NOSInt on a brake

Merry X-Mas and a Happy 2014 to all readers.

Next update: Thursday, January 2^nd 2014

General Dynamics Awarded $122 Million for Virginia-Class Submarine Procurement

The U.S. Navy has awarded General Dynamics Electric Boat a $121.8 million contract modification to buy long lead-time material for three Virginia-class submarines, SSN-793, SSN-794 and SSN-795. Electric Boat is a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics.

The contract provides funding for steam and electrical-plant components, main propulsion unit and ship-service turbine generator sets, as well as miscellaneous hull, mechanical and electrical-systems components to support construction of the submarines.

With the modification, the contract has a value of $716.5 million. It was awarded initially in April 2012.

Read more

Russia to Test-Fly New Bomber in 2019

The Russian Air Force plans to begin test flights of a new strategic bomber in 2019, the commander of the long-range fleet said Monday.

“Work on the bomber has been ongoing for less than a year, but the planning stage is now complete. Development work will begin in 2014, and the first test flights are scheduled for 2019. I think the aircraft should enter service in 2025,” Anatoly Zhikharev said in comments aired by television news network Rossiya-24.

The new bomber, known as PAK-DA (an acronym meaning “future long-range aircraft”), is planned to carry hypersonic missiles, a source told RIA Novosti in August.

Read more

Navy: UCLASS Will be Stealthy and ‘Tomcat Size’

The U.S Navy’s unmanned carrier launched airborne surveillance and strike (UCLASS) program has evolved to call for a jet that is much larger and much more capable than what was envisioned just six months ago, Navy officials told USNI News.

“We’re talking about a 70,000- to 80,000-pound airplane,” Rear Adm. Mike Manazir, the Navy’s director of air warfare said in a 20 December interview. “We’re talking [Grumman F-14] Tomcat size.”

The shift in the character of UCLASS comes as the service prepares to release a set of months-delayed draft requirements to industry, and follows a struggle inside the Pentagon over the character of the aircraft.

Read more

Northrop Grumman Expands Industry Support for Japan E-2C Hawkeye Program

Northrop Grumman Corporation has entered into an exclusive, five-year agreement with AAR Corporation of Illinois and Sumitomo Corporation of Japan, expanding industrial support for the Japan E-2C Hawkeye program by establishing a "just-in-time" inventory management process.

"Japan is our largest international Hawkeye operator," said Bart LaGrone, vice president, E-2/C-2 programs, Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems. "The Japan Air Self Defense Force [JASDF] has achieved an incredible operational stature with its E-2C fleet, approaching 115,000 accident-free flight hours.

The demand for E-2 Hawkeye airborne early warning and control is even greater now than when the systems were first delivered to JASDF in 1984."

Read more

Agni-III Evening Launch Bang on Target

In a major step towards achieving a credible nuclear deterrence and capability to fire long-range missiles at any time, India on Monday successfully test-fired its intermediate range ballistic missile (IRBM) Agni-III for the first time during evening from a defence base off the Odisha coast.

Defence sources said the indigenously-built highly sophisticated surface-to-surface nuclear capable missile carrying a dummy payload blasted off from a fixed platform of Launching Complex-IV with the help of an auto-launcher in the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Wheeler Island at about 5 pm.

Scientific Advisor to Defence Minister and DRDO Chief Avinash Chander told this paper that the mission went off successfully as the flight trial met all mission objectives and all the events occurred as expected.

Read more

BAE wins $1bn South Korean fighter jet contract

BAE has landed a contract potentially worth up to $1bn (£610m) to upgrade more than 130 of South Korea's F–16 fighters.

The FTSE 100–listed defence group will take on 300 staff at its US bases to complete the work, for which it yesterday finalised an agreement with the Southeast Asian nation after beating off competition from rivals including Lockheed Martin, which made the jets.

Historically, companies that made warplanes serviced and upgraded them, but reducing military spending has driven defence groups to seek business in new areas.

Read more

Indian Air force C4ISR capabilities - A year end round up

Beyond the accretion of new fighter and transport aircraft, it is the on-going digitization of the workings of the Indian Air force (IAF) that is the signature element of its transformation.

Adopting information and communication technology (ICT) across the spectrum of its operations, the service is putting in place a new architecture for command, control, communications, computing, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (C4ISR) that would make sure that there are no surprises from the enemy and that when bombs are dropped in anger they hit the targets they are actually meant to.

Keeping its lead in ICT initiatives over the Indian Army, IAF launched the first phase of a closed 3G cellular network called Air Force Cellular (AFCEL) in late October that seeks to both enhance communications security (COMSEC) as well as provide assured connectivity at all times.

Read more

China’s new ‘Black Hawk’ helicopter takes maiden flight

A Chinese-made, People's Liberation Army helicopter successfully made its first flight on Monday, "filling a blank" in the military's arsenal, according to analysts.

The new type of medium-lift, general-purpose helicopter completed its test flight in an airport in the country's northeast on Monday morning, the official CCTV announced later Monday evening.

The report came after a photo of the aircraft emerged from popular domestic military forum cjdby.net, prompting a flurry of speculation from tech-savvy military enthusiasts about its potential performance and efficiency.

Read more

China says conducted 100 tests on aircraft carrier

China announced on Monday that Liaoning, its new aircraft carrier, has carried out over 100 tests and training manoeuvres in the South China Sea since early December. This is the first time the carrier has carried out tests and complicated manoeuvres since being commissioned late last year.

The announcement came soon after the Chinese and US navies exchanged sharp words over a near collision involving vessels from the two sides in the same sea earlier in the month. A Chinese ship sailing next to the carrier had come uncomfortably close to a US missile destroyer

It is not clear if the near miss took place during China's testing of the carrier's combat capabilities. Observers suspect Chinese naval officers were putting the ships attached to the carrier through a stress test by allowing one of them to get close to the US vessel. The US navy had earlier blamed the Chinese navy for the miscalculation that resulted in the near-collision situation.

Read more

USS Little Rock, From Light to Guided Missile Cruiser: Lessons For The Littoral Combat Ship

The Littoral Combat Ship has come under light fire from Congress because they worry especially about findings by operational testers that the ships cannot survive a firefight.

Norman Friedman, a consultant at Gryphon Technologies with more than 30 military books to his name, argues in the following piece that critics need to consider that “change is at the core” of the LCS design, marking a welcome change in naval design.

He believes LCS marks “the most fundamental change in warship design” in decades. Friedman compares the just-launched LCS ship USS Little Rock with the history of its predecessor, a light cruiser built near the end of World War II, mothballed a few years later and later rebuilt as a guided missile cruiser at considerable cost.

Read more

BIW gets $23 million contract change for work on destroyer

The U.S. Department of Defense has awarded Bath Iron Works a $23 million contract modification for additional fleet-management work related to the DDG-51 destroyer, a company official said Monday.

BIW spokesman Matt Wickenheiser said the contract modification involves design and planning efforts and is in addition to the company’s existing $2.8 billion in contracts to build four DDG-51 Arleigh Burke-class destroyers through fiscal year 2017, with the possibility of a fifth ship if Congress awards enough additional funding.

Last week, Congress passed a defense-spending bill that includes authorization for an additional $100 million for the fifth DDG-51 Navy destroyer to be built at BIW.

Read more

Antony finally clears long-pending controversial deal for Israeli Barak missiles

Defence minister A K Antony has finally bitten the bullet. With the CBI deciding to close the infamous seven-year-old Barak kickbacks case for lack of evidence, the defence ministry on Monday cleared the long-pending "critical" naval procurement of an additional 262 Israeli Barak-I missiles for Rs 880 crore.

The Antony-led Defence Acquisitions Council (DAC) also gave the green signal for two other delayed naval projects for 16 anti-submarine warfare (ASW) warships capable of operating in "shallow waters'' for Rs 13,440 crore and two diving support vessels meant for rescuing sailors from disabled submarines for Rs 1,500 crore.

The Rs 300 crore purchase of 41 Dhruv advanced helicopters, manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), was also cleared in the meeting.

Read more

Military denies that UAV program is a waste of money

The military yesterday denied a media report that said locally produced unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), part of a development program named Long March (長征), failed to meet combat requirements and that the military had decided to suspend the program.

The Chinese-language United Evening News reported that the military-run Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology this year completed a prototype of a Long March UAV, but because the air force required greater combat capabilities than the prototype delivered, the program was suspended.

The report said that the Long March UAV program was launched in 2009 with a budget of NT$3 billion (US$100 million), but the air force required a vehicle with a combat radius large enough to enable it to conduct surveillance operations around Chinese military airports along the coasts of Guangdong and Jiangxi provinces and the prototype could not match those requirements.

Read more

2nd User Trial of Agni-III Today

Stage is all set for the second user trial of nuclear capable Agni-III missile in full operational configuration. The indigenously developed surface-to-surface ballistic missile is likely to be test fired by the user (Indian Army) from a defence base off the Odisha coast on Monday.

Initially scheduled for December 18, the test was deferred and rescheduled for Monday as the downrange ships carrying tracking equipment could not sail out to the possible point of impact due to tropical cyclone Madi formed over west-central Bay of Bengal on December 10.

Defence sources said the personnel of strategic forces command (SFC) of the Army would carry out the test while DRDO would provide logistic supports. If everything goes according to the programme, the missile will be launched post noon.

Read more

Final B-52G eliminated under New START

One rescue saw, two qualified technicians and less than 45 minutes later, the final B-52G Stratofortress accountable under the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty was eliminated Dec. 19 at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group here, commonly referred to as the Boneyard.

"Behind me is the final B-52G, serial number 58-0224, to be eliminated under (New START)," said Col. Robert Lepper, the 309th AMARG commander and speaker at the event. "What you see today will not be overly dramatic, but it is definitely historic."

Lepper then outlined the process.

Read more

Bangladesh Army gets new SP guns, Metis M-1 missiles

Bangladesh Army entered into a new era as the much-awaited self-propelled (SP) guns and Metis M- 1 anti-tank guided missiles were inducted in the force yesterday.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina formally handed over the Serbia- made 155mm NORA B-52 SP guns to the 11 SP Regiment, the lone SP Unit of Bangladesh Army, and the Russsia-made Metis M-1 missiles to the Infantry Regiment of Bangladesh Army in Tarmac Area at Dhaka Cantonment this morning.

She also handed over the China -made PF-98 anti-tank weapons and Turkey-made light armoured vehicles to the Infantry Regiment and sound ranging equipment to Locating Wing of the Artillery Regiment.

Read more

Turkey flirts with Asian arms suppliers

When fighter aircraft from NATO-member Turkish and Chinese air forces conducted their first joint air exercises in Turkish airspace in September 2010, few people guessed that could be the beginning of a broader defense and security relationship. Four years later, the big three in Asia are on a determined course to replace some of Turkey’s traditional ties with NATO allies.

The breakthrough came from South Korea in 2001 when Turkey signed a $1 billion contract for the acquisition of the T-155 self-propelled howitzer. Six years later, the Korean aerospace powerhouse KAI won a nearly $500 million Turkish contract to sell a batch of KT-1 basic trainer aircraft, followed by a few years of silence.

But presently they are seeking ways to find a slot in Turkey’s indigenous fighter jet program, the TFX. If they do, that will automatically reserve them a seat in the TX, a parallel program designed to develop trainer aircraft for the TFX.

Read more

Russia completes first-phase Gepard 3.9 frigate contract

A delegation from Vietnam’s Ministry of Defence joined representatives from Rosoboronexport Group and Zelenodolsk Shipyard recently appraised and approved the first phase of a contract to build two Gepard 3.9 frigates.

Zelenodolsk Shipyard has already built the hull and superstructure of the first frigate equipped with anti-submarine weapons.

Both sides also discussed issues relating to defence and technical cooperation.

Source

Upgrades To Halifax-Class Frigates Require Flight Testing To Determine Sea King Operating Limits

Civilian and military personnel from various agencies successfully completed flight testing on board HMCS Fredericton in early December to define the ship/helicopter operating limits for the CH124 Sea King helicopter operating from the newly modernized Halifax-class frigates.

The often harsh conditions facing a ship at sea can make it extremely challenging to land a large helicopter on the deck of a frigate while underway.

The data collected during these tests, conducted in the Northern Atlantic Ocean from December 2 to 9, will serve to establish the safe limits for shipborne air operations.

Read more

Navy: Liaoning's combat capability tested

China's first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, has conducted more than 100 tests and training tasks since early December, when it began a training mission in the South China Sea, the navy said on Sunday.

"The Liaoning successfully performed several tests of the combat system today and organized for the first time comprehensive combat training," the People's Liberation Army navy said in a statement. "Through this operation, we tested the carrier's combat capability and tried the performance of its propulsion and seaworthiness."

This is the first time the Liaoning has made a long-distance training voyage since it was commissioned into the PLA navy last year, the statement said, adding that the mission is characterized by a large number of tests, rigorous standards, complicated circumstances as well as collaboration with multiple military units.

Read more

Russia’s second next-gen nuclear sub enters service

On Monday, the Russian Navy’s second Borey-class nuclear-powered submarine, the Aleksandr Nevsky, has entered service. The sub is part of a next-generation class that will be the backbone of Russia’s sea-based nuclear deterrent for decades to come.

The ceremony marking the submarine’s entry into service was initially scheduled for Dec. 21, but was postponed by two days. Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu was the highest-ranking government official present at a navy shipyard in the northern city of Severodvinsk, for the ceremony of the Aleksandr Nevsky raising her new flag.

“The St. Andrew’s flag raised today is the ship’s combat emblem, which symbolizes her readiness to defend this nation’s interests in seas and oceans,” Shoigu said.

Read more

Russia to Begin Assembly of An-140 Cargo Planes in 2017

Russia’s Aviakor aircraft plant on Saturday announced plans to begin assembly of An-140 light cargo planes for the Russian military in 2017.

“We are working design changes at present. The first plane for the customer - the Russian Defense Ministry – should be delivered in 2017,” said Alexei Gusev, general director of Aviakor.

Samara-based Aviakor signed in March an agreement with Ukraine’s Antonov design bureau on the transfer of intellectual property rights for the future An-140S and An-140T cargo aircraft.

Read more

US Furious at Israel Equipment Transfer to China

A top Israeli defense official was forced to step down last week, according to Maariv Sunday, after the United States expressed fury at Israel's decision to sell military equipment to China.

Meir Shalit, the Department Head for Defense Exports at the Defense Ministry, announced his resignation last week. While Shalit did not announce the reasons behind his resignation, the report claims that he voluntary resigned after US official investigations last month over the transfer revealed that the move took place with his approval. Shalit apologized to the US in a visit late last week.

The conflict, according to the daily, stems from different interpretations of the military weapon support contract between the US and Israel.

Read more

US nuclear missiles are a force in much distress

The hundreds of nuclear missiles that have stood war-ready for decades in underground silos along remote stretches of America, silent and unseen, packed with almost unimaginable destructive power, are a force in distress, if not in decline.

They are still a fearsome superpower symbol, primed to unleash nuclear hell on a moment's notice at any hour of any day, capable of obliterating people and places halfway around the globe if a president so orders.

But the number of intercontinental ballistic missiles, or ICBMs, is dwindling, their future defense role is in doubt, and missteps and leadership lapses documented by The Associated Press this year have raised questions about how the force is managed.

Read more

Navy shadows Russian warship off Moray coast

The Royal Navy was believed to be shadowing at least one Russian naval vessel off the coast of Scotland last night after it sailed near the Moray Firth while on exercise in the North Sea.

The Baltic Fleet vessel is believed to be a warship and was part of an operation being carried out in the area. It was described by a source as a “Russian Task Group”, suggesting more than one ship may have been involved. The Ministry of Defence would not comment on the incident or on whether the Russians had entered British territorial waters, which stretches out around 14 miles from the coast, although it was thought to be unlikely.

A Royal Navy vessel was thought to be deployed from the south coast of England to shadow the Russian ship.

Read more

China's military lashes out at Japan's new defence plan

China's military lashed out Saturday at Japan's plans to boost defence spending, accusing Tokyo of raising regional tensions under the pretext of safeguarding national security.

China "resolutely opposes" the five-year defence plan adopted by Japan on Tuesday, Defence Ministry spokesman Geng Yansheng said in a statement posted on the ministry's website.

Japan "continues to deny its history of World War II aggression, challenge the post-war order, and harm the feelings of the people of those victimized nations," Geng said.

Read more

Submarine Narrowly Misses Fishing Boat off Coast of Ireland

The appearance of a submarine off the coast of Donegal coast in Ireland/Eire this week, narrowly missing a fishing boat, prompted a plethora of enquiries from journalists wanting to speak with the League's Director of Information, Bernard Moffatt.

Mr Moffatt has previously campaigned successfully on the use of submarines in the Celtic Sea and is an internationally renowned amateur expert on military activity in the Celtic countries.

Some of the material produced by Mr Moffatt has been archived in the Manx National Heritage Library, Mannin/Isle of Man and the National Library of Wales, Aberystwth, Cymru/Wales, with some online material on the Celtic League website, which can be accessed by clicking on the link below.

Read more

China vs. Japan: Will Boeing's New Submarine-Destroying Jet Get Battle Tested?

Japan and China are anything but friendly, but tensions escalated further following China's recent declaration of a maritime air defense zone over the East China Sea.

This move also increased tensions between China and the U.S., and Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said the U.S. military wont adhere to the guidelines of the Chinese-described air-defense zone.

While this situation isn't the best news, it has provided Boeing with the opportunity to show off its new submarine-hunting P-8A Poseidon aircraft. Here's what you need to know.

Read more

Lockheed Martin Win $448 Million JASSM Missiles Contract

Lockheed Martin has been awarded a $232 million contract for the Joint Air to Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM) baseline missiles and JASSM extended range (ER) missiles.

The contract includes systems engineering, foreign military sales test assets, ER avionics bulkhead value engineering change proposal - cost share savings, tooling and test equipment, Baseline JASSM Weapon Systems Evaluation Program and Obsolescence Management Oversight.

Work is expected to be completed by Nov. 30, 2016.

Read more

Iranian Fighter Jets Hit Air, Ground Targets in Massive Wargames

Fighter jets of the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force (IRIAF) could successfully annihilate both fixed and mobile targets in the air and on the ground during the main phase of combat exercises in the country’s southern regions on Saturday.

The strategic Sukhoi Su-24 fighter-bombers along with F-4 Phantom combat planes of the IRIAF accomplished all the tasks they were set to do during the second day of the main phase of large-scale wargames, codenamed Fadaeeyan-e Harim-e Velayat 4 (Devotees of Velayat Airspace 4), on Saturday morning, spokesman for the air maneuvers, General Hossein Chitforoush, said on December 21.

The IRIAF launched the main phase of the massive aerial drills, which involves combat exercises, in the country’s southern regions on Friday.

Read more

IAF to induct six squadrons of Tejas

The Indian Air Force (IAF) will induct six squadrons of the indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas after the multirole supersonic fighter gets the final operational clearance (FOC) by 2014-end, Defence Minister AK Antony said on Friday.

"The IAF will induct the first squadron of LCA Mark-1 from 2015 and second squadron from 2017. Production of Mark-1 will start soon.

"Later, IAF will accept four squadrons of Mark-II, while the Indian Navy will induct 40 of the aircraft's naval variant," Antony told reporters here after a function where Tejas received the initial operational clearance (IOC) for flight tests by the air force pilots.

Read more

Pentagon, suppliers draft plan to lower F-35 cost

The U.S. Defense Department and top suppliers on the $392 billion F-35 fighter program are developing a plan to drive down the cost of the Pentagon's most expensive weapons program, the head of enginemaker Pratt & Whitney told Reuters.

The project uses an "innovative" new mechanism to encourage companies to invest their own funds to lower production costs, Dave Hess, president of Pratt & Whitney, told Reuters in an interview on Thursday, ahead of his retirement at the end of the month. Pratt is a unit of United Technologies Corp

He said the effort is spearheaded by F-35 prime contractor Lockheed Martin Corp and its chief executive, Marillyn Hewson, but drew lessons from Pratt's own "war on cost" that used government- and company-funded investment to drive the engine price 40 percent lower in recent years despite a slowdown in U.S. orders.

Read more

South Korea unlikely to finalize Lockheed F-35 order until summer '14

South Korea is unlikely to finalize any orders for the Lockheed Martin Corp F-35 stealth fighter jet until the summer or fall of 2014, after it redoes a complicated acquisition process, according to three sources familiar with the issue.

South Korea's military chiefs last month said Seoul would buy 40 Lockheed F-35 fighters, with the first planes to be delivered in 2018, despite the fact the only Boeing Co's F-15 fighter met the competition's price target.

They say an additional 20 fighters to be acquired could be different models.

Read more

Lockheed wins $562 million contract to modify F-22 fighter

Lockheed Martin Corp has won a contract valued at up to $562 million to provide nine months of support, logistics and modifications for the stealthy F-22 fighter jet, the Pentagon announced on Friday.

The contract, which includes reliability and maintainability upgrades, runs through September 30, it said in a daily digest of major weapons contracts.

Source

Chinese media reports of plans to build a 110,000 ton 'super aircraft carrier' to rival US naval power

China has declared it is building a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier of a size to rival the biggest in United States naval service in the first move of a major new arms race.

Chinese website qianzhan.com cites "top People's Liberation Army" sources as saying the 110,000-ton aircraft carrier should be launched by 2020.

"By that time, China will be able to confront the most advanced US carrier-based fighter jets in high sea," the Chinese-language article reads.

Read more

Italian Navy Receive Second FREMM Vessel

The Italian Navy has received the second Frégate Européen multi-mission (FREMM) vessel, Virginio Fasan, during a ceremony held at Fincantieri shipyard, Italy.

The delivery of the anti-submarine warfare (ASW) configured Virginio Fasan vessel is part of a contract awarded to Orizzonte Sistemi Navali to build ten vessels for the Italian Navy to replace the ageing Fincantieri-built Lupo and Maestrale-class ships by 2021.

Italy will receive the vessels in two versions, namely an anti-submarine warfare (ASW) model and a general-purpose (GP) vehicle.

Read more

Iran’s 28th fleet docks at Colombo port

The Iranian Navy’s 28th fleet of war vessels, which includes the nation's first super-heavy submarine, has docked at Sri Lanka’s port of Colombo, says a top commander.

“The Navy’s 28th flotilla comprising Alborz destroyer, Bandar Abbas auxiliary ship, Younes submarine and a Bell 212 Twin Huey helicopter docked at Sri Lanka’s port of Colombo this morning after [calling at India’s] port city of Mumbai as part of its mission in the Far East,” said the Iranian Navy’s Deputy Commander for Operations Rear Admiral Siavash Jareh on Friday.

He added that eastern parts of the Indian Ocean are important for Iran’s Navy.

Read more

US nuclear weapon plans to cost $355 bln over a decade

The Obama administration's plans for the U.S. nuclear weapons complex, including modernization of bombs, delivery systems and laboratories, will cost the country about $355 billion over the next decade, the Congressional Budget Office said on Friday.

That is nearly $150 billion more than administration's $208.5 billion estimate in a report to Congress last year, an analyst at an arms control group said, and since the modernization effort is just beginning, costs are expected to greatly increase after 2023.

The budget office said President Barack Obama had requested $23.1 billion for U.S. nuclear forces in the 2014 fiscal year, including $18 billion to maintain the weapons and supporting laboratories as well as the submarines, bombers and missiles to deliver the weapons.

Read more

'B'desh finalises deals with China for 2 submarines

Bangladesh has finalised a deal to buy two submarines from China as part of its plans to develop a three-dimensional navy, according to a media report today.

The two Ming-class submarines are expected to strengthen the navy's ability to protect maritime resources and territorial waters, the New Age newspaper quoted unidentified officials as saying.

"The state-to-state deal would cost Bangladesh Taka 1,600 crore or USD 203.

Source

Diehl-Raytheon Missile Systeme GmbH captures $30 million international Sidewinder missile sale

Diehl-Raytheon Missile Systeme (DRM) GmbH was awarded a contract of more than $30 million for the sale of AIM-9L/I-1 tactical Sidewinder missiles, training missiles and ground support equipment in a direct commercial sale to an international customer.

Diehl BGT Defence will refurbish German AIM-9L missiles as part of the sale. Diehl BGT Defence, which has produced more than 30,000 Sidewinder missiles for the European Sidewinder consortium and multiple air forces throughout the world, will support DRM.

The AIM-9 Sidewinder, carried by fighter aircraft, is a heat-seeking, short-range, air-to-air missile that has evolved throughout five decades of combat-proven performance. The AIM-9L/I-1 provides upgraded infrared counter-countermeasures.

Read more

Russia to Develop 5th-Generation Attack Helicopter by 2017

It could take Russia about three years to complete the development of a fifth-generation attack helicopter and start testing its prototype, a defense industry official said Wednesday.

The Mi-28NM, a modernized version of the Mi-28N Night Hunter attack helicopter that is being upgraded to standards of a fifth-generation aircraft, has been in development since 2008.

“I think we will need no more than three years to develop a new modernized version of the Mi-28N helicopter,” said Andrei Shibitov, chief executive officer of the Russian Helicopters company.

Read more

AgustaWestland Signs Norwegian All Weather SAR Helicopter Contract For 16 AW101 Helicopters

AgustaWestland, a Finmeccanica company, is pleased to announce that it has been awarded a contract for 16 AW101 helicopters plus support and training, valued at approximately £1 billion (€1.15 billion), to meet the Norwegian All Weather SAR Helicopter (NAWSARH) requirement. The contract also includes an option for six further aircraft.

The contract was signed at the end of a meticulous selection process that took into account technical features as well as risks and cost evaluations. The AW101 emerged once again as the best solution to meet the stringent requirements issued by the Committee tasked with the selection.

The AW101 benefits from three-engine safety, a full ice protection system for flight in known icing conditions, long range and endurance, a proven 30 minute “run dry” gearbox as well as multiple redundancy features in the avionic and mission systems.

Read more

Iskander missiles not yet deployed to Kaliningrad region - Putin

Russia has not yet deployed Iskander missiles to its western exclave of Kaliningrad in response to an anti-missile shield the United States is building in Europe with help from NATO nations, President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday.

"One of the possible responses is to deploy Iskander complexes in Kaliningrad ... but I want to draw your attention to the fact that such a decision has not yet been taken, let them be calm," he told a news conference.

Poland and Baltic states reacted with alarm to recent media reports saying Russia has deployed Iskanders in Kaliningrad.

Source

Investigation: US general in charge of missiles fired for drinking, carousing

A two-star general who oversaw the U.S. arsenal of intercontinental missiles was fired for allegedly drinking and carousing with women while leading a government delegation to Russia for talks on nuclear security, an inspector general report showed.

An internal investigation by the Inspector General of the Air Force, released on Thursday following a Freedom of Information Act request, showed that Major General Michael Carey was removed from his job as commander of the 20th Air Force in October for "conduct unbecoming a gentleman."

At the time the Air Force announced that Carey had been removed from his position, it did not reveal details of what the general was alleged to have done. Carey's removal was one in a string of high-profile firings of top U.S. generals.

Read more

Lockheed Martin Supports Japanese F-2 Restoration Program

In cooperation with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Lockheed Martin has delivered the first F-2 aft and leading edge flaps as part of a restoration plan to replenish Japan’s F-2 fleet.

Eighteen Japanese F-2B fighter aircraft based at Matsushima Air Base were destroyed during a tsunami that hit the nation in March 2011.

“We are honored to play a role in helping Japan’s F-2 fighter regain its full mission capability,” said Roderick McLean, vice president and general manager of Lockheed Martin’s Integrated Fighter Group.

Read more

France soothes nerves over Dassault jets after Brazil setback

France's defence minister played down another sales failure for Dassault's Rafale fighter jet in Brazil, saying he was confident there would soon be better news from tenders in India and Gulf Arab countries.

Dassault Aviation has still not found a foreign buyer for its multi-role jet, the Rafale, billed to be one of the most effective and sophisticated fighter jets in the world, but also one of the most expensive.

Shares in the company fell around 2 percent on Thursday after Brazil's decision to award a $4.5 billion contract for 36 jets to Saab , a surprise coup for Sweden, and a second blow this year after missing out in Switzerland.

Read more

Blow for Britain and BAE Systems as UAE rules out Eurofighter deal

Defence contractor BAE Systems has been hit by a double-blow from the Gulf over its Typhoon fighter jet programme, damaging its export ambitions and forcing the company to warn on profits.

In a major reversal, announced after the market closed, BAE said the United Arab Emirates had ended protracted negotiations over a potential order worth up to £6bn for around 60 of the supersonic aircraft – despite the personal intervention of Prime Minister David Cameron.

The defence group also disclosed that, for the third year running, it had failed to agree the price for 72 Typhoons for Saudi Arabia, reducing this year’s forecast earnings per share by “6p-7p” – equivalent to about £250m off operating profits, according to analysts. They had been expecting 43p of earnings.

Read more

Italian Navy Addresses New Shipbuilding Programmes

Following an announcement earlier this year by the Italian Navy's chief admiral Giuseppe De Giorgi, the service's head of ship design is preparing to elaborate on plans and partnership potential at the annual Surface Warships conference being held in the UK this January.

"The Italian Navy is currently working to start a shipbuilding programme which would include different types of platforms, including a multirole patrol vessels, a multirole amphibious ship, a logistic support vessel and a multirole submarine support vessel," Captain Sergio Simone told Defence IQ ahead of his address, explaining that ageing destroyers, frigates, patrol ships and corvettes are all in need of urgent replacement.

Simone will be presenting the latest plans and opportunities to the Surface Warships delegation, which includes international military officers and programme managers, as well as private industry professionals looking for the chance to network directly with those making decisions for future surface combatant requirements.

Read more

2 brand new naval helicopters from Italy to arrive soon, says President Aquino

President Benigno Aquino III said two more brand new naval helicopters from Italy will be delivered soon as part of the continuing efforts of the government to modernize the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

The military earlier commissioned the first batch of three brand new naval helicopters delivered by Anglo-Italian supplier AgustaWestland worth P1.33 billion. The helicopters will accompany the frigates BRP Gregorio del Pilar and BRP Ramon Alcaraz in patrolling the country's territorial waters.

"In the face of many challenges, we expect a lot from our soldiers. That is why it is but fitting that the government boosts your capacity to respond to the call of duty," Aquino said in his speech during the 78th anniversary of the AFP aired over state-run Radyo ng Bayan on Friday.

Read more

Peru Signs Deal For New Russian Helicopters

Peru is on a buying spree for military aircraft, announcing a deal late Wednesday to buy 24 Russian Mi-171 helicopters for its armed forces.

That follows the recent announcement of the purchase of two Italian-made Alenia C-27J Spartan medium-size military transport airplanes for about $122 million.

The helicopters will be used especially for anti-narcotics and antiterrorism work in the central mountain areas where coca leaf and cocaine production are widespread.

Read more

Chinese Military's Secret to Success: European Engineering

If the People's Liberation Army went to war tomorrow, it would field an arsenal bristling with hardware from some of America's closest allies: Germany, France and Britain.

Most of China's advanced surface warships are powered by German and French-designed diesel engines. Chinese destroyers have French sonar, anti-submarine-warfare helicopters and surface-to-air missiles.

Above the battlefield, British jet engines drive PLA fighter bombers and anti-ship strike aircraft. The latest Chinese surveillance aircraft are fitted with British airborne early warning radars. Some of China's best attack and transport helicopters rely on designs from Eurocopter, a subsidiary of pan-European aerospace and defense giant EADS.

Read more

First Dutch F-35 pilot takes to skies

The first Netherlands pilot took to the skies here in the F-35A Lightning II, making the Netherlands the second partner country to operate the fifth-generation multirole fighter.

Maj. Laurens J.W. Vijge, Royal Netherlands Air Force F-35 Integrated Training Center training lead, completed his first flight after 210 hours of classroom training and 13 flights in the simulators.

"The jet handles great and is very easy to fly - in fact, it's actually easier to fly than the simulator," said Vijge. "I could not have been better prepared than I was for this flight, and it's all thanks to the hard work and dedication of people working in the F-35 Academic Training Center."

Read more

Raytheon begins building 12th AN/TPY-2 ballistic missile defense radar

The U.S. is taking another positive step toward meeting the growing demand for systems that can help protect against the increasing danger posed by ballistic missiles.

Raytheon Company has started building the 12th AN/TPY-2 ballistic missile defense radar for the Missile Defense Agency after being awarded a $172.7 million contract, which was previously announced by the Department of Defense on Dec. 17, 2013.

An integral element of the Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS), AN/TPY-2 is a mobile X-band radar that helps defend against the more than 6,300 ballistic missiles that, according to MDA estimates, are not controlled by the U.S., NATO, China or Russia.

Read more

Lockheed Martin Delivers Landmark 300th C-130J Super Hercules

The C-130J Super Hercules program reached another significant milestone with the delivery of its 300th aircraft, which was ferried today by a U.S. Air Force crew from the Lockheed Martin facility here.

The 300th Super Herc is an MC-130J Commando II assigned to the U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command. The Commando II supports such missions as in-flight refueling, infiltration/exfiltration, and aerial delivery and resupply of special operations forces.

“The delivery of this 300th C-130J is a major achievement for the entire Super Hercules community. Together, we built an aircraft that it is ready for any mission, anywhere, anytime,” said George Shultz, vice president and general manager of the Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company’s C-130 programs.

Read more