the art defenses against biological, chemical and nuclear attacks.

The multi-role stealth frigate INS Shivalik, along with the currently under construction INS Satpura and INS Sahyadri, will feature an Atmospheric Control System to filter and control the temperature and humidity of air entering the ship at all times.

"It removes any radioactive, chemical or biological impurities, thereby protecting the crew and the systems even during a nuclear, biological or chemical attack," an official told Domain-B.Com.

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Iran to unveil missiles during anniversary

A top commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guards said on Tuesday that the country's armed forces will unveil several missiles and weapons at the 31st anniversary of the Islamic revolution next month.

Mehr news agency quoted commander Massud Jazayeri as saying: "Several missile and weapons projects will be unveiled during the 10 days of dawn (February 1 to 11) by armed forces."

Jazayeri's announcement comes less than a week after Tehran said it will reveal three new satellites in February.

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North Korea may be readying missile test - S.Korea TV

North Korea has declared a no-sail zone off its west coast, indicating it may be readying to test-launch missiles in the area, South Korean news broadcaster YTN on Tuesday quoted a military official as saying.

The area is near a contested sea border with the South that was the site of a brief naval clash in November between the states, technically still at war, that left a South Korean ship pockmarked with bullet holes and a North Korean vessel limping back to port in flames.

About a month before that clash, North Korea rattled regional security by firing short-range missiles off its east coast.

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Military might, colours of India unfold at R-Day parade

A cold and foggy morning failed to dampen the enthusiasm of thousands of spectators who turned out Tuesday to witness India proudly displaying its military might and its cultural diversity at the 61st Republic Day parade.

The fog, however, meant that the customary showering of rose petals by three Indian Air Force (IAF) helicopters flying in an inverted 'V' formation ahead of the parade rolling down Rajpath had to be cancelled but the fly past that concludes the show went through as scheduled.

The 110-minute parade also reinforced a trend that has been evident for the past few years in that where it was once a display of India's arms imports, the military hardware developed in the country is increasingly on display.

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Indian Navy commissions six new crafts

The Indian Navy has augmented its fleet of fast attack crafts with the commission of six new ones as part of enhancing coastal security to prevent infiltration of possible terrorists and prevent 26/11 type terror attacks.

The acquisition of six new fast attack craft, which could touch a speed of 70 kmph and the proposed commissioning of 50 to 60 intermediate and small fast crafts to be deployed at various ports along the western and eastern coasts were aimed at enhancing the coastal security and to augment the Navy's fleet, Rear Admiral P Murugesan, Flag Officer Commanding, Eastern Fleet, told reporters on board Navy Ship ''INS Jalashwa''.

To a question of 'aging' ships in the Indian Navy, he said all ships were being maintained well.

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Northrop Grumman's Scalable Agile Beam Radar (SABR) Successfully Demonstrated Aboard U.S. Air Force F-16

Northrop Grumman Corporation, in conjunction with the U.S. Air Force, has successfully completed a series of demonstration flights of its Scalable Agile Beam Radar (SABR) installed in an F-16 fighter aircraft at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.

The demonstration was in support of a U.S. Air Force F-16 Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) feasibility study.

"Almost two years ago Northrop Grumman said that air forces of the future will necessarily gravitate toward using AESA technology – especially through scalable retrofit technology.

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Soldiers In Iraq Employ New UAS

Placing a new aircraft in a combat situation is a true test of its capabilities and future role within the Army.

Unmanned aircraft systems have become a mainstay in military operations during Operation Iraqi Freedom; injecting new concepts and technologies will only further push the uses of these aircraft.

Quick Reaction Capability 1, attached to 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, U.S. Division - Center, is a small unit with a handful of Soldiers deployed from Unmanned Aircraft Systems Training Battalion out of Fort Huachuca, Ariz., that has spent the past months putting the new MQ-1C Sky Warrior UAS through numerous tests to help Department of Army officials determine the path of the unmanned aircraft systems.

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Russian warship starts patrol of Somali waters

A Russian frigate, the Neustrashimy, has started a patrol mission in the pirate-infested area off the Horn of Africa and the Gulf of Aden, a Russian Navy spokesman said.

"The Neustrashimy crew has started its mission to protect shipping routes and fight piracy. It has successfully escorted a convoy of commercial vessels through the dangerous areas of the Gulf of Aden and the Horn of Africa," the spokesman said.

He added that the convoy consisted of 12 vessels under different flags. "Some of the crews included Russians," he said.

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MoD staff leaked secret data online

Staff in the Ministry of Defence (MoD) have repeatedly leaked secret data onto Facebook, Twitter and internet forums.

A Freedom of Information (FoI) request by Lewis PR revealed that MoD staff had leaked secret data 16 times in the last 18 months.

While it has not been made clear what sort of information was leaked, MoD staff would be penalised for publishing information on operations or deployments, wider defence activity or sensitive political activity without authorisation.

The MoD refused to comment on whether the leaks related to operational issues.

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Taiwan arms sale latest test for US-China ties

China criticized the U.S. Tuesday ahead of the expected announcement of new arms sales to Taiwan, the latest in a series of disputes raising tensions between Washington and Beijing.

The U.S. administration has been consulting with Congress ahead of a formal announcement of the sale, which is likely to include Black Hawk helicopters and Patriot missiles, senior U.S. congressional aides told The Associated Press.

China opposes all arms sales to the island it considers a renegade province and will likely suspend U.S. military exchanges in response.

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Rolls-Royce to provide engines for RAF's Typhoons

Britain’s Defence Ministry has awarded a £865million ($1.4 billion) contract to Rolls-Royce to provide engines for the Royal Air Force's Typhoon fighter aircraft.

As per the ten-year contract, Rolls-Royce will provide maintenance and support services to the EJ200 engines fitted in the Typhoons.

“This contract will ensure that our Typhoon aircraft continue to meet their operational commitments as a cornerstone of the UK's air defence capabilities.

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Fire on BAE Systems Barrow submarine

A fire broke out on board a £1bn submarine in Barrow last night.

Five fire engines raced to the Devonshire Dock Hall after the fire started in cabling and ducting inside the Astute class submarine Ambush.

A Cumbria Fire and Rescue service spokesman said the fire was eventually put out by two firefighters with a hosereel, and BAE staff also deployed a fine water spray system.

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2010 ABL Video

The Airborne Laser (ABL) research and development platform successfully fired the onboard High Energy Laser (HEL) to engage an instrumented target missile, called a Missile Alternative Range Target Instrument (MARTI).

This test demonstrated the full functionality of the ABL system to successfully acquire, track, and engage a boosting target.

Test instrumentation aboard the MARTI collected data to evaluate ABL laser system performance.

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Navy's Collins-class fleet 'reduced to one working submarine'

The navy's trouble-prone $6 billion submarine fleet has been reduced to one operational boat, raising serious questions about the long-term serviceability of the six Collins-Class vessels designed to serve as Australia's frontline strike weapon.

Chief of the navy Russ Crane yesterday confirmed a generator failure last week on board HMAS Farncomb meant the submarine would have to be returned to dry dock for urgent repairs.

Opposition defence spokesman David Johnston said by his count, the Royal Australian Navy's operational submarines were now down to one - HMAS Rankin - and the government had a major maintenance crisis to solve.

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Dutch Navy to Deliver Navy Divers, Aid to Haiti

Dutch Navy ship HNLMS Pelikaan (A 804) arrived at Guantanamo Bay (GTMO) Naval Station Jan. 22 to on load relief supplies and Navy divers from Mobile Dive and Salvage Unit 2 (MDSU 2) to assist with humanitarian assistance operations in Haiti.

Pelikaan, a logistics support vessel homeported in the Dutch Antilles island of Curacao, departed GTMO immediately after embarking the divers and was expected to arrive in Haiti Jan. 23. MDSU 2 divers are being called upon to provide critical underwater clearance operations in and around Port-Au-Prince to allow port access for the seaborne delivery of relief supplies.

Many port and pier facilities were badly damaged in the Jan. 12 earthquake, and relief supplies have been arriving primarily through Port-Au-Prince airport and from Navy amphibious and air assets off shore.

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Indonesian Air Force to purchase 16 Super Tucano fighters

The Indonesian Air Force plans to purchase a squadron of 16 warplanes widely known as Super Tucanoes to replace the OV-10 Bronco aircraft, which have been in service for more than three decades, says Air Force Chief Marshal Imam Sufaat.

"The purchase is part of our effort to improve the Air Force's weaponry system. We have proposed the purchase to the government with the hope that they will grant the funds," he said in Yogyakarta on Saturday.

Imam was in Yogyakarta to witness the job transfer of the Air Force Academy governor from Rear Marshal BS Silaen to his successor Air Commodore Sru Artjarjo.

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Turkey to provide Cobra spare parts free of cost

President Asif Ali Zardari Sunday urged the international community to help Pakistan and Afghanistan overcome problems of the region, observing that Turkish-inspired Trilateral Summit could serve as useful model in this behalf.

The President stated this during a call on Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan who promised that his country would soon deliver spare parts of Cobra helicopters to Pakistan free of cost, underlining the growing cooperation between the two countries in different fields.

“Pakistan today is facing different challenges arising from the conflict in the region and it is incumbent upon the international community to step forward and help both the countries in tackling these challenges”, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Malik Ammad Khan, quoted the President as saying in a briefing to reporters after the meeting.

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For India's single-largest defence deal, SAAB offers 'independent choice'

Inclement weather conditions are set to jeopardise the flight display of a Gripen C fighter aircraft at the Skaraborg Air Force Wing, located near Lidkoping in south central Sweden. Till, the enthusiasm of a rookie pilot of the Swedish Air Force carries the day.

He steps forward, and takes the single-seater machine into the clouds, performs a series of fascinating manoeuvres within a very limited airspace pocket (so that the plane is visible), makes a perfect landing and brings the plane to a halt within 500 metres after touching down, all in a matter of minutes.

The pilot's eagerness to perform is somewhat mirrored in the way the Swedish company SAAB, the manufacturer of the Gripen aircraft, is going about competing for IAF's $10.2 billion (around Rs 48,000 crore) worth tender for 126 Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft.

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Canadian navy says no to buying American

Faced with delays and restrictions about what it can and cannot do with U.S. technology, Canada’s navy has opted to modernize its frigates using as much non-American equipment as possible for key systems on the ships.

The Defence Department had stipulated that the command-and-control systems on the multibillion-dollar frigate upgrade be free of U.S. regulations, say officials with Lockheed Martin Canada in Ottawa, the company handling the contract.

In the past, the strict enforcement by the U.S. government of technology restrictions under International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) has delayed the delivery of military equipment to Canada.

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Flaw to delay missile test 7 months

A hardware problem on a Minuteman 3 missile at Vandenberg Air Force Base led to a seven-month delay for a test that now won’t occur before mid-June, officials said.

Confirmation of the long delay comes as engineers continue to analyze the problem and suggest repairs.

Vandenberg officials announced two days before the planned Nov. 18 launch that the missile test’s postponement would “allow for the completion of ground testing prior to launching.”

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Indian Navy's Foxtrot submarines to be history soon

They have been of valuable service to the Indian Navy for more than 35 years. The Soviet-built Foxtrot submarines, with which the navy's submarine arm came into existence, will be history soon with the two remaining submarines of this class being retired by 2011 - bringing an era to an end.

The Russian Navy had retired its last Foxtrots between 1995 and 2001. However, the Indian Navy is still operating two of them - INS Vela, commissioned in 1973, and INS Vagli, commissioned in 1974.

"One of the Foxtrot submarines, INS Vela will be de-commissioned this year. The last one INS Vagli would retire in 2011," a senior Indian Navy official, wishing anonymity, told IANS.

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Ark Royal returns as flagship of the Royal Navy

HMS Ark Royal will return as the navy's fleet flagship and strike aircraft carrier on Monday after finishing months of trials.

The Portsmouth-based warship will take over from her sister ship HMS Illustrious after tests on her weapons and communications systems after a seven-month refit.

The ship was also put through its paces during six weeks of basic operational sea training off the south west coast.

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New Israeli Subs To Station In Persian Gulf

This week, a delegation of seven Israeli government cabinet ministers, headed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, held a joint cabinet meeting with their counterparts in Berlin, Germany.

The reported subject under discussion: Israel’s intention to station new German-made submarines in the Persian Gulf on a permanent basis. This was reported on Sunday by the German newspaper Der Tagesspiegel.

The German newspaper reported that Israel requested from Germany to consent to subsidize the construction of a sixth submarine for Israel, manufactured in Germany.

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Army plans induction of BrahMos with 'surgical strike' option

Army is going in for a major induction of BrahMos Block-II land-attack cruise missiles (LACM), which have been designed as "precision strike weapons" capable of hitting small targets in cluttered urban environments.

Sources say the defence ministry will ``soon'' approach the Cabinet Committee on Security, chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, for the green signal to arm the Army with two regiments of the BrahMos Block-II land-attack cruise missiles (LACM).

Swift induction of BrahMos Block-II is necessary because Pakistan Army is inducting its nuclear-capable Babur LACM, developed with China's help to have a 500-km strike range, in large numbers.

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Nuclear submarine the USS Los Angeles to be decommissioned

Glancing at the green-and-black sonar screens aboard the USS Los Angeles, Cmdr. Steven Harrison reminisced about the brief 1 1/2 years he oversaw operations aboard the nuclear-powered submarine.

Goodwill stops throughout the Pacific Ocean and intense training missions are just some of the moments he will miss, but it's memories of his young crew that he'll cherish the most.

"Most of these guys are in their early 20s, but they're some of the brightest men in the Navy who are able to drive a nuclear submarine," Harrison said. "They don't know what to expect when they start out, but they realize it's an important job and don't mind being on a sub for 30 to 60 days at a time."

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Myanmar Air Force jet crashes near Yangon airport

A Myanmar Air Force fighter plane crashed on Friday morning while attempting to land at Yangon airport, killing its pilot, an airport official said.

An official at Yangon International Airport said the Chinese-made F-7 jet crashed while on a training flight.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the press.

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First indigenous Shivalik class frigate to be inducted in April

The Indian Navy will induct its first indigenously-built Shivalik class stealth frigate in April, an official said.

Christened INS Shivalik, the multi-role stealth frigate has been built at Mumbai's Mazagon Docks Limited under Project 17. Two more such vessels are under construction.

"The first of the frigates will be inducted in April. The ship has been provided with structural, thermal and acoustic stealth features to augment its potent capability," an official said, requesting anonymity.

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US Air Force says Lockheed missile "back on track"

Lockheed Martin Corp's (LMT.N) $6 billion radar-evading JASSM cruise missile is "back on track" after acing 18 of 19 tests since September 2009, the Air Force colonel in charge of the program said on Thursday.

The Air Force on Wednesday awarded Lockheed a $245 million contract to build an eighth lot of 160 more baseline and extended range Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff missiles (JASSM) for the Air Force and foreign military customers.

"With the award of the Lot 8 contract, the Air Force has further expressed its confidence that the program is back on track to continue delivering its unique combination of stealth, standoff precision, and flexibility off of both fighters and bombers," Air Force Colonel Stephen Demers told Reuters.

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Russian FM 'doesn't understand' Polish missiles

Morag, near the Baltic coast
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says he doesn't understand Poland's plans to station a battery of U.S. Patriot missiles near the border with the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad.

Lavrov was reacting Friday to an announcement Wednesday by the Polish Defense Ministry saying a base with up to eight launch pads and manned by some 100 U.S. troops will be installed in the town 37 miles (60 kilometers) from the Poland-Kaliningrad border.

Poland says the missiles, to be installed in April, will be used to train the military.

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United Arab Emirates Navy Orders Two Stealth Vessels

Fincantieri has gained a further important new order from the United Arab Emirates Navy for the construction of two stealth vessels, “Falaj 2”. The contract includes an option for a further two sister ships for the UAE Navy and technology transfer from the Company to a local shipyard.

Two of the four vessels will be built at the Group’s Italian shipyards, with delivery scheduled in the second half of 2012.

At 55 metres long and 8.60 metres wide the ships will be able to exceed 20 knots and accommodate a crew of 28. They will feature advanced stealth characteristics to reduce their detectability.

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Laser guided bombs tested successfully

India today carried out two successful flight trials of laser-guided bombs (LGBs) for the IAF to test the effectiveness of the guidance and control systems at the Chandipur integrated test range in Orissa.

"Two flight trials were conducted today at Integrated Test Range, Chandipur, to test the effectiveness of the guidance and control systems of the LGBs," a Defence Ministry release said here.

IAF officers flew their aircraft and released the LGBs as per prescribed standard operating procedures.

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US to supply 'Shadow' drones to Pakistan

The United States plans to provide Pakistan with a dozen unarmed drone aircraft that will help bolster its military as it takes on Taliban militants, US defence officials said.

Details of the drones emerged late Thursday during a visit to Pakistan by Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who was asked in an interview with Pakistani television if Washington would supply Islamabad with the unmanned aircraft.

"There are some tactical UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) that we are considering, yes," Gates said.

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RAF urged to cut ‘Cold War’ new jets for cheap propeller aircraft

The RAF is under pressure to cut its multibillion-pound orders for fast jets in favour of cheaper propeller aircraft as part of a review of defence spending.

The suggestion, from General Sir David Richards, has ignited a debate that pitches the head of the Army against his opposite numbers in the other two Services.

General Richards, Chief of the General Staff, believes that the Super Tucano offers a cost-effective alternative to fast jets such as the Cold War-era Eurofighter Typhoon in counter-insurgency operations such as those in Afghanistan.

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Korean Fighter, Helicopter Plans to Start in 2011

Plans to locally develop a fighter aircraft and an attack helicopter will start next year.

The plan is part of comprehensive projects to develop the nation’s aerospace industry over the next decade, the Ministry of National Defense said Thursday.

It was approved by an ad hoc committee of the Ministry of Knowledge and Economy.

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India issues RFI for refuelling tankers

India's defence ministry has issued a fresh request for information linked to its possible future purchase of six new in-flight refuelling aircraft, having put the brakes on a previous competition process late in 2009.

New Delhi confirms that it has issued the new request to potential suppliers, but declines to comment further on its requirements or potential procurement schedule.

Boeing says it has received the RFI and plans to participate, but adds that as "to what type we will be offering, that is still subject to internal discussions. The company has just received the RFI, and is studying it to determine India's requirements."

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Pentagon underscores commitment to F-35

Deputy Defense Secretary William Lynn on Thursday underscored the Pentagon's commitment to Lockheed Martin Corp's $300 billion F-35 fighter jet, saying the U.S. government and its allies still planned to buy 3,000 of the new fighters over time.

"We are heavily investing in the F-35. A successful Joint Strike Fighter is at the heart of our continued air superiority," Lynn told industry and military officials at a conference hosted by Tufts University and the Institute for Foreign Policy Analysis.

Draft budget documents obtained by Reuters show the department will request $10.7 billion to continue the F-35's development and buy 42 aircraft in fiscal year 2011, 10 less than initially planned.

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Brazil still pondering second joint missile project with SA

The Brazilian Navy remains interested in South Africa's Umkhonto naval surface-to-air missile (SAM), in particular in proposed longer-range versions.

The Umkhonto – the name translates into English as Spear – is a product of Denel Dynamics, and is in service with the South African Navy and the Finnish Navy.

Denel Dynamics is a subsidiary of the State-owned Denel defence industrial group.

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