Netherlands sells off aircraft

Five F-16 fighters from the Netherlands are on their way to Chile as the government continues to cut expenditures.

The planes, which departed Monday from Volkel Air Base, are part of a 2009 sales agreement between the two countries.

The Dutch Ministry of Defense said the first two batches of F-16s -- totaling 12 aircraft in all -- were delivered in November 2010 and in April of this year.

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BAE Systems Completes Successful Test of Mk 38 Tactical Laser System Concept

BAE Systems, Boeing, and the U.S. Navy recently conducted a successful test of the Mk 38 MOD 2 Tactical Laser System (TLS) concept at Eglin Air Force Base in Eglin, Fla.

The Mk 38 TLS concept is a proposed high energy laser addition to the Mk 38 naval gun systems that are currently deployed on most surface combatants.

The results of the recent field testing demonstrated a capability to identify and classify hostile targets and provide rapid hand-off to the Mobile Active Targeting Resource for Integrated Experiments (MATRIX) system for interdiction.

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NATO planes collide mid-air over Lithuania

Two NATO aircraft, one Lithuanian and one French, have collided mid-air over Lithuania. One of the planes crashed but its pilots managed to escape unharmed.

"The pilots were soon after located and transported by the Lithuanian Air Force search and rescue helicopter Mi-8 to the Lithuanian Air Force Base. After health check up, the pilots reported back to the service," the Lithuanian Defense Ministry said in a press statement.

The collision took place between Lithuania's light attack aircraft L-39 ZA Albatross and a French fighter aircraft Mirage 2000 C during a training operation.

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China ship with 22 labs spied on India

India detected a Chinese spy ship disguised as a fishing trawler in the Indian Ocean a few months ago.

By the time ship figured in the Indian radars, it had operated already for about 22 days and was positioned off-the cost of Little Anadaman - an area which is considered sensitive and crucial in the ongoing battle for supremacy over the Indian Ocean region between India and China.

Immediately after detection an Indian Navy Ship was sent after it. However, since the Chinese ship was in international waters, no punitive action could be taken against it.

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Now May Be Time To Weigh Destroyer Options

With U.S. Navy Secretary Ray Mabus’ recent acknowledgment that the service has a mind to refit its older DDG-51 Arleigh Burke destroyers with hybrid-drive technology as well as design the new Flight III ships with similar propulsions systems, the Navy should take the advice of many defense analysts and do a true analysis of alternatives (AOA) to determine the best course to take for the future fleet.

Analysts have lamented that the Navy has never done a true AOA for destroyers and cruisers to find the best ship fit – upgraded DDG-51s, downgraded DDG-1000 Zumwalts or CG(X), or even something brand new.

That criticism came before the Navy talked about retrofitting old Arleigh Burkes and outfitting new ones with costly hybrid drives.

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Australia Approves $3Bn Defence Capability Projects

The Minister for Defence, Stephen Smith, and Minister for Defence Materiel, Jason Clare today announced that the Government has approved four major Defence capability projects.

The projects are:

• The acquisition of over 950 new four wheel drive vehicles as well as trailers and associated equipment for training purposes (combined first and second pass approval for the acquisition of Light and Lightweight Tactical Training Vehicles under Land 121 Phase 5A);
• The upgrade of Navy’s current long range Standard Missile-2 (SM2) air defence missiles for future use by the Air Warfare Destroyers (SEA 4000 Phase 3.2 combined first and second pass approval);

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Israeli sends extra warships to patrol Red Sea

Israel said on Tuesday it had sent two extra warships to patrol the Red Sea but it downplayed reports that they were connected to an Egyptian sweep of the Sinai peninsula for militants.

A military official said the deployment was routine but declined to say what operational duties the ships were performing.

"I can confirm that there are two naval craft in the Red Sea. This is not unusual," the official told Reuters.

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New stealth boat touted as ideal for special ops

A new kind of boat is designed to move quickly and stealthily through water by generating a layer of gas around its underwater surfaces.

The design reduces friction by a factor of 900, according to the New Hampshire company that produced the boat. Its smooth speed makes it ideal for special operations. It could also revolutionize shipping.

Juliet Marine recently unveiled the Ghost, a ship it says can reach speeds of up to 60 miles per hour. The shape of the craft is similar to earlier attempts at making watercraft less visible to radar — notably the Navy's "Sea Shadow" project of the 1980s.

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Iran sends submarine, warship on Red Sea patrol

Iran has dispatched a submarine and a warship to the Red Sea on a patrol mission, navy commander Admiral Habibollah Sayyari said in a report by state media Tuesday.

"This flotilla which is comprised of a submarine and a warship will patrol the high seas and display the capabilities of the Islamic republic of Iran," Sayyari was quoted as saying by the state television website.

Iran sends submarine, warship on Red Sea patrol
In July, Iran announced intentions to boost its military presence in international waters, with plans to deploy warships in the Atlantic.

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Arab Spring an 'intel disaster' for West

The Arab Spring has been "an intelligence disaster" for Western security services because of the fall of Middle Eastern leaders working with the United States and Europe, says a former Central Intelligence Agency chief.

"The help we were getting from the Egyptian intelligence service, less so from the Tunisians but certainly from the Libyans and Lebanese, has dried up -- either because of resentment at our governments stabbing their political leaders in the back, or because those who worked for the services have taken off in fear of being incarcerated or worse," said Michal Scheuer, who headed the CIA unit tasked with hunting down Osama bin Laden.

First and foremost, he says, is the loss of the so-called black rendition system the CIA launched after Sept. 11, 2001.

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Chinese naval escort returns from pirate patrol

China’s eighth naval escort flotilla has returned home after a 189-day mission in the Gulf of Aden and Somali waters. The flotilla escorted 507 vessels during its patrol.

The eighth People’s Liberation Army Navy escort flotilla, including the missile frigates Ma’anshan and Wenzhou, departed China on February 21 and arrived at a naval base in eastern China’s Zhoushan Islands on Sunday.

Apart from escorting 507 vessels during its six-month tour of duty, the flotilla also rendered assistance to two foreign ships, Xinhua reports.

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Defense cuts could threaten `Achilles' heel' of U.S. power

The Japanese government recently issued a diplomatic white paper calling China "assertive" toward its neighbors. Despite the namby-pamby choice of words - China merely assertive? - Beijing pitched a fit.

It huffed its "strong opposition," reminded Tokyo yet again of Japanese aggression in World War II and accused Tokyo of furthering the "China threat theory," as if no such thing existed - even though China never misses an opportunity to rattle its neighbors' nerves.

It was a small incident, but a reminder that the security climate in a critical part of the world is becoming more dicey. At the same time, Iran continues its drive to dominate the Persian Gulf, with the goal of controlling one of the most important choke points of the world's energy supply.

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New ‘Super’ Version of Sukhoi Su-30MK Announced

Irkut Corp. reported that Russia and India have reached agreement on the technical specification of the Super 30, a new version of the Sukhoi Su-30MK twinjet with an active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, replacing the older N-011M Bars radar with its passive electronic scanning antenna.

Irkut claims that the heavy, twin-seat, multi-role supersonic jet with thrust-vectored engines will be the first exportable Russian fighter with an AESA.

It is believed that an enlarged version of the Phazotron Zhuk-AE radar will be fitted to the Super 30.

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Russia to beef up ABM, air defence muscle

The American cruiser USS Monterrey with Aegis interceptor rockets on board cruised the Black Sea in June, stirring Russian suspicions that the US is less than serious about honouring understandings at the NATO-Russia summit in Lisbon last November to develop anti-missile systems in and around Europe in close cooperation.

If NATO opts to go it alone, Russia will have to consider a serious beef-up of its ABM and air defence muscle. We hear about this from Lower House deputy. Colonel General Igor Puzanov:

"Russia’s Air and Space Defence Force already possesses capabilities to knock out jets, ballistic and cruise missiles and even satellites. Now, it will also have to deploy systems for neutralizing anti-missile defenses, positioned close to its western and southwestern borders."

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China Developing 'Star Wars' Missile Defense Shield

China is developing a missile defense system in the highest layer of the atmosphere and outer space using high-end technologies like laser beams and kinetic energy intercept.

In 2007, China successfully tested a direct-ascent anti-satellite (ASAT) weapon against a weather satellite, demonstrating its ability to attack satellites in low-Earth orbit.

It has also been developing other kinetic and directed-energy technologies for ASAT missions like lasers, high-powered microwave, and particle beam weapons, according to a report released by the U.S. Defense Department last week.

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The Tucano Buy: Law Enforcement or Defense?

It is no mere coincidence that, in June, the Lobo administration publicly expressed its interest in procuring a fleet of EMB 314 Super Tucano light attack aircraft from Embraer of Brazil, and shortly thereafter the Honduran Congress passed Decree 42-2011, the so-called "Security Tax", aimed at raising more than US$79 million annually over the next five years.

Whoever came up with the idea of buying the Tucanos must have known that some of the security funds would be set aside for the plane purchase... or perhaps the thought came to him at the last minute.

This could explain why the tax is believed to actually raise more than twice the stated amount. It is precisely the huge discrepancy between what the government plans to spend on security programs and the amount of cash that will ultimately be produced by the tax that makes the measure so controversial.

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The Revolution In Unmanned Aircraft Is Overrated

In the ten years since the 9-11 attacks, remotely-piloted aircraft have become the signature weapons of America’s global war on terrorists.

As Richard Aboulafia of the Teal Group aerospace consultancy observes in his August newsletter, the only stories concerning military aircraft that seem to make it into the news columns of most newspapers these days are reports about unmanned aircraft.

It isn’t hard to see why. From Boeing’s 40-pound Scan Eagle to Northrop Grumman’s ten-ton Global Hawk, unmanned aircraft have become ubiquitous on the modern battlefield.

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U.S. Army Explores Manned-unmanned Air System Integration

The U.S. Army will mount the largest yet demonstration of manned and unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) interoperability.

The manned unmanned systems integration concept (Music) exercise will take place September 15 at Dugway Proving Ground, Utah.

Music will demonstrate new manned-unmanned teaming concepts. These include the use of a universal ground-control station (UGCS) to manage multiple, different UAS platforms, and the ability of a soldier on the ground to steer a UAS sensor payload using the one-system, remote-video terminal (OSRVT).

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US ‘Misled Over Stealth Bomber’

When China began testing its first aircraft carrier earlier this month, Washington was quick to issue a stern rebuke, scolding Beijing for its lack of transparency regarding the vessel’s purpose.

‘We would welcome any kind of explanation,’ US State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said.

But in an increasingly tense western Pacific, both the United States and China are guilty of obfuscation about their military capabilities.

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Foreign Littoral Combat Ship Interest Grows

International interest has picked up steam for an export version of Lockheed Martin’s Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) in the wake of the successful deployment of LCS-1 USS Freedom, according to Joe North, vice president of littoral ship systems at Lockheed Martin’s Mission Systems & Sensors business.

“Over 21 countries are interested,” North says. “From deployment on, it easily has doubled.”

Interest, he notes, does not always translate into future sales. Some countries simply lack the resources to ante up for such a relatively large-scale purchase. “There are a lot of people with interest, but not with a budget,” North says.

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Mast installed on U.S. Navy carrier

The main mast of the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman has been installed at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard.

The installation marks a milestone in the ship's 13-month drydock planned incremental availability, the Naval Sea Systems Command said.

The 112,000-pound mast -- 10 feet taller and 23,000 pounds heavier than the mast removed June 18 -- supports the modernization of the carrier's combat systems suite and radars for its new weapons systems.


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The bright side of the delayed frigate delivery to India

India has announced that Russia delayed its delivery of three frigates to the Indian Navy by over a year. Given the circumstances under which the contract was made and executed, the delay could have been even longer.

Past-due frigates

The timetable for manufacturing the three frigates for India (the Tag, Tarkash and Trikand) has been pushed back significantly, says the Indian military. The Tag should have been delivered in April.

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Iran launches anti-armor missile production

The Iranian Defense Ministry started mass-production of 73-mm anti-armor missiles capable of piercing and destroying armored vehicles from a 1,300-meter distance.

"The weapon is mobile and due to its low weight, it can be carried by an individual trooper," Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi told reporters on the sidelines of a ceremony held to launch the production line of the rocket on Monday, August 29, Fars News Agency reported.

Stressing the importance and efficiency of the anti-armor missile in land and tactical operations, Vahidi said the missile also enjoys a high precision and high penetration power.

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Agni II missile test postponed due to technical snag

India on Monday postponed the test of its nuclear-capable intermediate range Agni II missile from a test range in Orissa due to a technical snag, official sources said.

"Launch of Agni II mission is postponed due to a technical snag," a senior defence official told media.

The surface-to-surface missile with a range of over 2,000 km was scheduled to be launched Monday by army personnel as part of a training exercise from Wheeler's Island in Bhadrak district, about 200 km from here.

Source

New Delhi could have anti-missile shield by 2014

According to a new Pentagon report on China’s military, Beijing has paid India a sort of compliment. The People’s Liberation Army now targets India with its best and latest nuclear-tipped missiles, the solid-fuel Dongfeng-21 (NATO designation: CSS-5) medium range ballistic missile (IRBM), tipped with a 250-kiloton nuclear warhead that would flatten a large part of Delhi. Until now, India had been considered deserving only of China’s oldest and most decrepit missile, the primitive, liquid-fuelled Dongfeng-3 (NATO designation CSS-2).

India’s defence establishment is taking this new threat seriously, as also that posed by Pakistan’s nuclear-tipped MRBMs — like the Ghauri-2 and the Shaheen-2 — which can strike targets 2300 kilometres away. In an exclusive interview with Business Standard, the Defence R&D Organisation’s chief missile scientist has announced that, within three years, India will have a fully deployed missile-defence shield to safeguard a city like New Delhi from missile-borne nuclear attack.

Termed an anti-ballistic missile (ABM) shield, this complex system has been in the making since 1996. The DRDO is satisfied with the system’s ability to detect and track an incoming missile, and then launch an interceptor missile to destroy it while it is still in space (exo-atmospheric interception). If that misses, there is a second interceptor that homes in on the enemy missile while it is in the upper atmosphere (endo-atmospheric interception). In internationally watched tests, these interceptors have been tested thrice each.

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N.Korea Desperately Seeking Cutting-Edge Weaponry

North Korea is going all out to secure armaments, as the presence of North Korean Air Force Commander Ri Pyong-chol on leader Kim Jong-il's visit to Russia indicates. Kim wrapped up his visit to Russia and returned to North Korea via China on Saturday.

During one visit to China in May last year, Kim brought along Ju Kyu-chang, the first vice-director of the Ministry of Defense Industry, and on his next visit in August, he brought Ju as well as Pak To-chun, Workers Party secretary for munitions.

A North Korean source said Kim "probably wanted China's help" in modernizing his country's aging weapons.

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New mega weapons are on the horizon

This is the first of a two-part series about very large weapons systems.

Today's new weapons systems are something undreamed of only a few decades ago.

The last of 10 aircraft carriers of the Nimitz class, the George H. W. Bush, now is being completed at Newport News for sea trials.

This leviathan is three football fields long and loaded weighs more than 100,000 tons. It is the most expensive moving structure on the surface of the Earth at a cost of $4.6 billion.

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Navy subs to get tiny Torah scroll

"Out of the depths I cry to you,' says the Song of Ascents in the Book of Psalms. These words will soon receive a different meaning, when a Torah scroll will be placed in Navy submarines for the first time in history.

Every permanent Israel Defense Forces base has a Torah scroll which is read on Shabbat, as well as on Mondays and Thursday.

Since the army began using submarines, no Torah scrolls have been brought in as hardly any religious soldiers served there. But the situation changed recently, after some hesder yeshiva students and even one haredi fighter joined the unit.

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Iran says army has not relied on S-300 missiles

An Iranian senior army official said Sunday the country's integrated air defense network has not relied on Russian S-300 missile system.

Commander of the Khatam al-Anbiya Air Defense Base Brigadier General Farzad Esmaili referred to reports that Iran's has filed suit against Russia following the country's refusal to deliver S-300 missile system and said, "both sides should abide by the agreement. Iran's commitment to articles of the agreement is apparent."

Speaking in a press conference, he then referred to Iran's defense breakthrough despite sanctions imposed against the country and said, "we have managed to get access to domestic know-how for long-range radar systems despite massive sanctions.

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Military radar deal paves way for more wind farms across Britain

New mobile radar systems, each costing about £20 million, are being purchased from a US defence contractor to ensure Britain's early warning systems remain effective in detecting enemy aircraft and missiles.

Tests show that wind turbines, whose spinning blades are about the same size as a passenger jet wing, disrupt the radar systems currently in place around the UK coastline.

Radar operators find it hard to distinguish between aircraft and wind turbines, creating 'black holes' in Britain's early warning radar system as well as confusing civil and military air traffic controllers at inland locations.

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Iran manufactures maritime patrol aircraft

Iran's Defense Minister Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi said Saturday that the Islamic Republic is manufacturing maritime patrol aircraft, the local satellite Press TV reported.

"This product which is currently being produced by the defense industry can be widely used in the military sector and maritime patrol and we hope we can introduce it to the armed forces in the near future," Vahidi was quoted as saying.

The aircraft is equipped with optical and radar subsystems and is capable of operating for long durations, the defense minister said.

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China Issues Protest Over US Report on Military

China formally protested over a Pentagon report on the Chinese military Friday, calling it a major distortion that flew in the face of a warming trend in relations between the two nations and their militaries.

The United States' annual assessment of China's military capabilities and doctrine "seriously twists the facts and doesn't have a leg to stand on," the Defense Ministry said in a statement read on national television.

The Pentagon report issued Wednesday said Beijing is on track to achieve its goal of building a modern, regionally focused military by 2020, citing the development of a new stealth fighter, an aircraft carrier and a record number of space launches over the past year.

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Iran to install new missiles on S200

An Iranian army official Mohammad Hossein Shamkhali said Saturday the country would install new missiles on S200 system.

“We have made extensive changes in S200 system and we will install new domestic missiles to the system in near future. We have also made vast changes in all parts of S200,” He told ISNA.

Shamkhali added, “We even have particular program for S200 missile by which we will add our new homemade missiles to the system, so that it can launch some other kinds of missiles along with its own main missiles as well and also the long range system can confront objectives with middle range.”

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China's About To Outfit Its Subs With Controversial "First-Strike" Nuclear Warheads

While adding to its stockpile of almost 200 nuclear warheads, China is on the verge of arming itself with a new highly effective, multi-stage nuclear weapon.

The Washington Times devoted some attention to the new Pentagon report on China's military strategy and found the CCP is using this third missile to compliment its medium and long-range nukes.

This new armament is an intercontinental ballistic missile equipped with a multiple independently targetable re-entry MIRVs

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F-22 Jets Allowed To Fly Just To Escape Irene

Like its more expensive cousin, the F-35, America’s F-22 fighter fleet at Langley Air Force Base has been grounded due to malfunctioning parts.

Surprise! Not at all. But they’re taking to the skies again! — just to avoid a hurricane.

That the Air Force will only give the thumbs up on the F-22 in order for it to escape an incredibly destructive force of nature is pretty telling, from a bureaucratic and engineering standpoint.

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China’s J-20 to be effective capability by 2018

A Pentagon report has highlighted major advances by the Chinese People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF), with specific mention of the developmental Chengdu J-20 aircraft.

Washington believes the J-20 could achieve an "effective operational capability" by 2018, and suggests the aircraft's role is as not a fighter, but rather a long-range attack platform. It says engine technology is the main challenge China will face in developing the J-20.

The US Department of Defense's annual report to Congress, entitled "Military and Security Developments Involving the People's Republic of China," covers all aspects of China's defence modernisation.

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SAAF keeps CASA fleet flying

EADS has been awarded a contract of just under R1 million to provide product support services to the South African Air Force for its fleet of four CASA C212 and one CASA C235 transport aircraft, as the flying service mulls their replacement.

The order is an extension of a 2009 contract that was worth R16.5 million. Prior to that, such services were provided by Execujet under a 2003 contract. The total value of work since 2007 stand at R43 487 023.86.

Chief of the SAAF Lieutenant General Carlo Gagiano yesterday said the aircraft are “showing their age” and need to be replaced. Plans are afoot to do so under Project Kiepie, which will also see the venerable Douglas C47TP replaced in the light transport role.

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MoD chiefs write off £6.5bn in military equipment because of strategic defence review

Defence chiefs have been forced to write off more than £6.5billion worth of military equipment in the wake of the Government’s strategic defence review, figures have revealed.

Details buried in the Ministry of Defence’s annual accounts reveal significant write-offs relating to valuable equipment being scrapped earlier than originally intended.

Others relate to money wasted on payments for new equipment and services that will now never get to the front line, as a result of last year’s review.

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Yuri Dolgoruky nuclear submarine successfully conducts Bulava missile launch

Russia's strategic nuclear submarine Yuri Dolgoruky, basing in the White Sea, has successfully conducted a launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile Bulava to a maximum distance, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman said on Saturday.

"The regular launch of the missile was conducted at 7:20 a.m. Moscow time from a submerged position from the regular carrier in line with the state flight development tests at a maximum flight range of the missile," the spokesman said.

He added that the missile had successfully reached its target in the Pacific Ocean in accordance with all the necessary shipping security measures.

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Turkey, Germany seek submarine sale of $1 bln

A team of Turkish and German companies, as well as Turkey’s procurement office, are jointly looking to sell two HDW-class 209-type diesel submarines to Indonesia in a $1 billion deal, a senior Turkish procurement official said Friday.

“Our package is excellent. We are hopeful and waiting for Indonesia’s decision,” said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The only competitor for the German-Turkish partnership is South Korea’s Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine, which emerged as the favorite after French and Russian bidders for the Indonesian Navy’s tender fell off.

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S. Korea close to clinching Indonesia submarine deal

Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin is to visit Indonesia early next month to seal a $1 billion deal that would result in South Korea’s first submarine exports.

If the deal is secured, Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine, which is likely to be chosen as the preferred bidder by the Indonesian government, will sign a memorandum of understanding to sell three 1,400-ton submarines to the Southeast Asian country, ministry officials said.

Kim will accompany nine Korean defense contractors including Daewoo from Sept. 7-9 and hold talks with his Indonesian counterpart Purnomo Yusgiantoro on the country’s modernization project for their naval fleet.

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Response to Criticisms of MU90 Torpedo Project

An article in some Fairfax media papers today (Lost for words, a Navy all at sea, 26 August 2011) and more widely reported in the electronic media contains information that is wrong in fact and misleading.

The article refers to the need to translate technical documents and instructions for the MU90 Light Weight Torpedo into English.

This is not correct.

As a condition of contract all key project documentation including technical instructions from the supplier has been delivered in English.

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Ever smarter Beetle

Phazotron-NIIR Corporation is displaying at MAKS 2011 an improved version of the famed Zhuk (translates as Beetle) airborne radar with a slotted array antenna.

The Zhuk-ME modification has been developed for the MiG-29K carrier-based fighters currently being built under a contract from the Indian Navy.

The Zhuk-M family has been around for quite some time, but Phazotron-NIIR General Designer Yuri Guskov says each new modification surpasses its predecessors in performance

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Russia ready to help Venezuela with weaponry purchases

Moscow is ready to loan Venezuela $4 billion on purchases of military equipment, Russia's Kommersant newspaper said on Friday citing a diplomatic source.

"Russia is ready to loan money to Venezuela," the source said. "Considering the current election campaign in the country, this loan would mean the opportunity to support our key ally in the region."

Venezuelan Minister of Finance and Planning Jorge Giordani is expected to visit Russia in the near future to discuss the conditions of the loan with Russian officials.

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Tres bomb: navy's new toy needs translator

When you buy flat-pack furniture, you can be sure the instructions will include English. But when you spend hundreds of millions of dollars on torpedoes for your navy, apparently that is not the case.

The highly classified technical documents for the European-built weapon are in Italian and French, so the defence procurement agency, Defence Materiel Organisation, has tendered for people to translate them.

The translators will be flown to Canberra and accommodated while they plough through the documentation at DMO offices. It is the latest in a series of stumbling blocks for the anti-submarine MU90 torpedo, which will be installed on two classes of warship.

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Eglin event to mark arrival of F-35s

Eglin Air Force Base, Fla.
Air Force officials officially will welcome the F-35 Lightning II to Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., in a ceremony on Friday. The event celebrates the long-anticipated arrival of the first F-35 aircraft at Eglin.

The F-35 Lightning II is a multirole fighter and attack aircraft that will be used by the Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps, as well as several foreign militaries.

Eglin will be a primary training center for F-35 flight crew and maintenance personnel.

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China’s development of fighter jets relies on Russian systems

China is continuing to make significant gains in developing submarine technology but is still dependent on Russia for its aircraft know-how, defense specialists at a recent conference here on the transformation of Brazil's military said.

Foremost among its underwater systems is the new Jialong deep-water submersible that reached its own record depth of some 15,000 feet in the Pacific Ocean on last month. The craft is designed to be the world’s deepest-diving submersible and descends at a rate of 120 feet per minute. Such submersibles are a key element for all nations seeking to develop submarine forces.

The craft are able to chart currents and create highly accurate surveys of the ocean floor, literally creating topographical maps and ocean flow patterns that are indispensable for submarines seeking to mask their presence.

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SuperLynx work adds up

Dragon Commodities of Pinegowrie, Johannesburg, has been awarded a R2.8 million contract for the repair and maintenance of the rams aircraft handlers of the SuperLynx helicopter of the South African Air Force. It takes the value of work placed on industry to at least R286 570 382.72.

The South African Air Force took delivery of four of the rotorcraft in July 2007. Although assigned to 22 Squadron at AFB Ysterplaat, the type was acquired to fly from the SA Navy’s four Meko A200SAN frigates. Defence Systems Daily reported in November 1998 that the aircraft cost UK80 million (then US$132 million, R756 million).

The SA government has never confirmed the amount and in response to a Parliamentary question by Democratic Alliance MP David Maynier in June advised him “to refer this question to the Joint Standing Committee on Defence, whose mandate it is to look into all such matters that are, as the Honourable Member so well knows, CLASSIFIED (capitals on the original).”

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Navy sorties dozens of ships ahead of Irene

With powerful Hurricane Irene still on a weekend collision course with Hampton Roads, Va., the Navy sortied 27 ships and subs out of the huge Norfolk naval complex Thursday and, far to the north, took the rare step of sending four subs to sea from berths in Groton, Conn.

In addition, more than 200 aircraft had either sortied or were preparing to do so, Naval Air Force Atlantic announced Thursday evening. The sorties reflect the Navy’s concern about the striking power and track of the storm, a major hurricane forecast to lash the southern coast of North Carolina with tropical storm-force winds beginning late Friday, followed by hurricane-force winds.

A hurricane warning is posted for an area stretching from the North Carolina coast to the Virginia border.

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Nuclear safety getting worse in military facilities, says MoD study

The risk of accidents and radioactive leaks from Britain's ageing nuclear bombs and submarines is getting "progressively worse" because of deepening spending cutbacks, according to an internal Ministry of Defence report.

The report, which has been released under the Freedom of Information Act, reveals that the MoD is facing an increasing struggle to maintain the safety of the nation's military nuclear activities as cuts become "yet more painful". There was a "lack of adequate resource to deliver the defence nuclear programmes safely," it says.

Written by the MoD's senior nuclear safety watchdog, the report warns that the number of incidents at nuclear sites is "too high". This poses a "risk to the workforce and public safety and to the environment, in both short and medium term".

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China deploys advanced n-missile on Indian border

China has deployed more advanced and survivable solid-fuel nuclear capable CSS-5 MRBM missiles against India as a 'deterrent posture', Pentagon has said warning that a high degree of mistrust continues to strain their bilateral ties.

The PLA has replaced liquid-fuelled, nuclear-capable CSS-2 IRBMs with more advanced and survivable solid-fuelled CSS-5 MRBM systems to strengthen its deterrent posture relative to India, the Pentagon has said in its annual report on Chinese military build up to the Congress.

The report also says that Beijing is pumping in huge investments on border infrastructure developments laying more roads and rail network along the Sino-Indian border.

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Collins-class submarine forced to surface after engine failure

One of the navy's troubled Collins-class submarines suffered an engine failure while submerged off Western Australia late at night and was forced to surface.

The submarine, with a crew of 60, was at periscope depth at the time of the incident and running on its electric motor.

An Australian Defence Force spokeswoman confirmed last night that HMAS Farncomb's propulsion system failed at about 12.30am on Tuesday and the submarine surfaced to investigate.

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Marines Already Push F-18s Past 10,000 Hours; When Will They Begin to Fail?

The Marine Corps is pushing some of its fighter aircraft to the breaking point, as the service waits for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.

Marine Corps fighter squadrons in Afghanistan are racking up thousands of flight hours on their legacy F/A-18 Hornets, going well past the 9,000-hour cap set by Naval Air Command for these older F/A-18s.

Some squadrons in Afghanistan are flying combat missions with Hornets that have 10,000 hours or more, Capt. Steward Whittel, a F/A-18 pilot with Marine Corps Fighter Squadron 224, told me yesterday. The legacy F/A-18 Hornet was designed to fly about 6,000 hours before retirement. Marine Corps pilots do not fly the newer F/A-18 Super Hornet.

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Agni-II ready for testing from Wheeler Island

India is all set to test its 2,000-km range Agni-II missile from Wheeler Island off the Orissa coast next week.

The test will be conducted by the Strategic Forces Command (SFC) of the Indian Army.

Defence officials said preparations for the scheduled test are on at the launching complex since the past one week.

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UAE said to trim planned US missile-defense purchase

The United Arab Emirates has trimmed what had been billed as a possible $7 billion purchase of an advanced U.S. missile defense system but there are no major obstacles to its completion, Lockheed Martin Corp's lead executive on the deal said Wednesday.

UAE officials have identified some elements of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense "that they think they can do without right now," Dennis Cavin, a Lockheed vice president for missile defense programs, told Reuters.

The system would be designed to defend against ballistic missiles that could be fired by Iran, which is at odds with the West over its nuclear program.

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Ultra provides fuel cell to quadruple small UAS endurance

Ultra Electronics has confirmed providing a new fuel cell that quadrupled the range of a conventionally-powered Lockheed Martin Stalker unmanned air system (UAS).

The UAS Power Pod is aimed at dramatically increasing the endurance of any UAS in the class below the 18kg (39.7lb) Boeing/Insitu ScanEagle.

The 2.6kg power system generated 245W on board the Stalker during a demonstration flight in May, and Lockheed hopes to eventually achieve 24h endurance with the fuel-cell powered, hand-launched UAS.

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US releases report on China's military

The US Department of Defense on Wednesday unveiled its annual report on China's military, recognizing and welcoming China's contribution to international safety and security, while still overlooking the country's peaceful defense policy.

The report, titled Military and Security Developments Involving the People's Republic of China, recognized that China has made "modest, but incremental, improvements in the transparency of its military and security affairs," while alleging "uncertainty about how China will use its growing capabilities."

China has repeatedly stated the defensive nature of the country's national defense policy, issuing a white paper on national defense in March to enhance its military's transparency and boost the world's trust in its commitment to peaceful development.

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Destroyer prepares to leave Clyde

The latest member of the Royal Navy's fleet of hi-tech warships is beginning preparations to leave the Clyde for the final time.

The Type 45 destroyer, Dragon, is the fourth ship of its kind built by BAE Systems for the Royal Navy.

She will leave the Clyde for the last time on Saturday and head to Portsmouth to be formally handed over to the Ministry of Defence.

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Next test of Russia's Bulava missile set for Aug. 27

A state commission has scheduled the next test launch of the Bulava ballistic missile for August 27, a source in the commission told RIA Novosti on Wednesday.

The launch from the Borey class Yury Dolgoruky strategic submarine was originally planned for August 20, but was postponed until the submarine was ready for the next round of missile tests.

"The members of the state commission have decided to resume the tests of the Bulava missile and set August 27 as the date for the next test launch for its maximum range from the Yury Dolgoruky nuclear submarine," the source said.

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Delivery of stealth frigates from Russia delayed

The acquisition of three Talwar class stealth frigates for Indian Navy from Russia has been delayed by one year to 14 months, government said today.

It also said the delivery of aircraft carrier "Gorshkov", which has been named ''INS Vikramaditya'' is expected in December next year.

"Rosoboronexport (the Russian company) has intimated that the delivery of ships would be delayed by 12 months for the first ship, 11 months for the second ship and 14 months for the third one," Defence Minister A K Antony told the Rajya Sabha.

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Iran launches missile case against Russia

Iran has filed a lawsuit against Russia in an international court for non-supply of defensive S-300 anti-air missile complexes, in order to give Moscow a solid juridical precedent to force it to deliver the weapons according to the contract.

­Iranian ambassador in Russia Seyed Mahmoud-Reza Sajjadi announced the legal action.

“We consider the S-300 complex as not falling under the UN Security Council resolution, therefore we are suing Russia to give it this legal cause,” ambassador told journalists at a press-conference in Moscow.

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Australian govt launches review of ill-fated subs

The federal government has released the terms of a review aimed at improving the reliability of the navy's six Collins submarines.

The review will be conducted by UK consultant John Coles, previously head of the UK Warship Support Agency, the body responsible for maintenance and repair of all Royal Navy submarines, ships and auxiliaries.

Defence Minister Stephen Smith and Minister for Defence Materiel Jason Clare said in a joint statement that sustaining the submarine fleet was vital to Australia's national security.

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Carl Zeiss Optronics Periscopes for U212A Class Submarines

Recently Carl Zeiss Optronics delivered the first optronic system comprised of a SERO 400-60 and OMS100-60 to the Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft GmbH.

As part of the second flight, the Kiel-based company built two additional U212A Class submarines for the German Navy.

Several modifications were made to the SERO 400 and OMS100 for the second flight.

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Boeing Delivers 3 More F-15K Slam Eagles to the Republic of Korea

Boeing on Aug. 20 delivered three F-15K Slam Eagle aircraft to the Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) at Daegu Air Base.

The aircraft left the Boeing St. Louis facility on Aug. 16 and made stops in Palmdale, Calif., Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, and Anderson Air Force Base, Guam, before arriving in Korea.

"We are pleased to receive the latest three F-15K Slam Eagles, F-15K 51, 52 and 53, from Boeing,” said Lt. Col. Tae Uk Kim, Commander of the 110th Squadron, 11th Fighter Wing, ROKAF. “The F-15K is one of our most important assets in defense of the peninsula. We are satisfied with the continued on-schedule, quality deliveries of our F-15K Slam Eagles from Boeing.”

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