Top brass China visit secures joint missile deal

Thailand and China have agreed to jointly develop multiple rocket launchers with a guidance system as part of a move to strengthen military ties.

The two sides reached the agreement during a visit to China by the Thai military top brass in what was described by Defence Minister Sukumpol Suwanatat as a call by "the whole family" to China which is "our close relative".

It is the first time in 15 years that a defence minister has led all key military leaders ranging from the defence permanent secretary, supreme commander and armed forces chiefs to meet Chinese senior military officers, led by National Defence Minister Gen Liang Guanglie.

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India Developing Radar-destroying Anti-radiation Missile

After the success of Agni-V project, India is developing an Anti-Radiation Missile (ARM) which can hugely multiply the strike capabilities by destroying the enemy's advance warning system, Press Trust of India (PTI).

Production of the ARM, which are among the most advanced missiles, is being undertaken on priority basis by the Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL), which specialises in the missile development.

Such missiles can be mounted on Sukhoi fighter planes Su-30 MKI, 140 of which have already been acquired by India from Russia and around 100 more are expected to be delivered in due course of time.

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Camcopter S-100 UAV completes Italian Navy flight

Schiebel has announced that the Camcopter S-100 has become the first UAV to operate from an Italian Navy vessel.

The UAV completed a flight from the ITS Bersagliere, a Soldati Class frigate, further consolidating the system’s position within the maritime rotary UAV sector.

The S-100 conducted the 4.5 hour flight from the Italian Navy Base of La Spezia. During the flight it successfully carried out a number of observation missions for observers from the Italian Navy, carrying a Wescam MX-10 camera payload, and transmitting high definition images in real-time.

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Iran acquires license for building "Shahed" helicopters and "Iran-140" planes

Iran has acquired license for building domestically made "Shahed" helicopters and maritime patrol "Iran-140" planes, IRIB News reported.

Iranian Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi was present at the ceremony that was held due to the event.

Speaking at the ceremony, Vahidi noted that by acquiring such license, Iran shows how much its developers and experts have gone forward in the field of manufacturing helicopters and planes.

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Navy's secret Sea Shadow may end up on scrap heap

A secret chapter in American naval research could soon reach an ignoble close when a rusty barge and its once-classified contents leave Suisun Bay for the scrap heap.

Slipping through the sea like a black mirage on catamaran legs, the 164-foot Sea Shadow looks like something Darth Vader might fly. It is the world's only ship built to be invisible, assembled secretly in Redwood City in 1985 by the U.S. Navy and contractor Lockheed Martin at an estimated cost of $50 million.

Sea Shadow's purpose was to test radar-cloaking technology and other naval engineering innovations. Many of its breakthroughs can be seen in present-day Navy warships.

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Testing complete, new missile defense technology to be loaded on Navy ships

The U.S. Navy has finished testing the next generation of its Aegis ballistic missile defense system and given the green light to put it on at least nine cruisers and destroyers by 2015, officials said.

The Aegis BMD system is a collection of sensors, computers, weapon launchers and weapons with the ability to track a missile or rocket via satellite and shoot it down.

The second-generation system, built by Lockheed Martin, provides advanced missiles and improved target identification capabilities, as well as computer and software upgrades, officials said.

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Babcock to refit submarine in Plymouth

Plymouth’s marine industries sector is about to receive another boost as Babcock International is set to begin work on a multimillion-pound Ministry of Defence contract to refit HMS Vengeance, the Royal Navy’s Trident ballistic missile submarine.

The work is to be carried out at Babcock’s Devonport Royal Dockyard in Plymouth.

The contract will provide work for three and a half years for about 2000 of Babcock Marine’s 5000 workers.

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Submarines decision not due until 2013

A key decision on whether Australia will buy next-generation submarines won't be made until late 2013 or early 2014.

Defence Minister Stephen Smith has confirmed 2025 remains the nominal retirement date for the navy's six Collins submarines, although the potential to extend their working life was being looked at.

Mr Smith said funding options for the new vessels were being developed and had yet to be considered by the government.

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Chinese Company Poly Technologies showcased several new ship designs for export at DSA 2012

Chinese company Poly Technologies presented several new naval equipment products available for the export market at the DSA 2012 Defense exhibition in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Poly Technologies, a subsidiary of China Poly Group Corporation, is a defense manufacturing and international trading company.

In their new Naval Equipment catalog, they introduced several new vessel designs.

Here are a few of these new designs. Unfortunately, the vessel class name or type is never mentioned. Only mentioned are the general vessel type (Destroyer, Frigate etc...) and general specifications.

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Russia Orders More S-300 SAM Missiles

The Russian Defense Ministry has resumed large-scale procurements of modernized S-300V surface-to-air missile systems, the manufacturer said on Saturday.

“The State Defense Order through 2020 provides for significant volumes of procurement of modernized S-300V air defense systems,” Almaz-Antei’s general director Vladislav Menshchikov said.

Almaz-Antei’s former design bureau chief Igor Ashurbeili previously said S-300 production for the needs of the Russian military had stopped and that there were only export contracts.

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Indian missile defence system ready for induction: DRDO chief

India’s missile defence system is ready for induction, V K Saraswat, chief of Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO), has said.

A two-layer shield will be put over the national capital, Saraswat said. He confirmed that the system has already destroyed incoming missiles in four tests.

“We have identified the advanced air defence (AAD) missile and the PAD which has no acronym and is for exo-atmospheric interception (upwards of 30 km).

The AAD is for endo-atmospheric interception. In two layers we intend to put it as part of the Delhi (air) defence,” Saraswat said in an interview to The Indian Express Editor-in-Chief Shekhar Gupta for NDTV ‘Walk the Talk’ programme.

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UK puts missiles on London rooftop to guard Olympics

Britain's military has told residents of an upscale apartment development near the Olympic Park in east London it is installing a missile battery on top of a tower within their housing complex to defend the 2012 Games this summer.

The site is one of a number around the capital the army is considering as bases for surface-to-air missiles to protect the London games from an aerial attack, the Ministry of Defence said.

It is the first time such missiles have been deployed in London since the end of World War Two, shocking some residents at the Bow Quarter housing development, sited in a converted red-brick Victorian match factory.

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Iran decodes spy plane data

Iran has managed to successfully decode all data on the RQ170 U.S. spy plane, captured by Iranian forces, the commander of the Navy Corps of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution of Iran (IRGC), Rear Admiral Ali Fadavi, said on Sunday.

Iran has decoded all data pertaining to operations and tasks recorded in the memory of the aircraft, said the Persian military.

"The task was not easy. We had to decode a bunch of numbers and codes, but we have all the information that was recorded in its memory, including protocols, repairs and sorties (the actual number of hours flown for each output).

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Nigeria Produces First Female Military Pilot

History was made yesterday in Abuja as Nigerian Air Force produced the first female military pilot in the sub-region, when Flying Officer Blessing Liman and 29 others joined the list of military officers at a well attended ceremony hosted by the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Mohammed Dikko Umar.

The training programme that included attending several courses, both within and outside the country, such as the United States, United Kingdom, Pakistan, and Egypt.

Those that were winged yesterday included 14 JET Flag Officers, 8 Transport Flying Officers, and 8 Helicopter Flying Officers.

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Delhi scales down US war games

The Centre recently turned down an air force request to participate in the war games with the US navy in the Bay of Bengal that concluded last week.

The seven-day Malabar 2012 exercise involved the American and Indian navies.

The Centre’s move followed a quiet policy decision in the defence ministry to scale down — but not stop — the friendly military engagements with the US armed forces, which have gathered pace and increased in complexity over the past decade.

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Cost concerns over F-22 Raptor modernization plan

The U.S. Air Force expects to invest $9.7 billion into their fleet of F-22 jet fighters to develop and retrofit new capabilities into the complex stealth aircraft, an action the service did not anticipate for the program, putting the Raptor under the congressional microscope.

Fighter aircraft modernization is not new within the Department of Defense (DOD). In fact, the Air Force and Navy have modernized many of their fighter and attack aircraft over the past several decades, like the F-15, F-16 and F/A-18 programs.

These programs each began with the expectation that their aircraft would be upgraded over time, the F-22 did not.

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IAF's Mirage-2000 fighter aircraft restarts operational sorties

IAF's frontline Mirage-2000 fighter aircraft, which were temporarily grounded following two crashes in February and March, have begun operational sorties following a detailed investigation of their systems and components.

"The Mirage-2000 aircraft are being progressively checked and cleared for flying one by one," said the IAF spokesperson Wing Commander Gerard Galway today.

Sources said the aircraft were cleared for sorties few days ago following a thorough inspection of their systems.

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Obama administration raises possibility of sale of new fighter aircraft to Taiwan

The administration of President Barack Obama is raising the possibility that it could sell new jet fighter aircraft to Taiwan to help redress the island's air power deficit with China.

If the move goes through, it would infuriate Beijing, which claims the democratic island as its territory and regards all foreign defense sales there as interference in its affairs.

China has 2,300 operational combat aircraft, against only 490 for Taiwan. In September, the U.S. turned down a Taiwanese request for 66 relatively advanced F-16 jet fighters, while agreeing to help Taiwan upgrade its existing F-16 fleet. Critics accused the White House of yielding to pressure from China.

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India test flies naval variant of LCA

India on Friday joined an elite club of countries by test flying the naval variant of its Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) in this tech hub under a partially cloudy sky.

"With the successful maiden flight of the LCA's naval variant, India joins an elite club of countries capable of designing, developing, manufacturing and testing the fourth generation carrier borne fly-by-wire ski take off but arrested recovery (Stobar) aircraft," said VK Saraswat, scientific advisor to the Defence Minister.

The 20-minute test sortie of the advanced fighter's first naval prototype (NP-1) was piloted by chief test pilot of the Indian Air Force's (IAF) national flight test centre (NFTC) Commodore TA Maolankar and co-piloted by the centre's flight test engineer, Wing Commander Maltesh Prabhu.

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Wired: US Air Force Quietly Assembling Near Iran

Wired's David Axe reported Friday that "[t]he US Air Force is quietly assembling the world's most powerful air-to-air fighting team at bases near Iran."

The "aerial armada" includes a formidable team of F-22 Raptors and Air National Guard F-15 Eagles.

According to Axe, "[t]he Raptor-Eagle team has been honing special tactics for clearing the air of Iranian fighters in the event of war.

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US Navy launches official Request for Information (RFI) for F/A-XX strike fighter

The US Navy has launched mid-April an official RFI for the F/A-XX carrier-based strike fighter. The F/A-XX is intended to replace both F/A-18E/F Super Hornet fighter and EA-18G Growler electronic warfare aircraft currently in service in the US Navy by the years 2030ies.

The official RFI for the sixth generation fighter, issued by the Department of the Navy Naval Air Systems Command Aircraft Division, goes as follow:

The Director for Air Warfare (OPNAV N98) has requested NAVAIR Warfare Analysis and Integration Department (AIR-4.10) to conduct trade space refinement as a precursor to an analysis of alternatives for candidate strike fighter aircraft replacements for the FA-18E/F and EA-18G.

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Rheinmetall receives order from South Korea - MASS naval countermeasures system for LST-II-class ships

The navy of the Republic of Korea is procuring Rheinmetall’s MASS, the Düsseldorf-based company’s state-of-the-art decoy system for frigates, corvettes, minesweepers and patrol boats, for installation on its new Landing Ship, Tank vessels (LST-II).

The South Korean Defence Acquisition Programme Administration (DAPA) contracted with Samsung-Thales Co. Ltd. of Seoul to equip the ships.

The basis for this is a license agreement between Rheinmetall and Samsung-Thales. Total order volume comes to around €7 million.

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Russian-Built Frigate Joins Indian Navy

India on Friday formally commissioned a new frigate into its navy, following a handover ceremony at a shipyard in Russia's Baltic exclave of Kaliningrad.

INS Teg is the first of three modified Krivak III class (also known as Talwar class) guided missile frigates being built at the Yantar Shipyard under a $1.6 billion deal sealed in 2006.

The other two vessels will follow in a year or so, a Yantar spokesman told RIA Novosti.

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Swiss delay Gripen jet delivery to limit costs

Switzerland will postpone delivery of 22 Gripen jets from Saab by about two years so it can co-ordinate its purchase with a larger deal from Sweden and possibly save on costs, the government said on Thursday.

"We hope... to realise certain synergies in the production and development of the programme," Defence Minister Ueli Maurer said at a news conference.

The Swiss government said it would be advantageous to co-ordinate its acquisition with Sweden's expected purchase of between 60 and 80 planes.

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Patriot PAC-3 Assisted by JLENS, Successfully Intercept a Cruise Missile Target

Lockheed Martin’s PAC-3 Missile successfully intercepted and destroyed a cruise missile target yesterday at the Utah Test and Training Range, in an unprecedented interoperability demonstration utilizing the Joint Land Attack Cruise Missile Defense Elevated Netted Sensor (JLENS) and the PATRIOT system.

The test demonstrated a new capability recently introduced with the PAC-3 Missile Segment’s unique ability to detect, track, engage and destroy a cruise missile target at extended range in an integrated air and missile defense architecture that joins netted sensors and missile defense systems to provide greater capability for the warfighter.

PAC-3 has already demonstrated the ability to defeat cruise missile in 2004, as a single Lockheed Martin PAC-3 Missile was fired at a low-flying MQM-107D cruise missile target.

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IAF temporarily stops routine training flying of Mirage

Indian Air Force has temporarily stopped all routine training flying of Mirage-2000 fighter aircraft as a precautionary measure after two of these planes crashed within a span of 11 days in February and March.

In written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, Defence Minister A K Antony said, "The commencement of flying of Mirage-2000 fleet is being undertaken in stages post completion of checks."

"Following the accidents of Mirage-2000 aircraft of the IAF on February 24 and March 5, all routine training flying on the Mirage-2000 fleet has been temporarily stopped as a precautionary measure," he said.

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Phantom Eye Set for Flight Tests

Boeing is readying its hydrogen-powered Phantom Eye unmanned air vehicle demonstrator for first flight following the completion of taxi tests at Edwards AFB, Calif.

The testing, which included a high speed taxi run down the centerline of one of the runways at the base’s dry lakebed, concluded on April 21.

The company adds that the 150-ft span vehicle achieved “all required test points in its preparation for first flight.”

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Saab receives order from Thailand regarding upgrading of command and control system

The defence and security company Saab has received an order from the Royal Thai Navy for the upgrading of the command and control system on the aircraft carrier H.T.M.S. Chakri Naruebet. The order amounts to MSEK 180.

The contract involve upgrading the aircraft carrier with the latest generation of command and control system, 9LV Mk4. Saab will also supply data-link equipment to the ship, which will allow communication between the ship and the Royal Thai Air Force’s Gripen fighter aircraft and the airborne radar system Erieye, carried by the Saab 340 AEW.

“Saab will further strengthen its position as supplier to the Royal Thai Navy through the upgrade of the command and control system on the Navy's flagship.

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MoD told to block ministers' 'wasteful' decisions

The MoD's most senior civil servant has been urged to stop ministers taking wasteful procurement decisions.

The Commons public accounts committee questioned permanent secretary Ursula Brennan on the Royal Navy's aircraft carrier programme.

Ms Brennan confirmed that no decision had yet been taken on whether to revert to Labour's plan to buy F-35 jump jets.

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Missile impossible: why the Agni-V falls short

Now that the celebrations are over, it’s time for the hangover. Okay, let’s get this straight – India’s brand spanking new Agni-V is not an inter-continental ballistic missile (ICBM).

I’m not making this up – by definition a true ICBM must have a range that’s over 5500 kilometre. India’s latest Agni falls well short of that mark.

Definitions cannot be tweaked at the whim of politicians or flacks, which brings us to the ominous conclusion that India does not have an ICBM today and won’t have one in the near future.

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Brazil to boost military presence to protect Amazon wealth

Brazil will boost its military presence in the Amazon region to protect its huge natural resources from any external threat, Defense Minister Celso Amorim told the Senate Thursday.

"The commitment to the defense of the Amazon is fundamental. Navy, Air Force, all services will boost their presence in the Amazon in the next few years," he said without giving further details.

Amorim said Brazil did not feel threatened by any neighboring country but added: "We cannot rule out that some power from outside the region" may covet the natural resources of the Amazon, the planet's largest rainforest and its main source of fresh water.

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First black officer takes command of SA submarine

Commander Handsome Thamsanqa Matsane made history today by becoming the first black officer to assume command of a submarine in Africa.

Matsane took over command of the submarine SAS Queen Modjadji I from Commander Neville Howell at a ceremony at Simon’s Town Naval Base in Cape Town.

Matsane enlisted in the South African Navy in 1998 and first served aboard the fleet replenishment ship SAS Drakensberg and the frigates SAS Isandlwana and SAS Spioenkop before transferring to the Submarine Squadron.

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Royal Navy needs two more destroyers now says Admiral

The Royal Navy needs ‘at least’ two more Type 45 destroyers, an Admiral has told The News.

Lord Alan West said a fleet of 19 frigates and destroyers is not big enough for Britain and raised his concern about the lack of a contingency plan if the navy lost ships fighting in a war.

It comes after defence minister Lord Astor of Hever said there was ‘no provision’ for the loss of warships following the government’s cost-cutting Strategic Defence and Security Review in 2010, which axed 10 navy ships.

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Navy plan to buy more submarines

Aside from maintaining two Scorpene submarines, the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) plans to buy more submarines to boost the national's naval defence capability, said Navy chief Admiral Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Jaafar.

He said, however, the plan could not be implemented in the near term due to budget constraints while time was needed to train naval officers on the fundamental skills in submarine operations and gained the experience.

"The skills and experience are needed to ensure that the submarines can be operated safely and effectively," he told Bernama. The navy took delivery of two Scorpene submarines costing RM3.4 billion from France in 2009 and 2010.

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Telephonics Corporation awarded a $330M Contract for Delivery of 160 AN/APS-153 Multi-Mode Radar Systems for the U.S. Navy’s MH-60R

Telephonics Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Griffon Corporation announced today its Radar Systems Division has been awarded a multi-year, full-scale production contract valued in excess of $330M from Lockheed Martin Mission Systems
& Sensors.

This contract is a follow on to a previously awarded multi-year contract and includes the delivery of 160 AN/APS-153 Multi-Mode Radar systems, spares and engineering support. A portion of the systems are designated for an Australian Foreign Military Sales contract.

These systems will be integrated into the Lockheed Martin advanced mission avionics package and installed on the U.S. Navy’s MH-60R “Romeo” helicopter.

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Russian Warships to Get NATO Communications Equipment

Russian warships will be equipped with NATO navigation and communications systems to improve coordination in anti-piracy missions around the world, Chief of the Russian General Staff Nikolai Makarov said on Wednesday.

The issue has been discussed during a meeting of the NATO-Russia Council in Brussels.

“We decided to install standard NATO navigation and communications systems on our warships,” Makarov said.

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US launches new military spy agency

The US Department of Defence has created a new intelligence agency to focus on gathering 'human intelligence' outside warzones, it has been announced.

The new Defence Clandestine Service's (DCS) staff will be drawn from the existing Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA), which employs around 16,500 people and currently supports more traditional military intelligence operations in warzones.

The DCS is expected to focuso on the monitoring of Asian states such as China and North Korea, in line with the renewed focus on the Asia-Pacific region set out in the Pentagon's strategy documents this year.

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HASC Orders DoD To Fly Block 30 Global Hawks; Sticks $260M In Bill

The House Armed Services Committee is giving the US Air Force both marching orders and money to operate its eighteen "Block 30" Global Hawk UAVs instead of warehousing them as the service proposed.

The Administration's fiscal 2013 budget request cancelled the Block 30 program and provided no funds to operate the 18 drones already bought from prime contractor Northrop Grumman, arguing they were less effective and more expensive to fly than the venerable U-2, the manned spyplane they were intended to replace.

But the HASC's mark-up of the National Defense Authorization Act for 2013 includes $260 million to keep the Block 30s operational.

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Sentry aircraft cleared to fly again

All of the RAF's E-3D Sentry aircraft have been cleared to fly following an investigation into cracks found on the supports for the aircraft's distinctive rotating radar dome, the MoD has announced.

The fleet of seven jets had been limited to essential flights only after the cracks were found on radome supports on 12 April.

On 23 April, defence equipment minister Peter Luff told Parliament that the fault was limited to the supports on two of the aircraft.

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Australia grounds Black Hawk helicopter fleet

"I can confirm that as a precaution all flying tasks that have been deemed to be non-essential by the Army have been suspended," an Australian Defence Force spokesman told AFP.

The move was taken after a helicopter was forced to make a precautionary landing at Kokoda on Tuesday after experiencing difficulties during a reconnaissance mission.

The four crew and four passengers on-board the helicopter, which was preparing for Wednesday's Anzac Day events involving top army officials and WWII veterans, were unhurt in the incident.

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Republicans eye missile-defense site on East Coast

Republicans who control the House of Representatives' Armed Services Committee called on Wednesday for studies on what could become a third missile-interceptor site in the United States, this one on the East Coast.

The plan would require the secretary of defense to conduct an environmental impact review by December 31, 2013, on "possible locations on the East Coast of the United States for the deployment of a missile defense site."

U.S. forces currently deploy a combined total of 30 operational missile interceptors in silos in Fort Greely, Alaska, and Vandenberg Air Force Base in central California

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Ukraine on Brink of Missile Deal with India - Media

Ukraine is close to signing one of its biggest ever defense deals for air-to-air missiles with India, according to Russian media reports.

Nezavisimaya Gazeta says the deal for R-27 missiles, worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, is in the final stages and is waiting for approval from the Ukrainian leadership.

The Vympel R-27 (AA-10 Alamo) missile is a medium-to-long-range air-to-air missile developed by the Soviet Union. It is similar to U.S. AIM-7 Sparrow.

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Helicopter missile in first UK test

The first live firings of the Hellfire missile in the UK have been carried out by Apache helicopters carrying out training on board HMS Illustrious.

Two Apaches from 656 Squadron Army Air Corps fired one Hellfire missile each at a training target that was positioned by HMS Illustrious in the sea off northern Scotland where the ship is taking part in the multinational Exercise Joint Warrior.

The weapon, which has only previously been used in combat by British forces in Afghanistan and Libya, was fired for the first time in UK waters.

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Panetta pushes Brazil to buy Boeing fighter jets

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta made a personal pitch for Brazil to pick Boeing when it decides on a contract for fighter jets worth at least $4 billion.

Speaking in Rio de Janeiro on Wednesday, Panetta said that the purchase of the F/A-18 Boeing-made Super Hornet fighters would give Brazil access to new technology sharing and would “transform” the relationship between Brazil’s defense and aerospace industries and U.S. companies.

“This offer, which has the strong support of the United States Congress, contains an unprecedented advanced technology sharing that is reserved for only our closest allies and partners,” Panetta said.

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F-35 wrong choice for Arctic, retired colonel argues

A retired air force fleet manager fired a salvo at the F-35 Wednesday, saying the strike fighter is ill-suited for Arctic missions and may become obsolete soon after it enters service.

Meanwhile, Liberal defence critic John McKay has asked Parliamentary Budget Officer Kevin Page for a new analysis of the F-35 program costs.

Retired colonel Paul Maillet, an aerospace engineer and former CF-18 fleet manager, said the F-35 does not meet the needs of the government's Canada First Defence Strategy, a key pillar of which is Arctic sovereignty.

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BAE Systems to upgrade EW capabilities on saudi fighter jets

BAE Systems today announced a $367M contract to deliver 70 Digital Electronic Warfare Systems (DEWS)/Common Missile Warning Systems (CMWS) to upgrade F-15S fighter jets in support of the Royal Saudi Air Force.

BAE Systems looks forward to providing the Royal Saudi Air Force with this superior electronic capability,” said John Nyilis, product line director at BAE Systems.

“Through these efforts the Kingdom’s existing fighter F-15 fighter aircraft will match the capabilities of the next generation of F-15 SA fighter jets currently in development.

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US taxpayers shelling out billions for faulty weapons

The Pentagon has frittered away billions in taxpayer cash on not fully tested arms, a government watchdog report says. While the policy grants the military access to cutting-edge technology, the public can be left footing the bill for faulty weapons.

A report issued by the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) on Friday shed light on the controversial policy of “concurrency” which approves untested weapons for production and use.

“While some concurrency is understandable, committing to product development before requirements are understood and technologies mature, or committing to production and fielding before development is complete, is a high-risk strategy that often results in performance shortfalls, unexpected cost increases, schedule delays and test problems,” said the report.

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Panel to Navy: Keep 12 ballistic missile subs

A minimum of 12 ballistic missile submarines must remain in service for the foreseeable future, a key congressional committee said, despite Navy plans to drop below that number beginning in 2029.

The provision is included in the markup of the House Armed Services seapower and projection forces subcommittee, which was released Wednesday.

Although 14 Ohio-class “boomers” are now in service, the fleet is scheduled to begin shrinking in 2027 as the oldest units are retired.

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Ukrainian Submarine Sails for Sea Trials

Ukraine’s only submarine, the Zaporozhye, has left the port of Sevastopol on the Black Sea for sea trials for the first time after many years of repairs.

The Soviet-era Foxtrot class (Project 641) diesel-electric submarine stood grounded at a dock in Sevastopol for years without repair and became a symbol of the demise of Ukraine’s navy.

Russian engineers repaired and serviced the submarine and a crew of Ukrainian submariners was trained at Russian naval bases.

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Submarine funding passes key hurdle

The effort to restore a second Virginia-class submarine in the plans for 2014 cleared a major hurdle Wednesday when a congressional subcommittee included funding for it in a defense spending bill, U.S. Reps. Joe Courtney and James Langevin announced.

In its version of the bill that authorizes appropriations for fiscal 2013, the subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee included $778 million to purchase parts with long lead times for the second submarine.

The president's proposed budget calls for building one Virginia-class submarine in 2014 instead of two and two submarines in 2018 instead of one to save money now.

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N. Korean military has 'powerful modern weapons'

North Korea is armed with "powerful modern weapons" capable of defeating the United States, a top military chief in Pyongyang said Wednesday amid increased speculation abroad about the nation's missile arsenal and nuclear ambitions.

Vice Marshal Ri Yong Ho emphasized the importance of strengthening the military to defend North Korea against threats it sees from the United States and South Korea.

He called his nation a nuclear and military power and praised new leader Kim Jong Un, believed to be in his late 20s, as a "military strategist" who has been giving the army guidance for years.

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Russia navy to get seven Yasen attack subs by 2021

The Sevmash defence shipyard by 2021 will build for the Russian Navy seven attack nuclear-powered submarines of the Yasen class, six of which will have reinforced missile munitions and low-noise system, a source in the Military-Industrial Commission under the RF government who is in charge of warship building, told Itar-Tass on Wednesday.

“The first Yasen-class Severodvinsk nuclear powered submarine of Project 855 of the fourth generation will be adopted for service in the Navy this year after the completion of the tests,” the source said.

“There is no doubt that this task will be successfully fulfilled,” he added.

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CMN (Constructions Mécaniques de Normandie) Introduces the new DV15 RWS30 Fast Patrol Boat

CMN presents the latest spearhead of its range of Interceptors : The DV15 RWS 30.

It is developed from a proven design: the Interceptor family of fast patrol boats, designed for coastal patrol, and missions that require high speed interdiction in littoral waters.

The Interceptor DV15 has already been sold to the navies of Yemen, Qatar and the UAE. With this new DV15 RWS 30, CMN offers unprecedent performance and firepower rarely seen for this type of vessels.

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Northrop Grumman to Upgrade Fire Scout Unmanned Helicopter for U.S. Navy

The U.S. Navy has selected Northrop Grumman to produce the next-generation Fire Scout unmanned helicopter using the Bell 407 airframe. The new variant provides greater range, endurance and payload capacity to ship commander's intelligence-gathering efforts.

According to a U.S. Department of Defense news release on contract awards released April 23, the company will produce a total of eight Fire Scouts within an amount not to exceed $262 million. The Navy plans to purchase a total of 28 aircraft under a rapid development effort.

The Fire Scout endurance upgrade has been designated as the MQ-8C.

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F-35A Completes First In-Flight Refueling Mission With External Weapons

On Saturday, Apr. 21, a Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II conventional takeoff and landing aircraft completed the program’s first in-flight refueling mission while configured with external weapons at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. U.S.

Air Force Lt. Col. George Schwartz piloted the test aircraft, known as AF-4, with two external inert AIM-9X weapons and four external stores.

Internally, the jet was carrying two Joint Direct Attack Munitions and two Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles.

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Russian Paratroopers Test New Portable Radar

Russian paratroopers have started testing a modernized portable radar that could be installed on airborne combat vehicles or carried by a small crew, the Defense Ministry said on Tuesday.

“The first six radars have been delivered to air defense units which are part of airborne and air-assault brigades stationed in Novorossiisk, Ivanovo and Tula,” Col. Alexander Kucherenko said.

The testing of Garmon portable radars will continue until the end of 2012.

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India helicopter deal: Italy probes Euro 51 mn ‘payoff'

In its biggest ever corruption probe into defence agreements, Italy is investigating whether a commission of 51 million Euros was paid by helicopter manufacturer Agusta Westland to a Switzerland-based consultant for a deal to sell 12 VVIP helicopters to India.

Reports from Italy say that investigators have raided the offices of the consultant, Guido Ralph Haschke, in Switzerland after a former top employee of the helicopter company revealed that he was hired to “facilitate” the Rs 3,546-crore deal with India.

Haschke is well-known in the close-knit defence business circles in New Delhi. He is know to make frequent trips to India and is very familiar.

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Russia reiterates Iskander ballistic missile deployment threat

Moscow reiterated on Tuesday, April 24 it may deploy Iskander theater ballistic missiles in the Baltic exclave of Kaliningrad that will be capable of effectively engaging elements of the U.S. missile defense system in Poland, RIA Novosti reported.

The missile defense system in Poland does not jeopardize Russia’s nuclear forces, Army General Nikolai Makarov, chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, said.

“However, if it is modernized…it could affect our nuclear capability and in that case a political decision may be made to deploy Iskander systems in the Kaliningrad region,” he said in an interview with RT television.

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Pakistan Tests Nuclear-Capable Missile

Pakistan on Wednesday tested an intermediate-range nuclear-capable ballistic missile, a launch which experts said was a response to India's Agni-V missile test last week.

Pakistan's army, in a statement, said it had successfully launched the Hatf IV Shaheen-1A missile, the most advanced in its arsenal, to an impact point in the Arabian Sea.

The missile, which can carry nuclear and conventional warheads, has a wider range than previous versions, the army statement said.

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South accuses Sudan of new air strikes

South Sudan accused Sudan on Tuesday of launching new aerial bombardments deep within its oil-producing Unity State, in a fresh escalation of tensions which have brought the two countries close to a full-blown war.

Sudan's army spokesperson, al-Sawarmi Khalid, denied the air force had bombed anywhere inside South Sudan, which became independent in July.

South Sudan's army spokesperson Philip Aguer said Sudanese Antonov aircraft had crossed up to 40km into its territory to bomb the settlements of Teschween, Panakuach and Roliaq. "We don't have a ceasefire with Khartoum. Khartoum is declaring war day by day," he said.

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AirMule UAS to fly with new hydraulics

Urban Aeronautics will soon perform the first flight of an AirMule ducted fan unmanned air system (UAS) fitted with a double-redundant hydraulic system.

The enhancement will allow for uninterrupted rotor pitch control in the event of a failure to one of the pressure supply lines.

The new design underwent full power tests in mid-March, says company president Rafi Yoeli.

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Kratos Receives $1.3 Million Production Award for Electronics Supporting the U.S. Navy P-8A Aircraft Program

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc., a leading National Security Solutions provider, announced today that its Herley Industries, Inc. subsidiary has been awarded a contract valued at approximately $1.3 million by a major U.S. prime contractor for the production of integrated microwave assemblies to be used in the U.S. Navy's P-8A aircraft.

The P-8A Poseidon is the U.S. Navy's newest maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft. It is a long-range anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft capable of broad-area, maritime and littoral operations.

Richard F. Poirier, President of Herley, commented, "This is a follow-on award for the Low Rate Initial Production III (LRIP) for the P-8A Program.

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