India details plans for indigenous medium combat aircraft

By Siva GovindasamyIndia's Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) has begun talks with the Indian air force to involve the service in the design for its proposed medium combat aircraft (MCA), and hopes to put forward a plan in a few years to secure government funding for detailed studies."In India, we have a fighter aircraft design team that comprises officials from various departments. It was formed to work on the Tejas light combat aircraft, and it makes sense for them to move on to a new fighter...

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Israel's military supplies to India

By Hari Sud India’s main supplier of advanced military hardware is Israel. In the 1990s India took a major decision to procure arms from Israel after its much-touted Defense Research and Development Organization failed to develop any high-end weapons systems. To keep abreast of its neighbors, from 1965 till 1997 India purchased weapons from the Soviet Union, and later Russia – the preferred choice for the last 40 years as its weapons were cheap, reliable, rugged and direct copies of advanced weapons in the West. Almost 70 percent of India’s weapons...

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Keel laid for India's first indigenous aircraft carrier

India joined a club of select nations today as the keel for the country's first indigenous aircraft carrier was laid here Saturday. The vessel will be launched in 2011 and is scheduled to be be delivered to the Indian Navy in 2014. Speaking at the function at the Cochin Shipyard Ltd, Defence Minister A.K. Antony said: "It is a crucial milestone and a moment to cherish in the country's maritime history. The indigenous aircraft carrier will make the Indian Navy strong and self reliant." The aircraft carrier, at 37,500 tonnes displacement, is the...

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Pakistan to file claim in May for extension of EEZ:CNS Admiral Noman Bashir

Pakistan will file its claim regarding extension of its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) by 150 nautical miles beyond the current 200 nautical miles limit in May this year. This was stated by the Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS), Admiral Noman Bashir. He was addressing a news conference here on Friday in connection with the Exercise ‘Aman 2009’ to be held in the Pakistani waters from March 5 to 14. The CNS pointed out that the survey of the area has already been executed and a summary in this connection...

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IDEX 2009 : Italy wins anti-submarine naval deal

Day four of the IDEX defense show came to a close with the announcement of another contract win for Italian industry.This time it was warship builder Fincantieri with a AED 430 million ($117 Million) deal to build an anti-submarine corvette for the United Arab Emirates navy.Yesterday Alenia Aermacchi secured selection of its M-346 jet trainer in an 48 aircraft order from the UAE air force.The Cigala Fulgosi class vessel will be similar to the six warships delivered to the Italian Navy earlier in...

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Pakistan asks US to give Cobra, Apache gunships and Predator UAV

Pakistan has asked the United States to provide it military hardware, including Cobra and Apache assault helicopter gunships and unmanned Predator aircrafts which would enable it to hit extremists hiding in the rocky terrains along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. According to the sources, Chief of Army Staff Gen Ashfaq Kayani gave a list of demands to the US during his meetings with senior US military officials.The sources said Pakistan had also sought spare parts for existing gunships, most of...

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EW Not Only Roadblock To Israeli JSF Plans

The prohibition against putting an Israeli-made electronic warfare/attack system into the U.S.-made F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) is only about number three in the list of impediments to finalizing a deal for delivery of early-production models of the F-35A to the Israeli Air Force (IAF). Price is number one, Israeli industrial participation is two and only then comes the issue of who provides the electronic warfare/attack (EW/EA) package. While the radar and EW/EA systems are combined in the...

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Chinese navy rescues Italian ship in Gulf of Aden

Merchant vessels sail in a line formation under command of the DDG-169 Wuhuan destroyer in the Gulf of Aden, January 6, 2009. [Xinhua]A Chinese naval vessel rescued an Italian merchant ship from approaching pirates in the Gulf of Aden off Somalia on Thursday.Destroyer "Haikou" of the Chinese navy received a SOS from the Liberia-flagged Italian ship around 10:03 a.m. reporting two unidentified yachts were approaching just about 3 to 4 nautical miles away. A shipborne helicopter with three combatants...

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Three Boeing 737 AEW&C engineers killed in Turkish Airlines crash

By JAMES WALLACEIt appears that three employees of The Boeing Co. were among those killed in the Turkish Airlines crash in Amsterdam, as they returned from a business trip to Ankara, Turkey. A fourth employee was critically injured. The four Boeing engineers from Seattle were in Ankara to assist with the modification work on 737 jets that will be used as airborne electronic warfare planes by the Turkish military. They were returning home on the same kind of plane, a Boeing 737, when it crashed Wednesday...

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Israel seeks more Apache attack helicopters

The Israeli air force wants to increase its inventory of Boeing AH-64D Apache Longbow attack helicopters, directly as a result of its operational experience in the recent Operation "Cast Lead" campaign against Hamas in Gaza.Apaches took a major role in supporting ground forces during the hostilities, by suppressing hostile fire and also performing so-called "search and kill" missions aimed at halting the launch of rockets into Israel.The Israeli air force operates 18 new and remanufactured AH-64Ds...

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Spada 2000 plus complex inauguration in Karachi

Air Chief Marshal Tanvir Mahmood Ahmed, Chief of the Air Staff, Pakistan Air Force, inaugurated the `Missile Maintenance Complex' at a PAF Base in Karachi. PAF statement said that the Complex is a significant enhancement of PAF's engineering capability to support various missile systems. During the inaugural address, the CAS appreciated the personnel involved in the project for their professionalism and hard work to complete it within short time. The CAS hoped the complex would further strengthen...

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IDEX 2009 : Kaya Mine Protected Vehicle rolls into IDEX

The new Turkish Kaya Mine Protected Vehicle (MPV), which has been developed as a private venture by Otokar, is being exhibited for the first time at IDEX and is aimed at the export markets.Development of the Kaya MPV started three years ago and is now said to be complete, with production to commence as soon as orders are placed. During the design, mine blasts were simulated by special software and these were followed by tests on the actual vehicle that confirmed the design parameters. Kaya MPV is...

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IDEX 2009 : Renault Trucks Defense offers spec ops vehicle to Middle East country

Renault Trucks Defense, a business unit of the Volvo automotive group, is in discussions with an undisclosed Middle East country for a sale of its Sherpa 3 special forces tactical vehicle, senior vice president Serge Perez said Feb. 25 at the at the IDEX show.The potential sale would be for a few dozen vehicles, he said. The Sherpa 3 is armored to protect against mines and IEDs. The company developed the Sherpa vehicle range from its own funds over four years. Renault Trucks Defense said Feb. 18...

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IDEX 2009 : Saudi Arabia nears Tornado weapons package

Saudi Arabia is poised to order an array of new weapons to equip upgraded Tornado strike aircraft. The package will include the potent Storm Shadow cruise missile already operational with the Royal Air Force.The deal, worth hundreds of millions of Euros, was expected to be signed last year but has now slipped into 2009. Delivery schedules will be led by the cruise missile. That will be followed by the ASRAAM short range air-to-air weapon and Brimstone anti-armour missile said sources familiar with...

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IDEX 2009 : UAE to purchase next-generation surveillance aircraft

Northrop Grumman said the UAE will be the only country authorised by the US administration to use E-2D aircraft, the next-generation version of the E-2C Hawkeye surveillance platforms.The aircraft is "on track" to enter service in 2010 for the US Navy and the company hopes to sell the plane to the UAE, John E. Beaulieu, new business manager at the US Navy, said at the International Defence Exhibition and Conference, in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.The Hawkeye has been the Navy's primary surveillance and...

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IDEX 2009 : Caracal to export UAE-made guns to US

Caracal International, the UAE's first small-arms manufacturer, received an export licence from the US on January 15, which will enable it to ship its products to the United States, a senior official said on Monday.Saeed Ali Al Shamsi, commercial director for Caracal International, said this achievement is a milestone in Caracal's strategic plan that was announced during its launch in Idex 2007. "This has brought Caracal closer to the goal of selling there products internationally."He added this...

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IDEX 2009 : Lockheed nears $7b system deal

Lockheed Martin Corp, the world's largest defence company, said a $7 billion (Dh25.7 billion) agreement to sell an advanced missile defence system to the United Arab Emirates may be reached within 18 months."The US government is fully behind selling THAAD to the UAE," said Dennis Cavin, vice president for international air and missile defence strategic initiatives, in an interview in Abu Dhabi yesterday. Delivery would begin after 2012.The Terminal High-Altitude Area Defence weapon (THAAD) system...

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IDEX 2009 : Roketsan signs deal to develop weapon system

By Himendra Mohan KumarTurkey's Roketsan said on Monday that along with its Abu Dhabi-based partner Al Jaber Company, it had reached an agreement for a contract worth about $90 million (Dh330.3 million) to develop a weapons system for an undisclosed country in the Middle East. The announcement was made at the International Defence Exhibition and Conference (Idex-2009), currently underway in Abu Dhabi."The weapons system will be developed here in Abu Dhabi and in Turkey," Dr Hudai Ozdamar, Marketing...

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IDEX 2009 : Mortars, guns and missiles to arm UAE patrol boats

The United Arab Emirates navy has released more details on the weapons fit of 24 fast patrol boats being supplied by Abu Dhabi Ship Building under a AED 935 million ($255million) ordered announced earlier this week Abu Dhabi Shipbuilding along with partner SwedeShip Marine are to build 12 new 26.5m fast patrol boats and upgrade 12 existing Ghannatha-class high-speed troop-carrying craft into the same configuration.The 24 vessels will be produced in three weapon configurations officials revealed...

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Israel boosts Indian missile defence hope

SHISHIR GUPTAIndia's hopes of acquiring anti-ballistic missile defence capability have got a boost. Tel Aviv is understood to have asked New Delhi to invest $100 million in the development of Arrow II weapon system. While South Block is tightlipped over the Israeli proposal, the security establishment here sees this as a tremendous opportunity to secure its defence against the threat of short- and medium-range nuclear capable missiles in the neighbourhood. The threat perception has increased after...

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IDEX 2009 : UAE selects Finmeccanica for 48 M-346 advanced LIFT aircraft

The United Arab Emirates Government today announced at IDEX 2009 (International DefenceExhibition & Conference) in Abu Dhabi that it had begun negotiations for the acquisition of 48 M-346 advanced lead-in fighter trainer aircraft manufactured by Alenia Aermacchi, a Finmeccanica company.The agreement, which also includes the creation of a joint venture in the UAE between AleniaAermacchi and the Mubadala Development Company (Mubadala) to establish a final assembly line for the M-346, is the result...

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IDEX 2009 :Spotlight on Smart Eye UAV

UAE-based ADCOM Military Industries (Hall 5, Stand C40) has unveiled the latest and largest member of its growing family of unmanned air vehicles. Smart Eye is a 21m span high-altitude, long-endurance (HALE) UAV with impressive figures claimed for its performance.Smart Eye is fitted with a primary propeller engine, but has a secondary jet engine that can boost performance and provide power should the main engine fail. With a glide ratio of 1:34, Smart Eye can glide for hundreds of kilometres without...

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IDEX 2009 :ADSB, Raytheon pitching RAM missile support plan

Abu Dhabi Shipbuilding (ADSB) and Raytheon Missile Systems are discussing the establishment of a locally based intermediate-level support facility for RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM) rounds being supplied to the UAE Naval Forces’ Baynunah corvette programme.The proposal forms the centrepiece of an offset package being put forward by Raytheon, in conjunction with ADSB, for a Direct Commercial Sale (DCS) of RAM missiles to the UAE government.Co-developed and coproduced under a US/German co-operative agreement, the RAM Block 1A Helo/Air/ Surface...

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IDEX 2009 :MPCS to launch Mistral this year

At IDEX two years ago, a full-scale mock-up of the Multi-Purpose Combat System (MPCS) was shown in the Middle East for the first time integrated onto a local chassis. Since then rapid progress has been made, and this year, a functional demonstrator MPCS turret is being shown on the MBDA Stand B14 in Hall 7.MPCS is being developed as a private venture by MBDA (France) and Rheinmetall Defence (Germany) to meet emerging user requirements for a highly mobile weapon system, which can be rapidly configured for different roles. Within the consortium,...

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IDEX 2009 :Poly SAMs attack local market

China’s Poly Technologies (Hall 10, Stand D10) is showing its FN-16 manportable fire-and-forget surface-to-air missile (SAM) and its FB-6A mobile version, both of which are claimed to be in service with the People’s Liberation Army and undisclosed export customers. FN-16 features an IR/ UV two-colour rosette scan imaging seeker, laser proximity fuze and a high-energy motor.According to the company, it has a maximum effective altitude of nearly 4,000m, slant range of 5,500m and a 70 per cent single shot kill probability against fixed-wing aircraft.The...

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IDEX 2009 :Virtual bullets from actual weapons

The UAE has become the first country to witness EST DS, a next-generation system for virtual small arms training developed by Cubic Defense Applications (Hall 1, Stand A25).EST DS is a projector-based trainer that allows trainees to shoot virtual bullets from actual weapons at simulated enemies on high-resolution screens. Customers can tailor their own scenarios using gaming graphics.The system has been developed from EST 2000, the US Army’s marksmanship trainer. Cubic has installed more than 1,000...

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Nato offers missile firing training to UAE with Patriot, Roland and Hawk

Abu Dhabi: The Nato Missile Firing Installation offered the UAE training in aerial target simulation for tactical firing with the anti-aircraft and air defence systems, Patriot, Roland and Hawk, it was announced at the region largest military show on Wednesday."A select crew of air defenders can travel to the Mediterranean Island of Crete to fire a live Patriot missile in conjunction with their air defence counterparts, as part of a training exercise held by the Nato Missile Firing Installation (NAMFI)," Major General G. Tsartsaris, NAMFI Commander,...

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IDEX 2009 :Italy's Alenia wins UAE deal worth about $1.3 bln

Italy's Finmeccanica unit Alenia has won a deal worth about 1 billion euros ($1.3 billion) to provide the United Arab Emirates with 48 M-346 military training aircraft. "Alenia will supply the UAE air force and air defence with 48 aircraft to cover the requirements of lead and combat air support," said Major General Obaid al-Ketbi, chairman of the IDEX defence exhibition in Abu Dhabi. Ketibi did not give the value of the deal, but an Alenia official told Reuters it would be in excess of 1 billion...

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IDEX 2009 :UAE poised for jet trainer selection

A competition to secure a multi-billion dollar deal for advanced jet trainers to the United Arab Emirates air force may be drawing to a conclusion this week. Alenia Aermacchi’s M-346 is pitched against the Korean Aerospace T-50 in a selection battle which could result in an order for as many as 50 aircraft.The Italian machine is tipped as the hot favorite by industry executives and others here.Speculation that a choice of an advanced jet trainer is imminent has been around before, only for hopes...

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India developing surface-to-air missile

Indian is developing a medium-range surface-to-air missile (MR-SAM) in collaboration with Israel for protecting its important cities and installations from enemy aircraft."We are jointly developing a 70-km range MR-SAM in partnership with Israeli companies," Senior DRDO scientist Prahlada told reporters on the sidelines of a DRDO function here."We may take around 12 years but the requirement of the services is that they want it (MR-SAM) fast. The only way to make it four to five years is to partner...

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IDEX 2009 :Radar Satellites For The Gulf

Plans to launch a four-satellite constellation of radar-surveillance spacecraft were announced at IDEX in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday. The GulfSAR (synthetic aperture radar) satellites will be supplied by Thales Alenia Space and based on the design of Italy's new Cosmo-SkyMed craft, and will work in conjunction with a new state-of-the-art ground control and image exploitation center to be constructed in Abu Dhabi.The project is being funded and run via US-based 4C Controls, the UAE's Hydra Trading and Baynuna Aviation Service. Retired UAE Air Force Maj....

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