Russia to Modernize 30 Tu-22M3 Bombers by 2020

About 30 Tu-22M3 strategic bombers from Russia's Long Range Aviation fleet will be modernized by 2020, Russian Air Force spokesman Col. Vladimir Drik said on Tuesday.

"We plan to upgrade about 30 strategic bombers to the M3M standard,” Drik said.

Tu-22M3 (NATO reporting name Backfire-C) is a supersonic, swing-wing, long-range strategic bomber that Russia uses mainly to patrol the skies over its southern borders, Central Asia and the Black Sea region.

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Boeing to test F-15SE fighter jet for South Korea

Boeing is scheduled to conduct a series of ground, wind-tunnel and flight tests on new F-15 Silent Eagle (F-15SE) systems as part of South Korea's F-X III contract.

Boeing vice-president for sales Howard Berry said that the wind-tunnel tests on a scale model of the F-15SE will start in March or April.

The model used will include weapons bays to assess the aerodynamic performance from various angles for the Silent Eagle's proposed canted vertical tails.

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Raytheon Awarded Naval Power System Contract

Raytheon Company has been awarded a $10 million contract from Naval Sea Systems Command to develop a pulsed power system that will enable projectiles to reach great distances without the use of an explosive charge or rocket motor.

The contract for the preliminary design of a Pulse Forming Network (PFN) is part of a larger effort by the U.S. Navy to develop a multimission weapon system for use on naval warships to defend and attack with pinpoint accuracy.

Under the contract, Raytheon will provide the research and development of an advanced Integrated Power Systems power load module that may be used for PFNs to power future lasers, railguns or radars.

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Ejection seat problems ground 15 F-35 jets

Fifteen of the 23 F-35 jets delivered to the Pentagon by Lockheed Martin have been grounded because ejection seat parachutes were improperly installed.

The Pentagon's Joint Strike Fighter program office confirmed Monday that the jets were grounded last Thursday.

The six F-35A planes at Edwards Air Force Base in California were conducting developmental test flights.

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5 A-10 squadrons to be cut

The A-10 Thunderbolt II provides the type of close-air support that ground-pounders love and the Taliban dread.

Although the A-10s are workhorses in the war on terrorism, the Air Force in its new budget request is planning to get rid of five squadrons.

As part of the Defense Department’s efforts to trim close to $500 billion in spending over the next decade, defense officials said Friday that the service intends to cut five A-10 tactical squadrons and two other squadrons as well.

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Lockheed producing Patriots for U.S. Army

Patriot missiles are to be produced by Lockheed Martin for the U.S. Army and Taiwan under contracts from the Army worth $921 million.

"Demand remains strong from the U.S. and our global partners for the combat-proven PAC-3 Missile," said Mike Trotsky, vice president of air and missile defense programs at Lockheed Martin's Missiles and Fire Control business.

"In today's uncertain environment, Lockheed Martin remains focused on delivering this important capability to our customers on schedule and on budget."

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Russia to Field Air-Launched Missiles for T-50 by 2014

Russia will complete development of advanced tactical air-launched missile systems for the Sukhoi T-50 fifth-generation fighter within the next two years, the head of the Tactical Missiles Corporation (KTRV), Boris Obnosov, told RIA Novosti.

“The development of Kh-35UE (AS-20 Kayak), Kh-38ME, Kh-58UShKE (AS-11 Kilter), and RVV-MD (AA-11 Archer) class missiles will be completed in 2012-2013,” Obnosov said, adding the missiles were currently being tested.

By the time the T-50 fighter enters service with the Russian Air Force in 2014, its missile systems will be fully operational, Obnosov said.

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Two TU-95MS airplanes complete patrolling mission on the Arctic Ocean

The Russian Defense discloses today that two TU-95MS strategic bomber aircraft have successfully completed a routine surveillance mission (the first one of this year) on the Arctic Ocean.

The mission, began in the night between January 27 and 28, has had a 16 hour duration.

The airplanes have been refuelled in flight from an Ilyushin aircraft.

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Iran unveils new laser-guided missiles and warns response to any hostile action will be 'regretful but destructive'

Iran has issued a stark warning to the West vowing that response to any hostile action will be 'regretful but destructive'.

As tensions over its disputed nuclear programme continue to rise General Masoud Jazayeri, spokesman for Iran's Joint Armed Forces Staff, said: 'We will rigorously confront any threat or hostile behaviour, and our response will be definitely regretful and destructive.

'We hope this (kind of behaviour) would not take place, but if it happens then the history will remember whether the Americans or the Iranians were bluffing.'

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HMS Dauntless to deploy to Falklands

The Royal Navy is to send one of its most advanced warships to the Falkland Islands in late March, just weeks before the 30th anniversary of the 1982 War, it has been reported.

The Portsmouth News said that HMS Dauntless, a £1bn Type 45 air defence destroyer, would be leaving for the Falklands in late March.

A Ministry of Defence spokesman did not confirm the date, but said the ship would be sent on a routine deployment to replace a Royal Navy frigate in the area later this year.

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Australian navy set to be more capable than ever

New warships will give Australia's navy more capability than ever before, with some help from the US Marines, Defence Minister Stephen Smith says.

Speaking at the navy's Sea Power Conference in Sydney, Mr Smith noted the navy was set to acquire two new landing helicopter dock (LHD) ships, their largest vessels ever, three advanced air warfare destroyers and 12 next generation submarines.

As well, the navy's eight Anzac frigates were being upgraded with new radars and missile defences while 24 new Seahawk helicopters would give warships a greatly enhanced combat capability.

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BAE Naval Shipyards at Risk as U.K. Urged to Speed Frigate Order

Britain should bring forward orders for a new generation of navy frigates to help BAE Systems Plc bridge a production hiatus that’s threatening its warship-making capabilities and 6,000 engineering jobs, the Unite union said.

Europe’s No. 1 weapons-maker said this month it had begun a study into future options for yards in Scotland and Portsmouth, England, once production slows with the completion of two Royal Navy aircraft carriers in 2018.

The first Type 26 frigate isn’t due to be delivered until the early 2020s, leaving the sites dependent on support work and minor programs for foreign fleets.

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Swiss govt says has not had cheaper Dassault offer

Switzerland's defence ministry has not received a second offer from aircraft maker Dassault that is cheaper than the type of fighter jet it is planning to buy, a spokeswoman said.

"No official offer has been received here until now," a spokeswoman for the defense ministry said.

Dassault offered Switzerland 18 Rafale jets for 2.7 billion Swiss francs ($2.9 billion), below what Berne is planning to spend for 22 Swedish planes, the newspaper SonntagsZeitung reported on Sunday.

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Dassault Rafale wins USD 10.4 billion Indian Air Force jet fighter deal

Sources have told NDTV that the French aviation company Dassault Rafale has won the $10.4 billion deal for supplying fighter aircraft to India. The Indian Air Force plans to buy 126 aircraft over the next ten years.

The process to determine the L1 (lowest bidder) has been completed, and sources indicate that the final contract is expected to be signed in the next financial year.

The first 18 aircraft will be bought off the shelf. The rest 118 will be manufactured in partnership with an Indian company.

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Brisbane touted for new naval base

Brisbane
Brisbane has been flagged as the likely location for a new Navy base.

The Defence Force Posture Review is looking at whether Australia's military resources are situated in the right geographic locations.

In its progress report released yesterday, it says the Navy will need more facilities in northern Australia.

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HMS Daring sets sail with world-class Thales systems

The first of the Royal Navy's (RN’s) Type 45 destroyers, HMS Daring, has set sail on operational duty fitted with Thales UK's new fully digital radar electronic support measures (RESM) system.

The platform, the first of the Daring class, has been fitted with new digital antennas supplied by Thales as part of the UAT MOD 2 update programme.

In conjunction with the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD), Thales has developed the direct radio frequency sampling and wideband digital receiver technology necessary to achieve a true digital antenna.

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Russia to Start Construction of Two New Warships

Two new warships will be laid down for the Russian Navy, a Defense Ministry spokesman said on Monday.

The Project 22350 Admiral Golovko frigate and the Project 20385 Gremyashchy corvette will be built at the Severnaya Verf (Northern Shipyard) in St. Petersburg, he said.

These will be the first in a series of short and mid-range frigates and corvettes, he added.

Source

Raytheon's RAM Strikes Twice During Back-to-Back Tests

Raytheon Company's Rolling Airframe Missile Block 2 successfully completed two guided test vehicle flights within one week, demonstrating the system's upgraded kinematic performance, guidance system and airframe capabilities.

Raytheon is building 35 RAM Block 2 missiles during the design and development test period and expects low-rate production to begin in 2012.

"To have a double success during two separate tests within days of each other is a significant accomplishment and proves our design upgrades," said Rick Nelson, vice president of Raytheon Missile Systems' Naval Weapon Systems product line.

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Lawsuit on $2.15 mln repair of submarine to be heard February 3

A commercial court will start reconsidering the Zvezda Far Eastern Shipyard's lawsuit to recover $2.18 million from the Pacific Fleet Management Department state enterprise and the Defense Ministry for nuclear submarine repairs, the court told the Russian Legal Information Agency (RAPSI) on Monday.

The Zvezda Far Eastern Shipyard is a leading Russian shipyard. It is involved in repairing nuclear submarines and is the only enterprise in the Far East specializing in reequipping and modernizing nuclear submarines, the enterprise's official website reads.

The Defense Ministry entered into a state contract with the shipyard to repair the "Omsk" submarine cruiser in June 2007.

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DCNS signs four-year Horizon destroyer support contract

DCNS has signed a four-year contract with the French Navy's Fleet Support Service (SSF) to provide through-life support for Horizon-class destroyers Forbin and Chevalier Paul*.

The work will be carried out at DCNS's Toulon shipyard. DCNS and its programme partners will complete two major refits on each of the two vessels and conduct three intermediate layups for routine maintenance. The major refits represent several months of work, and the intermediate layups several weeks.

DCNS will act as overall prime contractor for the maintenance of all shipboard systems except the PAAMS weapon system**, working with 10 major equipment manufacturers, half of them Italian companies.

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Israel's most advanced drone crashes in test flight

The Heron TP, Israel’s most advanced unmanned aerial vehicle, crashed on Sunday morning during a test flight near the Tel Nof Air Force Base outside Rehovot.

The Israel Air Force opened an investigation. According to initial findings, the crash occurred after the UAV performed a maneuver beyond its capabilities, causing one of its wings to break off.

The aircraft was flying with a new navigation component that, the IAF suspects, might have disrupted the drone’s automatic flight systems.

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Military says early-warning radar project on schedule

Hsinchu
The military denied Monday a report that the installation project for a long-range early-warning surveillance radar system in Hsinchu, northern Taiwan, has been delayed due to a cave-in.

The radar system and its peripheral facilities have been completed on schedule, including the platform on which the radar system is seated, according to an air force official.

The concrete paving work currently going on at the site is part of the installation project and is not a soil reinforcement project as the report claimed, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

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Belarus to Receive Russian S-400 after 2015

Russian anti-aircraft missile systems S-400 Triumf will be delivered after 2015, said a source at the Military-Industrial Commission under the Russian government.

Belarus and Kazakhstan that ordered the S-400 Triumf last year will be able to get the weapons when they enter series production by lmaz-Antaeus Group.

The current Russian State Armaments Program for 2011-2020 stipulates that the company Almaz-Antei will produce S-400 to re-in 28 anti-aircraft missile regiments, ITAR-TASS reported.

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Australia reviews timetable for buying 12 F-35s

Australia is reviewing its timetable for buying 12 troubled F-35 Joint Strike Fighters, the Defence Minister said on Monday after the United States announced a rethink of its purchase schedule for the futuristic warplanes.

Australia is a funding partner in developing the JSF, which the U.S. Defence Department describes as the largest fighter aircraft program in history.

The Lockheed Martin Corp. JSF program has been troubled by repeated blowouts in cost as well as delivery schedules.

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First All-Female Combat Mission Takes to the Skies ‎

The battle of the sexes may very well be a thing of the past, as gender equality is certainly evident in the United States military, now more than ever.

Just recently, we shared how an all-female Seabee team reached a significant milestone and secured a place in history.

Now, another all-female team made history. On January 25, the five “Tigertails” of Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron One Two Five (VAQ-125) participated in the first all-female E-2C Hawkeye combat mission.

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MOD unveils supersonic missile system

The Royal Navy's next generation missile defence system will be capable of intercepting and destroying supersonic enemy missiles.

Known as Sea Ceptor, it will be able top travel at Mach 3 with cutting-edge technology that allows it to tackle multilpe targets simultaneously, protecting an area of around 500 square miles over land and sea.

The £483 million contract to develop it is being awarded to UK industry. Sea Ceptor’s ability to intercept missiles at sea will be developed under a demonstration contract with MBDA (UK) that is expected to last for five years.

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Indonesia’s New Submarines: Impact On Regional Naval Balance – Analysis

The Indonesian navy's latest US$1.1 billion contract for three Type-209/1400 diesel-electric submarines looks set to breathe new life into its overall capacity.

It represents the third major purchase by TNI-AL (Tentara Nasional Indonesia – Angkatan Laut) after the acquisition of new corvettes and landing ships since 2000.

This purchase has also been described as a move to ‘maintain power balance in the region’, with various analysts attributing the purchase to Jakarta’s attempt to play regional submarine ‘catch-up’.

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Russia backs Assad, last friend in Arab world

Russia's defiance of international efforts to end Syrian President Bashar Assad's crackdown on protests is rooted in a calculation that it can keep a Mideast presence by propping up its last remaining ally in the region — and has nothing to lose if it fails.

The Kremlin has put itself in conflict with the West as it shields Assad's regime from United Nations sanctions and continues to provide it with weapons even as others impose arms embargoes.

But Moscow's relations with Washington are already strained amid controversy over U.S. missile defense plans and other disputes. And Prime Minister Vladimir Putin seems eager to defy the U.S. as he campaigns to reclaim the presidency in March elections.

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PAF to get first delivery of 4 of 8 brand-new combat utility helicopters bought from Poland next month

The Philippine Air Force (PAF) will get the first delivery by the middle of next month of four of eight brand-new combat utility helicopters it ordered from PZL Swidnik of Poland.

Lt. Col. Mike Okol, PAF spokesman, told the Philippines News Agency that the remaining four helicopters will be delivered in November, also this year.

PZL Swidnik is the biggest helicopter manufacturer in Poland. Its main products are the PZL W-3 Sokol and PZL WS-4 helicopters used by the Polish Air Force and other European countries.

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Mitsubishi Electric admits overcharging for defense projects

Mitsubishi Electric Corp. has admitted it overcharged on defense- and space-projects ordered by the Defense Ministry, the Cabinet Satellite Intelligence Center and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency.

The ministry and the center said they will not in principle sign project contracts with the electrical machinery manufacturer until the situation is fully investigated and the company repays the amounts it overcharged them.

JAXA also said it has banned the company from bidding for projects.

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Navy bulks-up on submarine-hunting sonobuoys for U.S. and Taiwan maritime security forces

U.S. Navy anti-submarine warfare (ASW) experts are buying 50,430 AN/SSQ-53F advanced passive sonobuoys from ERAPSCO Inc. in Columbia City, Ind. under terms of a $38.4 million contract modification announced Friday.

In this order, 49,990 sonobuoys are for the Navy and 440 are for the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in Washington, which is the diplomatic representative of Taiwan to the U.S.

The AN/SSQ-53F directional frequency and ranging (DIFAR) sonobuoy, which is dropped from fixed-wing aircraft or helicopters, uses four hydrophones -- each one a multichannel directional piezoelectric ceramic transducer -- that operate at depths of 90, 200, 400, and 1,000 feet to listen for potentially hostile submerged enemy submarines.

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Navy wants commando ‘mothership’ in Middle East

The Pentagon is rushing to send a large floating base for commando teams to the Middle East as tensions rise with Iran, al-Qaeda in Yemen and Somali pirates, among other threats.

In response to requests from U.S. Central Command, which oversees military operations in the Middle East, the Navy is converting an aging warship it had planned to decommission into a makeshift staging base for the commandos.

Unofficially dubbed a “mothership,” the floating base could accommodate smaller high-speed boats and helicopters commonly used by Navy SEALs, procurement documents show.

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Fourth Chinese Navy Type 071 LPD launched at Shanghai Shipyard

According to Chinese newspaper "Huantsyu shibao", Hudong-Zhonghua Shipyard in Shanghai (part of the Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding Group Corporation, a state owned corporation) held a launch for the fourth Type 071 class LPD. The launch was timed to happen on the Chinese New Year (January 23rd).

The name and hull number of the new ship are not known yet.

The head of Type 071 class, Kunlun Shan (hull number 998), was launched in December 2006 and commissioned in November 2007.

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US Making More Powerful Bomb to Hit Underground Facilities‎

Pentagon is stepping up efforts to make a bomb capable of destroying Iran's most heavily fortified underground facilities, the Wall Street Journal said on Saturday referring to U.S. officials briefed on the plan.

“The 30,000-pound [13,600 kilograms] "bunker-buster" bomb, known as the Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP), was specifically designed to take out the hardened fortifications built by Iran and North Korea to cloak their nuclear programs,” the daily said.

But initial tests indicated that the bomb, as currently configured, would not be capable of destroying some of Iran's facilities, either because of their depth or because Tehran has added new fortifications to protect them, the paper noted.

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Sea King chopper replacement delayed again

The manufacturer of the air force's new maritime helicopter has told National Defence it will deliver only five test aircraft this year -- opening the door to tens of millions of dollars in fines on a project the auditor general has said is late and over budget.

Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. is supposed to deliver a "fully mission capable" version of the CH-148 Cyclone helicopter by June or face a further $80 million in contract penalties on top of $8 million the federal government has already levied.

Senior defence officials said safety certification of the aircraft is ongoing and it's highly unlikely the giant U.S. aircraft-maker will meet its target, even though the program is years behind schedule.

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Pantsir: high-precision weapon of 21st century

Russia's Space Forces will be fully re-equipped with the Pantsir-S1, the S-400 and the Vityaz air defense systems by 2020, Defense Ministry spokesman Alexei Zolotukhin told reporters on Friday.

Last year, 6 Pantsir-S surface-to-air missile and anti-aircraft artillery systems were successfully tested at the Ashuluk and Kapustin Yar firing ranges in Russia.

The systems were then used for the first time during two large-scale drills codenamed Military Community-2011 and Union Shield-2011, where Pantsir-S successfully destroyed aerial targets at heights of up to 15,000 meters.

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Ukraine, Russia to Launch 2 Dnepr Carrier Rockets in 2012

Ukraine and Russia will carry out two rocket launches under the joint Dnepr space program, head of the National Space Agency of Ukraine Yuri Alekseyev said on Friday.

Moscow has recently decided to continue the implementation of the joint Russian-Ukrainian program to use decommissioned RS-20 intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) in commercial space launches under the Dnepr program.

“We are planning to carry out two launches [this year],” Alekseyev told reporters in Kiev.

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U.S. may rely on aging U-2 spy planes longer than expected

Wars have come and gone. But for more than half a century, the CIA and U.S. military have relied on a skinny sinister-looking black jet to go deep behind enemy lines for vital intelligence-gathering missions.

The high-flying U-2 spy plane was first designed during the Eisenhower administration to breach the iron curtain and, as engineers said, snap "picture postcards for Ike" of hidden military strongholds in the Soviet Union.

And although the plane is perhaps best known for being shot down over the Soviet Union in 1960 and the subsequent capture of pilot Francis Gary Powers, the U-2 continues to play a critical role in national security today, hunting Al Qaeda forces in the Middle East. The aging cold warrior once slated for retirement in 2015 may fight on into the next decade.

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Struggling in US, F-35 Fighter Pushes Sales Abroad

Detractors say the F-35 stealth fighter, the costliest military plane ever, is destined to go down as one of the biggest follies in aviation history.

But it may have found a savior: deep-pocketed U.S. allies hungry to add its super high-tech capabilities to their arsenal.

The program marked a major success last month when Japan chose it over the Boeing F/A-18 and the Eurofighter Typhoon as a replacement for 42 aircraft in its aging air force.

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Pentagon announces cuts to Austal-built vessels

Two ship classes built at Austal USA and a spy plane built in Moss Point were among the defense programs dented Thursday by a new Pentagon spending plan.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta announced that the U.S. Navy would buy two fewer littoral combat ships and eight fewer joint high-speed vessels than it had planned to by 2017.

Workers at Austal’s Mobile River shipyard build both ships.

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Indigenisation to help flourish Pakistan Navy

In pursuit of achieving self-reliance and impregnable defence, Karachi Shipyard and Engineering Works took another leap by constructing two tugs for Pakistan Navy.

Deputy Chief of Naval Staff (Projects) Rear Admiral Shafqat Javed was the chief guest at the ceremony.

He applauded the continued efforts of Karachi Shipyard towards strengthening the fighting arms of Pakistan Navy.

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Russian-built frigate introduced to Indian Navy specialists

“Some 200 Indian seamen and officers have “settled” on INS Teg, the first of the three ships of the 11356 project, which has been completed at Yantar – they have been introduced to the new frigate and have started familiarising themselves with its equipment under the guidance of their Russian counterparts from the Baltic Fleet,” Mikhailov said.

Today, the frigate arrived from Kaliningrad, by a seaway canal, in Baltiysk, the main naval base of the Baltic Fleet. According to the spokesman, at the end of the week, INS Teg, with a joint Russian-Indian crew, is scheduled to put to the Baltic Sea to complete its state sea trials, during which the Indian sailors will have their first experience in sailing this modern frigate.

“After its return from the Baltic Sea, we will start the procedure of handing the frigate over to the customer,” Mikhailov said. India plans to induct the ship as early as this April.

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NATO Chief: Basic Components Of European Missile Defense To Be Ready By May

NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen has said that the initial components of the European missile defense system is expected to be in place by the time of the Chicago Summit in May.

He said this on Thursday, while launching NATO's first ever 'Annual Report,' which gives a brief overview of the Alliance's principal achievements and challenges in 2011.

The missile defense system to defend European Allies' populations, territory and forces against the growing threat of ballistic missile proliferation is "smart defense" at its best and it embodies transatlantic solidarity, the NATO chief said in his foreword to the annual report.

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Indian navy to add 49 ships, submarines

The 133 ship-strong Indian Navy force of today is expected to induct a further 49 ships and submarines in the coming years, making the Indian Navy of tomorrow a highly potent and balanced service with the right mix of ships, submarines and aircraft and be truly a blue water force, according to the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Eastern Naval Command Vice Admiral Anil Chopra.

Addressing the Republic Day parade at the Naval Base here on Thursday, he spoke how the Indian Navy had progressed since Independence.

He reiterated that the exponential rise in offshore oil exploration and production, rapid increase in sea borne trade, greater impetus for development of ports and a steady growth in commercial traffic over the last decade had all enhanced the role and the responsibilities of the Command in ensuring safety and security of these trade and energy life lines in the eastern theatre.

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Simulator helps design Royal Navy future aircraft carriers' flight deck

Welcome to the deck of one of the Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers, due in service by the end of the decade. Well, not quite the real carrier, which is under construction at Rosyth.

This is BAE Systems' simulator at Warton, the only one in the world where the F-35 aircraft meets the future pride of the 2020 Royal Navy.

But this is not about training pilots, nor honing the skills of the personnel whose deck-based task is to guide the aircraft in safely.

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India’s Lakshya-2 completes 10th test flight

India's Lakshya-2 target drone has completed its 10th flight test, performing the full range of functions required by India's armed forces.

In recent tests at the Balasore range of India's Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO), the Lakshya-2 completed a 30-minute test flight, the DRDO said in a statement.

During the flight, the drone dove from 2600ft (800m) to 39ft, flew at this altitude for a pre-set time and then performed an automatic climb-out manoeuvre.

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Lebanon to Receive U.S. Coastal Security Craft

The Lebanese Navy will receive a U.S. made 43-meter Coastal Security Craft (CSC), for Maritime Security, at the end of 2011.

The Maritime Security Strategies (MSS) company of U.S.A was awarded the $29 million contract from the Department of the Navy on 14th of January.

A U.S. Department of Defense press release said the deal would be executed under the Foreign Military Sales Program.

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MoD could sell RAF Northolt

RAF Northolt
The Ministry of Defence is considering selling off RAF Northolt to raise funds, with the possibility that the historic airfield could become a satellite for Heathrow, it has been reported.

According to the Guardian, the north London RAF station could be sold for commercial development, even potentially offering a "less ridiculous" alternative to 'Boris Island'.

But Air Commodore Andrew Lambert said it would be a "great shame" to lose the station.

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Iranian F-14 fighter jet crashes in country’s south; both pilot and co-pilot killed

Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency says a U.S.-made F-14 Iranian fighter jet has crashed in Bushehr province in southern Iran.

Provincial governor Mohammad Hossein Jahanbakhsh says both the pilot and the co-pilot were killed in Thursday’s crash.

The Fars report says the fighter plane crashed due to technical failure and that authorities have recovered the wreckage outside Bushehr, a port city with the same name as the province. Bushehr is known as the location of Iran’s first nuclear power plant

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Sub-Based Global Strike Weapon Reborn; Questions Remain

The Pentagon is again looking to its submarine fleet to fill a long-standing need for a prompt global strike weapon, according to the department's fiscal 2013 spending plan.

The Navy will finance development work on an "undersea conventional prompt global strike option" as part of its share of DoD's $525 billion budget request for FY-13, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said during today's press conference at the Pentagon.

He did not go into detail on whether the weapon would be carried by the older Ohio-class submarines or the Virginia-class boats currently being built by the Navy.

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US Warship Calls at Ukrainian Port Amid Protests

A U.S. guided missile cruiser stopped at the Ukrainian Black Sea port of Sevastopol on Thursday with a group of some 50 protesters chanting “Yankee, go home!” and “No to NATO!”

The USS Vella Gulf (CG 72), a Ticonderoga class guided missile cruiser, is on a mission in the Black Sea and is to visit the ports of Constanta, Sevastopol and Odessa.

It carries 26 Tomahawk cruise missiles with a range of up to 3,000 kilometers and has elements of a missile defense system on board.

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Sharp Shooting Analysis

In the design of almost any new high explosive ammunition, the most complex and often problematic component is the fusing system.

The fuse must incorporate a Safe and Arm device to ensure that the projectile may only enter the armed state following exposure to firing forces and after reaching a safe distance from the muzzle of the weapon.

Engineers at System Design Evaluation (SDE) have constructed rigid and flexible body MSC Adams models to study the motion and strength of the design of fuse mechanisms to identify potential design issues and assist with analysis of trial results.

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Iraq retains interest in Czech fighter

Iraq is interested in purchasing jet fighter aircraft from the Czech Republic, the Czech Ministry of Defense says.

The plane, the L-159 ALCA, is suitable for ground support missions and is manufactured by Aero Vodochody.

It has a maximum speed at sea level of about 580 mph and carries Maverick air-to-ground missiles.

It has been in service with the Czech air force since the year 2000.

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F/A-18E/F contract brings DOD aircraft orders this week to 25 in deals worth $2.2 billion

U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) military aircraft purchases continued to roll along on Wednesday, with a U.S. Navy order of 15 Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet carrier-based jet fighter-bombers under terms of a $687.5 million contract modification.

Wednesday's order brings this week's DOD combat aircraft orders to 25 in three separate deals collectively worth nearly $2.2 billion.

U.S. Naval Air Systems Command at Patuxent River Naval Air Station, Md., Wednesday ordered 14 F/A-18E single-seat strike fighters and one F/A-18F two-seat fighter bombers from The Boeing Co. Defense, Space & Security segment in St. Louis.

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UK considers Rafale and F-18 as 'interim aircraft'

Ministry of Defence concerns over the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter have led to military chiefs looking at other fast jets for the UK's aircraft carrier, it has been reported.

According to The Times, Admiral Sir Trevor Soar, the current commander-in-chief fleet, said concerns were growing about rising costs and delays in the JSF programme, something now worsened by order cuts from the US.

Soar, who was addressing defence companies at the ADS Maritime Interest Group, reportedly said the UK might not receive the $100m per piece F-35 jets until a decade after the delivery of the carrier, currently set for 2019.

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New drone can land on aircraft carrier

The Navy's new drone being tested near Chesapeake Bay stretches the boundaries of technology: It's designed to land on the deck of an aircraft carrier, one of aviation's most difficult maneuvers.

What's even more remarkable is that it will do that not just without a pilot in the cockpit, but without a pilot at all.

The X-47B marks a paradigm shift in warfare, one that is likely to have far-reaching consequences. With the drone's ability to be flown autonomously by onboard computers, it could usher in an era when death and destruction can be dealt by machines operating semi-independently.

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Nuclear subs will stay in Scotland, Royal Navy chiefs decide

The Scottish naval base currently used to arm submarines with Trident nuclear missiles is the only site suitable for the task and building another could take up to a decade, ministers have been told.

Alex Salmond, the Scottish First Minister, has set out a timetable that could see Scotland vote on independence by 2014. David Cameron wants the referendum held sooner and may challenge Mr Salmond’s proposed referendum question.

The recent moves have caused alarm among defence chiefs, who are worried about the consequences for the Armed Forces.

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UK Partnership pays off for submarine upgrades

Two of the Royal Navy's Trafalgar Class submarines are reaping the benefits of major upgrades to their combat systems following their latest maintenance periods.

The Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) Submarine Combat Systems Group have joined contractors Babcock in successfully delivering major packages of work during the Revalidation and Assisted Maintenance Periods (RAMPs) for HMS Trenchant and HMS Talent, the last of which completed last month. The result is a significant uplift in the operational capabilities of both submarines.

The size of the combat system work packages for each RAMP was a step up from those undertaken previously which meant that the Combat Systems Group, Babcock and the Project Contract Manager Team at Devonport needed to work even more closely together and carefully review all processes to get the job done in time.

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Israeli paras prep for airborne strikes

The Israeli military has conducted its first full-scale parachute exercise for its airborne brigade in 15 years as part of military preparations for "any possible scenario" and "potential regional changes," including long-range assaults.

Amid the tensions sweeping the Middle East, and the possibility of a war involving Israel against Iran and Syria plus their allies Hezbollah and Hamas, that suggests the Israelis could be thinking of using paratroopers to hit key targets, such as missile launch sites and depots, inside hostile territory.

At least 1,000 paratroopers took part in the drop in the Jan. 17 Negev Desert in southern Israel, the army said.

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Republic Day: Agni-IV Nuclear capable missile showcased

Agni-IV, India's latest nuclear-capable strategic missile, was showcased publicly for the first time Thursday at the Republic Day parade.

The missile formed part of a tableau from the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), its developer.

The DRDO contingent, led by Lt. Col. V.S. Thapa, also showed new tactical battlefield support high-speed missile Prahaar and the medium altitude long endurance unmanned aerial vehicle Rustom-I.

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French Navy training with US Navy ahead of Bold Alligator 2012 Amphibious Exercise

U.S. Navy sailors from Assault Craft Unit Four (ACU4) are working with the crew of the French amphibious vessel (LHD) Mistral (L9013) this week to certify her well deck operations ahead of Bold Alligator 2012, a multi-national amphibious exercise in the USA involving the navies of the US, UK, France and Netherlands.

Bold Alligator 2012, which is scheduled for Jan. 30 through Feb. 12, will be the largest amphibious exercise conducted by the Navy and Marine Corps in at least the last ten years, according to the U.S. Marine Corps Forces Command .

"We have worked with the French navy not only here, but also in Toulon, France, to ensure our landing craft and the Mistral's well deck are compatible," said Capt. Mike Ott, ACU4 commanding officer. "This exercise today is the culmination of that planning and work we did overseas."

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South Africa’s restored Cheetah fighters make Ecuador debut

Ecuador has received 12 ex-South African Air Force Cheetah C/D fighters, ordered in late 2010, from Denel Aviation.

Ecuador President Rafael Correa Delgado announced on 21 January that the entire batch of 12 fighters has arrived from South Africa.

The 10 C-model and two D-model Cheetahs had been in storage since their retirement from service in South Africa four years ago.

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Two refurbished mine hunters acquired by Taiwan will commence sea trials next month and are expected to be delivered to the Taiwanese Navy in May or June, British journal Jane’s Defence Weekly reported last week.

The two Osprey-class coastal mine-hunting ships USS Oriole and USS Falcon — both decommissioned from the US navy in June 2006 — were part of the US$6.4 billion arms package notified to US Congress in January 2010 as Excess Defense Articles.

The 895-tonne ships, renamed MHC 1310 Yung Jin and MHC 1311 Yung An, underwent comprehensive hull, machinery and combat management overhaul and upgrades in the US, Jane’s wrote.

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Small Tactical Unmanned Air System executes early operational capability

Marines witnessed the first flight of the service's newest small unmanned aircraft Jan. 22 at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center in Twentynine Palms, Calif.

As part of the RQ-21A Small Tactical Unmanned Aircraft System (STUAS) Early Operational Capability (EOC), personnel from Marine Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron (VMU) 2 and 3 and Insitu operators exercised the current configuration of Insitu’s Integrator for the two-hour maiden flight.

“The lessons learned from this flight and all operations that will be conducted at Twentynine Palms are invaluable,” said Lt. Col. John Allee, STUAS integrated product team co-lead at Pax River. “It will help our Marines fully understand how to operate the system when in theater.”

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