Navy , Army , Airforce News and Technology

F-22 fighters allowed back in the air: US Air Force

2011-09-21T00:38:00.002+05:00

The US Air Force said Monday its fleet of F-22 fighter jets will be allowed back in the air after officials grounded the planes over concerns about the aircraft's oxygen system.

The F-22 Raptors, the most advanced combat aircraft in the world, were barred from flying for four months, a highly unusual move that reflected serious worries over safety.

"We now have enough insight from recent studies and investigations that a return to flight is prudent and appropriate," Air Force chief of staff General Norton Schwartz said in a statement.

"We're managing the risks with our aircrews, and we're continuing to study the F-22's oxygen systems and collect data to improve its performance," said.

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US suggests it will supply Taiwan with F-16 upgrades

2011-09-21T00:28:00.002+05:00

A senior US administration official all but confirmed reports that the United States will help Taiwan upgrade its 145 US-made F-16 A/B fighter jets.

The official, speaking to reporters on the condition of anonymity on Monday, could not confirm the information until Congress is notified of the administration's decision, which the official said will happen "Wednesday afternoon."

The official sought to clarify leaked reports about the F-16s after saying "something got lost in translation" amid suggestions that Washington was caving in to a powerful China.

"Assuming the decision is to upgrade F-16 A/Bs, they will provide essentially the same quality as new F-16 C/D aircraft at a far cheaper price," the senior US official said.

"And Taiwan would stand to get 145 A/Bs versus only 66 C/Ds and we're obviously prepared to consider further sales in the future," the official said.

There were renewed calls for the US to help Taipei update its fleet last week after two Vietnam War-era jets crashed, killing all three pilots.

A US congressional source said Friday that Washington has decided not to sell Taiwan F-16 C/D, the improved version of F-16 A/B now serving the Taiwanese air force, for fear of upsetting Beijing.

But the source said Washington will help Taipei upgrade what the source said is 146 US-made F-16 A/Bs to the F-16 C/D levels.

Taipei applied in 2007 to buy 66 F-16 C/D fighters, which have better radars and more powerful weapon systems, in response to China's growing military muscle.

Washington recognizes Beijing rather than Taipei but remains a leading arms supplier to the island.

Ties between China and Taiwan have improved since Ma Ying-jeou of the China-friendly Kuomintang party came to power in 2008 on promises of ramping up trade links and allowing in more Chinese tourists.

But Beijing has refused to renounce the use of force against Taiwan even though the island has ruled itself for more than six decades since their split in 1949 at the end of a civil war.

The US official sought to counter any impression Washington was going soft on supplying Taiwan with weapons.

"First the US is profoundly committed to peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and that commitment remains unwavering. Second, the scale and pace of defense article sales to Taiwan over the last two years is unprecedented," the official said.

"Weapons sales to Taiwan since 2009 will be greater than in the previous four years and they will be double the sales that occurred between 2004 and 2008."

US Air Force vows to spare F-35 from budget cuts

2011-09-20T23:35:00.000+05:00

The US Air Force vowed Monday to "protect" costly weapons programs despite budget pressures, saying the country needed the F-35 fighter jet, a long-range bomber and other aircraft.

While acknowledging the need for reductions to the defense budget, Air Force Secretary Michael Donley proceeded to list several big ticket programs that were not up for negotiation.

"There are certain capabilities we will protect. We will apply best military judgment to oppose reductions that would cause irreparable harm," Donley told retired members of the Air Force in a speech.

The firm line taken by Donley comes as the Pentagon seeks to fend off possible deep budget reductions by lawmakers. Congress has to find a way to trim the country's deficit by a November 23 deadline or else automatic cuts will be triggered that could derail the Pentagon's budget plans.

With an aging fleet of fighter planes, it was crucial to build the next generation combat aircraft, the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, to ensure US air superiority, Donley said.

"With a fighter fleet now averaging 22 years old and with two decades of declining fighter force structure, modernizing our aging and smaller fighter force depends on the fifth generation capabilities of the Joint Strike Fighter," Donley said.

"Simply put, there is no alternative to the F-35 program. It must succeed," he said of the aircraft, which has been plagued by cost overruns and delays.

The F-35 has come under growing scrutiny amid speculation that the Pentagon may be forced to downsize the program, including possibly eliminating a version of the plane designed for short takeoffs and vertical landings.

The civilian head of the Air Force also argued for maintaining funds for a planned long-range bomber, space satellites, nuclear forces, unmanned robotic aircraft and benefits promised to service members when they joined.

Donley said that budget reductions would require the Air Force to accept "greater risk in some areas, terminate some lower priority programs, streamline others," but did not provide details.

In his speech to the Air Force Association, Donley also said that within 10 years the force could be "potentially smaller than in previous decades" but did not offer an estimate.

Chinese sub logs new depth milestone

2011-07-26T23:17:00.000+05:00

A Chinese submersible conducted the country's deepest manned dive Tuesday in the latest technical milestone for China, which theoretically puts most of the ocean floor's vast resources within its reach.

The Jiaolong undersea craft -- named after a mythical sea dragon -- reached 5,057 metres (16,591 feet) below sea level in a test dive in international waters of the northeastern Pacific, the official Xinhua news agency said.

Though less than half as deep as a record 1960 dive by the US Navy, the achievement highlights a Chinese push to catch up with advanced nations in space, sea, and polar exploration, which has revealed fast-growing technical capabilities.

This campaign has been exemplified by a space programme that in 2003 made China just the third nation to conduct manned space flight.

The Jiaolong -- designed to reach a maximum depth of 7,000 metres -- had carried three people to 4,027 metres below sea level in a test on Thursday.

It conducted the test dive to break the 5,000-metre mark early Tuesday morning, again with three aboard, Xinhua said, citing the State Oceanic Administration (SOA).

Afterward, the submersible's crew appeared on the deck of the mission's main ship and held up a Chinese flag, in images broadcast on state television.

The test's success indicated that the submersible was capable of reaching more than 70 percent of the planet's seabed, the SOA said, according to Xinhua.

China has pushed hard in recent years to obtain oil, minerals and other natural resources needed to fuel its growth, and has said its submersible programme is aimed at scientific research and the peaceful exploration and use of natural resources.

Scientists say the ocean's floors contain rich deposits of a range of potentially valuable minerals, but the extreme depths pose technical difficulties in harvesting them on a wide scale.

But it may not take China long to begin reaching some of these riches, Jian Zhimin, director of the State Key Laboratory of Marine Geology at Shanghai's Tongji University, told AFP.

"I don't think it will be a very long time before China can perform deep-sea ocean-floor mining," he said, noting that many of the most valuable oceanic mineral resources are located around the Jiaolong's maximum designed depth of 7,000m.

The SOA said the submersible would attempt a 7,000-metre dive in 2012, Xinhua reported.

But China's appetite for resources, rapid military expansion and increasing assertiveness on sea territorial claims have caused concern.

During a Jiaolong dive to the bottom of the disputed South China Sea last year, it planted a Chinese flag in the seabed in what some saw as a provocative act.

The South China Sea, which is believed to be rich in oil and gas, is claimed in whole or in part by China and several other nations.

Some concerns also have been raised that deep-sea vessels could have military-related applications such as tapping into or severing communications cables.

Xinhua quoted the submersible's chief designer Xu Qinan as saying its "state-of-the-art" digital underwater communications systems and undersea mobility systems allowed it to "move back and forth easily under the sea".

Although many of the craft's components were produced in China, some had to be imported from abroad, such as the underwater high-definition video-shooting and transmission equipment, Xu told Xinhua.

The US Navy reached the bottom of the Mariana Trench -- the deepest point in the world's oceans at 11,000 metres -- in 1960.

Wasp Prepares for Joint Strike Fighter

2011-07-26T23:11:00.000+05:00

The crew of the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1) is preparing the ship to become the first at-sea test platform for the U.S. Navy’s test variant of the F-35B Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF).

Recently, four members of Wasp’s Air Department traveled to one of the Navy’s premier test facilities at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md., to help give them a good idea of what WASP can expect when testing begins. The group consisted of Cmdr. Stephen McKone, Wasp’s Air Boss; Lt. Michael Curcio, Wasp’s Aircraft Handling Officer and F-35B Ship Integration Project Officer; Ens. Maguel Brooks, Wasp’s Air Bos’n; and Senior Chief Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Handler) Richard McCray.

“The F-35B is a really unique aircraft,” said Lt. Curcio. “It possesses characteristics on par with our legacy fighter/attack aircraft; it is the first Short Take Off/Vertical Landing (STOVL) aircraft to possess both stealth and supersonic capability. This aircraft alone has the potential to completely revitalize the utility of large-deck amphibious platforms by adding significant strike capability to their resumes.”

The F-35B will replace the Department of Navy’s current Vertical and /or Short Take Off/Landing (VSTOL) aircraft, the AV-8B Harrier. The Harrier has been in the U.S. arsenal since 1984 and has been extensively used during both Persian Gulf Wars. It is also assigned to Marine Air Groups (MAGs) and Marine Expeditionary Units to support Marines on the ground and to facilitate amphibious assault operations around the globe.

During Wasp’s four-month maintenance availability conducted earlier this year, major modifications were completed to various elements of the ship including the flight deck and combat systems equipment. These modifications included moving the flight deck’s “Tram Line,” or yellow line, which is used by pilots to guide them when performing short landings, closer to the port side of the ship. Also, the aft NATO Sea sparrow missile launcher mount was removed and replaced with a “dummy” launcher.

“The ship has had a few physical changes made to it,” said Curcio. “Some of these are necessary to accommodate the physical differences between the Harrier and the F-35B, while others will help the engineers to collect data on both the ship's effect on the aircraft and the aircraft's effect on the ship. For example, the flight deck tramline was shifted slightly to port to accommodate the F-35B's larger wingspan, while the operational aft NATO Sea Sparrow launcher was replaced with an a test launcher laced with sensors to measure heat, vibrations, overpressure, and sound levels.”

Many places aboard Wasp will be tested for a wide range of reasons in support of the F-35B. Some of these spaces will be tested for heat stress and other hazards.

“The Engineering Log Room will be looked at closely by the flight test engineers,” said Curcio. “The area above the log room is one of the primary landing spots for the aircraft and will be subjected to the most stress. We want to know exactly how much heat and sound is transmitted through the flight deck and into that space to see if there will be any issues for those crew members who regularly work in there.”

In addition to the ship itself being prepared for this momentous occasion, Wasp Aviation Boatswain’s Mates (AB) from Air Department will also attend training at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md.

“We will take a contingent of AB’s to Pax River with us to work with the real-life jets that will be flying out,” said Curcio. “So they can practice every evolution that could possibly happen on the flight deck, both planned and contingency, during flight test operations.

According to Curcio, only five F-35B test aircraft have been delivered to flight test operations at Pax River from the factory. These prototypes are the product of millions of man hours of work and represent the full ingenuity and industrial strength of the United States.

“Though they cost a lot, one cannot really put a price tag on the capability they will bring to the fleet,” said Curcio. “They are truly priceless and the goal is to have absolutely no surprises when it comes to operating them at sea. The Wasp Air Department team will be prepared to address any situation, routine or emergency.”

As Wasp and her crew prepare to help test one of the world’s most technologically advanced jet fighters, Curico realizes that this will be a tremendous team effort.

“With any new piece of equipment being tested, there will some road blocks,” said Curico. “Since the crew will be working together on this, Wasp will be writing the book on how to operate the Joint Strike Fighter at sea.”

Source : http://www.defencetalk.com/wasp-prepares-for-joint-strike-fighter-35900/

First Euro Hawk Unmanned Aircraft System Touches Down in Germany

2011-07-26T23:05:00.000+05:00

Euro Hawk, the first high-altitude, long-endurance (HALE), signals intelligence (SIGINT) unmanned aircraft system (UAS) based on the RQ-4 Global Hawk produced by Northrop Grumman for the German Bundeswehr, successfully touched down in Manching, Germany, today.

The Euro Hawk took off on July 20 at 2:50 PDT (11:50 Central European Summer Time) from Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., and landed at 10:06 Central European Summer Time July 21 in Manching Air Base.

The Euro Hawk will carry a new SIGINT mission system developed by EADS Deutschland GmbH (Cassidian) and integrated in Manching, Germany.

“Today’s arrival of the Euro Hawk on German soil marks a significant step in delivering this highly capable and unique system to the Bundeswehr,” said Nicolas Chamussy, head of UAVs, Cassidian Air Systems, and member of the board of directors, EuroHawk GmbH. “Our trans-Atlantic partnership with Northrop Grumman has helped the entire team achieve this outstanding milestone, which also reinforces Cassidian’s role as a leader for complex UAS solutions in Europe.”

Delivery of the first Euro Hawk demonstrator to the Bundeswehr is scheduled for mid-2012, with another four systems scheduled tentatively between 2015 and 2017.

“Soon, the Bundeswehr will be able to independently cover their needs for SIGINT data collection and analysis, thus contributing to NATO, European Union and United Nations operations,” said Neset Tükenmez, chief executive officer, EuroHawk GmbH. “Euro Hawk will also serve as a working model for other programs and countries.”

The Euro Hawk marks several important milestones – it is both the first international version of the RQ-4 and the first HALE SIGINT UAS in Europe. NATO’s AGS will follow close behind and mark the second international RQ-4 and the second HALE UAS in Europe.

“As a leader in advanced UAS, Northrop Grumman has the unmatched experience to provide a strong foundation to produce extraordinarily capable and reliable unmanned surveilance systems,” said George Guerra, vice president, HALE Systems, Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems. “Today is a wonderful step towards delivering the Euro Hawk to the German air force, and a great testament to the Northrop Grumman and the EADS Deutschland GmbH (Cassidian) team who worked diligently to make it happen.”

With a wingspan larger than most commercial airliners, endurance of 30 hours and a maximum altitude of more than 60,000 feet, Euro Hawk is an interoperable, modular and cost-effective replacement to the fleet of manned Bréguet Atlantic aircraft which was in service since 1972 and retired in 2010.

EuroHawk GmbH, a 50-50 joint venture of Northrop Grumman and EADS Deutschland GmbH (Cassidian), serves as the national prime contractor for the German Ministry of Defence through the system’s entire lifecycle.

Cassidian, an EADS company, is a worldwide leader in global security solutions and systems, providing lead system integration and value-added products and services to civil and military customers around the globe: air systems (aircraft and UAS), land, naval and joint systems, intelligence and surveillance, cybersecurity, secure communications, test systems, missiles, and services and support solutions.

Northrop Grumman is a leading global security company providing innovative systems, products and solutions in aerospace, electronics, information systems, and technical services to government and commercial customers worldwide.

Russia's enters Sukhoi T-50 PAK-FA fifth-generation fighter

2011-07-26T22:51:00.000+05:00

Russia's Sukhoi T-50 PAK-FA fifth-generation fighter has been placed on a short list of a South Korean tender for the delivery of advanced fighter jets, a Russian arms industry think-tank said on Monday.

Korea is seeking to buy 60 fighters with advanced stealth capability from a foreign aircraft maker in the biggest arms-procurement deal ever for the country with an estimated budget of $7.86 billion under a program code-named FX-III.

Russia's Center for Analysis of World Arms Trade cited South Korean Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) as saying that Sukhoi's fighter would compete with the F-15SE Silent Eagle from Boeing, the F-35 Lightning II from Lockheed Martin and the Eurofighter Typhoon from the European Aeronautic Defense and Space Company (EADS).

The winner of the tender is expected to be announced in 2012, but the actual deliveries may start four years later.

The Sukhoi T-50 fighter is being developed by the Sukhoi design bureau and built at a plant in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, in Russia's Far East.

The first prototype conducted its maiden flight in January 2010 and has so far carried out over 40 tests. Two more prototypes are at the various stages of testing. The Russian Air Force said it had plans to acquire over 60 T-50 fighters after 2015.

Although T-50 specifications remain classified, reports indicate that the design incorporates the latest fighter jet developments, including advanced stealth capability, supersonic cruising speed, and highly integrated control systems.

The T-50 offered to Seoul is most likely an export version of the aircraft being developed by Sukhoi and India's Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL) under a $6-billion joint project.

Experts believe, though, that Sukhoi and EADS have little chance of winning the tender as Korea's alliance with the United States will be a decisive factor in the race.

Multi-national maritime exercise involving the Royal Australian Navy’s Anzac class frigate

2011-07-26T02:09:00.000+05:00

BAB EL MANDEB STRAIT (BNS): A multi-national maritime exercise involving the Royal Australian Navy’s Anzac class frigate, two Turkish naval vessels and French Mirage fighters has concluded in the Gulf of Aden.

Commanded by the RAN’s seventh Anzac class frigate, HMAS Toowoomba, exercise ‘Scimitar Exocet’ held between July 22 and 23, was aimed at contributing to maritime security in the Bab El Mandeb Strait in the Middle East.
The Turkish Navy’s TCG Barbaros and TCG Yarbay Kudret Gungor warships took part in the naval drill.

During the wargame, the RAN warship proved its interoperability with the Turkish Navy against air-borne attacks.

HMAS Toowoomba was also engaged in advanced air warfare exercises with French Mirage fighter aircraft, the Australian Defence Ministry said.

Toowoomba is a long–range frigate capable of air defence, surface and undersea warfare, surveillance, reconnaissance and interdiction with an ability to counter simultaneous threats from aircraft, surface vessels and submarines.

The frigate is presently deployed in support of Operation SLIPPER in the Middle East Area of Operations (MEAO), operating as part of the Combined Maritime Force (CMF).

The CMF mission includes maritime security operations in the Gulf region, the maritime environment around the Horn of Africa, and counter piracy/terrorism operations in the Gulf of Aden.

Pak to add more nuclear-capable missiles to its arsenal

2011-07-26T02:05:00.000+05:00

ISLAMABAD (PTI): Pakistan plans to add 24 nuclear-capable, short-range missiles to its arsenal this year, reflecting an urge in the security establishment to seek "strategic parity in the region", according to a media report Monday.

This will be the highest number of missiles Pakistan has ever produced in a year if the government achieves the target; The Express Tribune newspaper quoted its sources as saying.
The air-to-air and surface-to-air missiles will be able to hit targets at a distance between 700 km and 1,000 km, thus putting nearly all major Indian cities within their range, the report claimed.

The plan is in line with Pakistan's official policy of having what is rhetorically called "maintaining a minimum deterrence", especially against India, the daily quoted sources as saying.

The Strategic Plans Division (SPD), the body that oversees Pakistan's nuclear arsenal, is supervising the production of the new missiles.

The SPD works under the National Command Authority, which is nominally headed by the Prime Minister and has the three service chiefs as its members.

At a recent meeting of the NCA, the SPD briefed authorities about its plan envisaging the production of the highest number of missiles in a year.

The move comes on the heels of reports earlier in the year that Pakistan is rapidly adding to its nuclear arsenal and the number of its atomic warheads might have surpassed that of France.

Officials in Islamabad denied those reports but insiders said Pakistan has been "watching closely with concern" India's increasing nuclear cooperation with the US and France.

"That is the benchmark, if we see something happening in India on this front, naturally we react and we have to," said an unnamed official.

IAF pushes for opening of aircraft bids to replace MIG 21s

2011-07-24T17:33:00.000+05:00

NEW DELHI (PTI): Keen on getting 126 combat aircraft as early as possible, the Indian Air Force (IAF) is pushing for the commercial bids of the two contenders – Eurofighter and Dassault – to be opened before the end of this month.

“We are pushing the Defence Ministry to open the bids of these two companies by the end of this month,” a senior IAF official told PTI.

After the opening of the commercial bids, the Defence Ministry will work out the L-1 (lowest bidder) in the tender on the basis of the life cycle cost of operating the two aircraft.

“There are around nine enclosures and each of them have 20 points which include parameters like labour cost, repairing and maintenance cost, cost of spare parts and their service ability and the man-hours required to maintain the aircraft. All this would be taken into account to determine the lowest bidder,” the official said.

As per the Defence Procurement Procedure, the vendors offering a military product at lowest price and meeting all the requirements are awarded the contract.

IAF had evaluated six contenders including Eurofighter and Dassault Aviation. In April, the other four contenders including American Boeing and Lockheed Martin, Russian RAC MiG and Swedish Saab Gripen were intimated that they will not be allowed to take part in the further tendering process.

IAF had evaluated them on 660 parameters and Defence Ministry had said that the deal was expected to be finalised by the end of this fiscal.

The aircraft will be used by the Air Force to replace its fleet of MiG-21s and augment its capabilities to carry out multi-role missions.

India successfully test-fires short-range Prahaar missile

2011-07-21T23:47:00.000+05:00

CHANDIPUR–ON-SEA, ORISSA (PTI): India Thursday successfully carried out the first test-firing of its latest surface-to-surface quick reaction tactical missile `Prahaar', which has a range of 150 kms.

Prahaar is capable of carrying different types of warheads and will be operated by the Army as a battle field support system.

"The test-firing was conducted successfully at 0820 hours Thursday. Prahaar with a capability to strike targets at 150 kms, comparable to ATACMS missile of the United States, fills the vital gap between multi barrel rockets and medium range ballistic missiles," DRDO spokesperson Ravi Gupta said.
The missile will be helpful in filling gaps between Pinaka multi-barrel rockets with 40 km range and Prithvi ballistic missiles with ranges between 250-350 kms.

The uniqueness of the missile with a payload of 200 kgs is that "in one salvo, six missiles can be fired at multiple targets in all directions covering the entire azimuth plane."

The missile system developed by the DRDO in less than two years will provide the Army a cost effective, quick reaction, all weather, all terrain, high accurate battle field support tactical system.

The 7.3m long missile with a 420 mm diameter weighs 1280 kgs and goes to a height of 35 kms before striking its target at 150 km in four minutes and 10 seconds, they said.

"The missile equipped with state-of-the art high accuracy navigation, guidance and electro mechanical actuation systems with latest on board computer achieved terminal accuracy of less than 10 meters," he said.

Prahaar is capable of being launched from road mobile system, which can carry six missiles at a time and can be fired in salvo mode.

During the test, the flight path of the missile was tracked and monitored by the various radar systems and electro optical systems located along the coast of Orissa.

An Indian Naval ship located near target point in Bay of Bengal witnessed the final event.

The missile was developed by DRDO Scientists with support from Indian industry and quality assurance agency MSQAA.

The launch operations were witnessed by DRDO chief V K Saraswat and Director General Artillery V K Nayanar. The operations were overseen by Avinash Chander, Chief Controller Reserach and Development, Programme Director AD V L N Rao.

Defence Minister A K Antony has congratulated the DRDO for the successful maiden launch of the new missile.

Indian Navy's new frigate to be fitted with BRAHMOS

2011-07-21T23:36:00.000+05:00

NEW DELHI (PTI): India will get a new frigate within six to eight months from Russia that will be equipped with the BRAHMOS supersonic cruise missile system.

"During his visit to Russia, Navy Chief Admiral Nirmal Verma reviewed the progress of the Talwar Class follow-on warships, under construction at the Yantar shipyard there and was reassured that the first ship 'Teg' would commence trials shortly and be delivered in six to eight months," the Navy said in a release here.
The Navy chief returned on July 18 from Russia after a six-day visit during which he took stock of all the major Indian navy projects undergoing there.

The new frigates namely 'Teg', 'Teer' and 'Trikand' are follow ons of the three Talwar Class warships built for India by Russia and inducted into service around the early part of the decade.

In the new ships, the Russian-origin Klub missiles would be replaced by the indigenous BRAHMOS missiles.

The Navy chief also visited the Sevmash Shipyard where the Admiral Gorshkov aircraft carrier is being retrofitted and observed that "significant progress had been made on the Gorshkov project and the ship was shaping up well for the preliminary sea trials."

During the visit describes as "productive and fruitful", the Admiral visited Vladivostok, Moscow, St Petersburg and Kaliningrad and made a firsthand assessment of all projects. He held vital discussions with top brass of Russian armed forces and defence industry.

"Reviewing ongoing projects, the Admiral observed that they were progressing satisfactorily and had reached critical stages of maturity. He also expressed satisfaction with the quality of construction and repairs," the release said.

In his discussions with the Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy on operational exchanges between the two navies, the two sides agreed that the INDRA series of exercises form an important aspect of their bilateral relationship and would need to be continued and extended in scope and participation.

The two sides also discussed increasing cooperation in areas of anti-piracy operations.

Atlantis makes historic final landing

2011-07-21T23:35:00.000+05:00

WASHINGTON (BNS): Bringing a glorious and highly successful era to an end, NASA's space shuttle Atlantis on Thursday touched down at Kennedy Space Center's Runway 15, after completing its 13-day long final space mission.

It was the 25th night landing, the 78th landing at Kennedy and the 133rd landing in shuttle history.

Atlantis' main gear touched down at 5:57 a.m. (EDT) followed by the nose gear at 5:57:20 and wheels stop at 5:57:54 a.m. At wheels stop, the mission elapsed time was 12 days, 18 hours, 28 minutes and 50 seconds, according to a NASA press statement.
"After serving the world for over 30 years, the space shuttle has earned its place in history. It’s come to a final stop," said Atlantis commander Chris Ferguson.

The STS-135 (Shuttle Atlantis) crew consisted of Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley, Mission Specialists Sandra Magnus and Rex Walheim. They delivered more than 9,400 pounds of spare parts, spare equipment and other supplies in the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module - including 2,677 pounds of food - that will sustain space station operations for the next year. The 21-foot long, 15-foot diameter Raffaello brought back nearly 5,700 pounds of unneeded materials from the station, the release added.

STS-135 was the 33rd and final flight for Atlantis, which spent 307 days in space, orbited Earth 4,848 times and traveled 125,935,769 miles.

Small Tanker Cum Utility Ships (STUS) MADADGAR and RASADGAR were commissioned, PNS ALAMGIR was formally inducted in the PN fleet

2011-07-21T22:42:00.000+05:00

PN Ships RASADGAR, MADADGAR & ALAMGIR.

PNS RASADGAR

PNS ALAMGIR was formally inducted in Pakistan Navy Fleet during an impressive ceremony held at Pakistan Navy Dockyard on July 19th 2011.

Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Noman Bashir in a group photograph with Naval officials at Pakistan Navy Dockyard as PN Ships MADADGAR and RASADGAR; the Small Tanker Cum Utility Ships (STUS) have been commissioned and PNS ALAMGIR formally inducted in Pakistan Navy Fleet during an impressive ceremony.

Russian Navy to receive new air defense system

2011-07-20T15:07:00.000+05:00

The Russian Navy will soon receive a new ship-based gun/missile air defense system, KBP Instrument Design Bureau, the developer of the system, said on Monday.

The system, dubbed Pantsyr-M, has been developed on the basis of the land-based Pantsyr-S1 (SA-22 Greyhound).

"Pantsyr-M will replace the Kortik air defense systems and will be installed on all new classes of Russian combat ships, from corvettes to cruisers," said Alexander Zhukov, a senior KBP official.

Zhukov cited specifications for an export version of Pantsyr-M as the data on the system for the Russian Navy is still classified.

The export Pantsyr-ME version has a response time of 3-5 seconds and can track and destroy simultaneously up to four targets.

Its missiles have a range of 20 kilometers and can hit targets at altitudes from 2 meters to 15 kilometers, while its guns have a range of four kilometers and can hit targets at altitudes up to 3 kilometers.

First F-35 arrives at Eglin Air Force Base

2011-07-20T15:04:00.000+05:00

See The Department of Defense's first F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter touched down at its new home here July 14, marking a major milestone in the nation's military history.
Upon arrival, the jet officially became part of the Air Force inventory. It now belongs to the JSF training unit, the 33rd Fighter Wing.
Flying it in was Lt. Col. Eric Smith of the 58th Fighter Squadron, the first Air Force qualified F-35 pilot.
"It was a smooth ride in," said the colonel of the hour and 40 minute flight. "The jet behaved awesomely. I'm just so proud to bring it home to Eglin (Air Force Base)."
A crowd of 33rd FW people braved the 90 degree heat to watch the fifth-generation fighter touchdown and taxi in. Col. Andrew Toth, the 33rd FW commander, was the first to greet his pilot upon arrival.

"It's an exciting day here at the wing where our joint and integrated team has been preparing for this day since October 2009," Toth said. "I have no doubt the caliber of the Airmen, Sailors, Marines and contractors will provide safe and effective training operations at Eglin (AFB). Now, we look forward to the start of classes later this year."
Now that the aircraft is on station, F-35 maintainers will train and be certified here at home.
"It's pretty exciting," said Tech. Sgt. Brian West, the crew chief for the new aircraft. "We're thrilled to be able to train with one of our own."
As the world's first multi-role stealth fighter, the F-35 is known for its superior range, cutting-edge avionics and next-generation sensor fusion. Each model shares breakthroughs in combat performance, survivability and support, while each is specifically tailored for unique service needs.
Lt. Col. J.D. Wilbourne, the 58th FS commander, said he was thrilled to see his first aircraft arrive, one day before his change of command.
"This is the best week ever," said the commander, who flew chase in an F-16 Fighting Falcon. "This aircraft ensures air dominance for the next 30 years, and today marks the first step toward that goal."

See Source

Pakistan drone crashes near oil refinery: navy

2011-07-20T14:57:00.000+05:00

A Pakistani surveillance navy drone crashed near an oil refinery after hitting a bird on a routine flight, coming down in the country's largest city of Karachi on Tuesday, the navy said.

"A Pakistan Navy UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) crashed after a bird hit it. It fell near an oil refinery and there was no (other) damage," navy spokesman Commodore Irfan Ul Haq told AFP in Islamabad.

Fellow navy spokesman Commander Salman Ali told AFP that there were no casualties and that the drone had been on a surveillance flight when a bird flew into the aircraft and it came down in the Karachi suburbs.

Pakistan's military is known to operate surveillance drones but the United States operates a drone missile war in the country's northwestern border areas with Afghanistan, targeting Taliban and Al-Qaeda militants.

The campaign is deeply unpopular among an anti-American public and the government has publicly demanded an end to the attacks, although in private military and civilian leaders are thought to cooperate in the programme.

Ali refused to say how many drones the nuclear-armed nation operates.

"We can't give the figure, but we use them for surveillance and photography over our territorial waters," Ali said.

It was the third aircraft crash in Karachi in eight months.

On November 28, seven Ukrainians and a Georgian were killed when their Ilyushin IL-76 cargo plane crashed seconds after taking off from Karachi for Khartoum. Four labourers on the ground were also killed.

It crashed into buildings under construction in the Dalmai neighbourhood, where the Pakistan Air Force and Navy have residential apartments and offices close to Jinnah International airport.

On November 5, a US-manufactured Beech 1900C also crashed after take off, killing all 21 people on board.

The aircraft was operated by local company JS Air and had been carrying staff from an Italian oil company to an oil field in Sindh.

Source : http://www.defencetalk.com/pakistan-drone-crashes-near-oil-refinery-navy-35768/

UH-60M Blackhawk Helicopters for Thailand

2011-07-20T14:28:00.000+05:00

The Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress Tuesday of a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Thailand for three UH-60M Black Hawk Helicopters and associated equipment, parts, training and logistical support for an estimated cost of $235 million.

The Government of Thailand has requested a possible sale of three UH-60M Black Hawk Helicopters, eight T700-GE-701D Engines (six installed and two spares), Dual MXF-4027 VHF/UHF-AM/FM communication radios, AN/ARC-201E Export SINCGARS Airborne Radio, AN/AXP-117 CXP (Common Digital IFF Transponder), government furnished equipment, engineering change proposals, spare and repair parts, support equipment, publications and technical documentation, Aviation Mission Planning Station, Transportable Blackhawk Operations Simulator (TBOS), U.S. Government and contractor technical and logistics support services, aircraft warranty, Air Worthiness Release Support, Repair and Return Support, and other related elements of logistics support.

The estimated cost is $235 million.

This proposed sale will contribute to the foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping to improve the security of a major non-NATO ally.

The Government of Thailand intends to use these defense articles and services to modernize its armed forces. This proposed sale will contribute to the Thais military’s goal to update its capability while further enhancing greater interoperability among the Kingdom of Thailand, the U.S., and other allies.

The proposed sale of these helicopters and support package will not alter the basic military balance in the region.

The prime contractors will be Sikorsky Aircraft Company in Stratford, Connecticut; and General Electric Aircraft Company in Lynn, Massachusetts. There are no known offset agreements proposed in connection with this potential sale.

Implementation of this sale will require the U.S. Government or contractor representatives to travel to Thailand for 5 weeks for equipment de-processing/fielding, system checkout and new equipment training and a Contractor Furnished Service Representative for one year.

There will be no adverse impact on U.S. defense readiness as a result of this proposed sale.

This notice of a potential sale is required by law and does not mean the sale has been concluded.

Source : http://www.defencetalk.com/uh-60m-blackhawk-helicopters-for-thailand-35753/#ixzz1SdUUMvt6

Two STUS and frigate join PN fleet

2011-07-20T14:22:00.000+05:00

KARACHI: PN ships Madadgar and Rasadgar, the Small Tanker cum Utility Ships (STUS) have been commissioned and PNS Alamgir formally inducted in Pakistan Navy Fleet during an impressive ceremony held at Pakistan Navy Dockyard here on Tuesday.

The Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Noman Bashir graced the occasion as chief guest while the ceremony was also attended by officials from Ministry of Defence (MoD), Flag Officers from Pakistan Navy, senior management of Karachi Shipyard and Engineering Works (KS&EW) and other distinguished guests.
PN Ships Rasadgar and Madadgar, the first ships of their class, have been indigenously constructed in Pakistan by Karachi Shipyard & Engineering Works (KS&EW). Induction of STUS will increase logistic redundancy to Pakistan Navy fleet. These state of the art crafts are designed and equipped for multi-facet rolEs with robust and reliable modern machinery and equipment.

PNS Alamgir (Ex USS MCINERNEY) is an Oliver Hazard Perry Class guided-missile frigate. Ship was commissioned in Pakistan Navy on August 31th, 2010 after which she underwent major refurbishment and essential repairs in the U.S. The OHP Frigates are being used by a number of navies. PNS Alamgir will augment Maritime Security Operations capacity in the Arabic Sea in addition to supporting Pakistan Navy Surface Fleet.

Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Noman Bashir while addressing the audience congratulated all those who were involved in the STUS Project and induction of Alamgir and also expressed satisfaction on the induction of these crafts in Pakistan Navy Fleet.

France and India Look to deepen defence ties

2011-07-20T14:19:00.000+05:00

The Indian government's long-delayed green light to French defence majors Dassault and Thales to undertake the Mirage-2000 combat fighter upgrade is yet another indicator of New Delhi forging stronger strategic links with Paris.

Over the last decade, French defence vendors have bagged, or are the leading contenders to win a number lucrative Indian arms contracts, including the $11-billion medium, multi-role combat aircraft tender for 126 aircrafts for the Indian Air Force, and the estimated $2.4-billion Mirage-2000 upgrade.

"We have always had a long-standing relationship with France, and a lot of goodwill was created after the 1998 nuclear tests at Pokhran. The current relationship is not really a new synergy that is being created, but is a continuation of past ties," Kanwal Sibal, former Indian foreign secretary said.

Defence analysts point out that both countries are now looking to enhance their bi-lateral relationship to a more robust strategic partnership, a development that could see the European powerhouse rival the United States as India's defence partner of choice.

See Detail : http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics/nation/france-and-india-look-to-deepen-defence-ties/articleshow/9281864.cms

Eurofighter optimistic to win India's MMRCA contract

2011-07-20T14:14:00.000+05:00

LONDON (PTI): As India prepares to open the commercial bids for the USD 10.8 billion tender for 126 medium range multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA), Eurofighter hopes to make the country a partner in its Typhoon fighter jet programme which it says would be a game-changer.

"We are offering India to become a full participant in the programme...fully or partially whatever India chooses to do...get involved in future developments. Combat aircraft programme never stops. It will operate over decades," said Peter Maute, Senior Vice-President of Cassidian Air Systems, the security and defence company of the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS).

Quoting an independent study, Maute said choosing Eurofighter Typhoon would create more than 20,000 high skilled jobs in India.

The European consortium hopes that the offer to make India a full industrial participant in the Eurofighter Typhoon programme would be a game-changer.

According to Eurofighter officials, 280 Typhoons have already been delivered out of the 707 aircraft on contract to Germany, Italy, Spain, the UK, Austria and Saudi Arabia.

Asked if Eurofighter is willing to "give away" its unique selling propositions, source codes of radars and design for the "sake of 126 units", the consortium said it would not be an issue if India becomes a partner of the Eurofighter programme.

In the meanwhile, the Eurofighter partner countries of Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom are doing all they can to showcase and aggressively promote Typhoon as the world's most advanced swing-role combat aircraft.

China launched latest amphibious warship

2011-07-20T14:11:00.000+05:00

BEIJING (BNS): The Chinese Navy has launched its largest amphibious warship ‘Jinggangshan’ in Shanghai, according to media reports.

The vessel is the second Type 071 dock landing ship and has been built by the Shanghai-based Hudong-Zhonghua Shipyard.

The warship was officially launched in Shanghai, the official China Daily said Tuesday quoting media reports.

The reports did not specify the ship’s launch date.

China had launched its first Type 071 dock landing ship, named Kunlunshan, in December 2006. The ship, having a water displacement of 18,000 tons, was commissioned into the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) in 2007.

The latest warship, ‘Jinggangshan’, is 210 meters long and 28 meters wide and has a water displacement of 19,000 tons. It can carry helicopters, armoured fighting vehicles, boats and landing craft as well as nearly 1,000 soldiers, the news report said quoting the Jiangxi Daily.

China is designing the new-class of dock landing ships, also called the Yuzhou class ships, to enable the PLA/ Marine forces to operate far from home waters, and enhance the Navy’s ability to rapidly mobilise troops in any amphibious assault.

The Yuzhou class ships are said to be capable of operating helicopters, large landing craft air cushions (LCACs) and various self defence armaments, including 76 mm gun and 4 x 30 mm CIWS.

The ship can carry hovercraft and helicopters to allow assaults from greater distance and against more difficult shore terrain. The large air cushions can carry tanks at high speeds at over-the-horizon range.

Pak Navy inducts guided missile frigate

2011-07-20T14:08:00.000+05:00

ISLAMABAD (PTI): Pakistan's Navy has inducted a guided missile frigate provided by the US into its fleet, besides commissioning two small tanker-cum-utility ships.

The frigate PNS Alamgir and the small tanker-cum-utility ships PN Madadgar and PN Rasadgar were commissioned and inducted during a ceremony at the Karachi naval dockyard Tuesday.

PNS Alamgir, which was formerly the USS McInerney, is an Oliver Hazard Perry-class guided missile frigate.
The warship was commissioned in the Pakistan Navy in August 2010, after which it underwent refurbishment and essential repairs in the US. It was formally inducted Tuesday by the Pakistani Navy.

It will augment maritime security operations capacity in the Arabian Sea and support Pakistan Navy's surface fleet, an official statement said.

Naval chief Admiral Noman Bashir, in his address, said the commissioning of the tankers-cum-utility vessels is a manifestation of the navy's commitment to self-reliance and indigenisation.

The Rasadgar and Madadgar were indigenously constructed by the Karachi Shipyard and Engineering Works.

The ships are designed and equipped for multi-faceted roles.

Irkut to supply 40 Su-30 fighters to Russian Air Force

2011-07-19T23:40:00.000+05:00

Russia's Irkut aircraft holding is in talks with the Defense Ministry on the delivery of up to 40 Sukhoi Su-30 multirole fighters to the Russian Air Force, the company said on Monday.

"We will sign a contract with the Defense Ministry next year," Irkut President Alexei Fyodorov said.

The contract stipulates the initial delivery of 28 fighter jets and the supply of an additional 12 aircraft as an option.

The Su-30 Flanker-C is a twin-engine, two-seat multirole fighter for all-weather, air-to-air and air-to-surface missions. Russia currently operates four of these fighter jets.

Fyodorov said the company had slashed its modernization program from 40 billion rubles ($1.4 bln) to 30 billion rubles.

"We have reduced the amount of investment by folding several projects that are not related to the development of MS-21 [passenger] aircraft," he said.

The MS-21 is a family of twin-engine jet aircraft with a capacity of 150-212 passengers being designed and produced by Irkut and the Yakovlev design bureau, part of Russia's United Aircraft Corporation. The model was showcased for the first time at Farnborough International Airshow in 2010.

Additional RAF Tornados for Operations Over Libya

2011-07-19T23:29:00.000+05:00

The Ministry of Defence has announced that, in the coming days, the UK will deploy an additional four RAF Tornado GR4s to Gioia del Colle air base in Italy, primarily in the reconnaissance role to further support operations over Libya.

The aircraft are in addition to 12 RAF Tornados already deployed at Gioia del Colle. This latest deployment is intended to bolster NATO's reconnaissance capability. Equipped with RAPTOR (Reconnaissance Airborne Pod for Tornado) pods, RAF Tornados can provide extremely detailed reconnaissance imagery over large areas.

The deployment will have no effect on operations in Afghanistan.

In an update on Libya operations, Major General Nick Pope, the Chief of the Defence Staff's Communications Officer, said:

"British forces have again been in action over Libya, protecting civilians from the depredations of Colonel Gaddafi's regime.

"Yesterday morning [Thursday 14 July 2011], a Royal Air Force patrol located a BMP armoured personnel carrier near Zlitan, to the west of Misurata. A precision attack by a Typhoon multi-role fighter, using a Paveway guided bomb, successfully destroyed the vehicle.

"The precision, accuracy and weight of NATO's air strikes have caused significant damage to Gaddafi's regime forces attacking Libyan people - the RAF alone has to date damaged or destroyed more than 500 military targets including command and control sites.

"But, as the campaign has progressed, the regime is increasingly attempting to conceal troops, equipment and headquarters, often in populated areas.

"Gathering the intelligence needed to precisely target these forces remains a key part of NATO's efforts in prosecuting this campaign.

"That is why in the coming days the UK will deploy an additional four RAF Tornado GR4s to Gioia del Colle, primarily in the reconnaissance role to further support this effort.

"As a formidable attack aircraft this deployment will also provide a useful secondary increase to NATO's overall strike capability.

"NATO already benefits from the twelve RAF Tornados already deployed at Gioia del Colle. This latest deployment will bolster NATO's reconnaissance capability. The deployment will have no effect on operations in Afghanistan."

Source: http://www.defencetalk.com/additional-raf-tornados-for-operations-over-libya-35727/#ixzz1SdVYpia5