30th April 2008, 11:46 pm
Page last updated at 15:50 GMT, Wednesday, 30 April 2008 16:50 UK
BBC News
Nato has warned Russia that its recent troop build-up in Georgia’s two breakaway regions undermines its neighbour’s territorial integrity.
Russia’s moves in Abkhazia and South Ossetia were raising tensions in the area, a Nato spokesman said.
Moscow has accused Georgia of preparing to invade Abkhazia, and says it is also boosting Russian peacekeeping forces there and in South Ossetia.
Tbilisi has described the Russian move as “irresponsible”.
“The steps that have been taken [by Russia] and the rhetoric have increased tensions and undermined Georgia’s territorial integrity,” Nato spokesman James Appathurai said.
Continue reading ‘Russia warned over Georgia move’ »
30th April 2008, 02:17 am
Zee News
New Delhi, April 29: Amid a raging controversy over the possibility of an internal “sabotage” during the recent trials of indigenously developed main battle tank Arjun, the Centre on Tuesday said all shortcomings in the armament are being removed and there was no question of abandoning the project.
“Whatever shortcomings were there, they are being removed,” Minister of State for Defence Shri M M Pallam Raju told reporters here. He said the government did not have any proposal to abandon the project.
Continue reading ‘No plan to abandon Arjun project: Centre’ »
30th April 2008, 02:02 am
Tells 60 Minutes Israel’s Air Force Is Ready For Any Threat, Especially A Nuclear Iran
April 27, 2008
(CBS) If any country takes the words of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad more seriously than the United States, it is Israel. And that’s not surprising: Ahmadinejad has called for Israel to be wiped off the map, and Israeli intelligence estimates that Iran could be two years away from having a nuclear weapon.
Correspondent Bob Simon got a rare look inside the organization that may well be called upon to do something about it. The Israeli air force has over the last 60 years been the country’s most powerful protector.
It is also one of the most secretive organizations of its kind. So in return for access to its planes and personnel, 60 Minutes had to agree to rigorous censorship. We cannot identify the bases we visited, nor the young pilots we interviewed. In addition, the video 60 Minutes filmed inside their facilities had to be examined by military censors. If the Israelis blow their secrets, they insist, they’ll lose the next war.
Continue reading ‘Israel’s Air Force Chief: Iran Threat Real’ »
30th April 2008, 01:50 am
29 April 2008
Media Release
Austal
Austal has successfully launched its landmark 127 metre Littoral Combat Ship INDEPENDENCE (LCS 2) in what proved a momentous occasion for the company as it celebrates its 20th year.
Since its keel laying in January 2006, INDEPENDENCE has steadily progressed within Austal USA’s purpose built construction facility in Mobile, Alabama toward becoming a formidable warship. Today’s launch was a significant step along the way to achieving that goal.
The launch procedure involved coordination of all large shipping traffic in the Mobile River while INDEPENDENCE was rolled out of the construction hall on sixty-six 100 ton rail-trolleys onto a floating drydock.
Continue reading ‘Austal Launches Littoral Combat Ship INDEPENDENCE (LCS-2)’ »
29th April 2008, 10:56 pm
Highlighting reasons the U.S. Air Force selected the KC-45 Tanker as best for our men and women in uniform.
WASHINGTON, April 21 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — The U.S. Air Force found Northrop Grumman’s (NYSE: NOC) bid to build the next generation of aerial refueling tankers superior to Boeing’s in four of the five most important selection criteria. Despite this fact, the losing bidder wants the Government Accountability Office to overturn the Air Force decision to award the contract to Northrop Grumman. Starting today and regularly in the coming weeks, “Why We Won” will provide detailed examples of why Northrop Grumman was selected, drawing on facts listed in a redacted version of a protected Air Force selection document. We begin with Mission Capability, which includes the crucial function of aerial refueling.
Mission Capability
The Air Force found the Northrop Grumman KC-45 provides “Better fuel offloads at all distances from bases,” “Better air refueling efficiency,” “Better offload rate and receive rate,” and has “A greater boom envelope vs. Boeing.”
Continue reading ‘Northrop Grumman KC-45: Why We Won - Mission Capability’ »
29th April 2008, 01:58 am
Monday, April 28, 2008 14:12 [IST]
India Info Finance
New Delhi: US fighter jet producer Lockheed Martin today submitted its bid for Indian Air Force’s mega deal for induction of 126 medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA), claiming its F-16IN would exceed India’s expectations.
“The F-16IN is specifically tailored to meet IAF needs and is the most advanced multi-role combat aircraft in production anywhere in the world today. We have spent years assessing the needs of IAF and we believe it will not just meet but exceed Indian expectations,” Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company President Ralph D Heath told PTI here.
Continue reading ‘Lockheed Martin bids for $10 bn IAF fighter jet’ »
29th April 2008, 01:52 am
FIGHTERS
Outlook India
The race for India’s biggest ever global military tender worth over USD 10 billion for 126 fighters got underway today with six major aviation firms submitting their bids.
American firms Lockheed Martin with F-16 Fighting Falcon, Boeing with F-18 super hornets, Eurofighter, Dassault aviation Rafale, Russian Mig-35 and Swedish Gripen submitted their closed bids to the Defence Ministry today, a ministry official said.
Continue reading ‘Global tender for 126 fighters gets underway’ »
29th April 2008, 01:49 am
LSQ-MIRAGES
Outlook India
NEW DELHI, APR 28 (PTI)
As part of steps to keep the country’s air power capability at optimal level, India has signed a billion-Euro deal to upgrade its 51 Mirage Multi-Role Fighters.
Dassault, the French original equipment manufacturer, has agreed to upgrade the Indian Air Force’s Mirage 2000 fleet, Defence Minister A K Antony told Lok Sabha today.
Continue reading ‘India signs deal to upgrade 51 Mirage fighters’ »
29th April 2008, 01:04 am
Forecast International | Apr 25, 2008
Defence Talk
NEWTOWN, Conn: Overall defense spending has skyrocketed in recent years, both in dollar terms and relative to the size of the economy. The spending surge of the past few years can largely be attributed to soaring war costs, which have most recently run upwards of $15 billion per month.
While there is a common perception that the huge costs of defense spending should begin tapering off, the fact is that baseline budgets are still on the rise, with FY09’s $515 billion request for discretionary spending being the largest yet. In fact, when all defense-related costs are considered, the FY09 defense budget may represent close to 5 percent of GDP.
These are among the findings of a recent defense budget review by the Budget Forecasting team of Connecticut-based Forecast International, which is currently finalizing its FY09-FY14 budget projections. These projections are contained within the company’s U.S. Defense Budget Forecast Market Intelligence Service.
Continue reading ‘US FY09 DoD Budget Request for Defense Spending is Largest Ever’ »
29th April 2008, 12:37 am
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Published: 28 Apr 11:47 EDT (07:47 GMT) Print | Email
Defense News
OSLO - Aeronautics groups Lockheed Martin of the United States and Saab of Sweden on April 28 submitted tenders for a planned order by the Norwegian Air Force for 48 combat aircraft, the defense ministry said
The two companies presented their fighter jets, Lockheed Martin’s Joint Strike Fighter/F-35 and Saab’s JAS Gripen, at a public ceremony in Oslo, but neither disclosed a price for the order, estimated at several billion euros.
“With two impressive candidates remaining in the competition, I am convinced that we will get a good competition as we enter into the final leg of the race,” Defense Minister Anne-Grete Stroem-Erichsen said.
Continue reading ‘Lockheed, Saab Compete for Norway Fighter Order’ »
29th April 2008, 12:32 am
Space War
by Staff Writers
Washington DC (SPX) Apr 28, 2008
The Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress of a possible Foreign Military Sale to Australia of Modular Artillery Charge Systems and XM982 Block Ia-1 Excalibur Projectiles as well as associated equipment and services. The total value, if all options are exercised, could be as high as $58 million.
The Government of Australia requested a possible sale of 2,400 Modular Artillery Charge Systems (MACS), 250 XM982 Block Ia-1 Excalibur Unitary Projectiles with base bleed units, 43 Portable Excalibur Fire Control Systems (PEFCS), 43 AN/PRC-119 Single Channel Ground and Airborne Radio System (SINCGARS) w/o GPS, training ammunition, containers, support equipment, spare and repair parts, publications and technical data, maintenance, personnel training and training equipment, U.S. Government and contractor representatives’ engineering and technical support services, and other related elements of logistics support. The estimated cost is $58 million.
Continue reading ‘Australia Orders MACS, XM982 Block Ia-1 Excalibur Projectiles’ »
27th April 2008, 06:21 pm
From Aero Gizmo
Giz Mag
March 18, 2008 Since the 1960s, the Gulfstream jet has been synonymous with the fastest, ultra luxury business travel regardless of cost – only 1600 have ever been made but now, the company is raising the bar with a new ultra-large cabin G650 due in 2012. The US$58.5 million G650 is capable of traveling 7,000 nautical miles (8055 miles) at 0.85 Mach (647 ph/1,041 km/h) or 5,000 nautical miles (5,753 miles) at 0.90 Mach (685 mph/1,102 km/h) and has a top speed of 0.925 Mach (794 mph/1,133 km/h), which will make it the fastest non-military aircraft flying. It will even cruise at 51,000 ft, in order to avoid airline-traffic congestion and adverse weather.
The G650 offers the longest range, largest cabin and the most-advanced cockpit in the Gulfstream fleet but the jet’s fastest operating speed is what’s drawing the attention – at .925 Mach, the jet approaches the speed of sound (Mach 1) and will cruise at close to 800 mph
Continue reading ‘The 800mph Gulfstream G650 - fastest civil aircraft ever’ »
27th April 2008, 03:44 pm
Fri Apr 25, 2008 1:38pm EDT
By Oleg Shchedrov
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia warned on Friday it could use military force to protect its “compatriots” in Georgia’s breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia if they were attacked.
Valery Kenyaikin, the Russian Foreign Ministry’s special envoy for the ex-Soviet Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) said Moscow was “doing everything to avert a military scenario.
“But if a war is unleashed, we will have to defend our compatriots even through military means. We will use every means to do this, there should be no doubt about this,” he told reporters.
Continue reading ‘Russia threatens Georgia with force over separatists’ »
27th April 2008, 12:44 pm
April 2008
By Grace Jean
National Defense Magazine
The Navy in recent months has had to contend with several provoking episodes at sea — Iranian small boats speeding at its cruisers, destroyers and frigates; Russian bombers flying over its carriers; and Chinese subs shadowing its warships.
Hard-to-detect submarines — such as quiet, diesel-electric boats — are particularly vexing, Navy officials say. They contend that an undersea arms race already has begun in the western Pacific.
Nations there in recent years have begun to acquire stealthy diesel-electric submarines. Some of those nations, say Navy officials, could one day threaten U.S. access to strategic coastal areas of the world or interrupt the flow of commerce around the globe.
Although the Navy has the world’s most technologically advanced fleet — including state-of-the-art nuclear attack submarines — officials acknowledge that these comparatively low-tech diesel-electric boats could give an enemy an asymmetric advantage.
Continue reading ‘Diesel-Electric Submarines, the U.S. Navy’s Latest Annoyance’ »
27th April 2008, 12:23 pm
November 2007
By Breanne Wagner
National Defense Magazine
As part of an ambitious technology plan for the Navy fleet of the future, the Office of Naval Research is exploring ways to power all-electric ships.
The Navy wants to develop these ships to make more efficient use of on-board power and to cut fuel use. The technology will also help meet future requirements for high-power weapons such as the electromagnetic gun, high power microwave and high energy lasers, said John Pazik, director of the ship systems and engineering division at ONR.
The all-electric ship effort is still in its infancy. ONR plans to roll out new power systems by fiscal year 2012, said Richard Carlin, head of ONR’s sea warfare and weapons division. “At this point there’s no acquisition, so it’s more of a technology push.”
The program is known as the next-generation integrated power system (NGIPS). It takes electric propulsion technology and combines it with other energy efficient power systems throughout a ship. “We’re starting this process of thinking how we map out what the future electric Naval force is going to be,” Pazik told National Defense.
For example, some ships use auxiliary systems that are steam powered, hydraulically powered, or pneumatically powered. Converting those systems to electrical power and combining them with electric drive propulsion would produce an all-electric ship.
Continue reading ‘All-Electric Ship Could Begin to Take Shape By 2012’ »
27th April 2008, 12:18 pm
F-16.net
History The FS-X program
The FS-X’s origins can be traced back to the early 1980’s and the highly secretive Laboratory Three division of Japan’s Technical Research and Development Institute (TRDI). There, studies were being carried out to investigate the options for an indigenous design, combining long range with maneuverability, to meet the particular requirements of the Japanese Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF).
t became clear that the pursuit of a completely indigenous design was unrealistic, and help was to be sought abroad. In October of 1987, the Japanese government announced that it was going to develop a derivative version of the F-16C known as the FS-X, to replace the JASDF’s Mitsubishi F-1 support fighters, which were to be phased out of active service in the second half of the 1990’s.
Continue reading ‘F-16 FSX/F-2 an F-16 Inspired Japanese Fighter’ »
27th April 2008, 12:29 am
Bill Sweetman
Editor in CHief
Defense Technology International
April 23, 2008
Why a Nation needs fighter jets ?
1/ A fighter jet is unique because it can:
1.1/ Get anywhere in a 1,000 km circle within an hour
1.2/ Defend itself throughout the mission
1.3/ Provide human eyes on target
1.4/ Place ordnance within 5-10 metres
1.5/ Threaten any target except a submarine
2/ More than any other system, the fighter is:
2.1/ Versatile
2.2/ Mobile
2.3/ Autonomous
2.4/ Durable
3/ No other weapon matches those characteristics
Continue reading ‘The Future of the Fighter Jet’ »
26th April 2008, 09:08 pm
Defense Industry Daily
24-Apr-2008 13:05 EDT
In late December 2006, Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL) announced a $700-million joint venture (JV) agreement with Irkut Corporation of Russia for manufacturing 60-tonne multi-role transport aircraft (MRTA). Under this 50/50 arrangement with HAL, Ilyushin Design Bureau of Russia will design the MRTA and Irkut corporation of Russia will develop the aircraft, while series production would be taken up by the transport aircraft division of HAL at Kanpur. Irkut is a major investor (40% of project expenses), and will be the coordinator of the Russian side. For HAL, the move is part of an effort to forge new partnerships with global aviation majors for military and civil projects, with an eye on trebling their annual turnover to $3 billion by 2011.
The MRTA has been described in news reports as a 60-ton, 100-seat aircraft aimed at the military freigter market, creating some confusion about its ultimate carrying capacity and competitive niche. Is it destined to replace the Ilyushin IL-76s India flies? Compete with the 120-troop capacity A400M? Further research with Irkut shows it to be a 60-ton total takeoff weight aircraft with a cargo capacity of around 18,500 kg/ 20 tons, giving it similar capacity and dimensions to the Russian An-12 or the USA’s C-130J Hercules. Illustrations show a jet aircraft whose requirements produce a design somewhat reminiscent of the canceled 1970s US AMST Program that eventually led to the much larger C-17.
Continue reading ‘HAL and Irkut’s Joint Tactical Transport Project’ »
26th April 2008, 08:38 pm
Fri Apr 25, 9:00 AM ET
Yahoo News
SEOUL (AFP) - South Korea will buy 21 fighter jets from Boeing by 2012, bringing to 61 the total number of its next-generation fighters, the defence ministry said Friday.
A government panel on Friday approved a 2.3 trillion won (2.3 billion dollars) contract to buy F-15K fighter jets from Boeing, the Defence Acquisition Programme Administration (DAPA) of the defence ministry said.
South Korea has already purchased 40 F-15Ks at a cost of 4.6 billion dollars. The last 10 of the 40 jets will be delivered later this year.
The new aircraft will be delivered between 2010 and 2012.
“The new aircraft are expected to make up for the aging fighter jets and bolster strategic deterrence,” a spokesman for the DAPA told journalists.
South Korea wants to increase the number of so-called next-generation fighter jets to 120 by 2020 to better counter threats from its neighbors, according to the air force.
26th April 2008, 08:10 pm
RIA Novosti
17:17 | 25/ 04/ 2008
MOSCOW. (RIA Novosti military commentator Ilya Kramnik) - Earlier this year reports appeared in the media that China had copied Russia’s Sukhoi Su-27 Flanker fighter, and that its J-11 version, now manufactured in China, would be sold to third countries, undermining Russia’s positions on the global arms market.
Although China has made some progress in adapting Russian designs and technology, it is still far from posing either a military or commercial threat to Russian aviation.
The Chinese aircraft industry evolved in the late 1950s with Soviet assistance, and soon mastered production of the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 Fagot and MiG-17 Fresco fighters, the Ilyushin Il-28 medium-range bomber and other warplanes. Later China got more modern aircraft from the U.S.S.R. - Tu-16, MiG-21, An-12 and others.
By cooperating closely with the Soviet Union, China managed to create a modern air force by the mid-1960s. However, this progress was squandered, and the national aircraft industry began to stagnate, after the beginning of the Cultural Revolution in the late 1960s.
Throughout the 1960s and the 1970s, China failed to develop any new aircraft, instead manufacturing the Q-5 and J-8 - revamped versions of the MiG-19 Farmer and MiG-21 Fishbed fighters.
Continue reading ‘China copies outdated, less capable Russian fighter’ »