Russia Sending 50 Armored Vehicles to Palestinians

Russia has offered the Palestinian Authority 50 armored troop transport vehicles, set to be delivered in the next three months, a senior Russian Army officer told the Interfax news agency June 2."The delivery of the armored troop transport vehicles has been negotiated with all the countries involved. They will be delivered by sea from July to September," said the officer, who declined to be named.The 50 armored vehicles, which are being provided by the Russian Defence Ministry, are ready to be dispatched, he added.The announcement came on the day Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman was visiting Moscow, where he was received by the Russian leadership.In late May the Israeli ambassador to Russia, Anna Azari, told Interfax that the Jewish state had agreed to the delivery of armored vehicles to the Palestinian Authority, which controls parts of the West Bank.

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India, Britain, France To Practice ASW

By VIVEK RAGHUVANSHI

Four Indian warships will participate in naval exercises with British and French forces in the Atlantic Ocean June 20 to July 4, a senior Indian Navy official said. The war games will include anti-submarine warfare - India's first such exercise against nuclear subs, the Navy official said.India is gearing up to counter Chinese weapons purchases, said defense analyst Mahindra Choudhary, a retired Indian Army brigadier.The Chinese Navy has deployed nuclear submarines in the Indian Ocean, the Navy official said.The Indian Navy is awaiting the delivery of its two nuclear submarines, which were ordered two years ago from Russia, the Navy official said.The British will send the nuclear-powered submarine Trafalgar; two guided missile frigates, Westminster and Lancaster; two auxiliaries, Fort Rosalie and Mounts Bay; Merlin and Lynx helicopters; Falcon and Hawk fighter aircraft; and a Nimrod maritime patrol aircraft.French assets will include the nuclear-powered submarine Emeraude, the guided-missile destroyer Primaguet, the guided-missile frigate Lieutenant de Vaisseau le Henaff, Atlantique II maritime reconnaissance aircraft, Lynx helicopters, and Rafale and Super Entendard fighter aircraft.In April 2008, India and Germany first held bilateral naval exercises. In September 2007, Australia, India, Japan and the United States took part in one of the biggest sea exercises ever held in the Bay of Bengal.

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Indian Navy’s sub project slips on time, climbs on cost

In a major blow to Navy's already shrinking underwater combat capabilities, the mammoth Rs 18,798 crore project to construct six Scorpene submarines at Mazagon Docks Ltd (MDL) in Mumbai has now slipped around two years behind schedule. Defence ministry sources say the latest assessment shows the delivery of the first submarine, initially scheduled to roll out by December 2012, would not be possible before end-2014. Moreover, the entire project is going to be hit with a huge cost escalation, which will take total costs much beyond Rs 20,000 crore, because France is demanding virtually double the money to supply some critical equipment to MDL. "Negotiations for these `MDL procured material packages', which include almost everything other than combat systems, have been underway for a year now. The French say costs have doubled since the contracts were inked in October 2005,'' said a source.

"Consequently, though submarine hulls are being fabricated in MDL, there is nothing to put inside them at present. MoD has now approached the Cabinet Committee on Security for fresh approval for the cost escalation,'' he added. The October 2005 contracts with French companies include the Rs 6,135 crore one with M/s Armaris (DCN-Thales joint venture) for transfer of technology, combat systems and construction design, and Rs 1,062 crore with M/s MBDA for sea-skimming Exocet missiles. A Rs 5,888-crore contract was also signed with MDL for indigenous submarine construction, with another Rs 3,553 crore earmarked for taxes and Rs 2,160 crore towards other items to be acquired during the project.

Navy, on its part, hopes the lost time can be made up to some extent if the approvals come quickly for the Project-75 Scorpene project. All the six submarines were to be initially delivered by December 2017, one per year beginning from 2012. A big delay will hit Navy hard since its projections show it will be left with only nine out of its present fleet of 16 diesel-electric submarines — 10 Russian Kilo-class, four German HDW and two Foxtrot — by 2012. As it is, the Foxtrot submarines are obsolete now, and the number could further dip to just five by 2014. This is alarming since both Pakistan and China are rapidly augmenting their underwater combat capabilities. After inducting three French Agosta-90B submarines, with the last one PNS Hamza even having air-independent propulsion (AIP) to boost its operational capabilities, Pakistan is now looking to acquire three advanced Type-214 AIP-equipped submarines from Germany. China, of course, is way ahead. It has 62 submarines, with around 10 of them being nuclear-propelled, and at least one Xia-class and two Jin-class being SSBNs (nuclear submarines with long-range ballistic missiles).

Though India has also begun its hunt for six more new-generation submarines under Project-75A, worth over Rs 30,000 crore, it will take "several months'' before even the global tenders (request for proposals) are floated for them. "Initial information obtained from Russian (Rosoboronexport), French (Armaris) and German (HDW) firms, among others, are being studied at present. We want P-75A submarines to have a high degree of stealth, land-attack capability and AIP,'' said an official. There is also the indigenous secretive ATV (advanced technology vessel) programme, under which the first of the three nuclear-powered submarines being built is to be "launched into water'' on August 15. But a fully operational ATV, with SLBM (submarine-launched ballistic missile) capabilities, is at least three years away. Navy, incidentally, will also get the Russian 12,000-tonne Akula-II nuclear-powered attack submarine on a 10-year lease by this year-end.

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IAF An-32 crashes in Arunachal Pradesh

An Air Force transport plane with at least 14 people on board crashed on Tuesday in Arunachal Pradesh. Two helicopters have been sent to find out the debris of the plane.According to sources, IAF AN-32 aircraft with eight IAF personnel and six civilians took off from Mechuka in Arunachal Pradesh and went missing shortly after. It was expected to reach Tawang area.The AN-32 plane had flown from Dibrugarh in Assam to Mechuka in Arunachal from where it took off again with the civilians for Jorhat at around 2 pm, after which the aircraft went missing, said IAF spokesman Wing Commander P Sahu.Authorities have issued orders for conducting an investigation into the tragic incident.

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China revives production of JH-7 strike aircraft?

China revives production of JH-7 strike aircraft

By Kaleem Omar

China is now spending upwards of $ 60 billion a year to modernise its military, with the eventual aim of giving it power-projection capability far beyond its borders. In typical fashion, however, Beijing is not rushing pell mell into this endeavour, but is proceeding with due deliberation one step at a time, so as not to alarm its neighbours. Unlike the United States, China is also not given to throwing its weight about in its dealings with other countries and tends to err, if anything, on the side of caution. Such caveats aside, however, the fact remains that China is becoming stronger and stronger militarily with each passing year and recently announced plans to build its first aircraft carrier battle group. The US has 12 such battle groups, so its going to be a long time before China achieves conventional military parity with America. Such larger issues aside, China has, meanwhile, decided to revive production of its JH-7 strike aircraft. British and French engine manufacturers are vying with each other to provide China with engine technology to support the potential additional production of 170 upgraded JH-7s.First produced in the mid-1990s, the JH-7 met with limited success because the aircraft maker, Xian Aircraft Co., Xian, Shaanxi, China, experienced difficulties in manufacturing the powerplant, the WS9 turbofan engine. The WS9 is a version of the Rolls Royce Spey Mk202 that the company builds under licence.A report in the American weekly military journal Defence News quoted industrial and government sources as saying that China is now planning additional production of the JH-7. According to the report, discussions have been going on with Rolls Royce plc, London, and France’s Societe Nationale d’Etude et de Construction de Monteurs d’Aviation (Snecma), to build engines for the attack aircraft.Jean-Paul Bechat, president of Snecma, was quoted as saying that his company was having regular discussions with the Chinese authorities about the possibility of fitting the M53 engine to a variant of the JH-7 aircraft. The M53 powers the French Mirage 2000 fighter aircraft.Another Snecma official familiar with the Asian market was quoted as saying that discussions with China had so far centred on the technical feasibility of replacing the JH-7’s existing engine with the “slightly more powerful” M53. A Chinese official was quoted as saying that China is building the JH-7. He said the Chinese Navy’s aviation arm is is buying the JH-7. Bringing the JH-7 into widespread service within the Naval Air Force would boost the service’s capabilities, the Chinese official was quoted as saying.A European industrialist was quoted as saying that the People’s Liberation Army’s Naval Air Force could produce an additional 50 to 70 aircraft, and the PLA Air Force may purchase some 100 planes. Some of the planes to be built will be improved variants of the aircraft, dubbed the JH-7A. The JH-7, a two-seat, twin-engine, attack aircraft, is in limited service with the Naval Air Force. According to the Defence News report, the naval JH-7 is equipped with standoff anti-ship missiles and would be used primarily for maritime strike missions.In addition to talks with Snecma, Chinese officials are also discussing the Spey Mk202 with Rolls Royce. Under the terms of a deal concluded in the late 1970s, Rolls Royce has provided several dozen Spey engines to China, with the intention that the Xian Aero-engine Co. was to manufacture the engine under licence as the WS9, says the Defence News report.A source was quoted as saying that discussions with the British company now focus on Rolls Royce providing further support and sub-components to Xian to support a production run of the WS9. Rolls Royce may also provide a number of additional complete second-hand Spey engines. “We have a long standing relationship with China,” Gary Atkins, a Rolls Royce spokesman, was quoted as saying.With regard to the Chinese Spey/WS9, Atkins was quoted as saying, “We have been supporting this project in a number of ways, ever since China acquired a batch along with the manufacturing technology.”According to the Defence News report, there remains considerable political sensitivity surrounding the sale of military equipment to China, which remains subject to a European Union arms embargo, though this covers only weaponry and complete weapons systems.The Snecma official was quoted as saying that since the discussions with Chinese officials had so far been of a technical nature, his company had not sought approval from the French government. He added, however, that if business discussions get underway, Snecma would first have to get French government approval for any sale.“It’s a delicate situation because the European Union imposed an embargo on military exports to China in 1989 which is still in place,” the Snecma official said. He said that any export contracts for this type of engine to China would also have to go through the European Union’s code of conduct for arms exports regulations.The official said that it was likely that China would want to put new engines on the JH-7 in the 2004-2006 time frame, but that these dates were not fixed. China would insist on at least having full repair and maintenance capacity for these engines, he said. Ideally, what they would want “is step by step to reach 80 per cent capacity of building the M53 engine themselves, 10 or 15 years down the road.”Meanwhile, in another development, Russia and China have clinched a deal to have more Su-27SK fighters assembled at a Chinese aviation plant for China’s Air Force.The $ 1.4 billion deal involves a contract for the fighters to be assembled at the Shenyang Aircraft Making Factory in Shenyang, Liaoning province.The contract was signed by Chinese defence officials and managers of Russia’s chief arms exporter, Rosvoorouzhenie. It is not known how many Su-27SK fighters will be assembled under the deal, but the contract reportedly bans the Chinese from exporting any of these jets.A press report said that Ivan Skrylnik, spokesman for Rosvoorouzhenie, refused to give details about the deal, as did Yuri Chervakov, spokesman for AVPK Sukjoi, which develops and manufactures Sukhoi fighters. Both companies are based in Moscow. The Russian government was said to have welcomed the cash deal as it would inject liquidity into Russia’s defence industry and keep employees of AVPK Sukhoi and its subcontractors busy for years.The SU-27SK is an export version of the Russian Air Force’s basic SU-27. The SU-27SK began production in 1991. It has a maximum range of 3,680 kilometres, a maximum speed of 2,125 kilometres per hour and can carry up to eight air-to-air missiles. Though described by Rosvoorouzhenie as an advanced aircraft, the Su-27SK is today not quite in the same class more advanced models, such as the French-made Mirage 2000-5s or modified F-16s operated by the Taiwanese and Japanese air forces, respectively, according to Konstantin Makienko. Deputy head of the Centre for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies (CAST) in Moscow. Paradoxically, the fact that the Su-27SK is inferior to the Mirage 2000-5 and even Sukhoi’s own Su-30MKK fighter could turn into a positive development for AVPK Sukho, Makienko was quoted as saying.“Sooner or later the Chinese will have to upgrade these planes to modern requirements, such as the ability to attack ground targets. This means that Sukho will sign new deals to carry out these upgrades,” Makienko was quoted as saying. Russia and China concluded a $ 2 billion deal in 1996 to have the Shenyang Aircraft Making Factory assemble 200 Su-27SKs from kits provided by AVPK Sukhoi’s Komsomolsk-om-Amur Aviation Production Association, according to CAST figures. China also signed a deal in 1990 to procure 20 Su-27SKs and four Su-27UBK combat/training fighters.In another development, a group of Chinese officials visited Moscow in August 2000 to negotiate the purchase of Russian-built A-50 early warning aircraft. The visit came in the wake of the failure of a similar deal between Beijing and Israel for Phalcon early warning aircraft.The talks focused on an advanced version of Russia’s A-50 early warning and control aircraft, dubbed A-50E, for which the Scientific Production Corporation’s Moscow Scientific Research Institute of Instrument Engineering (MNIIP) has already developed an advanced radar system. An MNIIP official was quoted as saying that the Chinese were interested in buying several A-50E aircraft.The Chinese became interested in buying the A-50E in the autumn of 2000 after then-Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Baruk sent a letter to then-Chinese President Jiang Zemin in July that year informing him of the Israeli decision to back out of the $ 250 million Phalcon sale. Barak’s decision, which was prompted by heavy American pressure to kill the deal, was made during the US-sponsored peace talks between Israeli and Palestinian leaders at Camp David in July 2000.

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Taiwan's Army still on track for Unmanned Aerial Vehicle in 2011

The army has solved its problems in acquiring technology for an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, reports said yesterday. The news is expected to lead the Legislative Yuan to release a budget of NT$142.3 million, allowing the project to be completed in 2011. The budge freeze was caused by a military admission that its Chung Shan Institute of Science and Technology was finding it difficult to purchase six types of technology vital to the development of the remotely piloted aircraft. As a result, it had been unable to use up the 2008 budget allotted for the project. In late April, the institute said it had won agreements for the supply of five types of technology and had succeeded in developing the fifth category by itself, according to a report from Army headquarters to the Legislature's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee. The military blamed the delay in using the budget for its Institute in the slow approval of licenses to buy the technology and in the long time passing between order and delivery. The unmanned aircraft have been widely used in wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to handle tasks that were deemed too dangerous for manned planes, including reconnaissance missions and bombings. Taiwan reportedly first started developing a UAV in 2002 which resulted in a test version. Past reports said the Army wanted to design a combat version able to carry early warning radar, air-to-surface missiles and cruise missiles. Taiwan has found it difficult to import military technology and weapons systems because of its tenuous diplomatic situation. Most other countries refuse to sell arms to Taiwan because of pressure and protests from China. Only the United States occasionally braces Beijing's ire as its Taiwan Relations Act stipulates it has to supply the island with defensive weapons.

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Turkey sends delegation to Russia for Mi-28 attack helicopters

Turkey, whose earlier request to buy US Cobra attack helicopters has so far been turned down on grounds that they are not available, is sending a military-led delegation to Russia today to further talks over the planned acquisition of at least 12 Mil Mi-28 “Havoc” attack helicopters as a stop gap measure in the fight against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), Today's Zaman has learned. A Turkish military delegation's planned visit to Moscow, expected to start today, comes in the midst of calls made by Turkish Chief of General Staff Gen. İlker Başbuğ in Washington for the US administration to sell urgently required military hardware to Turkey, including attack helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).Gen. Başbuğ made a June 1 speech at the annual meeting of the American-Turkish Council (ATC), held in Washington, during which he urged the US to carry the existing cooperation between the two NATO allies in the fight against the PKK from the existing US supply of real-time intelligence to a new phase of cooperation. “This cooperation should go beyond the existing intelligence cooperation,” Başbuğ said. Turkish fighters have been engaged in aerial bombardments of PKK targets in northern Iraq since December 2007, using US-supplied real-time intelligence, which has been critical in pinpointing PKK targets accurately to avoid serious collateral damage. The US has been using UAVs, satellites and Lockheed Martin-made U-2 High-Altitude Reconnaissance Aircraft (Dragon Lady) to supply Turkey with real-time intelligence on PKK activities in northern Iraq, while the Turkish military has been using Israeli-made UAVs purchased earlier as a stopgap measure to gather intelligence on the PKK inside the country. Turkish military analysts told Today's Zaman that Gen. Başbuğ meant with his statement in Washington that Turkish-US cooperation should go beyond the existing intelligence cooperation and that the US should sell military hardware to Turkey. Turkey has already applied to the US for the purchase of two General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc.-made Predator UAVs, while an earlier Turkish demand for the purchase of up to 12 US Bell-made Cobra attack helicopters have so far been turned down by Washington due to their unavailability in the next several years. But the US's refusal to sell the Cobras to Turkey is believed to be because of Turkey's decision in 2007 to produce 50 Italian AugustaWestland-made attack and tactical reconnaissance helicopters, named “ATAK,” when the Italian company agreed to transfer technology so that helicopters meeting specific Turkish requests will be built at Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) facilities in Ankara. The first T129 attack helicopter (designated as the T129, a Turkish version of the A129 Mangusta) is planned to be produced in 2015. Ankara signed a deal worth around $2.7 billion with AugustaWestland in June 2008 for the production of 50 ATAKs, but the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) declined AugustaWestland's offer of off-the-shelf A129 Mangusta attack helicopters as an interim solution on the grounds that the current A129 helicopters would not meet its urgent operational requirements. US companies did not bid in the attack project as they could not meet the Turkish contract terms and conditions, which sought a transfer of technology, prohibited under US law. According to a senior Turkish defense industrialist, had Turkey signed a deal with the US for the production of attack helicopters, he is confident Washington would have supplied Turkey with Cobras as an interim measure. Since the possibility of the US supplying Turkey with Cobra helicopters is now low, Turkey has sped up efforts to buy the advanced Russian Mi-28 helicopters that the TSK has been keen on buying. During the visit to Russia, a Turkish military-led delegation will learn the price and quick delivery options of the Mi-28 helicopters, the Turkish sources said. Turkey is believed to have five or six operational Cobras in its inventory. Attack helicopters are one of the key players in the fight against the PKK. Turkey entered talks with Russia's Rosoboronexport late last year for the purchase of 12 Mi-28 attack helicopters, as revealed by Today's Zaman at the time.

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USFK Cuts Down Combat Aircraft by 25

The U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) has cut the number of its combat aircraft by 25 percent over the past four years, a military source said Sunday. According to a USFK spokesman, the U.S. 7th Air Force operates about 45 aircraft now. According to a 2005 National Assembly report, the 7th Air Force, the air component of the USFK, then operated about 60 F-16 and A-10 aircraft belonging to the 51st Fighter Wing in Osan, Gyeonggi Province, and the 8th Fighter Wing in Gunsan, North Jeolla Province.Some strategists see the decrease as a de facto decline in U.S. military capability in South Korea, which runs counter to Washington's repeated pledge to maintain a troop capacity of 28,500 with related combat assets on the peninsula to help deter any North Korean aggression. The reduction is also seen as part of USFK's ongoing ``strategic flexibility'' scheme aimed at changing the mission of American forces abroad from stationary ones focused on defending host nations to rapid deployment troops that can be swiftly dispatched to other parts of the world where the United States faces conflict. As a result, if a war broke out on the Korean Peninsula, the USFK would be largely dependent on reinforcements of fighters and aerial assets from U.S. forward-deployed bases in the Asia-Pacific region in carrying out operations to support South Korean troops. The downsizing involves the pullout of a squadron of Block 30 F-16 models during an upgrade to newer Block 40 aircraft and the recent retirement of three A-10 attack aircraft under the U.S. Air Force's restructuring plan to eliminate 250 older planes, the source told The Korea Times. The 7th Air Force currently has a squadron of F-16 Fighting Falcons and a fleet of A/OA-10 Thunderbolt IIs in Osan, while the other squadron, backed up by a fleet of F/A-18Ds rotationally redeployed from a U.S. Marine aircraft wing based in Japan, flies missions from Gunsan, he said. Another fleet of 14 F-16 fighters from the Mizawa Air Force Base in Japan arrived at an air base in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, in February on a six-month temporarily mission to replace a permanently departing battalion of 24 Apache helicopters. ``The 7th Air Force's basic formation of four squadrons remains unchanged, but actual aircraft numbers in the squadrons have decreased over the past years in stages and unofficially,'' the source said, asking to remain anonymous. ``I can't judge, but it remains controversial on whether or not the decrease will cause a capability gap here since the USFK claims the smaller number of newer F-16 fighters are successfully replacing the larger number of older models.'' In a Camp David summit in April last year, then U.S. President George W. Bush announced that planned U.S. troop cuts in South Korea would be halted at 28,500. Seoul and Washington had initially agreed in 2004 to slash the number of U.S. forces from 37,000 to 25,000 in phases by the end of 2008. Defense Secretary Robert Gates also said at a news conference in Seoul later that his government would maintain ``at least the same capabilities'' that the USFK had then.Last March, the USFK withdrew one of two AH-64D Apache Longbow helicopters from South Korea to make the unit available for rotational deployment to Afghanistan or Iraq. The relocation of the advanced helicopter unit fanned public jitters here over a possible security vacuum. The USFK has pledged it will provide ``overwhelming'' air- and naval-centric support to South Korean troops after 2012 when it transfers operational control of Korean forces during wartime to Seoul.

gallantjung@koreatimes.co.kr

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U.S To Ship Russian-Made Helicopters To Pakistan

By Tony Capaccio

U.S. military plans to lease four of its Russian-made transport helicopters to the Pakistan army to bolster its fight against the Taliban in the nation’s ungoverned northwest territories , according to U.S. and Pakistani officials.The helicopters were among the top items that Pakistan Army Chief of Staff General Ashfaq Kayani has requested in continuing talks with U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Admiral Michael Mullen, and that Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari sought during his meeting last month with U.S. President Barack Obama, the officials said.The MI-17 is a medium-weight helicopter, capable of carrying troops, performing medical evacuations and carrying out ground attacks. The four helicopters may be delivered as soon as June 8, said the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity.Pakistan ’s military already is using MI-17s and “has found these platforms to be very useful in their current counter-insurgency operations,” said Alan Kronstadt, a Pakistan expert with the non-partisan Congressional Research Service.Pakistan ’s leaders “urgently requested” that the U.S. provide more “to fill the gap created by the ongoing refurbishment” of its existing fleet, he said in an e-mailed statement.Pakistani security forces say they are close to driving militants from the Swat Valley and neighboring districts in the nation’s northwest after the Taliban flouted a February peace accord that introduced Islamic law in the region. The fighting has forced 3 million people to flee their homes, according to local authorities.Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman confirmed the broad outlines of the U.S. action and said details of the final delivery date are being worked out.“We are supporting Pakistan in its efforts against violent extremism,” Whitman said in a telephone interview. “The support includes various defense articles, services and training.”“Helicopters with the capacity to operate in Pakistan ’s rugged terrain are a high priority for the Pakistani Army, and we are pursuing numerous options to provide that capability, including the MI-17 option,” Whitman said.White House spokesman Tommy Vietor said the helicopters are an indication “the president is moving aggressively to provide the needed resources to address the humanitarian situation in Pakistan .”Obama has pressed the government in Islamabad to wrest control of the northwest area from extremists. The insurgency threatens the nuclear-armed country’s stability and hampers the war effort by the U.S. and NATO in neighboring Afghanistan .The four Russian-made helicopters are owned by the U.S. Army. Two are at Ramstein Air Base in Germany and two are in Slovakia . They will be flown to Pakistan on a Russian-made AN- 124 aircraft, one of the world’s largest transports, according to the officials. They said they didn’t know who owned this plane, a model used by private transport companies worldwide.Pakistan also has about 32 U.S. Cobra gunships in its inventory. The MI-17 can perform more missions than the Cobra, which is primarily designed to fire air-to-ground missiles, the officials said.The operation is being organized by the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, which manages Pentagon foreign military sales.

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Pictures of Afghan Mi-35 in live firing exercise

The Afghan Air Force

by Dana Lewis

The Afghan air force suddenly has it’s version of guns in the sky. Old but deadly Russian Mi-35 attack helicopters, once used to kill Afghans during the Soviet invasion are now deployed to protect the Afghan army fighting terrorists.American air force Brig. General Walter Givhan tells me this is a proud moment for U.S. Trainers who have sowed the seeds for a rebirth of the Afghan air force.These pictures show live fire exercises of the Mi-35’s firing weapons. They will now be used to guard even Afghan President Karzai when he fly s in his Afghan helicopter. The Afghan airforce now numbers about 35 aircraft ranging from helicopters to transport planes and it’s growing.Many new Afghan pilots go to flight school in American for advanced training.The helicopters are old but fierce and a formidable airborne force against the Taliban resurgence.

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Sultanate Of Oman Acquires C-130J Super Hercules

Lockheed Martin has signed a contract with the Sultanate of Oman for a C-130J Super Hercules. The aircraft, to be delivered in mid-2012, is in the longer C-130J-30 configuration."The C-130J is ideally suited to the operating conditions found in Oman and other areas of the Gulf," said Jim Grant, vice president for business development at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics. "Again we see a country that has recognized all the proven qualities of this world–leading airlifter purchasing additional aircraft."Oman currently operates a fleet of three C-130Hs purchased in the early 1980s. The new C-130J will be used to further support Omani operations where its ability to operate out of remote austere airstrips will be invaluable.This order for Oman brings to 11 the number of countries that have acquired C-130Js. Other nations which are operating or have ordered the C-130J include Australia, Canada, Denmark, India, Iraq, Italy, Norway, Qatar, the United Kingdom and the United States.Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security company that employs about 146,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The corporation reported 2008 sales of $42.7 billion.

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France will ink civil nuclear deal in December: FO

Pak, France will ink civil nuclear deal in December: FO

Pakistan and France would sign civil nuclear deal in December. In a weekly press briefing, foreign office spokesman said initial negotiations for nuclear deal will be completed in July and the deal would be signed in December.He said Pakistan wants early resumption of talks with India but no conditions being attached for talks. Replying to a question regarding Kashmir issue, spokesman said there is no confusion or compromise made on Kashmir issue. He termed the statement of Indian external minister’s statement about restoration of peace as positive and said Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir would meet Indian High Commissioner today in this connection. Pakistan is in touch with US for the resolution of Kashmir issue.Foreign office spokesman said government is appealing against release of Hafiz Saeed and we will wait for verdict.

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U.S. Report Finds Errors in Afghan Airstrikes

A military investigation has concluded that American personnel made significant errors in carrying out some of the airstrikes in western Afghanistan on May 4 that killed dozens of Afghan civilians, according to a senior American military official. The official said the civilian death toll would probably have been reduced if American air crews and forces on the ground had followed strict rules devised to prevent civilian casualties. Had the rules been followed, at least some of the strikes by American warplanes against half a dozen targets over seven hours would have been aborted. The report represents the clearest American acknowledgment of fault in connection with the attacks. It will give new ammunition to critics, including many Afghans, who complain that American forces too often act indiscriminately in calling in airstrikes, jeopardizing the United States mission by turning the civilian population against American forces and their ally, the Afghan government. Since the raid, American military commanders have promised to address the problem. On Tuesday, Lt. Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, nominated to be the American commander in Afghanistan, vowed that reducing civilian casualties was “essential to our credibility.” Any American victory would be “hollow and unsustainable” if it led to popular resentment among Afghanistan’s citizens, General McChrystal told the Senate Armed Services Committee during a confirmation hearing. According to the senior military official, the report on the May 4 raids found that one plane was cleared to attack Taliban fighters, but then had to circle back and did not reconfirm the target before dropping bombs, leaving open the possibility that the militants had fled the site or that civilians had entered the target area in the intervening few minutes. In another case, a compound of buildings where militants were massing for a possible counterattack against American and Afghan troops was struck in violation of rules that required a more imminent threat to justify putting high-density village dwellings at risk, the official said. “In several instances where there was a legitimate threat, the choice of how to deal with that threat did not comply with the standing rules of engagement,” said the military official, who provided a broad summary of the report’s initial findings on the condition of anonymity because the inquiry was not yet complete. Before being chosen as the new commander in Afghanistan, General McChrystal spent five years as commander of the Joint Special Operations Command, overseeing commandos in Iraq and Afghanistan. Special Operations forces have been sharply criticized by Afghans for aggressive tactics that have contributed to civilian casualties. During his testimony, General McChrystal said that strikes by warplanes and Special Operations ground units would remain an essential part of combat in Afghanistan. But he promised to make sure that these attacks were based on solid intelligence and that they were as precise as possible. American success in Afghanistan should be measured by “the number of Afghans shielded from violence,” not the number of enemy fighters killed, he said. The inquiry into the May 4 strikes in the western province of Farah illustrated the difficult, split-second decisions facing young officers in the heat of combat as they balance using lethal force to protect their troops under fire with detailed rules restricting the use of firepower to prevent civilian deaths. In the report, the investigating officer, Brig. Gen. Raymond A. Thomas III, analyzed each of the airstrikes carried out by three aircraft-carrier-based Navy F/A-18 strike aircraft and an Air Force B-1 bomber against targets in the village of Granai, in a battle that lasted more than seven hours. In each case, the senior military official said, General Thomas determined that the targets that had been struck posed legitimate threats to Afghan or American forces, which included one group of Marines assigned to train the Afghans and another assigned to a Special Operations task force. But in “several cases,” the official said, General Thomas determined either that the airstrikes had not been the appropriate response to the threat because of the potential risk to civilians, or that American forces had failed to follow their own tactical rules in conducting the bombing runs. The Afghan government concluded that about 140 civilians had been killed in the attacks. An earlier American military inquiry said last month that 20 to 30 civilians had been killed. That inquiry also concluded that 60 to 65 Taliban militants had been killed in the fight. American military officials say their two investigations show that Taliban fighters had deliberately fired on American forces and aircraft from compounds and other places where they knew Afghan civilians had sought shelter, in order to draw an American response that would kill civilians, including women and children. The firefight began, the military said, when Afghan soldiers and police officers went to several villages in response to reports that three Afghan government officials had been killed by the Taliban. The police were quickly overwhelmed and asked for backup from American forces. American officials have said that a review of videos from aircraft weapon sights and exchanges between air crew members and a ground commander established that Taliban fighters had taken refuge in “buildings which were then targeted in the final strikes of the fight,” which went well into the night. American troop levels in Afghanistan are expected to double, to about 68,000, under President Obama’s new Afghan strategy.In his previous job as commander of the Joint Special Operations Command, General McChrystal oversaw units assigned to capture or kill senior militants. In his appearance before Congress on Tuesday, he was questioned on reports of abuses of detainees held by his commandos. Under questioning by Senator Carl Levin, the Michigan Democrat who is the committee chairman, General McChrystal said he was uncomfortable with some of the harsh techniques that were officially approved for interrogation. At the time, such approved techniques included stress positions, sleep deprivation and the use of attack dogs for intimidation.He said that all reports of abuse during his command were investigated, and that all substantiated cases of abuse resulted in disciplinary action. And he pledged to “strictly enforce” American and international standards for the treatment of battlefield detainees if confirmed to the post in Afghanistan. Under questioning, General McChrystal also acknowledged that the Army had “failed the family” in its mishandling of the friendly-fire death of Cpl. Pat Tillman, the professional football star who enlisted in the Army after the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.A final review by a four-star Army general cleared General McChrystal of any wrongdoing, but punished a number of senior officers who were responsible for administrative mistakes in the days after Corporal Tillman’s death. Initially, Army officials said the corporal had been killed by an insurgent ambush, when in fact he had been shot by members of his own Ranger team.

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Pakistan Navy to get first F-22P Frigate in August-09

Pakistan Navy would receive first of four state-of-the-art Frigates F-22P type in August this year while the second one in December-09 from China. “Construction of first two ships has already been completed and will be delivered to Pakistan Navy in August and December this year after successful completion of on going trials,” a media release issued by Pakistan Navy said here on Thursday. “Weapons systems to be installed on first ship have been successfully demonstrated at the optimum performances and ranges,” the media release said. Construction of the third F-22P Frigate is also progressing as per schedule. This ship has been successfully launched at Shanghai on May 28, 2009 in an impressive ceremony attended by both Pakistani and Chinese dignitaries. Construction of fourth ship was started in March this year at Karachi Shipyard and Engineering Works and will be delivered to Pakistan Navy in April 2013. Pakistan Navy is acquiring four new F-22P class frigates under collaboration with China as first three ships are being constructed at Hudong Shanghai and last one at Karachi Shipyard and Engineering works. F-22P frigates are equipped with modern weaponry and sensors. Each ship of them will carry Anti-submarine Z9EC helicopters. First batch of two helicopters has arrived in Pakistan. Induction of F-22P frigates will not only enhance the war fighting potential of Pakistan Navy but will also strengthen the indigenous ship building capability of the country.

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US to sell 'bunker-buster' bombs to South Korea

The United States has agreed to sell "bunker-buster" bombs to South Korea that are capable of destroying underground facilities in North Korea, a military official said Tuesday. Washington recently approved the sale of GBU-28 bombs, which were used during the 1990-91 Gulf War to destroy underground command centres in Iraq, a defence ministry official told AFP on condition of anonymity. The laser-guided bombs, which could be used to hit North Korean missiles and aircraft stored underground, will be delivered to South Korea between 2010 and 2014, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported. It said that in the event of war South Korean jet fighters would carry the bombs to attack underground targets such as North Korea's nuclear facilities and artillery hidden in caves. South Korea also plans to purchase other high-tech bombs such as JDAMs, JASSMs and GBU-24s, Yonhap said. GBU-24s perform better at low altitudes and under poor visibility conditions. JDAMs with global positioning systems would be effective against North Korean artillery while JASSMs are precision cruise missiles, Yonhap said. "These high-tech bombs are some of the most urgently needed weapons for us to deal with North Korean missile sites and artillery guns," a source told the news agency.Military officials here say the North's artillery deployed in tunnels along the border poses a serious threat to South Korea. General Walter Sharp, the top US commander in the South, said in April that the North has the world's largest artillery force. He said the North is believed to have some 13,000 artillery pieces deployed along the border. South Korea has generally favoured defence equipment from the United States, which has kept troops here since the 1950-53 Korean War to deter aggression by North Korea.More than 600,000 South Korean troops, backed by 28,500 US troops, are confronting the potential threat from the North's 1.1 million-strong military.

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Japan plans missile early warning system

Japan approved on Tuesday plans for a missile early warning system and some ruling party lawmakers suggested Japan should inspect North Korean ships, as a report said the North was preparing to fire a mid-range missile. Pyongyang's launch over Japan in April of what it said was a satellite-bearing rocket, followed by a nuclear test and several short-range missile launches last week, has raised tensions in Tokyo, which sees itself as a potential missile target. A space panel headed by Prime Minister Taro Aso agreed to the satellite missile detection plan as part of a new space policy document, a year after Japan dropped a decades-old ban on military use of space. Japan put four spy satellites into space following North Korea's 1998 launch of a long-range missile that flew over Japan, but the satellite information-gathering system is in need of updating. The new space policy says efforts would be made to increase the frequency at which photographs are taken of areas of concern, improve image quality and speed up the provision of information. The research will include efforts to develop an early warning sensor, the government said in the document. Japan, which has a history of rocky ties with North Korea for reasons ranging from its 1910 colonization of the Korean Peninsula to Pyongyang's abduction of Japanese citizens decades ago, has built up a missile defense system in cooperation with the United States. South Korea's Yonhap news agency said on Tuesday the North was preparing to fire a mid-range missile, capable of hitting almost anywhere in Japan, after reports a long-range missile could be fired in weeks. In a bid to put pressure on North Korea, a group of conservative ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) lawmakers said they had begun work on a bill that would allow Japan to inspect North Korean cargo ships, despite restrictions related to the country's pacifist constitution. Japan is pushing to include compulsory inspection of North Korean cargo ships among sanctions in a new U.N. Security Council resolution, but under current law, could not itself inspect ships unless Japan or nearby areas were under threat. Japan is a member of the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI), launched by the United States in 2003 to inspect ships and planes in an effort to curb the spread of nuclear technology and other weapons. But Japan's military activities are limited by its postwar pacifist constitution. Ichita Yamamoto, who heads the group, said it would try to pass a bill allowing Japan to inspect ships in the current parliamentary session ending in late July."The fact that the LDP is discussing this and that we are coming up with draft bills could send a message to North Korea," he told reporters after the group's meeting.But it was unclear how much support the bill would gather, because inspecting ships in international waters may be seen by North Korea as a step close to a declaration of war.

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U.S. Forces Korea to introduce Global Hawk in South Korea

The deputy commander of U.S. forces in South Korea said yesterday that the U.S. Air Force stationed in the South is fully ready to suppress and defeat North Korean aggression. Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Remington said this in an exclusive interview with The Dong-A Ilbo at his office in Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province. “The Korea-U.S. Combined Air Force is so strong that it can tackle any threat, not to mention aggression by the North Korean air force,” he said. Remington concurrently holds four posts: deputy commander of the U.N. Command; deputy commander of the U.S. Forces Korea; commander of the Air Component Command; and commander of the U.S. 7th Air Force. He said the main mission of the U.S. F-22 Stealth fighter fleets stationed in Guam, Alaska and Kadena, Japan, is countering a North Korean attack.

Remington added the U.S. Air Force Korea is seeking to modernize itself, including F-16 jet fighters deployed on the Korean Peninsula. The U.S. Air Force Korea will soon dismiss and retire high altitude U-2 reconnaissance planes in operation, and deploy ultra-high altitude unmanned reconnaissance planes, or Global Hawks, to introduce high-tech weapons more extensively.

If the South Korean Air Force also introduces and operates Global Hawks, the combined forces will significantly boost their joint surveillance capability, he said. “North Korea maintains a massive military force that is deemed the fourth strongest in the world, and has extensively positioned troops as special welfare and infantry forces, which rank among the largest and strongest in the world, on the inter-Korean border area,” Remington said. Pyongyang has demonstrated its nuclear capability through nuclear tests, posing a serious threat to the security of South Korea, he added. Remington also urged the international community to form a joint response at the U.N. level to counter the North’s series of military threats, pressing Pyongyang to immediately stop raising tension on the peninsula.

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Kuwait says Rafale worth "serious consideration"

Kuwait's defence minister said on Tuesday that buying Rafale fighter aircraft was worth "serious consideration", the official Kuwait News Agency reported."On a Rafale French military aircraft deal, Sheikh Jaber al-Hamad al-Sabah said the issue will be looked at, noting that the French aircraft's high quality and advanced technology demands serious consideration with regard to buying them," the agency said.French President Nicolas Sarkozy said in February that Paris and Kuwait were in talks on a possible sale of warships and 14-28 Rafale fighter aircraft. Dassault Aviation (AVMD.PA) has yet to find a foreign buyer for its Rafale aircraft.Sheikh Jaber, also deputy prime minister, said Kuwait's ruler discussed buying a nuclear reactor from France with Sarkozy during his visit to Kuwait in February. He gave no further details.Following a meeting with Sarkozy in Paris in March, Sheikh Jaber said that both countries will cooperate over nuclear energy for civilian use and hinted that Kuwait could take a stake in French nuclear group Areva

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Lockheed makes F-35 assembly offer to Israel

Lockheed Martin has made what is being described by sources as a "very general" offer to have Israel Aerospace Industries manufacture fuselage parts for it F-35 Joint Strike Fighter as part of its effort to encourage Israel to buy the aircraft as early as 2014. The Israeli air force has expressed its intention to purchase 25 F-35s with options for another 50, but the $135 million unit price for aircraft in its configuration has put the timing of the acquisition in question.In February 2002 Israel joined the JSF programme as a security co-operation participant, a relatively low status giving it some programme information.The air force and Israeli defence and aerospace industries are attempting through a special liaison office in Washington to influence the final configuration of F-35s for Israel, but their efforts have so far had little effect.

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Iran commissioned three new Ghadir-class submarines

Iran commissioned three new Ghadir-class submarines for its naval fleet at a Monday ceremony, bringing the total number of the sonar-evading vessels to seven. Iranian Defense Minister Mostafa Mohammad Najjar turned the three submarines over to naval officials at the Bandar Abbas port city near the Straits of Hormuz. Reports of the submarine in the Iranian Student News Agency say the launch is an effort to "arm the military with new strong capabilities."The Ghadir class is a smaller vessel with a displacement of around 120 tons. The semiofficial Fars News Agency in 2007 said the Ghadir class was equipped with stealth technology. The news comes amid a flurry of Iranian defense activity. Iran in May inaugurated a production line for a military hovercraft, dubbed the Younes 6. Meanwhile, Iran announced the military production of some 20 other military devices, including laser systems and electronic warfare devices. Production also began on a 40mm anti-cruise cannon dubbed Fath, which is capable of reaching targets as far as 7 miles away with a firing rate of 300 rounds per minute. The Sejjil-2 surface-to-surface solid-fuel missile, meanwhile, was launched in May with a range capable of reaching Israel.

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INS Brahmaputra on goodwill visit to Israel

India’s front-line warship INS Brahmaputra has arrived on a four-day goodwill visit to this northern coastal city to reaffirm old ties with Israel. “The visit shows the importance India attaches to its relationship with Israel. Not only that, it is also fitted with the ‘state-of-the-art’ Israeli Barak missile system as the first line of defence,” vessel commander Captain Philipose G. Pynumootil told a gathering on the ship. “The enthusiasm clearly shows that the Indian ship is in friendly waters. It is not only in Israel but a part of it is also Israeli,” India’s ambassador Navtej Sarna said, referring to the Barak system. Navy officials on board told PTI that Indian warships have regularly paid visits to ports in West Asia and East Africa reaffirming their peaceful presence and solidarity with countries in the region. Among the visitors was a former commander of the old INS Brahmaputra, Jack Japheth, now an Israeli citizen settled in Tel Aviv after retirement. INS Brahmaputra, one of the Indian Navy’s finest guided missile frigate, arrived here from Eritrea. It has a versatile suite of long range sensors, incorporating radars, sonars and electronic warfare equipment that enable her to simultaneously address threats in all three dimensions — surface, sub-surface and air.When needed, she can bring to bear awesome offensive or defensive fire power, with her wide-ranging top of the line ordnance.

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Air Force lags on sending spy planes to combat zones

By Tom Vanden Brook

The Air Force has failed to deploy new spy planes to Afghanistan and Iraq even though Defense Secretary Robert Gates has made it a priority to rush the aircraft to troops in combat, according to interviews with military officials and documents. Gates is concerned that the delivery of the planes to Afghanistan will be "out of synch" with 21,000 troops being sent there by President Obama for a summer offensive against Taliban insurgents, said Geoff Morrell, a Pentagon spokesman. The planes are two to three months behind schedule, according to the Air Force. "The bottom line is that Secretary Gates is impatient when it comes to getting war fighters the tools they need to be successful," Morrell said. The twin-engine spy planes are the backbone of Project Liberty, a program Gates began in July 2008. He directed the Air Force to buy 37 commercial planes and equip them with cameras and sensors to track insurgents. The planes, which carry a crew of four, are intended to complement the Predator and Reaper drones that beam video images of insurgent activity to troops in combat and to commanders worldwide by satellite.

The first plane was scheduled to be deployed April 15, and about four of them by June, Air Force documents show. To date, none has been deployed. The first plane will be used on a mission before mid-June, said Air Force Brig. Gen. James Poss, director of intelligence for the Air Combat Command. He estimated that 30 of the planes will be in Afghanistan and Iraq within a year. Similar technology has been used successfully in Iraq for Task Force Odin, Gates told the Senate last month. That task force has helped destroy networks that plant roadside bombs, the top killer of U.S. troops. Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, called airborne reconnaissance missions "absolutely critical" to protect troops in convoys and allow commanders real-time information from the battlefield. Without them, troops will have to limit operations, he said. The "bottleneck" has been equipping the planes with improved intelligence-gathering equipment, said Air Force Lt. Gen. John Koziol, director of the Pentagon's Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Task Force. The Pentagon has added three round-the-clock production lines "to speed up the process," he said. Other complications include ensuring that the planes can communicate with the National Security Agency, the training of crews and the development of tactics for the planes' use by soldiers and Marines, Poss said. "It was a pretty dadgum aggressive schedule that we did from the very beginning," he said. In such a project, he said, "you have to accept some kind of delay."The first seven Project Liberty planes, with sensors and communication equipment, cost $14.7 million apiece, and the next group of 24 planes will cost $21 million each. There is no cost estimate for the last six planes, according to the Air Force. Gates has moved decisively to address needs of troops in combat. He made a priority of fielding Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) trucks to protect troops from roadside bombs, pushed for more drone missions and ordered more helicopters to Afghanistan to speed the wounded to hospitals. Last year, Gates chided the Air Force, saying that getting the service to fly more spy planes was "like pulling teeth." Gates has proposed adding $2 billion in the 2010 budget to expand surveillance programs and has asked for nearly $5 billion in the past two years, Morrell said.

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RMAF MIG29 Jets To Be Phased Out:Defence Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi

The MIG-29N fighter jets of the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) will be replaced with other interceptor jets to strengthen the force.Defence Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the matter had been discussed with RMAF chief General Tan Sri Azizan Ariffin and the aircraft would be replaced soon."I have decided that from next month, the aircraft be phased out and we should find a way to sell them to certain companies or countries approved by the United Nations," he told reporters after visiting the victims of a storm in Rungkup, here, Monday.On the Sukhoi fighter jets received recently, he said the preparedness of the squadron stationed at the RMAF base in Gong Kedak, Kelantan had been proven as the members had received sufficient simulator training and other forms of training continuously.On the 1Malaysia concept in the Malaysian Armed Forces, he said the ministry had carried out the 1Malaysia 1Force campaign through the concept of holistic defence and encouraging all races to join the territorial army.In another development, Ahmad Zahid said the federal government had agreed to provide assistance to the storm victims in the Bagan Datoh parliamentary constituency with the involvement of 98 soldiers from the army's 2nd Division.He said the Engineers Corps and Infantry brigade would rebuild or repair the homes damaged by the storm early last Saturday morning. The work will take about two weeks.In the storm, the roofs of 408 houses were damaged or blown off, while 32 houses were badly damaged.

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MST unveiling new products at Seawork 2009

MST (Marine Specialised Technology) unveils its new 10.5m Wheelhouse RIB, a 6.20m workboat (for the Pakistan Navy) and a high specification 5m craft at Seawork 2009.MST at Seawork 2009Leading UK based RIB manufacturer MST (Marine Specialised Technology) is returning to Seawork in 2009 and is exhibiting some of its most recent (and exciting) models at the show.Over the years, MST has won ever-increasing numbers of orders from Coastguard, Customs, Police and Military clients. And the craft being exhibited at Seawork demonstrate MST’s specialist design and production capabilities. The 10.5m Wheelhouse RIB will be at MST’s pontoon berth 53 and is the third of a five boat order placed by a Scandinavian client.Powered by twin diesel Hamilton Waterjets, this 10.5 m craft is capable of 45 knots. The design incorporates a single point lift system for launching and retrieving. In addition, the craft has a 48 hour autonomy capability from its mother ship – so incorporates onboard accommodation for the crew with WC. With the need for stability and speeds of up to 29 knots with ten people on board and 39 knots with two people on board, the 5m RIB on MST’s stand (166) had high specification demands to meet. Its flooding hull design (200 kg of ballast) and hybrid collars which combine pneumatic benefits with the durability and additional benefits of a foam collar - provide exceptional stability.The modular design provides easy maintenance and with a Yamaha100 force, 4 stroke -engine, the speed specification was met and exceeded. The exhibited boat is the sixth of an order for ten. Customised production models are an important part of MST’s portfolio and the 6.20m RIB being exhibited is the second of a pair of boats destined for the Pakistan Navy. In total 8 will be supplied to new F22P Frigates where they will be launched from a 2 pt davit, twin fall system. Powered by Volvo Penta D3 rated 190hp driving VP SX Sterndrives, the craft is capable of speeds of up to 37 knots.These prestigious contracts are yet another success story for MST, which has been one of the British marine industry’s leading lights since its inception in 2002. Its high-tech range of GRP, aluminium and advanced composite hulled RIBs (from 4.8 to 21m in length) has expanded and is winning a major share of the commercial RIB market. MST’s principal buyers are ‘business (or National Authority) to business’ – and Seawork has contributed to expanding this network. MST recently expanded its manufacturing facility to over 20,000 sq.ft. and anticipates increasing its turnover to over £5million by mid 2009. MST – which currently has numerous active agents in Europe, the Middle East, the Far East, and the Pacific – has found exhibiting at Seawork to be an excellent way of further extending its sphere of activities and client base.

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Problems for U.S. Russian Helicopter Order

The U.S. Army signed off on an unusual procurement contract in December 2007: A $322-million order for 22 Russian helicopters bought through a U.S. defense company for Iraq. The contract was a rush order, designed to deliver Mi-17 helicopters in a bid to quickly reequip the Iraqi air force and allow it to perform counterinsurgency operations. But 18 months after signing, not a single helicopter has been delivered, despite full payment. The Army now concedes the contract is over budget and nearly a year behind schedule.Such are the perils of buying Russian equipment through the U.S. Foreign Military Sales (FMS) system, a unique requirement that is rapidly escalating into the billions of dollars for Iraq and Afghanistan.Buying Mi-17s, and other Russian equipment, for the Iraqi military seems logical. The Iraqis flew and maintained Soviet (now Russian) aircraft in the Saddam Hussein era. Another important feature: Russian rotorcraft are significantly cheaper than U.S. helicopters, at least in theory.The Mi-17 is the export designation for the Mi-8 airframe (NATO designation “Hip”), and after 40 years the aircraft still has brisk sales, with new orders from India, China, Pakistan and Colombia, among others. That has been good news for the factories that produce Mi-17s: Ulan Ude and Kazan. Just a few years ago, work at the plants had slowed to a crawl, but now even getting a slot in the production line can be a challenge.The U.S. Defense Dept. dubs the aircraft destined for Iraq as counterterrorism helicopters. They are designed to insert and extract special forces “and provide limited air assault capability to clear and hold a landing zone, [and] provide self-protection . . . against insurgent small arms fire and SAM defenses.” The helicopters will have Western-style cockpits and modifications that include Flir Systems’ AN/AAQ-22 Star Safire electro-optical sensor and monitor; identification-friend-or-foe system with encryption; AN/AAR-60 Milds (missile-launch detection system) from EADS; and VHF/UHF/HF radios.When the helicopter contract was awarded to Arinc of Annapolis, Md., a communications and engineering company, it was, by everyone’s admission, an unusual sale. While the Army has bought Russian helicopters in the past—and modified them with Western cockpits—it never bought anything in the quantity seen for the Iraqi FMS case.In a controversial move, the Army’s Threat Systems Management Office in Huntsville, Ala., sole-sourced the contract to Arinc, rather than soliciting multiple bids. That raised questions about procurement cost. In 2001, the price of a newly refurbished Mi-17 was between $1.2 and 1.7 million, while a helicopter fresh off the production line went for around $3 million. The cost has since more than doubled, with vendors quoting new Mi-17s at around $7.5 million. But the Mi-17s for Iraq are sold for more than twice that price—between $13 and $16 million per helicopter (cost varies depending on the batch and whether spare parts and other equipment are included).Part of what drove up costs is the unusual way the contract was structured: Although Arinc is the prime contractor, it’s working essentially as an arms broker. And rather than buying the aircraft from the factory, Arinc has a contract with Air Freight Aviation, a Russian company based in the United Arab Emirates. Air Freight Aviation buys the helicopters from the Mi-17 plant at Ulan Ude and modifies them at its UAE facility.This arrangement has led to cost overruns and delays. The helicopters were supposed to be delivered starting in February, but the Defense Dept. concedes that the date for first delivery has slipped to 2010, and the contract is between 5 and 10% over the original $322-million budget. Officials insist, however, that the plan is to catch up with deliveries, completing the full contract on schedule. As of now, however, none of the helicopters has left Ulan Ude.Army officials defend the sale, arguing that the urgency of the requirement and the uniqueness of buying Russian equipment necessitated going with Arinc as a sole source. Arinc, despite its lack of experience buying Mi-17s, was selected as the contractor because the company was already in Iraq performing maintenance work on the nascent Iraqi air force’s skeleton fleet, which included older Mi-17s and Bell helicopters. Arinc also claimed to Army officials it had an exclusive relationship with the Mil helicopter plant—the design bureau. (Iraq’s Mi-17 requirement was, however, known for several years before the contract was signed, and there are over half a dozen U.S. companies with experience buying Russian helicopters and parts for the U.S. government.)To some extent, the Mi-17s illustrate the problems that have plagued weapon sales to Iraq. Since the FMS process started with Iraq in 2005, approximately $4.5 billion has been spent, but less clear is how much of that equipment has been delivered. Going through FMS—rather than direct commercial sales—was meant to avoid the mistakes and corruption that plague direct sales. In one now-infamous case, Iraq entered into a contract to buy Mi-17s from a Polish company—most of the helicopters ended up being too old or in no condition to fly.The FMS process is meant to protect Iraq from these problems, says U.S. Air Force Col. Lawrence Avery, deputy director of the security assistance office in the Multinational Security Transition Command-Iraq. “[They] view FMS as the anticorruption mechanism for their government, because nobody can get their hands on the money, nobody decides who the contracts go to,” he told reporters in a recent conference call. “That’s all done through the U.S. acquisition system.”But officials in Baghdad cite delays and confusion about the FMS process. The sales become even more convoluted when they involve a U.S. procurement process cross-matched with Russian weapons. In one particularly frustrating case, the Iraqis initiated—then canceled—a large order for BTR-3E1 armored personnel carriers that were to be bought from Ukraine through FMS.Defense Dept. officials concede that they made mistakes in the Mi-17 case for Iraq, but defend the overall process. While U.S. officials downplay the Russian FMS cases—noting they are the exception, not the rule—the truth is that these sales could prove more common over the next few years as attention moves to Afghanistan. The Pentagon has already approved a “pseudo-FMS” case for the purchase of 10 helicopters for Afghanistan for $177.5 million. That contract also went to Arinc.While FMS may guard against outright corruption, it has not done much in the case of the Mi-17s to prevent delays, or even guarantee reasonable costs. If there’s a lesson from the Iraqi helicopter case, it may be that the U.S. acquisition system is a poor conduit for Russian weaponry.“FMS works best when you buy and use what the U.S. military is buying and using, because if we give you a price on that, we’re probably pretty good about it,” says Avery. “If we’re buying equipment from countries and companies that we’ve never worked with, every problem that we run into is a new problem.”

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