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AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Published: 15 May 15:49 EDT (11:49 GMT)

Defense News

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia will likely cancel a 258 million euro ($397 million) deal with Finnish defense firm Patria if an investigation launched by Finnish police proves bribery allegations, Slovenian Defense Minister Karl Erjavec said May 15.

“If a case of bribery related to the deal is confirmed, there are big chances … that the deal with Patria would be cancelled,” Erjavec told private POP TV.

Erjavec signed the deal with Patria in December 2006 for 135 armored vehicles to be delivered between 2008 and 2013.

Continue reading ‘Slovenia May Cancel Patria Deal If Bribery Proved’ »

By wendell minnick
Published: 14 May 11:00 EDT (07:00 GMT)

Defense News

DHAKA, Bangladesh - Bangladesh, with the help of China, test-launched its first C-802A anti-ship missile from a frigate in the Bay of Bengal on May 12. Commissioned in 1989, the 1,500-ton F-18 Osman is a Chinese-built Jianghu-class frigate. This is Dhaka’s first C-802 missile test launch.

The navy acquired the improved C-802A variant and FM-90N SAM and the air force procured Chinese PL- air-to-air missiles in 2006. The number of units is unknown.

China has an intimate relationship with Bangladesh’s military. Much of its army, navy and air force consists of Chinese hardware. In August 2007, Chinese Gen. Chen Bingde visited Bangladesh to discuss military sales and cooperation. Chen, a member of China’s Central Military Commission, was also chief of the General Armament Department of the People’s Liberation Army.

Bangladesh’s navy inventory includes the Jianghu-class 1,500-ton F-18 Osman frigate, four 175-ton Huangfeng-class guided-missile patrol boats (PTG), five 68-ton Houku-class PTGs and other Chinese vessels, including a torpedo boat, patrol boat, submarine hunter, minesweeper, landing craft, tugs and survey craft.

The air force is equipped with two squadrons of Chengdu F-7Ms and Guizhou FT-7s, one squadron of Nanchang A-5Cs and Shenyang FT-6s, and one trainer squadron of Nanchang PT-6s.

Army equipment includes Chinese W-531 Type 85 armored personnel carriers, T-62 light tanks and T-59 main battle tanks. According to its declaration to the United Nations in 2007, covering 2006, China has sold 65 large-caliber artillery systems, including 18 122mm howitzers and 16 rocket launchers.

Northrop Grumman | May 6, 2008

Defence Talk

Highlighting reasons the U.S. Air Force selected the KC-45 Tanker as best for our men and women in uniform.

WASHINGTON: The U.S. Air Force found Northrop Grumman Corporation’s 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 even though the Air Force conducted what even Boeing described as a fair, open and transparent bidding process. Here is another reason Northrop Grumman won, drawn from a list of facts included in a redacted version of a protected Air Force selection document.

Past Performance
A contractor’s past performance on related projects is a critical element in the Air Force’s assessment of competing proposals. Because replacing America’s fleet of aerial refueling tankers is the number one acquisition priority for the Air Force, it paid special attention to Boeing’s assertions that it could complete the contract on time and on budget. While Boeing likes to claim that it has a better track record than Northrop Grumman in building tankers, the Air Force determined that Boeing’s past record actually meant it was riskier to do business with Boeing than Northrop Grumman.

Continue reading ‘Northrop Grumman KC-45: Why We Won - Past Performance’ »

Published: May 6, 2008 at 5:16 PM

ARNOLD AIR FORCE BASE, Tenn., May 6 (UPI) — The U.S. Air Force says a recent collaboration on the F100 engine program resulted in $7.2 million in savings during the first test in the series.

The collaboration between the Oklahoma-based F100 engine program office, the Arnold Engineering Development Center in Tennessee and Pratt and Whitney, who manufacture the engine, led to reduced testing costs and other improvements that resulted in the $7.2 million savings, the Air Force reported.

Continue reading ‘F100 testing modifications save millions’ »

Published: May 6, 2008 at 5:16 PM

LONDON, May 6 (UPI) — The British Royal Navy says the new Type 45 Destroyers, Daring class, recently completed the second stage of sea trials two days early.

Officials say during the five-week trial, the Daring, capable of accelerating from 0 to 27 knots in two minutes, successfully completed power and propulsion testing and a series of open-water tests that included medium-caliber gun blast trials, weapon alignment tests and long-range radar and navigation systems trials. The Daring also successful tracked a Typhoon aircraft from Manchester, England, to Scotland’s west coast, the British Ministry of Defense reported.

The prime contractor for the new Royal Navy ships is British company BAE Systems.

Continue reading ‘Second Daring sea trial a success’ »

Published April 2008

PBS

Click on the following link to watch the episodes: Carrier

An Icon Productions and Carrier Project Production Directed by Maro Chermayeff; Executive Producers Mel Gibson, Bruce Davey, Nancy Cotton, Mitchell Block, and Maro Chermayeff; Producers Deborah Dickson and Jeff Dupre; Producers in the field Matthew Akers, Michelle Smawley, Pamela Yates; Created by Maro Chermayeff and Mitchell Block; Editors Pamela Scott Arnold, Jay Keuper, Sabine Krayenbuhl, Maeve O’Boyle, Howard Sharp and E. Donna Shepherd; Cinematographers Axel Baumann, Ulli Bonnekamp, Mark Brice, Robert Hanna and Wolfgang Held; Original Music Composer Edward Bilous; Original Music Producer Greg Kalember;
Executive Music Producer Tracy McKnight

Executive producers for WETA: Dalton Delan and David S. Thompson

Funding for the series is provided by the CPB/PBS Challenge Fund. Corporate funding is provided by CSC.
The presenting station is WETA Washington, DC.

Nasdaq

TBILISI, Georgia (AFP)–Ex-Soviet Georgia said Monday it was withdrawing from an air defense agreement with Russia amid tensions over Moscow’s support for rebel separatists in Georgia’s Abkhazia region.

In a statement, Georgia’s foreign ministry said it had handed a note to the Russian embassy in Tbilisi stating it was withdrawing from the 1995 air defense cooperation agreement between the Georgian and Russian defense ministries.

Continue reading ‘Georgia Says Withdrawing From Air Defense Accord With Russia’ »

Newkerala.com

The Sub Report

New Delhi, May 5 : While brushing off any security implications due to the deployment of Chinese nuclear submarines at a spot near India, Chief of Navy Staff Admiral Sureesh Mehta Monday said it was the increasing number of Chinese nuclear submarines that was more a matter of concern.

“We will be concerned by the increasing number of submarines built by them and not where they are based,” Mehta said at the sidelines of a function here.

“Nuclear submarines can operate over large distances. It does not matter where it comes from,” Mehta added.

Continue reading ‘India concerned at China’s growing n-submarine fleet’ »

Lockheed Martin | May 1, 2008

Defence Talk

GEO-1 Spacecraft Ready for Environmental Test Phase

SUNNYVALE, Calif.: Lockheed Martin announced today that it has achieved a major integrated test milestone on the first Space-Based Infrared System (SBIRS) geosynchronous orbit (GEO-1) spacecraft that enables the start of environmental testing in preparation for launch in late 2009.

The GEO-1 satellite, designed to provide new missile detection and surveillance capabilities for the nation, has completed a comprehensive Baseline Integrated System Test (BIST) phase which began in early March to characterize the overall performance of the GEO-1 satellite and establish a performance baseline for entering environmental testing.

Continue reading ‘Lockheed Martin Achieves Key Milestone on New Missile Warning Satellite’ »

by Badru Mulumba
Fri May 2, 2:29 PM ET

Yahoo News

JUBA, Sudan (AFP) - South Sudan’s defence minister was killed on Friday in a plane crash along with at least 22 other people, most of them senior members of the southern former rebel leadership. Lieutenant General Dominic Dim Deng’s plane came down 375 kilometres (around 220 miles) from the southern capital Juba, killing everyone on board, including many army officers.

“There were 21 passengers besides the pilots,” southern president Salva Kiir told journalists in Juba.

He said there were probably two crew on board but that “the full list of the passengers is not yet obtained. We have confirmed, however, that Lieutenant General Dominic Dim was among the passengers,” along with his wife. Kiir’s spokesman Luka Mariak told AFP earlier that the plane came down “in a flat, savannah-like region.”

Kiir said that the United Nations Mission in Sudan (UNMIS), which sent a helicopter to the scene of the crash, confirmed that all on board were killed. “With this tragedy, I declare public mourning all over southern Sudan for three days,” Kiir said.

Continue reading ‘South Sudan defence minister killed in air crash’ »

03 May, 2008 11:42:00

admin

Military News

U.S. pilots flying missions over Iraq come to the region expecting a host of challenges, including swirling sandstorms and urban battlefields filled with a mix of enemies and civilians. But Naval aviators flying off the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman said one of the newest difficulties has been the least expected: navigating increasingly crowded airspace in a region that has experienced the world’s fastest airline growth in recent years.

The mix of U.S. combat aircraft and civilian planes from booming Gulf airlines illustrates the growing divide in the Middle East between countries like Iraq and Lebanon, which are mired in political and sectarian conflict, and oil-rich nations such as the United Arab Emirates and Qatar enjoying a windfall revenue and surging investment.

Continue reading ‘Crowded airspace for US fighter pilots’ »

Dated 30/4/2008

India Defence

India is invited to join the Eurofighter programme as a new partner. This invitation was highlighted by Bernhard Gerwert, CEO of Military Air Systems, an integrated activity of EADS Defence & Security, during a high-level Eurofighter event in New Delhi on Thursday.

Gerwert said: “As part of our industrial cooperation offer, we invite India to become a member of the successful Eurofighter family. India is our partner of choice and we are interested in long-lasting political, industrial and military relations which will be based on a win-win partnership. Therefore the door is widely open for India.” Gerwert explained to representatives of the Indian Ministry of Defence, the Indian Air Force, suppliers and media that the Eurofighter partners have intensive experiences in international cooperation because the combat aircraft is developed and manufactured as a quadronational programme from the very beginning.

Continue reading ‘India invited to become a partner of the Eurofighter programme’ »

Thursday May 1 2008 07:56 IST
Express News Service

Newindpress.com

BIDAR: THE Indian Air Force has lost one of its brand new Hawk-132 trainer aircraft which crashed soon after taking off from Bidar Air Force Station on Tuesday.

The two pilots in the aircraft, which was recently acquired from Britain to improve flight safety record, bailed out safely.

In an embarrassment to the IAF, the aircraft has been lost just a couple of months after it was inducted at an elaborate ceremony attended by Defence Minister A.K Antony and top officials of British Aerospace Systems, the maker of Hawk.

Continue reading ‘India: Hawk crashes in Bidar, both pilots safe’ »

Published: May 2, 2008 at 12:59 PM

The United States will not, for now, cut off relations with Belarus after Minsk ordered the expulsion of 10 American diplomats, but State Department officials have been outspoken in denouncing the weekend’s cyberattacks against a U.S.-supported broadcaster as the work of the regime.
By SHAUN WATERMAN
UPI Homeland and National Security Editor

WASHINGTON, May 2 (UPI) — The U.S. State Department said Thursday it had not yet decided what action, if any, it would take in response to the Belarusian expulsion of U.S. diplomats this week.

The expulsions are the latest step in an escalating confrontation between Washington and Minsk following the imposition last December of U.S. sanctions against a state-owned energy conglomerate. They came on the heels of a cyberattack on the Belarusian site of U.S.-supported broadcaster Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, which State Department officials blamed on the regime.

The expulsions reduced the size of the U.S. diplomatic staff in Minsk to four, department spokesman Tom Casey told reporters.

“We have told (Belarusian officials) that we have very serious concerns about this step that they have taken, and that means we need to think very carefully about our future and their future diplomatic presence in our respective countries,” he said.

Continue reading ‘U.S.-Belarus row escalates after cyberattack, expulsions’ »

Published: May 2, 2008 at 6:04 PM

By ANDREI CHANG

HONG KONG, May 2 (UPI) — Russia will deliver to China four battalions of 200-kilometer-range S-300PMU2 surface-to-air missiles this summer, the last batch in a series ordered by China. The first batch of four battalions of the same missiles was delivered in July 2007.

Starting in 1993, China received 12 battalions of S-300 SAMs, four of them S-300PMUs and eight S-300PMU1s. This means there are a total of 20 battalions of S-300 SAMs deployed in China. These missiles are expected to play a major role in China’s core air defense system.

These missiles now cover the whole of the Chinese coast facing the Taiwan Strait. Positions previously covered by HQ-2 ground-to-air missiles have been upgraded to S-300 launch positions.

In the combat theater centered on the city of Fuzhou in Fujian province, Longtian Airport is armed with S-300s, which are intended to cover the whole northern section of the combat area. The S-300PMU1/2s deployed along the Taiwan Strait are right along the coastline, providing the first line of air defense for the operations of AWACS and bombers behind the front lines.

Continue reading ‘Analysis: China to get SAMs from Russia’ »

Story Number: NNS080424-06
Release Date: 4/24/2008 11:31:00 AM

US Navy

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Riza Caparros, USS George Washington Public Affairs

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (NNS) — USS George Washington (CVN 73) and the George Washington Carrier Strike Group participated in the opening ceremony for UNITAS 49-08 in Rio de Janeiro April 22.

Continue reading ‘Brazil, Argentina, George Washington Carrier Strike Group Kick-Off UNITAS’ »

Air Force Link

5/2/2008 - RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFPN) — The 19th Air Force commander has ordered a one day safety stand-down May 5 of all aircraft operations in his command.

Maj. Gen. Irving L. Halter Jr., ordered the stand-down as an opportunity for all those associated with flying in the command to re-emphasize and re-focus on the importance of flying safety and operational procedures.

Continue reading ‘19th Air Force orders safety stand-down day May 5’ »

01-May-2008 14:41 EDT

Defense Industry Daily

By early July 2006, Bahrain was one of 2 foreign countries requesting the latest model UH-60M helicopter: Bahrain (9 UH-60Ms etc., up to $252 million) and the UAE/Dubai (26 UH-60Ms etc., up to $808 million). There can be a long slip between the June 28/06 notification [PDF format] and the contract, however, as illustrated by the fact that it was June 19/07 before Sikorsky announced a deal to make Bahrain the UH-60M Black Hawk’s first international customer.

Bahrain will buy 9 UH-60M helicopters; according to Sikorsky’s June 2007 announcement, they will cost up to $204 million with included add-ons, spares, and support. The helicopters will be used in a variety of roles, including combat search and rescue.

Continue reading ‘Bahrain Becomes 1st International UH-60M Buyer’ »

By pierre tran
Published: 2 May 12:53 EDT (08:53 GMT)

Defense News

Paris - The French Defense Ministry said May 2 it was rationalizing two internal units charged with economic and social supervision of closures or reductions of defense sites.

The sole agency for preparing and supervising an announced reorganization of military units on the territory will be the délégation aux réstructructions (DAR), the ministry said in a statement.

Continue reading ‘France: Sole Agency To Rationalize Consolidation’ »

Published on Saturday, May 03, 2008

By Michael Futch
Staff writer

Fay Observer

WILMINGTON — About 5,000 people are expected this morning at the N.C. State Ports to view the commissioning of the $2.5billion USS North Carolina, the Navy’s newest nuclear-powered attack submarine. But unless you’ve been invited, don’t even think about going. Because of heightened security, the ceremony is by invitation only. The public will not be allowed on the State Ports’ grounds.

The time-honored commissioning is when the Submarine North Carolina SSN-777 receives its official designation as the USS North Carolina. It joins the Naval fleet of more than 50 submarines and becomes the fourth USS North Carolina in history.

“Saturday is the day we become a U.S. ship. We become a war-fighting ship,” Capt. Mark Davis, the 47-year-old commander of the submarine, said Thursday. “Until the boat is commissioned,” Murray said, “we can’t go on a mission. It’s no use to the Navy at all.” Thursday morning, members of the media were invited to Wilmington to tour parts of the submarine and to interview some of the officers and crew. Small Coast Guard boats — with 50-caliber machine guns manned at their bows — patrolled the river.

Continue reading ‘Submarine ‘a huge tube of people’’ »