Report: Chinese Develop Special "Kill Weapon" to Destroy U.S. Aircraft Carriers

With tensions already rising due to the Chinese navy becoming more aggressive in asserting its territorial claims in the South China Sea, the U.S. Navy seems to have yet another reason to be deeply concerned.After years of conjecture, details have begun to emerge of a "kill weapon" developed by the Chinese to target and destroy U.S. aircraft carriers.First posted on a Chinese blog viewed as credible by military analysts and then translated by the naval affairs blog Information Dissemination, a recent...

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Boeing Teams With TAK to Develop Wing Assembly for 2,000-Pound JDAM ER

Boeing has announced an agreement with Times Aerospace Korea, LLC (TAK) to jointly develop a wing assembly for the 2,000-pound Joint Direct Attack Munition Extended Range (JDAM ER). "This teaming agreement is a prime example of Boeing Weapons Programs' efforts to form strategic partnerships as we develop the systems our global customers need," said Debra Rub, Weapons Programs vice president. "Our alliance with TAK is an important step forward in bringing the expanded capability of JDAM ER to the...

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Australian Navy to use Thales Missile Control System

Recently, the Australian Department of Defense and Thales Nederland signed a contract for a user licence of Thales's Mid-Course Guidance and Sampled Data Homing function.This function will be utilised from 2011 within the warfare systems that are part of the Royal Australian Navy's ANZAC Class Frigate Anti-Ship Missile Defense Upgrade Project. The Mid-Course Guidance and Sampled Data Homing function is based on Interrupted Continuous Wave Illumination (ICWI), a Thales development with the APAR partners...

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IAF F-16s carried out single raid in Sudan

Contrary to earlier reports, the Israeli Air Force had employed F-16s to bomb a weapons convoy in Sudan back in January, Time Magazine said on Tuesday.Quoting two senior Israeli security sources, the magazine said the 23-truck convoy was struck twice by the F-16s with F-15s providing CAPs.UAVs supporting the operation found that the convoy had been only partially damaged during the first run and a second run was ordered immediately.The sources also said that there was only one strike instead of...

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$1bn to be sought from FoP to raise special force

Pakistan will ask Friends of Pakistan (FoP) to provide $500 million to $1 billion assistance for establishing 80,000-men special force equipped with the latest arms to combat militants in various parts of the country especially in volatile tribal areas“We will ask the world to compensate us in the wake of ongoing war against terror that resulted in loosing $34 billion after 9/11, 2001 scenario when Islamabad decided to stand with the USA in its war,” said the official. .“Pakistan will seek $500...

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Australia not ready for war as fighter jets, choppers and submarines unfit for frontline

BILLIONS of dollars of fighter jets, warships and military equipment cannot be used in their current state because they would be too vulnerable to enemy fire. A critical lack of upgraded weaponry has left the Australian Defence Force unable to deploy most of its frontline fighters or warships at short notice against any enemy with modern air defence systems or anti-ship missiles.An investigation by The Australian reveals much of the ADF's most powerful weaponry is awaiting upgrades or promised replacements...

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S. Korean F-16 Crashes Off Coast; Pilots Safe

A South Korean F-16 fighter jet crashed March 31 in the Yellow Sea but its two pilots ejected safely, the defense ministry said.The two-seater fighter jet was on a routine training from a base on the west coast when it crashed into the sea, the ministry said."The two pilots ejected safely and got rescued by an air force helicopter and a boat in the West Sea [Yellow Sea]," a ministry spokesman said, adding the cause of the accident was not immediately known.He said investigators were trying to collect...

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Obama to propose $2.8 bln additional military aid to Pak

Obama plans to propose spending roughly $2.8 billion in aid for the Pakistani military, as he steps up the U.S.-led campaign to battle extremists along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. That money would be in addition to the civilian aid -- $1.5 billion a year for five years -- that the president called for Friday. A defense official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told media the money will be dedicated exclusively to "equipping, training, and building infrastructure directly related to counterinsurgency...

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Process of inducting new version BrahMos to begin soon

Declaring that the process of inducting a new version of BrahMos would begin soon, Army today said the trials of the cruise missile were aimed at testing the effectiveness of a special sensor for accurately hitting targets in an urban "Accuracy was the watchword. We had wanted them to include another sensor (in the missile). That is what these last three trials (were about). Because more than the naval version, in the Army, we wanted the missile to distinguish between similar kind of targets in...

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Pay raise of 50% for Chinese soldiers

The large increase is believed to be a reward for the army's hard work in 2008 in ensuring security for the Olympics, helping earthquake victims in Sichuan, and handling the protests in Tibet. For the government, it is important to support the morale of the troops, who are increasingly being sent to repress social protests. Beijing (AsiaNews/Agencies) - The salaries of 2.3 million servicemen and women of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) will be raised by 50%, in recognition of their hard...

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IAF is set to acquire six Airbus tankers

Russia’s near-monopoly over the Indian arms market seems to be coming to an end, thanks to the armed forces policy of placing a premium on performance and not cost. The A-330Soon after Boeing’s $1.8-billion contract for eight P-8I Poseidon long-range naval maritime patrol aircraft—costlier than rival Airbus—the IAF is set to acquire six Airbus tankers.Senior Defence Ministry officials confirmed that a 1-billion euro contract for six Airbus A-330 multi-role tanker-transports is close to being finalised....

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New submarine fleet a long way off

By Andrew DaviesThere has been a recent flurry of media reports about the plans for Australia's future submarine fleet. Depending on who you read, the number of subs to be built is anywhere from six to 18, and the project budget is somewhere between $12 and $35 billion.So who is right? As it happens, the correct answer is 'none of the above' - yet. The road to a future submarine is a long one and there are many decision points to be negotiated before the final solution emerges. In fact, this project...

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A new challenge at sea

By James LyonsChina's harassment of the civilian crewed U.S. Navy survey ship Impeccable operating in international waters approximately 70 miles south of Hainan Island was unprovoked and a flagrant violation of recognized Law of the Sea regulations. Their harassment of a survey ship operating in international waters within China's claimed Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) is a direct challenge to the "freedom of seas" concept. There may have been another recent incident involving an unarmed U.S. Navy...

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Pentagon is buying 22 additional Mi-17 helicopters for Iraq

Aeronautical Radio Incorporated, Annapolis, Md., was awarded on Mar. 7, 2009, a $80,600,000 firm fixed price contract for the procurement and delivery of (22) Mi-17CT helicopters in support of the Iraqi Government. Work is to be performed at Warner Robins, Ga., (15 percent), Dubai, United Arab Emirates, (20 percent), and Ulan Ude Russia, (65 percent) with an estimated completion date of Aug. 31, 2010. One bid was solicited and one bid received. Program Executive Office for Simulation, Training and...

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Old, Reliable, And All We Got

After two years of delays, and huge increases in costs, the U.S. Army cancelled the ARH-70 scout helicopter last year. This helicopter was supposed to replace 340 OH-58s, a model that was introduced four decades ago. The army was supposed to get the first of its new ARH-70 scout helicopters by September, 2008. But two years ago that slipped to sometime in 2010. The ARH-70 was supposed to cost $8-9 million each. That was the 2005 estimate. But at the end, the manufacturer, Bell Helicopter, wanted...

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Defense Ministry eyes possible lift of US ban on foreign sales of F-22 fighter

The Defense Ministry will closely follow discussions in Congress next month over the United States' 2010 fiscal defense budget amid growing speculation that a ban on foreign sales of the stealth F-22 fighter jet may be lifted to keep the threatened production line alive.Israel has in the past expressed interest in the fifth-generation aircraft manufactured by Lockheed Martin, but has been unable to place an order due to a congressional ban on foreign exports. In addition to Israel, Japan and Australia...

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Pratt & Whitney Begins Production of the Next Generation of F100 Series Engines

Pratt & Whitney, maker of the F100 engine family that powers the F-16 and F-15 military fighter jets operated by the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy and the Air Forces of 22 allied nations, have begun production of the first F100-PW-229 Engine Enhancement Package (EEP) engines. The F100-PW-229 EEP represents the latest evolution in the F100 series of engines, recognized worldwide for its safety, reliability and cost Effective operation.“The F100-PW-229 EEP is another example of Pratt & Whitney’s...

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No Ospreys, for now, to Afghanistan

Commandant Gen. James Conway says the MV-22 Osprey, with its speed and nimbleness, is “made for Afghanistan.” But as about 8,000 Marines prepare for a deployment there with the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, the Corps’ premier medium-lift aircraft isn’t going with them. “It is unlikely that we’d have any Osprey squadrons to put into Afghanistan for a while,” said Maj. Eric Dent, a spokesman at Marine Corps headquarters. “Maybe later this year.”Instead, the Corps will send two CH-53 helicopter...

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Damascus set to receive MiG 31E planes

Damascus will take receipt of advanced MiG 31E fighter jets in the near future, the outgoing head of the Pentagon's Defense Intelligence Agency Lt.-Gen. Michael D. Maples told the Senate earlier this month. World Reports of the sale surfaced in 2007 but were quickly denied by Moscow and the official state arms-trading monopoly Rosoboronexport, which issued a statement saying "Russia has no plans to deliver fighter jets to Syria." In his testimony "annual threat assessment" to the Senate Armed Services...

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Saudi Arabia to Purchase Raytheon AIM-9X Missiles

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the U.S. government executed a Letter of Offer and Acceptance to purchase Raytheon Company's AIM-9X missile. Saudi Arabia is the world's 10th country to employ the AIM-9X Sidewinder infrared-guided, air-to-air missile. "The AIM-9X will provide our Saudi Arabian allies with unparalleled capability, a small logistical footprint and ease of integration onto its existing fighter aircraft," said Capt. Jeffrey Penfield, the U.S. Navy's Air-to-Air Missile program manager....

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China seeks export customers for Yitian SHORAD system

During the IDEX 2009 defence equipment exhibition and conference held in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), China North Industries Corporation (NORINCO) displayed two air-defence systems for the first time outside China. These were a truck-mounted twin 35 mm self-propelled anti-aircraft gun system called the CS/SA1 (based on the Rheinmetall Air Defence Oerlikon twin 35 mm GDF towed anti-aircraft gun) and the Yitian short-range air-defence (SHORAD) mobile air-defence system. The existence of the Yitian...

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New Pictures of J-10B fighter jet

Chinese web pages have featured photos of a new variant of the Chengdu Aircraft Corporation (CAC) J-10 multirole fighter that appears to confirm a spate of late December 2008 web reports on this same aircraft, with some accounts noting it has already been test flown.This single-seat variant differs from the initial single-seat J-10 model in that it appears to feature a revised engine inlet, consistent in design with the diverter-less supersonic inlet (DSI) featured on the latest version of the...

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Effective strategy by PAF averted imminent war: ACM Rao Qamar Suleman

By M S Baig Chief of the Air Staff, Pakistan Air Force Air Chief Marshal Rao Qamar Suleman on Saturday paid inaugural visit to PAF Base, Mushaf (Sargodha), after assuming the command of Pakistan Air Force. On his arrival at the Base, he was presented with a guard of honour by smartly turned out contingent of Pakistan Air Force. The New Air Chief will undertake series of visits to various PAF Bases and would unfold his vision for preparing PAF to meet the challenges of 21st century Air Operations. While referring to the incidence of 26/11, the...

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BrahMos test fired at Pokhran:India

Field firing test of BrahMos was conducted in Chandan firing range in Pokhran today. The surface-to-surface missile was fired at 11:17 hrs from launching pad in Chandan firing range near Bhojasar village to hit the target erected near Ajasar. Chief of Army Staff General Deepak Kapoor and several high officials and DRDO scientists were present. This was the third test of the missile, a Indo-Russian joint collaboration product, in Pokhran during this year. Earlier, two tests were held on January 20...

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