Raytheon Stock Skyrockets With Talk of U.S. Intervention in Syria

Raytheon, the Waltham based military defense corporation, saw its stocks reach an all-time high this week after talks of a possible U.S. missile attack on Syria. The military attack is in response to allegations of a chemical weapons attack by Syria President Assad on his own people.
Currently, Raytheon's stock is trading at $75.50 per share, up 44 percent since its 52-week low in February. In the last month alone, Raytheon's stock shot up 6 percent.
On August 13, Raytheon received a $200.5 million weapons order from the U.S. military and five of its allies.
The massive contract will see Raytheon supply 532 AIM-9X Sidewinder air-to-air missiles and training to the U.S. Navy and Army as well as Malaysia, Morocco, Oman, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia.
The Obama administration is very familiar with Raytheon. According to a report by Politico, a White House budget submission for 2013 requested 196 Tomahawk missiles, and the Tomahawk cruise missile is said to be "President Barack Obama’s weapon of choice." The total cost of the program was $320 million.

Russian Aircraft Carrier Admiral Kuznetsov To Be Sent To Syria’s Tartus

The Russian Navy has confirmed its plans to send its heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser Admiral Kuznetsov to the Syrian port of Tartus in early December.It said in an announcement made Friday that the visit was scheduled several months ago, will be a routine resupply call and has nothing to do with the current aggravation of the conflict in Syria.
The Admiral Kuznetsov is based in Severomorsk on the Russian coast of the Barents Sea. It carries several Sukhoi jet fighters and Kamov antisubmarine helicopters.
The Russian Defence Ministry said on Friday that Russia has no plans to intervene in Syria’s conflict.

Taiwan plans to buy two warships from US

Taiwan plans to purchase two warships from the United States as part of its efforts to modernise its forces against a perceived military threat from China, a lawmaker said on Friday.Taiwan plans to purchase two warships from the United States as part of its efforts to modernise its forces against a perceived military threat from China, a lawmaker said on Friday.

The defence ministry has listed Tw$5.6 billion (US$187 million) in its 2014 and 2015 budgets to buy two Perry-class frigates from the US navy, said lawmaker Lin Yu-fang, citing defence budgets submitted to the parliament.
The ministry aimed to buy two rather than four Perry-class frigates as previously reported by the media to replace some of its Knox-class frigates that were retired, Lin said.
Ties between Taiwan and China have improved markedly since Ma Ying-jeou became the island's president in 2008 on a China-friendly platform. He was elected for a second term last year.
However, China still claims sovereignty over self-ruled Taiwan and has repeatedly threatened to invade should the island declare formal independence, prompting Taipei to seek more advanced weapons largely from the US.

India Signs $55M in Deals With Russia’s MiG Fighter Jet Maker

Russia’s MiG fighter jet maker has signed two additional contracts with India worth a total $55 million, the corporation said Wednesday.
They are part of a general contract with India’s air force.
Under the first, $43 million contract, a servicing center will be established in India for maintenance and repair of Zhuk-ME on-board radars, MiG representatives said.
The second, $12 million contract provides for the creation in India of a servicing center for modernized MiG-29UPG fighter jets.
Russia will deliver six MiG-29K Fulcrum “generation 4++” fighters to India this year as part of a 2010 contract for 29 planes worth $1.5 billion, MiG CEO Sergei Korotkov said at the MAKS-2013 international air and space show.
India currently has 21 aircraft. Under the contract, MiG is to deliver 29 planes before 2015, Korotkov said. Last year four aircraft were delivered and one has been delivered so far this year, he added.

Bangladesh Govt plans to get submarines

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said the government would buy submarines in future to bolster Bangladesh’s defence capabilities.

She said her government had undertaken short- and long-term plans to turn Bangladesh Navy into an ‘effective force’.

“We will buy submarines in future as part of that process,” she while commissioning three warships and inducting into the Navy's fold two maritime patrol aircraft in Chittagong on Thursday.

Navy Chief Vice Admiral M Farid Habib received Hasina at BAF base Zahurul Haq in Chittagong.

Hasina said her government had initiated moves in 1996 to add an aviation wing to the navy, and a modern frigate, BNS Bangabandhu, capable of handling helicopter flights, was added five years later.

“We have added two maritime helicopters, bought from Italy, to the navy, and today two aircraft from Germany are joining the naval aviation fleet,” she said.

India developing E-bomb to paralyze networks'

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is developing an E-bomb which will emit electromagnetic shock waves that destroy electronic circuits and communication networks of enemy forces, its chief and scientific advisor to the defence minister Avinash Chander said.

So next time there is a Kargil or a LoC violation, you may not hear gunshots or mortar shells, because the electromagnetic bomb will throw life out of gear.

"It will be a weapon that would explore the strong electromagnetic field generating a brief but intense or high power pulse of electromagnetic energy," Chander told TOI at the Missile Complex in Hyderabad. He said the spectrum of targets will be broad and in times to come, E-bombs would form the core of tactical warfare and electronic combat operations to damage the command, control and communications of enemy forces.

The director general of DRDO said that the electromagnetic shock wave from the bomb will destroy electronic circuits and communication network "while paralyzing them in terms of radars, communication networking, information gathering sensors, controls and other electronic equipment." Work is in full swing at the Research Centre Imarat, the Hyderabad-based laboratory of DRDO, to build the new bomb which will be ready for operational deployment within a few years.

China Defense Ministry Promises More Aircraft Carriers

China will “surely” build more aircraft carriers now that it has its first, a Defense Ministry spokesman said, according to the official Xinhua News Agency.

Asked to confirm reports that China is building its first carrier from scratch, ministry spokesman Yang Yujun said today “there will surely be more in the future,” according to Xinhua. China will consider building carriers in accordance with its defense needs, he said at a briefing.
China’s first aircraft carrier, built from an incomplete Ukrainian hull and dubbed the Liaoning, began flight take-off and landing tests this year. The country’s next carrier will be larger and transport more fighters, Song Xue, the Chinese navy’s deputy chief of staff, said in April.
Satellite imagery of a shipbuilding facility near Shanghai suggests China started building an aircraft carrier, IHS Jane’s Defense Weekly said earlier this month.

Sweden's defence crisis isn't Russia's fault

Swedish defence policy suffers from a deep credibility crisis that has nothing to do with Russia, argues Uppsala University professor Stefan Hedlund, in response to reactions to a previous op-ed about Russia and the Swedish military.My original op-ed about Russia and Swedish defence has triggered lively reactions, which is excellent. Regrettably, few if any have been willing to address what I believe to be the main point, namely, that Swedish defence policy suffers from a deep credibility crisis.

Tax payers may legitimately wonder how it can be that we spend some 46 billion crowns annually for a defence that, according to statements by the Commander-in-Chief, can only defend a limited part of the country, only for a week and seemingly only during office hours.

The very simple fact that Finland spends about half of what Sweden does, and still manages to maintain a credible defence force, strengthens me in my belief that there is something rotten in the Kingdom of Sweden, something that has little to do with Russia.

In line with many other commentators, The Local's contributor Annelie Gregor argues that I am off target in my assessment of Russian militarization and the country’s drift towards authoritarianism. Her argument is divided into five points. I will address these in order.The first is that I am unjustified in downgrading Russian military capability solely based on failed launches with the Bulava SLBM. My reason for using this example is that the Bulava, arguably, is the only truly modern component in the 20 trillion ruble rearmament program. One might also mention the much-touted Sukhoi T-50 PAK FA fifth generation fighter aircraft, but the Moscow grapevine refers to it as "generation 4.5," suggesting that it may not quite live up to standards. The remainder is little more than hyped-up Soviet designs.

Russia to deploy jets to Belarus

Belarus Defense Minister Iuri Zhadobin stated Russian fighters will be deployed in Belarus before the end of the year. Where the aircraft will be deployed is unclear. Zhadobin did not say whether the jets will be located at an air base the Russia Federation intends to open in northwestern Belarus near its borders with Poland and Lithuania, but a Russian air force general said in late June Russian Su-27SM3 fighter jets would be stationed at the base, due to open "within a few months' time."
The Russian air force facility will be situated in Lida and will form an important element in the "strategic defense of the Union State," according to Russian air force Chief Lt. Gen. Viktor Bondarev.
When the Lida air base becomes operational, it will be the second one Moscow has opened in the post-Soviet space since the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union. The first Russian air base developed after the collapse of the Soviet Union is located at Kant, Kyrgyzstan, near the capital Bishkek and opened in 2003. The Kant air base currently houses a number of Su-27 fighters.
As both Poland and Lithuania and neighboring Latvia are now all members of NATO, sharing a common frontier with Belarus, seeking to allay European fears, in May Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the plans for a Belarus air base are not a response to the proposed deployment of a U.S. missile shield in Europe the Russian federation has fiercely opposed since it was first suggested, RIA Novosti reported Wednesday.
The Su-27SM3 is a single-seat multi-role fighter capable of air superiority and ground strike missions. The Su-27 -- intended as a direct competitor for the large U.S. fourth-generation fighters, with a 1,910 nautical mile range, heavy armament, sophisticated avionics and high maneuverability -- first entered the Russian air force as a frontline aircraft in 1985. The Russian air force has already upgraded a considerable number of its Su-27 fighters to the SM standard. The SM3 has a stronger airframe than previous variants, with additional hard points for weapons carriage. The Su-27SM3's heavier weight is offset by higher-thrust AL-31F-M1 engines manufactured by MMPP Salut.

S-300 missiles for Iran "dismantled, scrapped"

The S-300 advanced air defense missile systems that Russia refused to deliver to Iran have now been completely dismantled and scrapped, the CEO of the company that built them said Thursday.
“The equipment that was to have been delivered to Iran is no more,” Almaz-Antey Corporation’s CEO Vladislav Menshchikov said. “We have dismantled it completely. Some elements, which could be used, have been used. Some have been scrapped.”
Every contract is made for a particular client and cannot be adjusted to the requirements of another, he said.
“The makeup is different, the specifications are different, and the software is different,” Menshchikov said.
Russia signed a deal in 2007 to provide Iran four S-300 batteries. Russia annulled the contract in 2010 due to concerns over its nuclear program. Iran filed a $4 billion lawsuit for compensation over the failed deal, which is pending review in an international arbitration court in Geneva.
Russian daily Vedomosti said in June, citing undisclosed Russian arms industry sources, that Russia had offered to provide Iran with Antei-2500 air defense systems, but the offer was never officially confirmed.
Anatoly Isaikin, the head of Russia’s state-run arms export monopoly Rosoboronexport said in mid-August his agency had no plans to provide Iran with replacements for the S-300 missile defense systems that Russia had refused to deliver.

Air Force chief: 12 fighter jets by 2016

Philippines - If everything goes as planned, the Air Force may be able to receive two lead in fighter trainer jets as early as next year, a ranking military official said Wednesday.

Air Force chief Lt. Gen. Lauro Catalino dela Cruz said the first two air assets to be acquired from South Korea would be used to train their pilots.
“Our target date is [to] have at least two [jets delivered] initially by the end of fourth quarter of 2014 and then the rest would be (delivered in the next) six months,” dela Cruz said during a forum organized by the Manila Overseas Press Club last Monday.
The government plans to acquire 12 FA-50 jets for P18.9 billion to enhance the territorial defense capabilities of the Air Force.
Dela Cruz said the negotiations with the Korea Aerospace Industries started about a month ago. He said the two jets could be delivered by the end of 2014 if all the contracts and other necessary documents are signed this year.
“(Once the jets are delivered), we now have aircraft that could deter any intruder. If there are unidentified (intruders), we can pursue them,” dela Cruz told The STAR in a separate interview.

Taiwan Unveils Road-Mobile “Carrier Killer” Launcher

In yet another sign that Taiwan is taking the threat of a Chinese sea attack seriously, the Taiwan Navy this week introduced a land-based version of the indigenous Hsiung Feng “Brave Wind” 3 (HF-3) supersonic anti-ship cruise missile at the Taipei Aerospace & Defense Technology Exhibition (TADTE).

Designed by the Armaments’ Bureau's Chung Shan Institute of Science and Technology (CSIST), the HF-3 “carrier killer” was the highlight of TADTE 2011, where it was showcased as a direct response to China’s first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, which had just embarked on its maiden sea trial. The display showed an aircraft carrier that bore a striking resemblance to the Liaoning being repeatedly struck by HF-3 missiles.
Production of the ramjet-powered supersonic anti-ship missile began in 2007. Since then, Cheng Kung-class (Perry) and Ching Chiang-class vessels have been outfitted with the HF-3, which can reach targets within a range of 130km. A new 500-ton radar-evasive fast attack corvette, which is also featured at TADTE 2013, will also be outfitted with the HF-3.

Area 51 does exists, CIA documents show, but still no mention of UFOs

ewly declassified CIA documents confirm the existence of Area 51, a test site for U.S. spy planes.

The truth really is out there … in Nevada.
Documents obtained by George Washington University’s National Security Archive confirm for the first time what conspiracy theorists and UFO fanatics have long argued — that Area 51 exists.
Chosen as the site for a top secret testing facility in the 1950s for the U-2 spy plane, the parcel of land, which for decades was never identified on any government maps, resides in the desert of southern Nevada.

Barry King/WireImage

Area 51 file photo near Rachel, Nevada.

“The outlines of Area 51 are shown on current unclassified maps as a small rectangular area adjoining the northeast corner of the much larger Nevada Test Site,” the newly released National Security Archive documents state.

Leaked Pics Reveal North Korea's New-Old Military Cargo Plane

Nukes aren’t the only military implement North Korea’s been tinkering with over the last few years. During a recent air force parade, the Hermit Kingdom reminded the world of its deadly, deadly fleet of 30-year-old attack choppers. Today, new images have surfaced of a mysterious, camouflaged cargo jet.

As with most news out of North Korea, details on the mystery plane are scarce. But we do know that it’s an Ilyushin Il-76 — a Soviet-built multi-purpose four-engine turbofan originally designed in the late ’60s as a replacement for the Antonov An-12. North Korea’s state-owned commercial airline, Air Koyo, already operates three such aircraft.
What we don’t know is whether or not this plane is a civilian craft undergoing militarisation, or whether this is a previously undiscovered asset that Kim Jong-un is rolling out, much like the helicopters, in advance of

Pakistan Navy strengthens their air fleet

Pakistan Navy (PN) inducted two ATR-72 aircrafts in its fleet to enhance its operational flexibility and reach, a ceremony was held to at PNS Mehran with Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Mohammad Asif Sandila as chief guest. Speaking at the occasion, Sandila said that at sea we are entrusted with the added responsibilities of countering terrorism including drugs, arms and human smuggling, which has led to more focused maritime security operations. According to details provided by PN official handout, ATRs are modern and widely operated turboprop platforms equipped with state of the art Traffic Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) installed. Average ground speed of the aircraft is 250 knots with an endurance of about six hours, the document further said. Veteran Naval Aviators, Pakistan Navy Flag Officers and civilian and military dignitaries attended

Russia Destroys Over 75% of Its Chemical Weapons Stockpile

Russia has destroyed more than 30,000 metric tons of chemical warfare agents, or about 76 percent of its chemical weapons stockpile, Russia’s industry and trade minister said Thursday.

Russia has destroyed more chemical agents than any other of the 180 signees of the 1997 Chemical Weapons Convention, Minister Denis Manturov said while visiting a chemical weapons disposal facility in the Bryansk Region, which borders Ukraine and Belarus.
More than 500 inspections of Russia’s chemical weapons stockpile have been conducted since the convention came into effect, and not a single violation has been detected in this respect, the official added.

Russian Air Force to Get 60 Mi-28UB Helicopters by 2020

The Russian Defense Ministry will procure up to 60 Mi-28UB helicopters to improve the training of pilots for Mi-28N gunships, the Air Force commander said.
The Mi-28UB is a combat training variant of the Mi-28N Night Hunter attack helicopter that can be operated both from the pilot's cockpit and the flight instructor's cockpit as it is equipped with a dual hydromechanical flight control system.
“We will purchase four to six [Mi-28UB] helicopters for each unit that has Mi-28N in service,” Lt. Gen. Viktor Bondarev said Friday after attending a Mi-28UB demonstration flight at Rostvertol plant, which manufactures both Mi-28N and Mi-28UB helicopters.
“We are planning to procure up to 60 [Mi-28UB] helicopters until 2020,” Bondarev said, adding that the new version would significantly speed up and improve pilot training.

New Chinese Navy vessels pack Zhoushan port on east coast

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Taipei,  A dozen Chinese navy warships, including the latest model destroyers and frigates, have docked in a naval port in Zhoushan, a coastal city in Zhejiang Province, according to pictures posted on the Chinese news website Huanqiu.com.

According to a report on the website Friday, the pictures taken by netizens showed more than 10 naval vessels of various sizes, including destroyers, frigates and supply ships, and some Internet users described the port as being packed with ships.

The Dinghai military port in Zhoushan is one of three bases of the Chinese Navy's East Sea Fleet and the fleet's primary port, the report said, but it did not comment on the significance of the buildup.

The fleet consists of seven missile-guided destroyers, 24 missile-guided frigates, seven submarines and three composite supply vessels.

The Zhoushan naval base, which faces Japan's Kyushu, offers the most accessible channel for the Chinese Navy to enter the West Pacific Ocean and the East China Sea, where the disputed Diaoyutai Islands are located.

China and Japan have been at loggerheads over the islands, which are also claimed by Taiwan, since Japan moved to nationalize them last September by buying some of the rocky outcrops from their private owners.

Beijing has responded by repeatedly sending naval vessels near the islands, which are administratively controlled by Japan.

India readies for maiden trial of undersea missile K-4

Amid escalation of simmering tension along the LoC in the wake of unprovoked killing of jawans leading to heightened resentment across the nation, India is contemplating to go for the maiden trial of its long range nuke-capable undersea missile K-4, which had been kept secret so far.
If things go as per the programme, defence sources said the indigenously built submarine launched ballistic (SLBM) missile, which has a strike range of 3000-km to 3,500-km will be test fired from a submerged pontoon, which is almost identical to submarine, off the Vishakhapatnam coast next month.
Though the missile has been designed to be launched from a depth of 50 meter, but this time the scientists are planning to fire it from the undersea platform nearly 20 to 30 meters deep in the Bay of Bengal. Earlier the developmental tests of the missile's gas-booster have already completed successfully.
After the successful activation of the atomic reactor on-board the country’s first indigenous nuclear submarine INS Arihant in the wee hours on Saturday, the DRDO is in fact readying to conduct the first experimental trial of the much-awaited K-4 as soon as possible. This submarine will be equipped with the K-series missiles.
India has so far planned three missiles in the K-series. The 700-km range K-15, renamed as B-05 by the DRDO has been launched 10 times while the K-5 which will have a striking capability of over 5,000 km is under development. All the K-series missiles are faster, lighter and stealthier. The missiles are far more difficult to tackle as they skulk clandestinely undersea and manoeuvrable thus minimising the chance of being shot down by the enemy.

Chinese fighter-bombers practice reconnaissance

The flight lasted for more than an hour and focused on getting familiar with the environment, unaided eye reconnaissance and searching for combat targets, said Wang Xiaoliang, one of the pilots.

Since the Chinese unit arrived here Friday, they had been briefed by their hosts on airport procedures, airspace control, weather conditions and notice alerts, and had examined the runway, tarmac and tower, Wang said.

The joint drill, code-named Peace Mission-2013 and running from July 27 to Aug. 15, has three phases -- troop deployment, battle planning and simulated combat.

Asif Zardari got married to Tanveer Zamani in Dubai

Asif Zardari got married to Tanveer Zamani according to Muslim Shiyat Bylaws in Dubai last week. The ceremony has not been held. However the marriage religious vows, paper work and prenuptials have been confirmed. Nine black goats, 6 cows and 1 camel was sacrificed at this sacred occasion. This happened 3 years after the assassination of Slain Bhutto. She is a Mediterranean descent American resident, and she lives in Gramercy Park, Manhattan, New York. Zamani is a practicing physician and known to be a Bhutto party loyalist. She earned PhD degree in International Politics from UK. She owns estates in London, Dubai, Islamabad and Manhattan. Zamani is a known Democrat and supported  Obama’s 2008 election campaign. She actively participated in Obama’s Health Care reform bill to make it a law. Recently, she has been prohibited to attend the public political meetings due to her security issues. Pres. Zardari in a meeting with Obama on 1/14/11 in DC, requested his help in acquiring security for Zamani.
Zardari is the widower of Benazir Bhutto, who twice served as Prime Minister of Pakistan. When his wife was assassinated in December 2007, he became the Chairman of the PPP. It has been claimed that Zardari is among the four richest men in Pakistan.  In the 1988 elections, Bhutto became Prime Minister, and Zardari became a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan. Zardari’s opponents began using the nickname, “Mr 10%”, in reference to the charges of corruption against him. This nickname referred to kickbacks he was alleged to have received during his wife’s premiership. He served in Jail from 1990 -1993 and 1997-2004.
It has been noticed that with the advent of Zamani in his life for the last 8 months, he has been changed a lot. A lot has been blogged about them on the web. He seemed to find refuge in trusting her loyalty to him more than the party. The couple might have faced many domestic, social and political issues before they decided to turn this long distance, under cover- relationship  into a life time partnership. It is welcomed as a wise decision since it is according to their religious perquisites and he needs a loyal partner in his life who could support him spiritually, physically and financially at his worse times. To choose a life partner might be a difficult decision for him before meeting Zamani, but she made it an easy shot to play since she seems not someone who would marry him for his assets and power. Pres. Zardari made a good deal to marry an American citizen, since next time

Misses, waits & progress in naval missiles

The aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya, formerly the Admiral Gorshkov,  expected to join the Indian Navy later this year, is already late by five years and its price has risen three-fold, from $947 million in 2004 to $2.3 billion today.

And, it emerges now that for the next three years or so, Vikramaditya will function without effective defences against anti-ship missiles, a key threat to warships today. For this, the Russians are not to blame; the Israelis are. The futuristic missile defence system supposed to be fitted on the Vikramaditya, called the Long Range Surface to Air Missile (LR-SAM), is also late by at least three years. The LR-SAM is a missile, fired from a warship to shoot down an incoming anti-ship missile at ranges out to 70 kilometres. Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) is developing the LR-SAM in partnership with the Defence R&D Organisation (DRDO).



On Thursday, the Vice Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral R K Dhowan, said here that Vikramaditya would arrive without a “close in weapons system” (CIWS, pronounced sea-whiz), a ship-borne system to destroy incoming missiles and aircraft.

The navy will fit an AK-630 rapid-fire gun system on the Vikramaditya when it arrives but the more potent LR-SAM will only be fitted during the aircraft carrier’s first refit. That would be at least three years down the line.

Russia to Strengthen Airborne Forces With 3 Brigades

The Russian military is to assign an additional three air assault brigades to the Airborne Forces (VDV) in order to boost its rapid reaction capability in future conflicts, VDV commander Col. Gen. Vladimir Shamanov said Wednesday.
“The Airborne Troops will become the core of Russia’s rapid reaction forces, and in order to ensure that…the paratroopers are capable of performing this task, I proposed to the Russian military leadership to reassign three air assault brigades from the Eastern and Southern military districts to the VDV,” Shamanov said in an interview with RIA Novosti.
“My proposal was approved,” he said, adding the brigades could join the Airborne Forces as early as October or November.
The Airborne Forces consist of about 35,000 men deployed in four divisions and a brigade. Despite their elite status, less than 30 percent are currently professionals, though Shamanov said the VDV hopes to have about 80 percent professional soldiers and only 20 percent conscripts in its ranks by 2015.
That ratio is optimal for the creation of a solid basis for mobilization and training purposes, he said, with conscripts having the choice of continuing their service as professional soldiers or officers after a year of mandatory service.
Shamanov also confirmed that the Airborne Forces will soon receive several advanced BMD-4M airborne fighting vehicles and Rakushka armored personnel carriers for testing in field conditions by 2015.
The BMD-4M is the latest modification of an armored combat vehicle that can be para-dropped to provide firepower and support for airborne troops. It features a new chassis, a digital fire control system and high-precision weaponry, including a 100-mm gun.

Lockheed Martin Selects Northrop Grumman's Scalable Agile Beam Radar (SABR) for the F-16 AESA Radar Upgrade Program

Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT) has competitively selected Northrop Grumman Corporation's (NYSE:NOC) Scalable Agile Beam Radar (SABR) for the U.S. Air Force and Taiwan F-16 radar modernization and upgrade programs.
Work on the F-16 AESA (active electronically scanned array) radar program will be performed at Northrop Grumman's Electronic Systems sector headquarters facility in Linthicum.
"The F-16 has been a front-line fighter for the Air Force for more than 30 years, and SABR will keep it there for decades to come. We built on our rich heritage of active electronically scanned array innovation to deliver fifth generation fighter radar capability to the F-16. SABR will provide F-16s unprecedented operational capability, greater reliability and viability in threat environments beyond 2025," said Joseph Ensor, vice president and general manager of Northrop Grumman's ISR and Targeting Systems Division.
"The conclusion of the AESA radar competition marks the next chapter in the Fighting Falcon's ongoing evolution – the F-16V," said Roderick McLean, vice president and general manager of Lockheed Martin's F-16/F-22 Integrated Fight Group. "This next generation radar will deliver unprecedented capabilities to the most widely used 4th generation fighter ever flown."
Northrop Grumman's newest airborne fire control radar, SABR is an affordable, multifunction AESA radar designed for low risk retrofit in current F-16s and is scalable for integration in other aircraft. SABR provides improved situational awareness, greater detection, high-resolution SAR maps, automatic target cueing, electronic protection, interleaved air-to-air and air-to-surface mode operations, and all-environment precision strike capability.

IAF's indigenous dreams go sour as major hiccups mar development of aircrafts by HAL

The Indian Air Force's indigenous dream appears to have gone sour as all major projects for home production of key aircraft are showing symptoms of distress.

IAF chief NAK Browne in a letter to Defence Minister A.K. Antony had highlighted the delays and high costs in the development of basic trainer aircraft required urgently for rookie pilots, but these are not the only areas of concern.

HAL's programme for developing Intermediate Jet Trainer (IJT) is facing serious turbulence and the aircraft maker's decision to reduce its work share in the joint development of fifth generation fighter aircraft with the Russians has raised eyebrows as it will have a bearing on the costs of the project.

To top it all, hiccups concerning the development of light combat aircraft have been discussed threadbare at various levels forcing Antony to fix a final deadline.

Sources said the IAF was pushed to the wall on the uncertainties involving the development of basic aircraft trainer (BTA) by HAL as ambiguity surrounded the future of the project.

The defence ministry's own assessment till last year said it was better to shut the project.

Iran Not in S-300 Missile Replacement Talks – Envoy

Iran and Russia have not discussed Moscow’s tentative offer to supply Tehran with Antei-2500 surface-to-air missile systems instead of the S-300, whose sale was previously blocked by the Kremlin, Iran’s envoy to Russia said Wednesday.

“As for the Antei-2500 [missile] systems, it’s just words,” Seyed Mahmoud-Reza Sajjadi told RIA Novosti. “There were no agreements, and there are no talks [on the matter].”
“We’re waiting for Russia’s concrete proposals,” he added at a press conference later the same day.
Russia agreed in 2007 to supply Iran with then state-of-the-art S-300 air defense systems, but scrapped the deal in 2010, unilaterally expanding on sanctions ordered by the UN (Resolution 1747) against that country over its alleged nuclear weapons development program.
The ban on the S-300 deal was ordered by then-President Dmitry Medvedev, following intense lobbying by the United States.
Tehran filed a $4 billion lawsuit against Moscow for compensation for failing to complete the deal. Moscow is now trying to settle the matter out of court.
Kommersant daily reported in June that Russia was ready to supply the Antei-2500 air defense system, itself a modification of the S-300 and superior to early variants of that system in capability, but this was never officially confirmed.

BrahMos Aerospace to develop new hypersonic missile

Success of BrahMos, world's first and only operational supersonic cruise missile developed by an Indo-Russian joint venture- BrahMos Aerospace- has paved way for another similar endeavour between the two countries. CEO and managing director of BrahMos Aerospace A SivathanuPillai while sharing the aforementioned with the TOI during a visit to the city also added that BrahMos can be exported to about 14 countries which have shown a keen interest in buying variants of the missile after both the governments chalk out the nitty-gritties of the same.

Earlier Russian counterparts of BrahMos had informed India about the interest shown by various countries in the supersonic cruise missile. Pillai was however quick to add that the basic agenda for developing this 'uninterceptable' supersonic cruise missile is to fulfill our own defence requirements. "Thereafter both the governments have to give the nod for exporting of BrahMos to our friendly countries", said Pillai.

Hypersonic cruise missile shall soon follow BrahMos. Pillai said that the hypersonic version shall cruise at Mach 7, seven times the speed of sound. When asked about the air-launched version of BrahMos which is being integrated with Su-30 MKI aircraft, he said that the same is undergoing development and the first of its flight trials or test launches shall take place in mid-2014. He also urged upon the private industry to contribute towards research and development of defence sector.

Eye on future, India mulls options for nuclear-powered aircraft carrier

Nothing projects raw power like an aircraft carrier prowling on the high seas, capable of unleashing strike fighters against an adversary in a jiffy. A nuclear-powered carrier can make the punch even deadlier with much longer operational endurance.

With its first indigenous aircraft carrier (IAC) set to be "launched" at Cochin Shipyard on August 12, and sea trials of the first nuclear submarine INS Arihant to begin shortly after, India is now examining the possibility of having a nuclear-powered 65,000-tonne carrier in the future.

Navy vice-chief Vice Admiral RK Dhowan on Thursday said a "detailed study" was underway on the "size, type of aircraft and their launch and recovery systems, propulsion" and the like for the IAC-II project. "Yes, we are also considering nuclear propulsion. All options are being studied. No final decision has been taken," he said.

There are huge cost issues with nuclear-powered carriers, which can easily take upwards of $10 billion to build. The Royal British Navy is reverting to carriers propelled by gas turbines/diesel-electric systems from nuclear ones.

However, the US has 11 Nimitz-class "super-carriers" — each an over 94,000-tonne behemoth powered by two nuclear reactors and capable of carrying 80-90 fighters - to project power around the globe. China, too, is now looking at nuclear-powered carriers after inducting its first conventional carrier — the 65,000-tonne Liaoning — last September.

Ukraine to send next batch of upgraded An-32s to India in August

Ukraine is preparing to send to India in August a sixth batch of five An-32 light transport aircraft, which were modernized at the facilities of the Ukrainian defence industry on the order of the Indian Air Force.

"The technical acceptance by the customer of the next batch of An-32s has already begun. Once it is completed, the transport aircraft are due to depart from Kyiv to Kanpur in August," a source in the defense sector familiar with the implementation of the Indian contract told Interfax-Ukraine. The source said that the Indian customer had currently ensured the full supply to Ukraine of the An-32s the modernization, which, under the contract, should be carried out at Ukrainian defense industry facilities. "Of the 40 aircraft that are to be upgraded in Ukraine, 25 have already been modernized and passed to the customer, and five more are at the stage of technical acceptance and will be sent to India soon. A seventh batch of An-32s is to be transferred to the Indian side by the end of the year. An eighth batch arrived in Kyiv for modernization in mid-July, and its transfer to the customer is scheduled for early 2014," he said. "Given the high pace and quality of the modernization work by the Ukrainian side, the parties are currently discussing the possibility of increasing capacity utilization as part of the contract," he said. The contract, worth some $400 million, involves repairing and modernizing 103 An-32 aircraft for the Indian Air Force. It was signed in July 2009 between the Indian Air Force and Spectechnoexport, a subsidiary of Ukrspecexport. Under the contract, 40 airplanes are to be modernized in Ukraine and the rest of the aircraft at the BRD-1 aviation plant of the Indian Air Force in Kanpur (North India). Ukraine's Antonov Plant and Civil Aviation Plant 410 are executing the contract. As part of the upgrade, the Indian aircraft will be fitted with around 25 types of modern equipment made in Ukraine and other countries. The equipment increases flight safety. The upgraded An-32 will be able to land on an ICAO category II approach. Fuel consumption and the mass of the empty upgraded aircraft will be lower than for the basic model. In addition, in line with a three-year contract worth $110 million signed in December 2009 by OJSC Motor Sich (Zaporizhia) and the Indian Air Force, the

China opens doors of secretive military base to journalists

China has allowed a rare visit to a secretive military base in an effort to allay concerns over its strategic intentions.

The base was in the western-city of Xi'an, which falls under the Lanzhou Military Region; one of the seven the country is divided up into. The Lanzhou region is important because China's restive far-Western region of Xinjiang also lies within its boundaries. Xinjiang itself borders central Asia, Pakistan and Afghanistan.

The People's Liberation Army normally holds an open day ahead of the anniversary of its founding on August 1. Until now, however, journalists have always been shown around a base in Beijing.

At a press briefing during the tour, the commander of the base's anti-aircraft unit insisted the world had nothing to fear from China.

The idea that China is a threat, indeed, has its supporters and detractors.

In March this year China announced it was increasing its annual defense budget by 10.7 percent to $127 billion, continuing a near unbroken run of double-digit increases over the past two decades. Its growing assertiveness in territorial disputes has prompted neighbors including Japan, Vietnam and the Philippines to seek stronger ties with the US.

President Obama Sending Drones All Around the Globe

The “next phase of drone warfare” will extend “far beyond traditional, declared combat zones," the Washington Post reports.
Africa, according to the report filed July 20, will see an enormous increase in the sorties of unmanned aerial vehicles remotely piloted by U.S. airmen. The commander of U.S. forces in Africa has purportedly requested a “15-fold increase in surveillance, reconnaissance and intelligence-gathering on the continent.”
Drone bases are going up all over Africa, so the multiplicity of missions will be easily accommodated. As the Post points out:

In Africa, the U.S. Air Force began flying unarmed drones over the Sahara five months ago to track al-Qaeda fighters and rebels in northern Mali. The Pentagon has also set up drone bases in Ethiopia, Djibouti and Seychelles.

Since being elected in 2008, Barack Obama has rapidly ramped up the drone war. Despite repeated promises to protect the rule of law and guarantee due process, the Nobel Peace Prize winner has overseen the death of thousands by drone strike. Not a single victim has ever been accused of any crime or allowed to answer those charges before an impartial judge — rights guaranteed to all persons by the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution.
To date, there have been more than 80,000 such missions flown in the Middle East and elsewhere.
This global expansion of the drone war seems to contradict President Obama’s statement made at the United Nations in 2011 that the “tide of war is receding.”
Not only will Africa “benefit” from the president’s apparent amnesia, but the Post story reports that Asia, the Pacific, and Colombia will all soon be receiving Reapers to aid in the “War on Terror," and, in the case of Colombia, the equally feckless, futile, and unconstitutional War on Drugs.
This commitment to covert killing is more than a waste of resources, however. The death toll climbs, but even President Obama — the Kaiser of the Kill List — has no idea how many assassinations he has approved.
The uncertainty as to the number of innocent people murdered by U.S. drone attacks and discounted as acceptable collateral damage only cements the certainty of the fact that under President Obama, the United States maintains two kill lists from which targets are selected for summary execution at the hands of agents of our government. And they don’t bother counting the corpses.

China puts Japan on notice that warship drills are now routine

Japan may not like the reality, but the fact is that Chinese warships are in the neighborhood--and here to stay.
As Chinese Ministry of National Defense spokesman Geng Yansheng pointed out July 25, “Drills by the Chinese Navy in the Western Pacific have already become routine.”
While its warships brazenly pass through Japanese straits, Chinese submarines also roam unchallenged around Japanese waters. Even its aircraft are not above entering Japanese airspace.
Not surprisingly, the Defense Ministry in Tokyo is alarmed at China’s growing naval presence, which seems aimed at countering the might of key ally the United States.
In its 2008 white paper on national defense, the Chinese Navy said for the first time that it aims to enhance its operational capabilities in the ocean. Since then, it has rapidly expanded its area of activity.
In particular, the deployment of forces to the Pacific began to increase sharply about two years ago, according to sources in Japan and China who are knowledgeable on defense issues.
From January to May this year, Chinese guided missile destroyers and other warships repeatedly entered waters between the main Okinawa island and Miyakojima island, which lies to the southwest, and staged maneuvers in the Western Pacific.
The Chinese Navy has effectively exceeded the 1st Island Chain, the country’s outer defense perimeter, which runs from Okinawa to the Philippines through Taiwan and is to counter the United States.
Earlier this month, five Chinese warships made a circuit of the Japanese archipelago for the first time. They passed the Soya Strait, located between Hokkaido and Sakhalin in the far north, traveled through the Sea of Okhotsk, entered the Pacific and then returned to China through a sea area northeast of Miyakojima.
The Chinese Navy is also now able to deploy its forces to the Western Pacific within the 2nd Island Chain that runs from the Japanese archipelago to Indonesia through Guam.
Yoji Koda, a former commander-in-chief of the Self-Defense Fleet, the powerful arm of the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force, said the Chinese Navy has clearly managed to expand its reach significantly.
“Refueling ships have been improved, and support capabilities, refueling in particular, have been enhanced,” he said.

Chinese paper hits AFP move to Subic

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 China believes the Philippine plan to relocate major air force and navy bases to the former US naval base in Subic Bay in the West Philippine Sea is aimed at increasing pressure on it and bringing in more outside forces to the region.
In a report in the state-owned newspaper China Daily, Li Guoqiang, deputy director of the Center for Chinese Borderland History and Geography at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said the Philippines is building up and concentrating military forces near the South China Sea to target China.
“If all related parties resort to military means as Manila has for a resolution, the region will surely become a powder keg,” Li said.
Li sees the move as a violation of the spirit of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) and increases the risk of conflict in the region, the report added.
At the 46th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Ministerial Meeting in Brunei, Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario said the persistence of destabilizing actions in the West Philippine Sea continues to pose serious challenges for the whole region and is a violation of the DOC.
Del Rosario rebuffed Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s allegations against the Philippines at the regional security forum.

Headlines ( Article MRec )

s u Hao, a professor of Asia-Pacific Studies at China Foreign Affairs University, said external forces that share the Philippines’ goal of containing China are complicating the regional South China Sea issue.

“What Manila sometimes did was to meet the needs of Washington and US allies, to seek more support from them,” he said.

BrahMos air version to be tested before year-end

The aerial version of BrahMos cruise missile with reduced weight would be fitted with deep fighter aircraft Sukhoi-30MKI to undergo the first flight trial before this year end, said CEO and MD of BrahMos Aerospace A. Sivathanu Pillai here on Tuesday.

Talking to reporters on the sidelines of ‘BrahMos Aerospace Industry Consortium Meet’, he said one missile would be integrated with aircraft and “we will carry out flight tests initially with the missile not having propellants.” It would be a weight simulated missile.

He said live flights would be carried out next year and the Air Force version inducted into service by 2015.

Dr. Pillai said BrahMos Aerospace was currently having an order book worth Rs. 25,000 crore for Navy, Army and Air Force versions of the missile.

Asked about the export of the missile, he said 14 countries had evinced interest and it was for the government to take a decision on it.

Referring to public-private industrial consortium established for BrahMos, he said it needed to become a national model for the country to become self-reliant and strong in defence technology. With the latest Defence Procurement Policy (DPP) stipulating “buy Indian,” it was necessary to increase indigenous production. Self-reliance would not be a problem if there was large-scale collaboration and a strategy needed to be worked out for enabling a huge ‘Military Industrial Complex.’

China’s Military Preparing for ‘People’s War’ in Cyberspace, Space

China’s military is preparing for war in cyberspace involving space attacks on satellites and the use of both military and civilian personnel for a digital “people’s war,” according to an internal Chinese defense report.
“As cyber technology continues to develop, cyber warfare has quietly begun,” the report concludes, noting that the ability to wage cyber war in space is vital for China’s military modernization.
According to the report, strategic warfare in the past was built on nuclear weapons. “But strategic warfare in the information age is cyber warfare,” the report said.
“With the reliance of information warfare on space, cyberspace will surely become a hot spot in the struggle for cyberspace control,” the report said.
The new details of Chinese plans for cyber and space warfare were revealed in a report “Study on Space Cyber Warfare” by four engineers working at a Chinese defense research center in Shanghai.
The report presents a rare inside look of one of Beijing’s most secret military programs: Cyber warfare plans against the United States in a future conflict.
“Cyber warfare is not limited to military personnel. All personnel with special knowledge and skills on information system may participate in the execution of cyber warfare. Cyber warfare may truly be called a people’s warfare,” the report says.
People’s War was first developed by China’s Communist founder Mao Zedong as a Marxist-Leninist insurgency and guerrilla warfare concept. The article provides evidence that Chinese military theorists are adapting Mao’s peasant uprising stratagem for a future conflict with the United States.
A defense official said the report was recently circulated in military and intelligence circles. Its publication came as a surprise to many in the Pentagon because in the past, U.S. translations of Chinese military documents on similar warfighting capabilities were not translated under a directive from policy officials seeking to prevent disclosure of Chinese military writings the officials feared could upset U.S.-China relations.