Russia-Ukraine Pact Set To Put The Ruslan Heavylifter Back In Production

The anticipated signing of a government-to-government deal between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart, Victor Yanukovich, is expected to kick-start a plan to resume production of Antonov’s An-124 Ruslan freighter. The text of the agreement has already been prepared, outlining the envisaged roles for aerospace interests in both countries, but government backing for the program needs to be confirmed, not least because Russia’s defense ministry would effectively be the launch customer under the provisional plan.
Russian vice-premier Dmitry Rogozin recently outlined plans for the country’s United Aircraft Corporation (Hall 1 Stand E8) to produce 60 new Ruslans by 2020 at its Aviastar-SP factory in Ulianovsk. The Russian government intends to seal its support for the revived program with a defense ministry order for 10 of the new-build aircraft and a commitment to pay for 22 in-service Ruslans to be overhauled and refitted. On top of this, commercial airlines Volga-Dnepr and Polet have indicated an intention to buy, respectively, 40 and six An-124s.
According to Volga-Dnepr vice-president Valery Gabriel, the airline is expected to award UAC a contract for 20 An-124s, provided Russia’s defense ministry places its order first. The $4 billion contract would have an option for 20 more Ruslans, with deliveries running through 2030.

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Sagem’s Hammer laser-guided weapon completes test firing

Sagem's Hammer air-to-ground guided weapon with laser terminal guidance, the SBU-64 Hammer, has been successfully tested by the French defence procurement agency DGA at the Cazaux air base, France.

The first qualification firing test was carried out from a production Rafale fighter, during which AASM Hammer's guidance was intentionally initialised by offsetting the target's GPS coordinates.

During the last few seconds of the weapon's flight, an airborne illuminator was activated to illuminate the target.

The AASM made use of its navigation, laser spot detection and terminal guidance algorithms to position itself to a glide slope of 20° and made its way to hit the target, a bridge pier located more than 50km from the release point.

A laser terminal guidance version of the AASM Hammer modular air-to-ground weapon, the missile has been developed and manufactured by Sagem, with DGA serving as the contracting authority.

The AASM Hammer family of weapons consist of guidance and range augmentation kits attached to standard bombs.

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Taiwan's military holds major live-fire missile exercise

A Hawk surface-to-air missile during a live fire test at Jeoupeng military base in Pingtung. (Photo/CNA)

Taiwan's military forces held a major live-fire missile exercise in the southern county of Pingtung on Monday as part of efforts to strengthen the country's defense capabilities.
During the two-hour drill, members of the air force, army and navy launched various missiles to test the military's ability to repel opposing Chinese forces.
In the air, F-16A/B jet fighters, Mirage 2000s, IDFs and AH-1W helicopters deployed, while at sea a Chengkung-class frigate, Kangding-class frigate and a Chingchiang vessel took part in the drill.

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Moroccan Air Force to receive AIM-9X missiles from Raytheon

Morocco has signed a letter of offer and acceptance (LOA) with the US government for the purchase of AIM-9X Block II Sidewinder infrared-guided, air-to-air missiles from Raytheon.

As part of the agreement, the US government will supply an undisclosed number of tactical and training AIM-9X Block II Sidewinder missiles, which will be integrated into the Royal Moroccan Air Force's (RMAF) F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft fleet.

US Navy air-to-air missile programme manager, Captain John Martins, said the missiles will provide the RMAF with enhanced capability, in addition to boosting security in the Middle East and North Africa.

"This sale is a win for both the US and Moroccan warfighters because it enhances coalition air combat operations and also reduces the unit cost of the AIM-9X Block II missile through economies of scale," Martins added.

Raytheon Missile Systems' Air Warfare Systems product line vice president Harry Schulte said the sale represents the company's continued commitment to the Middle East and North African region.

"More than 400 Raytheon employees and suppliers have built and delivered more than 4,000 AIM-9X Block I missiles for the US and our allies worldwide," Schulte said.


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UK Aircraft Carrier Budget Shortfall Likely

Controversial from the start, the UK’s new aircraft carrier program has endured many twists and turns. It is now 14 years since the government first defined the need for new carriers and it will be another four years before the first of the two Queen Elizabeth II-class warships is delivered. Beyond that, it will be another four years before the carrier-strike capability becomes fully operational, in 2020.
The second vessel is now being built but, on current budget projections, the country cannot afford to operate both. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has twice changed its mind on the type of F-35 stealth fighter to be operated from them.
At 65,000 metric tons displacement, the QEII and the Prince of Wales are the largest ships ever built in the UK, and are designed to support a variety of missions, such as amphibious or humanitarian operations, as well as air strikes. Described as eight acres of floating sovereign territory, they are three times the size of the three old Invincible-class carriers, which were originally designed for antisubmarine operations during the Cold War. Two of those warships have now been retired in defense cuts, along with the entire fleet of Harriers. One remains but only as a helicopter carrier.

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MBDA unveils future vision for armed UAVs

A new class of lightweight missiles and an innovative weapons launcher could enable unmanned air vehicles and even airships to perform precision strikes from standoff range, according to MBDA.
Releasing the results of its annual Concept Visions programme at the Farnborough air show on 9 July, the European guided weapons specialist unveiled two futuristic missile designs named Caelus and Gladius, as part of a wider Vigilus system.
Under its operating concept, the roughly 100kg (220lb) Caelus would provide surveillance and targeting cover, carrying an up-to-1kg warhead or deployable sensor load for a flight lasting up to 2h. With a launch weight of only 7kg, including a 1kg blast/fragmentation warhead, the complementary Gladius weapon would have a range of up to 16nm (30km).

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Pakistan Boosting Capacity at Crossings for NATO Cargo

TORKHAM, Pakistan — Pakistan is doubling the capacity for NATO trucks at a key border crossing, officials said July 9, to speed up processing for an expected influx of supplies for troops in Afghanistan.
Customs officials at Torkham border crossing in the country’s troubled northwest saud that work had begun to expand dedicated parking space for NATO containers.
Islamabad agreed to reopen overland routes to NATO convoys on July 3 after a seven-month blockade sparked by a botched U.S. air raid on a border post that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers.
“After expansion the parking capacity for NATO trucks will be doubled,” said Obaidullah Khan, a customs official at Torkham, the closest border crossing to Kabul. “Prior to the closure the terminal had a parking capacity of 250 vehicles and now we are expanding it to 500.”

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Boeing eyes international orders for P-8A Poseidon

Boeing has not signed any extra customers for its P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft, but the company expects to sign addition nations on after the aircraft becomes operational with the US Navy.
The P-8A is set to become operational in 2013, says Chris Chadwick, president of Boeing Military Aircraft. The programme is on schedule and on budget, he adds. The first few aircraft are already being used to train new aircrews in Jacksonville, Florida.
The US Navy plans to buy a total of 117 of the aircraft. India has ordered 12, but could buy more. Meanwhile, Chadwick says there has been strong interest in the aircraft from other foreign buyers.

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Russia Keen to Be Seen on Airshow Radar

Sukhoi Superjet 100


Russia is eager to demonstrate it still produces cutting edge aerospace technology at the Farnborough show, which runs July 9-15.
Despite a recent string of failed tenders and incidents, including the crash of Sukhoi Superjet 100 during a demonstration flight in Indonesia in May, Moscow is looking to disprove any suggestion that Russian aircraft and equipment are no longer competitive.
Fifty-five Russian companies are bringing 114 items to the show this year (compared to 250 in 2010).

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C-27J Refueling Capability Proved

Alenia’s C-27J tactical airlifter has recently undergone a series of successful refueling trials with an Italian air force Boeing KC-767A tanker. During the test campaign the C-27J undertook “contacts” at altitudes between 10,000 and 20,000 feet, and at speeds of up to 220 knots. The trials also involved tanking at night with night-vision goggles. Refueling runs during turns, in turbulence and in an emergency descent were also accomplished successfully. The campaign demonstrated the C-27J’s ability to take on fuel at the rate of 2,800 liters per minute, which allows a complete top-up in five minutes. For the trials, Alenia provided a test crew and an instrumented aircraft. The aim of the campaign is to certify the aircraft’s in-flight refueling system, which has currently been adopted for Italy’s 12 C-27Js, and one of the three aircraft supplied to Lithuania.

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Italy Delays Vehicle, Helicopter Buys

Above, an NH90 helicopter. Italy has pushed full delivery of Army and Navy NH90 helicopters back from 2018 to 2021. (NHIndustries)

ROME — Italy’s newly released Defense Ministry budget for 2012 reveals that a number of key procurement programs are to be slowed as spending cuts announced last year begin to bite.
After deciding last year to slash 28 percent off procurement spending, Italy has reduced its F-35 Joint Strike Fighter order, announced a fire sale of Navy ships and hatched plans to cut 30,000 troops.
But Rome had not, until now, gone public with a full breakdown on its truncated spending plan for 2012. Due for publication last November, Italy’s 2012 budget had been delayed as generals divided up scarce funds for ongoing programs.
Released to the parliament at the end of June and seen by Defense News, the spending document describes a “reduction, remodulation, slow down and reorienting” of procurement in 2012.
The completion of Italy’s purchase of 249 VBM Freccia armored vehicles, built by Iveco and Oto Melara, slips from this year to 2016, while the full buy of Italy’s second pair of U 212 submarines is pushed back from 2016 to 2017.

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A400M Named Atlas But Props Not Yet Ready To Bear The World

Europe’s A400M heavy-lift transport is here with an appropriate new name, but technical teething difficulties prevent it from flying in this week’s air displays. Photo: Mark Wagner

Europe’s A400M airlifter was named Atlas, after the Greek god who carried the world on his shoulders, last Friday in a rain-soaked ceremony at the Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT), RAF Fairford.
 
The aircraft, which is the first production representative aircraft (MSN6), repositioned from Fairford to the Farnborough static park yesterday. However, Airbus Military has canceled plans to fly in the daily display, admitting that “engine maturity challenges” had not yet been solved.

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Russia will not deliver fighter jets to Syria as situation remains ‘unresolved’

Russia will not deliver Yak-130 fighter planes to Syria. Moscow reportedly signed an order to deliver 40 fighter-trainer jets to Damascus at the end of last year. (File Photo)

Russia will not deliver Yak-130 fighter planes to Syria while the situation there remains “unresolved,” the country's service for military cooperation said on Monday, according to the RIA news agency.

“In the current situation talking about deliveries of airplanes to Syria is premature,” Vyacheslav Dzirkaln, deputy director of the service, told journalists at the Farnborough Airshow, RIA said.

Russia reportedly signed an order to deliver 40 fighter-trainer jets at the end of last year, despite controversy surrounding its arms sales to violence-torn Syria.

Putin urges for peace in Syria

Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Monday that Syria needed dialogue between the regime and opposition rather than foreign intervention to ensure a lasting peace.

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Mozambique receives FTB-337G utility aircraft from Portugal

Portugal's defence minister, Jose Pedro Aguiar-Branco, has delivered its second decommissioned FTB-337G Milirole utility aircraft to the Mozambican Air Force.

Delivered under the Cooperação Técnico-Militar (CTM), a technical military cooperation agreement between both nations, the upgraded utility aircraft from Portugal Air Force will be used by Mozambique to primarily provide training to its air force pilots.

During a visit to Mozambique to boost bilateral defence ties between the nations, Aguiar-Branco added, "We know how important it is in building an Air Force to have well-trained, educated pilots who are able to fulfil their missions flawlessly."

Under the CTM agreement, Portugal and Força Aérea Portuguesa (FAP) will jointly work with the Mozambique Air Force to provide pilot and ground crew training in both countries.

The twin-engine FTB-337G aircraft will also be used by the air force to conduct medical evacuations and maritime surveillance to better counter Somali pirates, as part of international crime and piracy efforts.

Capable of carrying five passengers or two stretchers and a medic, the aircraft also has underwing hardpoints for storage purpose.

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Iran plans to expand, not suspend, its nuclear program, position paper obtained by Times of Israel says

 

Iran's Chief Nuclear Negotiator Saeed Jalili at daylong talks with six world powers in Istanbul, on April 14, 2012. (photo credit: AP/Burhan Ozbilici)

A position paper obtained by The Times of Israel, understood to have been used by Iran’s negotiators at last week’s technical-level talks with the P5+1 powers in Istanbul, makes plain the Tehran regime’s unyielding rejection of international efforts to negotiate safeguards and restrictions that would prevent Iran attaining a nuclear weapons capability.

Far from indicating Iranian readiness for a suspension or scaling back of its nuclear program, indeed, the document, made available by an informed source on condition of anonymity, includes references to Iran’s expansion plans. “Facing constant threats, we need a back up facility to safeguard our enrichment activities,” it states at one point, when discussing the Fordow enrichment facility, the underground complex built beneath a mountain near Qom where Iran carries out its 20% uranium enrichment.

A later point, related to the Tehran Research Reactor (TRR), refers to the need “for at least 4 other research reactors because of the territorial extent of Iran and the short lifetime of medical isotopes.” The next clause in the document declares an Iranian ambition “to sell fuel complexes to other countries.”

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Russia to test Aviastar’s first Il-76MD-90A transport aircraft

Russia is preparing to test the first flying prototype of the Ilyushin Il-76MD-90A transport aircraft, Aviastar aircraft plant general director Sergei Dementyev has announced.

Dementyev told RIA Novosti: "The first one can only partly be called a plane - it is a testbed we sent to TsAGI (the central aerodynamics institute) in Moscow last year. Today, we completed the second.
"In addition we have also started building three production-standard aircraft. Assembly of the first of these three production planes will start in August."

The plant expects to build around 16 aircraft per year by 2016, with total production expected to reach to 190 aircraft, including potential exports to China, India and Israel.

The Russian Ministry of Defence has already placed orders, which is yet to be signed, with the plant to supply 90 of the modernised transport aircraft as part of its rearmament plan.

Chief designer Sergei Urasov has stated that the aircraft is completely new and different from its early version, on the basis of its systems.

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Japan keeping an eye on China's naval development

The Varyag returns to port in Dalian after its eighth sea trial. (Photo/CNS)

The rise of China as a military power is a key point of concern in Japan's media as the issue of the disputed Diaoyu or Senkaku islands in the East China Sea continues to return to threaten ties between the two, reports Duowei News, an outlet run by overseas Chinese.
Kazuhiko Togo, a retired Japanese diplomat, said on July 4 that war between China and Japan is likely to happen sooner or later, leading to a series of related articles in Japanese media outlets on the modernization and development of the People's Liberation Army.
A detailed report on the Chinese navy was recently published by Ships of the World, a Japanese magazine, which discussed the Varyag, China's first aircraft carrier, as well as the number and specifications of other vessels in the Chinese fleet.
From the Chinese side, the attention brings comparisons with the first Sino-Japanese war from 1894-5, a clash between two relatively new naval powers.

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Iran again threatens Strait of Hormuz closure

TEHRAN, Iran — The chairman of the Iranian military's Joint Chiefs of Staff on Saturday said Tehran will block the strategic Strait of Hormuz if it determines that the Islamic Republic's interests are seriously threatened.
Gen. Hasan Firouzabadi's comments to Iranian media come less than a week after the European Union imposed an embargo on Iran's vital oil-sector to pressure Tehran over its disputed nuclear program.

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Gripen makes first appearance with new Raven radar

• All the latest news, images and video from the 2012 Farnborough air show

 

Saab's next-generation Gripen demonstrator is in the UK carrying a newly installed active electronically scanned array radar, with the technology representing a key element of the Swedish company's success in offering the fighter to the Swiss air force. Installed at Saab's Linköping site on 16 June, Selex Galileo's Raven ES-05 will be shown with the aircraft for the first time at the Farnborough air show.
The availability of the new array will be a pivotal factor in closing an expected 22-aircraft Gripen E/F deal with Switzerland, with pilots from the nation to assess the technology in flight testing from around late August or early September. The sensor can be repositioned by +/-100˚ to increase scan coverage.
Saab is now in "real negotiations" with the Swiss government to agree on a final contract value and delivery schedule, says Richard Smith, the company's regional marketing director for Europe, Gripen export. A framework agreement is likely to be signed in the "late summer", he says.

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How To Calculate F-35 Unit Cost And Operating Costs—Vexed Questions

According to the latest GAO report, the program acquisition unit cost (PAUC) of the F-35 will be $161 million. That figure includes amortization of the development cost across the expected production run. But how much should acquisition officials reckon to pay for their F-35s, going forward? Of course, that will depend what F-35 variant they buy, in what quantity and when.
The GAO report also gives a forecast for the average production unit cost (APUC): $137 million. This includes the amortized cost of support equipment, plus initial spares and training, and various other costs that a customer will incur before its shiny new jets are ready to fly in operations. Again, the APUC assumes that very large production run.
But Lockheed Martin maintains that the unit recurring flyaway cost (URFC) is the best yardstick. The company told AIN: “Each customer has a unique set of requirements and options for their aircraft and the way they intend to support and use them. Since not all customers want the same options, the best place to begin and compare to other aircraft is the basic cost of the aircraft, which is established through the URFC.”

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No parts available for C-130 wildfire tankers

CHEYENNE, Wyo. — The demise of the only company that manufactured a device specially designed to spray fire retardant from the back of U.S. military C-130 cargo planes has some experts worried about the future viability of a program that has helped fight wildfires for 40 years.
The Modular Airborne Firefighting System is a bus-sized device that can be shoved into the belly of a cargo plane and then used to spray retardant, or slurry, at 3,000 gallons in less than 5 seconds. The $4.9 million device’s only manufacturer, Sacramento, Calif.-based Aero Union, went out of business in August, and no other company has replaced it. Critical spare parts also are no longer being made.
The MAFFS C130s are operated by three National Guard units and one Air Force Reserve unit in Wyoming, Colorado, North Carolina and California. Wyoming’s MAFFS have been deployed as far away as Indonesia. Last year, MAFFS C-130s flew to wildfires in Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oregon and Mexico. They’ve been critical again this year against wildfires in Colorado, Montana, Wyoming and South Dakota.
“Thank God we have them. Can you imagine if we didn’t have them?” said Tony Morris with the Wildfire Research Network, a Pacific Palisades, Calif., group that advocates for improved means to fight wildfires.

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Lockheed ready to deliver UK's first F-35

Lockheed Martin (chalet D9-10, OE8) will deliver its first F-35 Joint Strike Fighter to an international customer on 19 July, with the UK to formally accept short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) test aircraft BK-1.
The milestone will take place at Lockheed's Fort Worth site in Texas, where F-35B BK-1 flew for the first time on 13 April. Following its acceptance, the aircraft will be flown to Eglin Air Force Base in Florida, where it will join a US-led initial operational test and evaluation programme for the F-35.
A second UK aircraft has recently undergone preparations to conduct engine runs at Fort Worth, and will be flown soon. Its delivery is scheduled for two or three months after BK-1, according to Steve O'Bryan, Lockheed's vice-president F-35 programme integration and business development. A third STOVL jet will be produced for the UK during the programme's fourth lot of low-rate initial production (LRIP-4).

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Sri Lanka, India Hold 21st International Maritime Boundary Line Meeting

The 21st International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) meeting between Sri Lanka and India was held onboard the Sri Lanka Naval Ship Sagara at the Indo-Sri Lanka Maritime Boundary Line off Kankasanthurai.
The Sri Lankan delegation consisted of Sri Lanka Navy and Sri Lanka Coast Guard officials and was headed by Commander Northern Naval Area, Rear Admiral Ravindra Wijegunaratne. The Indian delegation consisted of Indian Navy and Indian Coast Guard officials.

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US Court Fines Iran $813M for 1983 Lebanon Attack

A US federal judge has ordered Iran to pay more than $813 million in damages and interest to the families of 241 US soldiers killed in the 1983 bombing of a Marine barracks in Lebanon.
"After this opinion, this court will have issued over $8.8 billion in judgments against Iran as a result of the 1983 Beirut bombing," Judge Royce Lamberth wrote in a ruling this week, a copy of which was seen Friday by AFP.

"Iran is racking up quite a bill from its sponsorship of terrorism," the Washington judge added, noting that "a number of other Beirut bombing cases remain pending, and their completion will surely increase this amount."
On October 23, 1983, 241 American soldiers, including 220 Marines, were killed in Beirut when a truck packed with explosives rammed through barricades and detonated in front of the US barracks near Beirut's international airport.
The attack was one of the deadliest ever against Americans.
The same day, in a coordinated attack, 58 French paratroopers were killed by a truck bomb at the French barracks in Beirut.

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US Navy fits Raytheon MALD-J onto Super Hornet

 ©Boeing


The US Navy is integrating the Raytheon-built Miniature Air Launched Decoy-Jammer (MALD-J) onto the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet strike fighter.
"MALD will save sailors' lives because it saturates enemy integrated air defense systems, causing them to attack the wrong target instead of attacking our aircraft," says Harry Schulte, vice president of air warfare systems at Raytheon (H3/D10, OE5, chalets A20-21 and B1-6).
The 300lb (136kg) miniature air-launched drone, which has a range of about 500 nautical miles (926km), replicates the flight profiles of friendly aircraft in order to confuse enemy defences. The MALD-J adds a jamming capability to the basic decoy.

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T-6C Chases Trainer Deals As Light Attack AT-6 Awaits U.S. Air Force Rethink

The Hawker Beechcraft T-6C here at the Farnborough International Airshow flew across the Atlantic Ocean to join the company’s static display, demonstrating the single-engine turboprop trainer’s versatility. Its appearance at the show happens against the backdrop of the still unresolved question of whether the U.S. Air Force (USAF) will reverse its contentious, earlier decision to select Embraer’s Super Tucano for its light-air-support requirement in preference to the T-6’s AT-6 sibling.
More than 760 T-6 Texan IIs have been delivered to the U.S. Navy and Air Force and six other countries’ military forces since deliveries began in 2000. The T-6 was originally developed for the USAF and Navy Joint Primary Aircraft Training System (JPATS) in the early 1990s, competing and winning against six other airplanes, including Cessna’s twin-engine CitationJet and Embraer’s Super Tucano.
“It is a marvelous airplane,” said Derek Hess, vice president of light attack programs for Hawker Beechcraft Defense. “The training capacity that it offers young students in the [U.S.] Air Force far exceeds what I’ve learned on.” As a former military pilot, Hess trained in a Cessna T-37.

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Australia tweaks ASC sub maintenance deal

Australia has signed a new deal with Australian Submarine Corp. for maintenance and support of the Collins Class submarines.
"The new contract has been put in place to deliver more efficient and effective sustainment services that will improve the availability and reliability of the Collins Submarine fleet," a statement from the Defense Materiel Organization said.
Prime contractor ASC, which built the six subs between 1990 and 2003, provides maintenance for the submarines but on a "forward-funded cost-plus" basis, the statement said.

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FARNBOROUGH: GKN wins Bell 525 airframe part deal

Picture: Bell

Bell Helicopter (chalet L2) has contracted UK aerostructures specialist GKN Aerospace (Innovation Zone) to provide fuselage components for the 525 Relentless super medium twin in developent. The helicopter's first first flight is due in 2014.
The work package covers aluminium and composite panels and structural parts in the cockpit, cabin and tail boom. Manufacture is scheduled to start late this year, with deliveries to follow from 2013.
GKN's facility in St. Louis, Missouri, will provide aluminium bulkheads, frames and spares, while the company's site in Tallassee, Alabama, will produce composite components including skin panels, bulkheads and frame assemblies.

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Brazil Again Puts Off Decision in Fighter Jet Competition

BRASILIA, Brazil — The Brazilian Air Force has asked bidders to renew their offers on a contract to provide 36 next-generation fighter jets, extending for six months a race between U.S., French and Swedish contestants.
The Rafale fighter, made by French firm Dassault Aviation, is competing against the Boeing Co. F/A-18 Super Hornet and the Saab Gripen for the contract valued at between $4 billion and $7 billion.
The Brazilian Air Force asks the bidders to renew their offers every six months. The last bidding window ended on June 30 and the new one will end Dec. 31.
In a statement sent to AFP, the Air Force said it was a “normal procedure” to extend the offers for the government to study them so long as the winner has not yet been selected.

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US rocket launches carrying secret satellite

The Delta IV-Heavy rocket lifts off with the secret payload. A United Launch Alliance photo

CAPE CANAVERAL (AP): A new US clandestine satellite rocketed into space on June 29.

An unmanned Delta IV-Heavy rocket lifted off Friday morning from Cape Canaveral, Florida. It carried a satellite for the National Reconnaissance Office.

The office did not disclose the satellite's purpose.

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Russian Military Exports Grow As Rosoboronexport Seeks To Expand Client Base

Geopolitical shifts including regime-change in Libya, the stiffening of international sanctions against Iran and violent unrest in Syria, are among the trends compelling Russian military export agency Rosoboronexport to keep looking for new clients worldwide. This is, to a large degree, one of its primary motives for exhibiting at the Farnborough International Airshow.
But despite the aforementioned problems, Russian military equipment sold well last year with Rosoboronexport reporting deliveries valued at approximately $12 billion–representing almost a 16-percent increase on 2010. This followed a period of stagnation around 2007 to 2009, when the annual totals had dipped to between $7.5 billion and $8.5 billion.
According to Rosoboronexport CEO Anatoly Isaikin, Russian military exports have not been impacted by the continuing economic downturn because its clients are mainly in the Asia Pacific and Middle East regions, which have not been as badly impacted as Western states. “Our deliveries haven’t been affected by the crisis as we haven’t got any volume decrease,” he told AIN.

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China vows to fight terrorists in Uighur

disclaimer: image is for illustration purposes only

On the anniversary of major ethnic violence, the top communist official of China's ethnic Uighur region vowed to strike down terrorists and separatists with "iron fists."
Zhang Chunxian, secretary of the Xinjiang committee of the Communist Party of China, said the situation in the northwest Xinjiang Uighur autonomous region is stable.
But the area faces "severe challenges," Zhang said.
"We should leave terrorists no place to hide."
Zhang was overseeing a counter-terrorism drill staged by special forces in the regional capital Urumqi to mark the anniversary of the July 2009 riots, a report by China's national news agency Xinhua said.

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U.S. Firms Spending More On Lobbying

The U.S. Capitol. (File photo / Getty Images)

U.S.-based prime contractors may be looking for ways to cut costs in a difficult defense market, but they’re not skimping on lobbying.
The top five U.S. defense contractors increased spending on lobbying by a combined 11.5 percent in the first quarter of 2012 compared to the same quarter in 2011, a review of lobbying disclosure forms by Defense News found.
The increase, following a down year in 2011, brought lobbying investment for Lockheed Martin, Boeing, General Dynamics, Raytheon and Northrop Grumman to a combined total of $15.9 million for the quarter ending March 31. The number represented a new combined high in the four years that all five companies have been filing disclosures.
Lobbying disclosure filings are required under the Open Government Act of 2007, with quarterly data available going back only to 2009. The forms represent lobbying on Capitol Hill, as well as the Defense Department and the White House.

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Northrop Grumman Supplys PMS for UK Royal Navy's Next Astute-Class Submarine

File image: Astute-class submarine.

Northrop Grumman has been selected to supply the Platform Management System (PMS) for the Royal Navy's fifth Astute-class submarine, Anson. Northrop Grumman's Sperry Marine business unit will supply the PMS for Astute Boat 5 under a performance partnering arrangement (PPA) with BAE Systems Maritime-Submarine.
BAE Systems will install the PMS equipment, which controls and monitors the submarine's platform machinery and onboard systems, at its shipyard in Barrow-in-Furness, U.K. The contract also includes software, safety case, equipment and obsolescence management.
The Astute-class is the Royal Navy's latest series of nuclear-powered hunter-killer submarines. Northrop Grumman's Sperry Marine business unit previously supplied the PMS for Astute Boat 4, Audacious.

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Lockheed Martin Answers Critics Of F-35 Program

“We live in a goldfish bowl,” sighed Lockheed Martin F-35 vice president customer engagement Steve O’Bryan. Speaking in London last March, he was referring to the stream of official reports, testimonies and comments that examine the Joint Strike Fighter program. This year alone, five major documents on the F-35 have reached the public domain. In January, a Pentagon operational test and evaluation report surfaced. In March, the latest selected acquisition review was released. Also in March, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) testified to Congress. In April, there was a report by Canada’s Auditor General on that country’s acquisition of the F-35.
Then came last month’s latest report by the GAO to Congress. Its title–“DOD [Department of Defense] Actions Needed to Further Enhance Restructuring and Address Affordability Risks”–set the downbeat tone that prevailed throughout the 50-page document. The GAO described the “relatively poor cost, schedule and performance outcomes” that have dogged the F-35 program. It claimed that recent DOD reviews had endorsed the GAO’s oft-repeated warnings about the concurrency of development and production. A new program baseline was established in March of this year, the GAO reported. A total of 2,457 aircraft are to be acquired by the U.S. through 2037, but the total investment is now $395.7 billion. That is a 42-percent increase over the previous 2007 baseline, the GAO said. It said that affordability is a key challenge as pressures on the overall U.S. defense budget increase.

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‘Russian Knights’ stay at home

Photo: RIA Novosti

‘The Russian Knights’ aerobatics team has cancelled its planned show at Farnborough.

The cancellation is over paperwork problems related to obtaining permits for Russian warplanes to enter British airspace.

A delegation from Russia’s Rosoboronexport arms exporters has at long last received visa clearance and is flying to Farnborough

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Upgraded UK Navy frigate returns to homeport

HMS Richmond. A Royal Navy photo

PORTSMOUTH (BNS): UK Navy's upgraded Type 23 frigate HMS Richmond will return to its homeport at Portsmouth on Friday.

The anti-submarine warfare (ASW) frigate underwent an eight-month long overhaul at Devonport Dockyard in Plymouth under a £20m contract awarded to Babcock Marine.

The work included improvements to several weapons - including the Seawolf missile system and two automatic 30mm small calibre guns - and a new versatile command system, the Navy said.

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Raytheon UK Helps The RAF’s Smartest Bomb Get Smarter

No civilian casualties…low collateral damage…restrictive rules of engagement. Today, the air-ground attack mission is more demanding than ever. The Paveway IV precision-guided weapon produced by Raytheon UK is already the Royal Air Force’s smartest bomb. A proposed series of improvements should make it even more flexible and accurate.
“The RAF has released more than 1,000 Paveway IVs in three years, achieving close to 100 percent reliability,” claimed T.J. Marsden, chief engineer for the weapon, in a recent briefing at Raytheon UK’s Harlow facility. He described how a five-year development program from 2003 added dual-mode guidance and sophisticated fuzing to a 500-pound warhead. Paveway IV entered service in November 2008 on the RAF’s Harrier GR.9s, which have since been retired. It was soon also qualified on the Tornado GR.4, and integration on the RAF’s Eurofighter Typhoons is nearly done. The weapon will also be carried by the UK’s F-35 Lightning II stealth fighters, externally or internally. It is replacing the RAF’s earlier generation of Paveway II smart bombs, which have warheads twice the size. This means that more weapons can be carried, and more targets covered, per sortie

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IAI to launch new 5-ton Amos satellite

Israel's Spacecom Satellite Communications plans to replace the Amos-2 commercial communications satellite with the 5-ton Amos-6 craft to be built by Israel Aerospace Industries, the Jewish state's leading defense and aerospace company.
The $200 million Amos-6, Israel's 14th satellite since its first successful launch in September 1983, is scheduled for liftoff in the first quarter of 2015. It's designed to have an orbital life of 16 years.
It will replace the 1.4-ton Amos-2, also built by IAI, whose operational life is expected to end in 2016, in its geosynchronous orbit 22,500 miles above the Earth.

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Secret Taiwan Naval Maps Go Missing: Report

TAIPEI — Taiwan’s military prosecutors were investigating the disappearance of two maps containing secret information on the island’s naval deployments, according to reports on July 7.
The maps were found to be missing during an inventory check by naval officials when a fleet of aging missile boats was recently decommissioned, the state Central News Agency said.
The Taiwanese Navy has asked military prosecutors to investigate the incident while instructing all relevant units to tighten management of confidential information, the report said.

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Turkey unveils first indigenous basic trainer jet 'Hurkus'

The Hurkus basic trainer jet. A TAI photo

ANKARA (BNS): Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) has rolled out the first locally built primary and basic trainer aircraft 'Hurkus' designed for the Turkish Air Force.

The new single engine turboprop jet was unveiled at TAI's Kazan facility on June 27.

Several distinguished military and civilian officials, including Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Chief of General Staff Gen. Necdet Ozel were present during the occasion, the company said.

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There’s No Escaping MBDA’s Meteor Missile

MBDA has successfully completed firing trials of Meteor, the missile that will be carried by the Dassault Rafale, Eurofighter Typhoon and Saab Gripen, and the company is now preparing to start production. The collaborative effort by six European nations has been nine years in development but has produced a beyond visual range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM) that is “vastly superior to anything else in the market,” according to chief engineer Andy Bradford.

When it received the development contract at the end of 2002, MBDA was set the task of producing a missile with a “no escape zone” that was larger than any other AAM, specifically the Raytheon AIM-120 AMRAAM. This has been achieved by combining a clever boost-ramjet propulsion system with an active radar seeker derived from MBDA’s Aster and Mica missiles.


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Iran plans to sell oil via consortium, evade ban

The EU put into effect a ban on the importation, purchase, or shipping of Iranian oil on July 1, and the Islamic Republic will see its oil exports fall by more than 50 percent this month from last year’s regular levels. (Reuters)

 

Iran has reached agreements with European refiners to sell some of its oil through a private consortium, an official said on Saturday, a move designed to circumvent sanctions intended to put pressure on Tehran to halt its disputed nuclear program.

The head of the oil products exporters’ union said the agreement between the exporters’ union, Iran’s central bank, and the oil ministry would get round a European Union ban on shipping insurance for tankers carrying Iranian oil, though he gave few details and did not name the refiners involved.

The EU put into effect a ban on the importation, purchase, or shipping of Iranian oil on July 1, and the Islamic Republic will see its oil exports fall by more than 50 percent this month from last year’s regular levels, costing it billions of dollars a month in revenue.

“There have been discussions with European refiners, and a final agreement has even been reached,” said Hassan Khosrojerdi, the exporters’ union head, according to Iran’s Mehr News Agency.


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Russia Hopes to Prolong Military Base Presence in Tajikistan

Anatoly Serdyukov

Moscow hopes to conclude an agreement with Tajikistan in October on the prolongation of the Russian military base’s presence in the Central Asian state, Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov said on Friday.
The Russian military base in Tajikistan was opened in 2004 and is the largest Russia’s base for ground forces abroad with up to 7,000 military servicemen stationed there. The base’s presence in Tajikistan expires in 2014, according to existing agreements.

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Is Lashkar-e-Taiba Turning Against Pakistan?

Pakistan watchers in India are following the Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba closely.
No wonder.
Long seen as India’s biggest bugbear, the LeT, suspected to have ties to Pakistan's defense establishment, may now be turning against its master, diplomatic and security sources told The Diplomat.
The latest Indian assessment of the LeT is apparently based on defiant posturing of its founder and alleged chief Hafiz Mohammed Saeed on several key issues. This has raised serious questions about the terrorist group’s growing ambitions and brazenness. Saeed is reportedly unhappy with the Pakistan Army’s attitude. He believes that LeT has done more than any other terrorist group to promote the army’s strategic interest but has got back precious little. His group has not only trained recruits for jihad in Kashmir but also carried out some spectacular attacks against India, in addition to training cadres for the Taliban and other terrorist groups. Any sign of the terror group turning away from Pakistan has the potential to threaten Pakistan’s own security and broad interests. But it would also have important implications for India.

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China hacks Taiwan's coast guard

The first batch of Kuang Hua VI missile boats was completed in 2009. (File photo)

Firewall servers at Taiwan's coast guard security department were taken down by hackers in China last month, who gained access to more than 3,000 classified files. National security authorities are concerned that the securities of other government departments could also be at risk, reports our sister newspaper China Times.
The incident was the largest cyber attack the administration has experienced since it was established 11 years ago.
The attack was apparently not an isolated incident. Earlier last month, a notebook testing the strategies of the Kuang Hua VI class missile boat was lost with no explanation after the boat only a few months after the boat began operations. Many members of the public demanded to know why the navy did not pay enough attention to the security breach.
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Indian Navy plans major expansion of Karwar base

The Navy's new aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov will be berthed at the Karwar base.

NEW DELHI (PTI): Indian Navy is planning a major expansion of its strategic Karwar naval base in Karnataka where it will berth its Russian-origin aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov and carry out military aircraft operations.

The Navy plans to deploy the Admiral Gorshkov, Scorpene submarines and a number of surface ships at the base after the completion of the over Rs 10,000 crore project there.

A proposal in this regard is expected to be moved before the Cabinet Committee on Security chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for final approval, sources told PTI here.

Project Seabird Phase IIA work will involve construction of a wide range of new facilities and augmentation of certain existing facilities involving an outlay of over Rs 10,000 crore, Navy officials said here.

As per the plans, the Navy will be able to base around 30 major warships at Karwar after the completion of Phase-IIA by 2017-18.

 

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Somali forces say detained 500 with Islamist links

Somali security forces had detained over 500 al-Shehab militants in northern Mogadishu, Somalia on Saturday. (AP)

 

Somali security forces said Saturday they had detained over 500 people in a two-day operation in the Mogadishu area who were either Islamist rebel fighters or had have links to them.

“The crackdown on remnants of al-Qaeda affiliated militants was carried out in several districts yesterday (Friday) and today,” Kalif Ahmed Ereg, one of the Somali commanders who took part in the operation told reporters.

“We have arrested around eight thousand suspects and after investigations, 507 of them have so far been confirmed to be Shebab fighters or to have links to the Shebab,” Ereg said.

The operation, conducted by Somali forces and their African Union allies, centered on Mogadishu and the nearby town of Afgoye, long a stronghold of the al-Qaeda affiliated Shebab rebels, until pro-government forces regained control of it in May.
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China Beats Russia on Space Launches

File image.

For the first time in the history of space exploration, China beat Russia on the number of space launches in a given period of time, a rocket engine manufacturer said on Wednesday.
China conducted 10 of the world's total 35 launches in the first six months of 2012, Russia's NPO Energomash said on its website.
Russia was second with nine launches, followed by the United States with eight launches, the report said.
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India, Egypt to carry out naval exercise

A file photo.

NEW DELHI (PTI): In their first engagement after the new establishment took over in Egypt, Indian and Egyptian navies will carry out a joint exercise in Alexandria.

Warships of the Mumbai-based western fleet of the Navy are on a westward deployment and will be visiting a number of countries after Egypt.

Indian warships will carry out a basic exercise with their Egyptian counterparts as part of the westward deployment of the naval fleet, Navy officials said here.

This would be the first military engagement between Egypt and India after the newly-elected government has taken over there.

Destroyer INS Mumbai, INS Trishul, INS Gomati and fleet tanker INS Aditya are under the command of Western Fleet commander Rear Admiral A R Karve and had made a port call at Djibouti before proceeding towards Alexandria in Egypt.
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Donors offer $16 billion Afghan aid at Tokyo conference

(Reuters) - Major donors pledged on Sunday to give Afghanistan $16 billion in development aid through 2015 as they seek to prevent it from sliding back into chaos when foreign troops leave, but demanded reforms to fight widespread corruption.
Donor fatigue and war weariness have taken their toll on how long the global community is willing to support Afghanistan and there are concerns about security following the withdrawal of most NATO troops in 2014 if financial backing is not secured.
"Afghanistan's security cannot only be measured by the absence of war," U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told an international donors' conference in Tokyo.
"It has to be measured by whether people have jobs and economic opportunity, whether they believe their government is serving their needs, whether political reconciliation proceeds and succeeds."
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Israel to Upgrade Air Force With F-35 Advanced Aircrafts

Not long ago, a thick cloud of rumors settled on the new, much-talked-about IDF [Israel Defense Forces] acquisition of 20 F-35's, a fighter plane known as the Stealth produced by the American Lockheed Martin Company. There were rumors regarding production slowdowns and delays of the F-35, known as the “fifth generation fighter plane” (in contrast to the Israeli fourth-generation F-16's). The fear is that they will reach Israel very late — too late to serve the IDF in coping with future challenges.

Lockheed Martin officials rarely circulate official statements regarding their planes. Nevertheless, Steve O'Bryan (vice president for F-35 business development) elucidated in an interview with Ma’ariv Magazine, “We will meet the deadline that we set.”
O'Bryan, an F-18 pilot by training, recently visited Israel. Among his duties in Lockheed Martin is responsibility for coordinating details of the business transaction with Israel. In a conversation with him, O'Bryan dissipates the rumors regarding postponement of the planes’ delivery date. “The various delays are not significant with regard to the overall schedule of the process,” he explains. “We will meet the deadline that was set. [However,] it is possible that some of the upgrades will be carried out at a later date in Israel.”

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Israelis, Not MEK, Killed Iranian Scientists, New Book Says

Israelis, not Iranians working for Israel, killed five Iranian scientists connected to Iran’s nuclear program between 2007 and 2011 according to a new book by veteran US and Israeli journalists.

Dan Raviv, a well-known reporter for CBS, and Yossi Melman, a former intelligence correspondent for Ha’aretz, write in “Spies Against Armageddon” that contrary to published reports — which link the killings to members of the Mujaheddin-e Khalq, an Iranian opposition group — Israel would not have contracted out such controversial and difficult work.
Instead, the authors say, the killings by motorcycle riders who affixed sticky bombs to their victims’ cars in Tehran traffic were “blue and white operations” — a reference to the colors of Israel’s flag.
“For such a sensitive dangerous and daring mission as a series of assassinations in Iran’s capital, the Mossad would not depend on hired-gun mercenaries,” Raviv and Melman assert. “They would be considered far less trustworthy and there was hardly any chance that the Mossad would reveal to non-Israelis some of its assassination unit’s best methods.”
An update of previous works by the authors, this very readable account depicts Israeli intelligence triumphs and fiascoes.Read More..............

DR Congo troops 'flee into Uganda' after rebel clashes

The Congolese soldiers are said to have been moved away from the border

 

Some 600 Congolese soldiers have fled into Uganda, following clashes with rebels who have seized a border town.

The Ugandan military said the fleeing troops had been disarmed.
As the rebels took control of the Democratic Republic of Congo side of the town of Bunagana, an Indian peacekeeper was killed, the UN says.
M23 rebels loyal to Bosco Ntaganda, who is wanted for war crimes by the International Criminal Court, took up arms in April.
They defected from the army after pressure increased on the government to arrest Gen Ntaganda, when one of his former colleagues was convicted of recruiting child soldiers by the ICC.
Security sources have told the BBC's Ignatius Bahizi in Uganda that the M23 rebels control a 15km (10 mile) stretch of the border running south from the famous Virunga National Park, home to rare mountain gorillas.
Ugandan army spokesman Capt Peter Mugisa says the 600 Congolese soldiers are in the custody of the Ugandan military. He told the AP news agency they fear being massacred by the rebels if they return.
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Syria's fighting spills into Lebanon, five killed

(Reuters) - Syria's conflict spilled further into Lebanon on Saturday when mortar fire from President Bashar al-Assad's forces hit villages in the north, killing five people after rebels crossed the border to seek refuge, residents said.
Rebels fighting to unseat Assad have used north Lebanon as a base and his forces have at times bombed villages and even pursued insurgents over the border, threatening to stoke tension in Lebanon, whose sectarian divisions mirror those in Syria.
Residents of Lebanon's Wadi Khaled region said several mortar bombs hit farm buildings five to 20 km (3 to 12 miles) from the border at around 2 a.m. At midday villagers reported more explosions and said they heard gunfire close to the border.
In the village of al-Mahatta, a house was destroyed, killing a 16-year-old girl and wounding a two-year old and a four-year old, family members told Reuters. A 25-year-old woman and a man were killed in nearby villages, residents said.
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Navy moves ahead on biofuels despite congressional ire

(Reuters) - The Pentagon is pushing ahead with a $420 million effort to build refineries to make competitively priced biofuels, despite anger in Congress over the price the Navy paid for alternative fuel to test a carrier strike group this month.
The government plans provide $210 million in matching funds to help firms build three refineries, each able to produce at least 10 million gallons of biofuel a year for military jets or ships, according to documents released this week. The Navy would supply $170 million and the Energy Department $40 million.
The military's spending on alternative fuels has drawn criticism from Republican lawmakers, with Senator Jim Inhofe charging that President Barack Obama's priorities are "completely skewed" and Representative Mike Conaway accusing Navy Secretary Ray Mabus of "squandering precious dollars."
But Mabus warns that U.S. dependence on foreign oil is a strategic vulnerability that can only be addressed by reducing the military's reliance on petroleum as the sole source of fuel to power its jets, ships and tanks
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Saudi Arabia's policy shift toward India helps nab terror suspects

NEW DELHI — For years, India watched helplessly as many of its most-wanted terrorism suspects traveled freely to Saudi Arabia from Pakistan with new identities and passports and without fear of arrest.
But things appear to have changed. Last week, Saudi Arabia deported an Indian accused of involvement in the terrorist attacks in Mumbai in 2008 that killed 166 people, including six Americans. At the same time, news came that Riyadh is likely to deport another accused terrorist to India in the next few weeks.
The shift in Saudi policy toward India is part of the kingdom’s broader foreign policy makeover since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States, analysts say.
“This deportation is really a first, and it signals Saudi Arabia’s changing attitude toward India as much as it also signals the internal changes in Saudi society,” said K.C. Singh, a former Indian diplomat. “It coincides with India aligning itself with American interests and India’s cautious distancing from Iran.”
Saudi Arabia also gives India a gateway to the entire Arab region, where it has little influence, compared with Pakistan. Saudi Arabia can assist India in its quest for energy in the region, improve its access to trading partners and help it address radicalism among Indian Muslims who migrate to the Middle East for lucrative work.
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Printable Version Send to a friend Iran Exports $50bln Worth of Non-Oil Products in One Year

TEHRAN (FNA)- Iran exported $50 billion worth of non-oil products in the last Iranian year (March 21, 2011 to March 19, 2012), a senior Iranian economic official announced on Saturday.

"We had $50bln of non-oil exports last year," Deputy Minister of Industry, Mine and Trade Abbas Qobadi said, addressing a conference in Iran's Western city of Sanandaj. The official further reminded that Iran's imports stood at $60bln during the same period.

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Iran to Stage Air Defense Drills Tomorrow

TEHRAN (FNA)- Iran's Air Defense Unit will start three days of tactical drills in the country's Northwestern regions tomorrow, a senior Iranian air defense commander announced on Saturday.

Lieutenant Commander of Khatam ol-Anbia Air Defense Base Brigadier General Alireza Sabahifard said that the drills are in line with the mission of the air defense unit for defending the Islamic Republic of Iran's vital national interests and national security. He said that the drills will cover an area about 50,000 square kilometers, and will include radar, missile, wiretapping and artillery phases. Sabahifard noted that drills will comprise exercising operational plans and assessing the air defense systems. The commander said that a study of the effects of civil defense capabilities on the country's defensive power in operational zones and sustainability in battlefield, and assessment of the Iranian air defense unit's capability in electronic warfare are among the other objectives of the drill. In February, Iranian Army and Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) reviewed their latest air defense tactics during the drills in the Southern province of Bushehr. Iran's Air Defense Unit conducted massive air defense drills, codenamed 'Sarallah', in the country's Southern regions to test and assess the latest versions and productions of home-made radar and missile defense systems.

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