Australia's Wedgetail on track for November delivery

Max Blenkin

Australia's first two Wedgetail surveillance aircraft remain on target for delivery by the end of November, but full capability of the advanced radar could still be two years away.The aircraft was now ready to be used for training and initial operations, director of the Wedgetail project Air Vice Marshal Chris Deeble said."But there are some aspects of the radar that we are going to have to further develop," he told reporters in Seattle."There is more work that we are going to have to do which may take a up to a couple of years beyond where we are to get to that final stage."Under the $3 billion Wedgetail program, Australia is buying six Boeing 737 aircraft equipped with the advanced MESA radar, able to watch over a vast area of sky and direct fighters to intercept intruders.The aircraft were slated for introduction to service in 2006 but technical problems with the radar have resulted in major delays, leading to speculation within defence the project might need to be cancelled.There now have been significant advances.A study conducted by US radar expert Lincoln Laboratories concluded the radar architecture was fundamentally sound.And real-life trials conducted over the Northern Territory concluded the radar worked effectively at controlling fighter interception of intruders, subject to some reservations.The key remaining radar problems relate to its clutter performance - the ability to detect targets such as low-flying aircraft against a ground or water backdrop in certain circumstances - side lobes - extraneous radar signals which could create false images - and stability, where some combinations of operator commands cause mission computers to halt temporarily or even lock up.Two aircraft, with limited capability, will be delivered to the RAAF on November 30, with four others - in full configuration - delivered between March and September 2010.The first two aircraft will then be upgraded to full specification.Boeing says it is proud to have its name on the Wedgetail, describing it as a highly-advanced capability."This is so frigging powerful," Wedgetail project manager Maureen Dougherty said."The Australian people are going to be so proud of this capability."

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Helicopter crash kills six in Afghanistan

A helicopter carrying civilian contractors working for foreign troops in Afghanistan crashed on Tuesday in the south of the country killing at least six people on board, NATO said.It was not immediately clear why the helicopter came down in the Sangin district of Helmand province, where US Marines, British and Afghan forces are pressing assaults against Taliban strongholds in the run-up to key elections. "At around 9:00 am (0430 GMT) this morning, a private helicopter has crashed outside Sangin military base.We have at least six people killed," said a spokesman for the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). "The passengers were all civilians," he added, speaking from the biggest NATO base in southern Afghanistan at Kandahar. Another ISAF spokesman said the aircraft was carrying civilian contractors, but their nationalities were not immediately known and it was not clear how many people were on board.

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Tejas may skip operational clearance deadline

Ravi Sharma

Worried over the pace of the indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas programme, the Indian Air Force has suggested that the deadline for the fighter’s initial operational clearance (IOC) be postponed. According to the latest schedules, the IOC is December 2010. But with a number of issues dogging the design and development of the fighter, the postponement was suggested during last week’s ‘monthly review meeting.’ Senior officials from the designers, the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA), the IAF (including the newly appointed Deputy Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal N.V. Tyagi) and the manufacturer, Hindustan Aeronautics, were present. Highly placed sources told The Hindu that the software integration of crucial equipment like the Israeli-built multimode radar (MMR) with the aircraft was yet to be completed. The lack of a radar meant that crucial points on the flight envelope were yet to be tested.The ADA has still not provided HAL with the digital flight control computer and air data computers which have to be integrated into the LCA programme’s Limited Series Production 3 (LSP3) aircraft. The new LSP3, which was scheduled to make its first flight in June 2008, is now expected to do so only in September. Both the IAF and the ADA have bemoaned the low sortie generation by HAL. Just 11 sorties were undertaken in April, 24 in May and 23 in June. Officials claim that a minimum run rate of 30 sorties a month is required to meet the present IOC deadline. With this in mind, a plan to prepare two aircraft for flying in the forenoon and one in the afternoon was worked out. But this has not fructified.HAL officials, however, deny that sortie generation is the primary reason behind the delays. “With two aircraft withdrawn from the flight test programme, we have just five aircraft to generate sorties,” said an official. “And even the available aircraft are not fully fitted to undertake the flights that are required. We have even painted LSP3 in its new colour [grey] and are ready. LSP4 will have its ground run before the end of July and the fuselages for LSP5 and LSP6 are ready. On six occasions in June while the aircraft was prepared and the weather good, there were no pilots.” Officials said the IAF was aware of the shortage of test pilots at the National Flight Test Centre (the LCA is flown exclusively by these pilots) and was looking to increase their number.

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RAAF'a Super Hornets to be ready next year

THE air force will have 12 new front-line, multi-role fighter jets ready to send to Afghanistan by the end of 2010.Australia will come under growing pressure to take over from the Dutch when they withdraw forces, including the Kandahar-based F-16 fighter jets, from southern Afghanistan late next year.The Dutch planes regularly support Australian ground troops in Oruzgan Province.By December 2010, the RAAF's No 1 Squadron of 12 Boeing Super Hornet fighters will be at its Amberley base in Queensland and ready to go."They will be able to be deployed to wherever the Government wants to deploy them," air force chief Air Marshal Mark Binskin said.After accepting the first jet yesterday at Boeing's factory in St Louis, Missouri, Air Marshal Binskin said the Super Hornet – with its state-of-the-art radars and other systems – was an ideal platform to support troops on the ground in Afghanistan and elsewhere.He also said that while there was no "dedicated" plan to deploy RAAF fighter jets to Afghanistan, "as a force, we have the capability to do it".The first of the $60 million, two-seat fighters in RAAF colours rolled off the production line yesterday.Dozens of air force personnel, led by Air Marshal Binskin, joined about 1000 guests for the unveiling ceremony. They included Group Captain Steve "Zed" Roberton, who will command the Super Hornet Wing, and a team of RAAF pilots and support staff posted to the US Naval Air Station at Lemoore in California. where they are training with the U.S. Navy. The 24 new fighters will be known by their U.S. Navy designation of "rhino" and will replace the RAAF's 40-year-old F-111 jets, known fondly as "pigs".The F-111s have become the most expensive air force planes in history to operate, requiring a huge 180 hours of maintenance for every one hour in the air. "It is a big, beefy-looking aircraft. so we will go with the rhino," Air Marshal Binskin said of the new design.

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France Preps Arms Package for Pakistan

By USMAN ANSARI

France is preparing a comprehensive defense package to offer to Pakistan for its counterterrorism operations in the North West Frontier Province bordering Afghanistan, according to a spokesman at the French defense section at Paris' Embassy here.Local media had reported a possible Franco-Pakistani defense deal in early July.Related TopicsThe spokesman said that the deal would include weapons and training, but gave no further details.."Nothing has been agreed, but a lot of things have been discussed. The main issue is to help Pakistan in the area of counterterrorism," he said.As for media reports that an agreement had been reached to sell the Franco-German Tiger attack helicopter to Islamabad, the spokesman dismissed them as "a media buzz."The spokesman said the larger deal might be concluded when French President Nicholas Sarkozy visits sometime after Sept. 21.France is already working to remedy a shortage of helicopters that has hindered the Pakistan Army during its counterterrorism operations in the North West Frontier Province. The French have returned Pakistan's Puma transport and utility helicopters to full operational status. They are also providing the armed variant of the AS550 Fennec light helicopter, which will join the unarmed Ecureuil variant that is in service with Pakistan Army Aviation.However, the Tiger gunship, if it is included in the package, may not be suitable for Pakistan's needs, said defense analyst Haris Khan of the Pakistan Military Consortium.Khan said the Pakistan Army needs extra gunships "immediately," but he noted that the most obvious source, Washington, is unable to meet the need. Pakistan had hoped to acquire the AH-64 Apache, but no funds are available for the purchase.Additional AH-1F Cobras are also unlikely to materialize soon because, he said, "it takes close to 24 to 36 months to refurbish a stored AH-1 S/F and make it fully combat-operational."However, a spokesman for the defense section in the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad said Pakistan had previously declined an offer of further refurbished Cobras."Through Foreign Military Financing [FMF], the U.S. provided 12 refurbished AH-1Fs to Pakistan in 2007. Pakistan used U.S. grants to pay for the refurbishments. Also through FMF, the U.S. offered to refurbish an additional eight Pakistan Army AH-1F Cobras; however, Pakistan decided not to pursue this course of action," he said.Khan said the only other U.S. option also comes with a considerable time delay."The U.S. has indicated that they are willing and able to release close to 14 AH-1W Super Cobras immediately, but first Pakistan Army pilots and technicians would need to be trained. Therefore, the Pakistan Army would be looking at another 10 to 12 months before it wears Pakistani colors," he said.Khan said Pakistan's needs would best be met by the South African AH-2 Rooivalk."It is hard-hitting, rugged, needs little support, the Pakistan Army is familiar with the Puma platform [upon which it is based] and has expertise with it, and it suits Pakistan's industrial base to a large degree."But he said the Rooivalk program is now all but at a premature end, and Islamabad lacks the finances to revive and purchase it from the South Africans. ■

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Israel orders 1st stealth F-35 squadron

Israel moved a step closer to receiving its first stealth fighter jets this week after the Israel Air Force submitted an official Letter of Request (LOR) to the Pentagon to purchase its first squadron of 25 F-35 stealth fighter jets. Also known as the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF), the F-35 will be one of the most-advanced fighter jets in the world and will enable Israel to phase out some of its older F-15 and F-16 models. The JSF is manufactured by Lockheed Martin. Defense officials said that while the LOR was submitted this week, negotiations regarding the final price of the plane - estimated at around $100 million - as well as the integration of Israeli systems would continue. The LOR will be followed by the signing of a contract in the beginning of 2010. The first aircraft are scheduled to arrive in Israel in 2014. The first stage of the deal will be the purchase of 25 aircraft, which will compromise the first Israeli F-35 squadron. In a later stage, the IAF plans to purchase an additional 50 aircraft, some of them with vertical take-off and landing capabilities. According to senior IDF officers, the Defense Ministry and the Pentagon have reached understandings on most of the major issues that have been at the core of disagreement between the sides. Israeli demands have focused on three issues - the integration of Israeli-made electronic warfare systems into the plane, the integration of Israeli communication systems and the ability to independently maintain the plane in the event of a technical or structural problem.

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'Sex plot' thickens as sailors sent home

A GROUP of sailors from HMAS Success has been sent home and an inquiry is underway after they allegedly plotted a challenge to have sex with as many female crewmates as possible.The sailors allegedly detailed their plot in a document called “The Ledger” where dollar values were placed on each woman's head, during an overseas deployment in May, Channel Seven reports. Larger amounts were offered if the sailors could sleep with a female officer or a lesbian and sailors challenged each other to have sex in various locations, including on top of a pool table, the report said. The arrangement was discovered while HMAS Success was visiting Singapore. The captain ordered the sailors to immediately return home to Australia after they were formally interviewed. The Defence Department has launched a formal inquiry into the incident and confirmed an unspecified number of sailors from the Success, one of the fleet's biggest ships, returned to Australia in May. ”The matter concerning sailors who were returned to Australia from HMAS Success in May 2009 remains under investigation, so the veracity of any allegations has yet to be confirmed,” Defence said in a statement to the Seven Network. ”The individuals were removed from the ship after an equity and diversity health check, which led to a formal inquiry being initiated. ”During the equity and diversity health check a number of concerns were raised by female crew members. These concerns are now subject to formal inquiry.” The statement said the navy demands a working environment “free from unacceptable behaviour”. It warns all of its staff to “treat others fairly” and that any form of unacceptable behaviour “will be dealt with”.

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Kranopol ammo for Indian Army guns proved to be duds

About 3,000 rounds of Russian Krasnopol ammunition, meant for the Army's Bofors 155mm artillery guns and worth Rs 526 crore, have proved to be duds, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) said today.The CAG report for 2008-09 tabled in the Rajya Sabha rapped the Defence Ministry for spending such a huge sum "without adhering to procurement norms" that mandated trails before buying the ammunition from KBP Tula of Russia."Thus, procurement of ammunition without adhering to the procurement norms led to unfruitful expenditure of Rs 526 crore. Such procurement of defective quality ammunition adversely impact operational preparedness of the Army," the report said.The ammunition is fired from the 155mm Bofors guns for destruction of enemy armour, high-value mechanised forces and static pinpoint targets, both during offensive and defensive operations.

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India to begin assembly of Russia's MBT T-90

In July India is to begin assembly of Russia's main battle tank, the T-90. Up to now the country has bought only fully assembled tanks, but now it will build them with parts supplied by Russia.
Yahoo StumbleUpon Google Live Technorati Scoop del.icio.us Digg Sphinn Furl Reddit The plan was announced at the Seventh International Exhibition of Arms, Military Equipment and Ammunition which is underway in the Urals.

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Indian Army bought choppers with technical flaws

The 40 indigenously-built advanced light helicopters (ALHs) the Indian Army has bought for Rs 1,747 crore (Rs 356 million) have a technical flaw that prevents them from flying to heights of 6,500 metres, thus affecting operational preparedness in high altitude areas like the Siachen glacier, India's audit watchdog says."The ALH was not able to fly above 5,000 metres, though the army's requirement stipulated an ability to fly upto 6,500 metres. This deficiency was because of the limitation of the engine used in ALHs," the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) said in his report released on Friday. The army needs choppers of the ALH category for quick movement of troops and logistics in operational areas, including in the extreme weather conditions of the Siachen Glacier. The helicopters are also meant to enhance surveillance capabilities. The Indian Army bought the ALHs despite other shortcomings like unacceptably high vibration levels. According to the report, the army ordered the ALHs after its manufacturer Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) said it would develop a more powerful engine to replace the existing power plant. "HAL, however, failed to overcome the shortcomings in the ALH even after five years as of December 2006. The inability to fly above 5,000 metres was due to the inability of HAL to reduce the empty weight of the helicopter as had been assured to the government," the CAG report said. "The army is compelled to rely on the old fleet of single engine Cheetah and Chetak helicopters which are of more than 30 years old technology," it added. "Failure of the army to acquire suitable ALHs timely has led to considerable dealy in de-induction of old fleet of Cheetah and Chetak helicopters, which may impact operational preparedeness of the army adversely, especially in high altitude areas in forward locations," the report maintained.

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Boeing has unveiled the first of 24 F/A-18F Block II Super Hornets for RAAF

Boeing unveiled the first of 24 F/A-18F Block II Super Hornets for the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) during a ceremony at Boeing Integrated Defense Systems' production facilities in St. Louis. The aircraft will be delivered later this month, three months ahead of schedule."The Super Hornet is on its way to delivering advanced combat capabilities to the Royal Australian Air Force," said Bob Gower, Boeing vice president of F/A-18 and EA-18 Programs. "Cooperation and great teamwork on the part of Australia's Defence Materiel Organisation, the Royal Australian Air Force, the U.S. Navy and the Hornet Industry Team have enabled the first RAAF Super Hornet to be delivered within budget and ahead of schedule."The remaining 23 Super Hornets, each equipped with the Raytheon-built APG-79 Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar, will be delivered to the RAAF throughout 2010 and 2011."The RAAF Super Hornet will bring a new generation of air power to Australia," said Group Capt. Steve Roberton, Head Air Combat Transition Office, RAAF. "Its advanced, networked weapons system will deliver enhanced air combat capability across the spectrum of air-to-air, strategic land attack and maritime strike, which is so important for Australia. It is a true multirole aircraft and there's a lot of excitement on the ground in the Air Combat Group about its arrival."The Australian government announced in March 2007 that it would acquire 24 of the F/A-18F multirole fighters, making that country the first international Super Hornet customer."The rollout of the first RAAF Block II Super Hornet is an important and exciting milestone for all of the Australian and U.S. team members, who have accomplished a great deal of significant work to make this event possible," said U.S. Navy Capt. Mark Darrah, F/A-18 and EA-18 program manager, PMA-265. "Our long and successful relationship has been mutually beneficial during the RAAF classic Hornet program, and taking this next logical step with the acquisition of the Super Hornet is a win-win for both nations. The Super Hornet's inherent tactical capabilities and ability to force multiply speak for themselves."The Block II F/A-18E/F Super Hornet is a multirole aircraft, able to perform virtually every mission in the tactical spectrum, including air superiority, day/night strike with precision-guided weapons, fighter escort, close air support, suppression of enemy air defenses, maritime strike, reconnaissance, forward air control and tanker missions. Boeing has delivered more than 395 F/A-18E/Fs to the U.S. Navy. Every Super Hornet produced has been delivered on or ahead of schedule.A unit of The Boeing Company, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is one of the world's largest space and defense businesses specializing in innovative and capabilities-driven customer solutions, and the world's largest and most versatile manufacturer of military aircraft. Headquartered in St. Louis, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is a $32 billion business with 70,000 employees worldwide.

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Russia Says Indian Frigates Will Arrive on Time

The Indian Navy has been assured timely delivery of three stealth frigates under construction from Russia. The commitment from Moscow comes even as there is uncertainty on the delivery of the aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshokov and the nuclear submarines under construction in Russia.A senior Indian Defence Ministry official said Moscow communicated to Indian authorities last month during what he called "high-level meetings" that the delivery schedule of the three stealth frigates to the Indian Navy will be on time.Final delivery of the frigates is 2012, with the first to arrive by year's end, added the Defence Ministry official.Russia is building the three frigates at the Yantar shipyard in Russia' Baltic exclave of Kaliningrad as part of a $1.6 billion contract signed in July 2006. It will be armed with the Indo-Russian-developed 300-kilometer-range BrahMos supersonic cruise missile, enhancing India's blue water capabilities. Russia built in 2004 three Krivak-class frigates for India but all were delivered late.

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Two-Decade LCA Engine Effort Stalls

India's 20-year, nearly $500 million effort to develop a homegrown engine for the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) has come to a standstill with the Air Force rejection of a co-development offer from France's Snecma. An Indian Air Force official said the service now will have to search for an off-the-shelf engine overseas to power the aircraft. India's Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE) was developing the Kaveri engine to power the LCA. Trying to integrate nearly 16,000 parts and subsystems became too complicated and in 2005, the Kaveri engine caught fire when it was first tested on board a Tupolev-16 aircraft in Russia. GTRE began looking for co-development partners, and after an international tender was released in 2007, NPO Saturn of Russia and Snecma of France were invited to participate but only Snecma of France was short-listed. GTRE has developed nine prototypes of the Kaveri, but the engine was found to be heavier than the required 8.5 tons and provided less thrust than needed to power the LCA, according to a GTRE scientist. The first lot of 40 LCAs being introduced, beginning in 2010, will be powered by the GE 404 engine, but the next batch of aircraft will include several features added by the Air Force that increase the weight of the aircraft by 2 tons. The GE 404 will not be powerful enough to fly the heavier plane, the Air Force official said. New LCAs with bigger engines will be inducted at a later stage. The EJ 200 engine of Eurojet Turbo of Germany and higher thrust GE 414 engine are the two main contenders. Both Eurojet Turbo and General Electric have given demonstrations of their engines.

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First Refurbished G.222 Ready for Afghan Air Force

Alenia Aeronautica has rolled out in Naples the first of 18 G.222 aircraft it is refurbishing for entry into service with the Afghan Air Force, the company said July 6.The aircraft, which were originally flown by the Italian Air Force, were purchased from Alenia in September by the U.S. Air Force, which will hand them over to Afghanistan after Alenia has modernized the aircraft with new systems and avionics.As Italy's new C-27J tactical transport enters service with the Italian Air Force, it has been handing its older G.222s back to Alenia Aeronautica, which built them.The U.S. Air Force contract, signed with Alenia North America, is worth $287 million, Alenia said. The first flight of the upgraded G.222 aircraft is expected by the end of July and the delivery of the aircraft will begin in September. Two of the aircraft, which were built between 1977 and 1985, will be configured for VIP transport.The turbo prop G.222 remained in service with the Italian Air Force until 2005. It was also used by the U.S. Air Force in the 1990s under the name C-27A. Alenia said the aircraft was still in service with the Nigerian Air Force, the Royal Thai Air Force, the Argentine Army, the U.S. State Department and the Italian Air Force in electronic warfare version.

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India Blacklist Derails ST. Kinetics' Howitzer

Singapore Technologies Kinetics Ltd (ST Kinetics), which was blacklisted by the Indian government in early June, said it has still not received any official advisory from the Indian authority on the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on the decision. The company said the blacklisting move came the same day as a decision by the Indian Ministry of Defence (MoD) to put off the trials of ST Kinetics' ultra-light howitzer guns, which were set for trials in India on June 5. "ST Kinetics has since approached the authority for clarifications and presented to the Ministry of Defence a list of all our business activities in India," said a company news release issued Tuesday. "While awaiting a response from the MoD, we have offered all cooperation to assist with any investigation as appropriate and hope that the MoD will quickly review the matter and clear ST Kinetics' reputation."ST Kinetics is one of seven companies blacklisted by the MoD on June 5; the move came after names from the firms surfaced in alleged corruption charges against Sudipta Ghosh, former director general of the Ordnance Factory, and has put on hold all acquisition cases in the pipeline for those companies.The MoD's decision followed advisement from the CBI, which is probing the corruption charges against Ghosh.Sources in the MoD say the 155mm/39-caliber ultra light howitzer gun program, for which ST Kinetics was a bidder, will now be put out for new bids.ST Kinetics said in its release, "If the reports are true, it would be extremely unfair to ST Kinetics, who has rigorously followed the tender process. As part of a public listed Group, ST Kinetics is a responsible company bound by stringent corporate governance. We reiterate that all our actions in the bidding process are above board,"The Defence Ministry last year issued the request for proposals (RFP) to purchase the ultra-light howitzer guns. The RFP was sent to Singapore Technologies and BAE Systems.ST Kinetics said in its statement that after being short-listed in the 155mm gun program, the company chartered a C-130 from Lynden Air Charter to transport the equipment from Singapore to India. "The equipment arrived in India on 29 May 2009. It was positioned and ready for trials on 5 June 2009. In the evening of the same day, the Indian MoD informed ST Kinetics of the trials postponement."

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India’s first nuclear powered submarine To be launched soon

After a seemingly endless wait, the floodgates in the drydock where India’s first nuclear powered submarine is being built, will finally be opened to the sea. One of the dates being considered for the launch of what is euphemistically called the ‘Advanced Technology Vessel (ATV)’ at Visakhapatnam’s Naval Dockyard is July 26,other possible date could be 15 of August.
The date marks Vijay Diwas, the 10th anniversary of the eviction of Pakistani intruders from the Kargil heights. The launch of the 6,000-tonne submarine—for long one of India’s most closely guarded defence secrets—is part of a joint navy and DRDO project to provide a secure secondstrike capability or the ability to launch nuclear weapons from underwater without detection. The sub (a modified design of Russia’s Charlie class nuclear powered submarine which India leased and used as the INS Chakra for three years) will make India the sixth country in the world to operate an N-sub. The launch is only the first step in a two-year process where the submarine will undergo harbour trials of its nuclear reactor and systems before the vital sea trials. Two more hulls are ready for fabrication at the Shipbuilding Centre, a drydock in the Naval Dockyard.

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Indian Navy to test Derby AAM from upgraded Sea Harrier

Navy to test Derby AAM from upgraded Sea Harrier

As part of the Limited Upgrade Sea Harrier (LUSH), the Indian Navy will shortly conduct its second live firing test of the Israeli Derby beyond visual range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM), a weapon system that has been integrated to the last of the Navy's Sea Harriers as part of the upgrade programme. While the first live firing of the Derby active-radar seeker missile was conducted using the aircraft's primary sensor, the next test will be from one of the Navy's upgraded Sea Harriers with its radar switched off. Guidance will be provided from another platform, either on the ground or in the air.According to Navy sources, the LUSH programme has made the Sea Harriers fully new aircraft. The heart of the upgrade is of course the replacement of the venerable old Ferranti Blue Fox monopulse airborne intercept radar with the time-tested EL/M-2032 multimode advanced pulse doppler radar. The new radar, in the words of one of the pilots, has put the aircraft in "a different league". While sea clutter proved to be the bane of look-down missions with the Blue Fox radar (the sweep would be swamped), the Elta sensor has none of those issues.Of the eight Sea Harriers involved in the LUSH programme, six have been upgraded and delivered back to the Navy, while two are currently being upgraded by HAL. The INS Viraat, currently undergoing a mini-refit in Kochi, will be back in service by September-October, and will have the LUSH Harriers on board.

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Israel hopes Congress will lift F-22 ban

The Israel Air Force will review the possibility of purchasing the advanced American F-22 fifth-generation stealth fighter jet if a congressional ban is lifted, enabling it to be sold abroad, defense officials told The Jerusalem Post on Thursday. Referring to recent reports in the US that Congress had asked the Air Force to submit a report on the possibility of exporting the jet to Japan, Israel and other allies, a senior defense official said if this happened, "we will have to consider the option." "This is an advanced fighter jet of superior capabilities," the Defense Ministry official said. "It will depend, though, on the price, availability and time frame." Congress's interest in continuing funding for the F-22 runs counter to US Defense Secretary Robert Gates' decision to stop production of the aircrafts. Israel is already in advanced talks with the Pentagon regarding the possible sale of the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) - also known as the F-35 - to Israel. Both planes are manufactured by Lockheed Martin, but Israeli defense officials said the F-22 was capable of flying at higher altitudes and could carry more weapons internally. "A lot will depend on the outcome of the ongoing talks regarding the JSF," the defense official said. "If the export ban on the F-22 is lifted, things may change." The IAF is also in negotiations with Boeing to purchase at least six additional Apache Longbow attack helicopters in an effort to bolster the air support the IAF is able to provide ground forces. The negotiations are ongoing and sources close to the talks said they would likely be completed by the end of the year. The IAF has yet to decide exactly how many aircraft it would purchase and was waiting to receive a final price offer from Boeing. The IAF is also considering upgrading several of its old "A" model Apache helicopters to the "D" model Longbow version with the above-rotor advanced radar system, which enables the helicopter to share targeting data with other Longbows. According to foreign reports, Israel has 37 "A" model Apaches and 11 Longbows. Three Apache helicopters - including one Longbow version - were lost during the Second Lebanon War. In one case, two Apaches collided in midair. In the other, the Longbow crashed due to a malfunction in the rotor. During Operation Cast Lead, due to the limited scope of the operation, the IAF was able to allocate a squadron of attack helicopters that worked in conjunction with infantry brigades operating on the ground. This organic system, a senior IAF officer said, would not be workable in a larger conflict due to the IAF's limited number of aircraft. "We do not have enough [aircraft] and need more," the officer said. "We operate with what we have and there are gaps; there is always room to improve."

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Pakistani Army Mi-17 helicopter crashed

Forty-one security personnel on board a military transport helicopter were killed when it crashed in Chapri Ferozkhel area on the border of Khyber and Orakzai tribal regions on Friday afternoon, credible sources said.According to officials, the helicopter crashed because of some technical fault.Those killed included 19 personnel of the paramilitary Frontier Crops, 18 regulars from the army and four crew members, the sources said. However, officials said that 26 personnel had been killed.According to the sources, most of the personnel on board were proceeding on leave.The army spokesman was not available for comment, but a government official said the Russian-made M-17 transport helicopter had crashed in a mountainous area, some 20km from Peshawar, on the border between Khyber and Orakzai because of some technical fault.‘All those on board the helicopter have been killed,’ the official said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to release information to the media.He said that paramilitary forces had cordoned off the area and efforts were being made to retrieve the bodies. ‘The area is remote and inaccessible.’Chief of the Army Staff Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani has ordered an inquiry into the incident.The crash prompted speculations whether the helicopter had been shot down by militants. No militant group in the region claimed responsibility for shooting down the helicopter.The sources said that pilots of the ill-fated helicopter had requested for emergency landing before the crash. ‘The copter might have come down because of overloading,’ they said.The government official said the actual cause of the crash would be determined after a detailed examination of the wreckage. ‘It is a lengthy exercise.’Witnesses said the helicopter was flying at a low altitude in an area of high mountains. It was going to Peshawar from Parachinar, the headquarters of Kurram Agency.The official said: ‘The weather was bad and the copter was flying low. It could either be because of the bad weather or excess weight. But nothing can be said with certainty until we retrieve the wreckage.’He said that militants had 12.7mm machine-guns which could easily hit helicopters flying at low altitude. ‘Combat and transport helicopters usually fly high to avoid fire from the ground.’He said that paramilitary forces and helicopters had been sent to the area to retrieve the bodies and the wreckage.The official said that helicopters had to fire some warning shots to keep the locals away from the crash site. ‘The area is infested with militants, so all precautionary measures are being taken to secure the area.’

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U.S. Releases Stingers to Taiwan

The U.S. has released a $45.3 million sale of 171 Stinger air-to-air missiles to Taiwan. Raytheon's Missile Systems won the contract under the Foreign Military Sales program.The missiles will be outfitted on new AH-64D Apache attack helicopters released to Taiwan in October.In addition to the 171 missiles, Taiwan will also receive 24 captive flight trainers, 68 air-to-air launchers, seven launcher circuit evaluators, two digital launcher test sets, 60 coolant reservoir assemblies, three launcher emulators and spares.The U.S. Aviation & Missile Command Contracting Center, Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity.In October 2008, the U.S. released 30 AH-64D Block III Apache Longbow attack helicopters for $2.5 billion. The package included 171 Stinger Block I air-to-air missiles and 35 Stinger Missile Captive Flight Trainers.Other items in the October Apache package included 30 modernized target acquisition designation sight/pilot night vision sensors 17 AN/APG-78 fire control radar and AN/APR-48 radar frequency interferometers 69 T700-GE-701D turbine engines, 1,000 AGM-114L Longbow Hellfire missiles, and 66 M299 Hellfire Longbow missile launchers.The Apaches will be used to interdict a Chinese amphibious invasion force attempting to cross the Taiwan Strait.

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Harriers come home after five year tour de force

After a deployment lasting five years on operations in Afghanistan, the Joint Force Harrier’s last remaining squadron returned home today, Wednesday 1 July, to their base at RAF Cottesmore in Rutland. Personnel from 1(Fighter) Squadron returned to base to be greeted by their families, friends, the Minister of State for the Armed Forces, the Rt Hon Bill Rammell MP, and senior officers from the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy. Mr Rammell applauded the efforts of the Harrier Force. He said: “Over the past five years Joint Force Harrier has played a crucial role in Afghanistan, flying thousands of sorties to provide vital Close Air Support and reconnaissance information. Joint Force Harrier has made a significant and acclaimed contribution to coalition air operations and all those personnel involved can be proud of their many achievements. “As they now hand over their responsibilities to the Tornado GR4 force, I am delighted to welcome the men and women of Joint Force Harrier back to the UK for a well-earned and deserved break from operations.” The Joint Force Harrier fleet is a combined Royal Air Force and Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm unit that first deployed to Kandahar, Afghanistan in May 2004 in support of the NATO led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). Since then the Harrier Force has flown in excess of 22,000 hours on a total of over 8,500 sorties mainly supporting ground troops in the southern province of Helmand. As well as flying ‘show of force’ and reconnaissance missions the Harriers were most noted for their very successful Close Air Support role support to ground troops. Fitted with rockets and a range of guided bombs the Harriers flew over 2,000 Close Air Support missions during the deployment. Commenting on five years of high intensity war-fighting the RAF Cottesmore Station Commander and Harrier Force Commander, Group Captain Ken McCann said:“I must pay tribute to the outstanding and unflinching contribution the men and women of Joint Force Harrier have consistently delivered in providing peerless Close Air Support during this extended period. The Harrier Force has undoubtedly saved the lives of countless personnel, service and civilian, on the ground throughout the country – a magnificent effort.” Upon the very warm welcome home, as it was hotter at RAF Cottesmore than Kabul, the Officer Commanding 1(F) Squadron, Wing Commander Dave Haines said: “It’s a big relief after five years of having people in harms way in Afghanistan, to bring them home, for everyone to get home safely” To sum up the contribution Joint Force Harrier made to Op Herrick he added: “We provided a professional service to those people that needed it; the five years has been a great testament to the success of the Joint Force Harrier. An interesting five years, we’re all glad to be home.”

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RNM Successfully Concludes Aspide Missile Fire

The Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) has successfully concluded its live firing of the Aspide missile launched from the naval surface-to-air system in the Melaka Straits early Thursday.Fleet Operations Commander Vice-Admiral Datuk Ahmad Kamarulzaman Ahmad Badaruddin said the missile was launched from one of its war ships, KD Laksamana Hang Nadim."The missile hit a target flown by a Learjet. To save cost, the navy conducted the missile campaign simultaneously with the ongoing weekly Pangkor War exercise series," he said in a statement today.Ahmad Kamarulzaman said the success of the exercise had proven the RMN preparedness in handling threats especially an anti-air warfare, one of the four-dimension maritime war.Aspide is an Italian missile system developed from the American Sparrow AIM-7E Sparrow, employed as both an air-to-air and surface-to-air missile that first entered into service in 1987.The Aspide missile is one of anti-air missile systems onboard the RMN war ships ranging from the Laksamana class, aged over 26 years."Despite that, KD Laksamana Hang Nadim had shown its capability with the success of the missile launch. The missile was guided by a semi-active radar with a high accuracy up to a distance of 20km at the speed of 600 metres per seconds.Ahmad Kamarulzaman said the exercise also involved KD Sri Inderapura, KD Perak, KD Laksamana Tun Abdul Jamil, KD Laksamana Tan Pusmah, a Fennec helicopter, a CB90 boat, the Test Control and Weapon System Assessment Division, and the RMN armour and explosive depot.The Science and Technology Institute for Defense (STRIDE) analysed the missile firing campaign, he added.

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Japan upgrades missile-detection system

A new $935 million project called the Japan Aerospace Defense Ground Environment has been initiated to improve the country's automatic air warning and defense control system. JADGE has replaced the Base Air Defense Ground Environment, said Japan's air arm, the Air Self-Defense Force. Japan's official military policy of Self-Defense Only does not allow the nation's armed forces to have strategic bombers, so JADGE is to improve the ASDF's capabilities to counter airborne attacks, such as by airplanes. The new air-defense network also integrates Japan's ballistic missile sensors and interception systems, and is central to protecting the country from ballistic missile attacks by improving early warning systems. JADGE begins operating amid increasing concerns about the threat of North Korean missiles. The Japanese government approved plans at the beginning of June to develop a satellite early warning system for missile launches. Tensions were heightened in April when North Korea launched what it said was a satellite-bearing rocket. It then conducted a nuclear test and several short-range missile launches. JADGE goes some way to satisfying the government's critics that the country's satellite detection systems need upgrading. The superseded Base Air Defense Ground Environment was an integrated network of radar posts and air defense installations throughout the country. BADGE was upgraded in the 1980s with E-2C Hawkeye airborne early warning aircraft. Other aircraft were replaced in the early 1990s with more sophisticated models. These included the Nike-J, a Japanese version of the Nike-Hercules surface-to-air missile from Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, and the Patriot PAC-2 ground-to-air missile system built by Raytheon. The ASDF started deploying PAC-3 systems in 2007 and last September successfully tested its capability in New Mexico's White Sands Missile Range. It shot down a mock ballistic missile by firing two PAC-3 missiles in succession. The tests were to gather operational data on the system's radar, launcher and controller set-ups. The government decided in 2003 to build a ballistic missile shield, so antiballistic missile functions were added to the concept. JADGE is now central to the country's ballistic missile shield through search, detection, tracking and interception of ballistic missiles in a centralized and automated manner, according to the ASDF.
The new network, which was originally centralized at a base in Fuchu in the suburbs of Tokyo, is also linked to U.S. communications satellites, allowing the United States and Japan to share data.
However, a year ago the JASDF began relocating the headquarters of its Air Defense Command to the U.S. base in Yokata, home to the U.S. Air Force's 374th Airlift Wing. The wing provides airlift support to all U.S. Department of Defense agencies in the Pacific. It also provides transport for people and equipment throughout the Kanto Plain and the greater Tokyo area. The ADC headquarters is the supreme Japanese Self-Defense Force command authority and is also headquarters for ballistic missile defense including the new JADGE. The move is to improve coordination between the two forces and around 1,200 Japanese personnel have relocated, costing around $400 million and paid for by the Japanese government. Japan and the United States have no formal agreement to operate their armed forces as a coalition. Efficiencies rely solely on daily and persistent coordination, according to U.S. military officials. The move of Japan's ADC to Yokata is to enhance these interactions, they said.

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China's Compass expected to rival GPS

China's global navigation satellite system, Compass, will provide regional service in 2011 with a constellation of 12 satellites, a navigation industry insider said Thursday. China aims to make Compass a navigation satellite system of 35 satellites by 2020, which can offer global service. Compass, or Beidou (Big Dipper) in Chinese, is expected to rival the US-developed GPS, the EU's GPS and Russia's Global Navigation Satellite System, earlier reports said.Officials representing the four systems are now in negotiations to make their civilian-use technologies compatible, Hu Gang, vice-president of Beijing BDStar Navigation Co Ltd, said during a two-day national geological information industry summit that ended yesterday. "This could possibly allow a civilian user of global navigation satellite system to have access to more than 120 navigation satellites in the future, which will assure stability and improve accuracy," he said. The 12 satellites that will be part of the Compass program's first phase will "improve the positioning accuracy of the satellite navigation system greatly", he said. Only two Compass satellites have been reportedly launched into orbit so far - one in 2007 and the other in April this year, he said.
According to the State Bureau of Surveying and Mapping, which sponsored the summit, the satellite navigation industry is estimated to generate 50 billion yuan ($8 billion) in China by 2010, up from the 12 billion yuan in 2006. Cao Chong, chief engineer of the China Electronics Technology Group Corp, said the car industry and the cell phone industry will be the major players of satellite navigation applications. "China still has a huge potential for satellite navigation application, as only less than 5 percent of cars have installed navigation devices," he said.

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House rejects ministry`s plan to buy UAV from Israel: Indonesia

The House of Representatives` Commission of Indonesia has agreed to reject a Defense Ministry`s plan to buy an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) from Israel with funds borrowed from Leumi Plc Bank."Two years ago, we reminded the Defense Ministry (Dephan) to discontinue its trade with Israel because we do not have diplomatic relation with that country," House Commission I member Djoko Susilo said on Monday.But the politician from the National Mandate Party (PAN) said the ministry seemed to persist in its plan to buy the aircraft from Israel, and its plan was now being finalized while the needed funds totaling US$16 million were to be provided by the London branch of an Israeli bank."The House`s Commission I has unanimously agreed to reject the defense ministry`s plan, and the PAN faction at the DPR will even reject it bluntly," Djoko Susilo said.He said the defense ministry could actually buy such an aircraft from another country, and even the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) was able to make the aircraft although it would not be as sophisticated as that from Israel."If the ministry wants to buy the UAV, it can buy it from another country such as theUnited States. But we do not understand why the ministry insists on buying it from Israel," Djoko Susilo said.He said the House of Representatives objected to buying the aircraft from Israel because Indonesia had no diplomatic relation with the country.Making a trade deal with Israel was the same as violating the state`s rules about diplomatic relations with other country, Susilo said."Therefore the DPR will not permit the defense ministry to buy the UAV from Israel, and we will also ask the Finance Ministry to stop the plan except if the purchase is diverted to another country," he said.

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