RAAF to consolidate AP-3C and C-130 at single base in Middle East

By the end of the year, Australia's four bases in the Middle East will have become one under a rationalisation program designed to cut costs and improve efficiencies for fighting the conflict in Afghanistan.The new facility will host RAAF AP-3C Orion maritime surveillance aircraft and C-130 Hercules transport aircraft as well as support troops serving in Afghanistan. It will also house around 500 Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel with capacity to accommodate another 500 as troops transit...

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K-8s arriving in Venezuela by end of the year

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez announced the arrival of Chinese K-8 planes for training and combat by the end of 2009, as part of their fleet modernization with defensive purposes.According to the president the 18 aircrafts, together with Russian Sukhoi fighters will replaced the Mirage fighter jets, six of which were donated to Ecuador. Referring to the donation to Quito, Chavez also asserted that they are in good technical conditions, rejecting staments by his political rivals.They are in...

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Malaysia to consider fighter options once economy recovers

By Siva Govindasamy Malaysia plans to consider a variety of options for its medium multi-role fighter requirement once the direction of its economic fortunes becomes clearer."We are assessing whether to get the new jets from the United States, France, Sweden or Britain. The purchase will also depend on the country's economic recovery," says defence minister Zahid Hamidi. Industry sources say the Royal Malaysian Air Force could assess the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, Dassault Rafale, Eurofighter...

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British bullets too small to fell 'high' Taliban

The bullets used by British forces to fight the Taliban in Afghanistan has been dubbed too small, because soldiers claim that it requires at least five direct hits to bring down the militants who are high on opium. According to a report, British soldiers in Afghanistan use small 5.56mm calibre rounds also tail off after 300 metres and can easily be blown off the target. Half of all fire fights in Helmand are fought between 300 and 900 metres. Meanwhile, Taliban marksmen use powerful 7.62mm...

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Chinese parts in IAF encryption devices prompt security probe

The National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS) has ordered a high-level inquiry into the supply of encryption devices last year to the Indian Air Force and the National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO) by state-owned, Bangalore-based Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL). The inquiry was ordered after it came to light that the encryption devices were of Chinese origin, thereby leading to concerns that Chinese agencies could penetrate the systems to access data stored in the devices. The IAF, it is learnt, as well as the NTRO, were using the...

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Singapore and Indian Armies conduct Bilateral Artillery Exercise

The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) and the Indian Army are conducting a bilateral artillery exercise in Devlali, India. Code-named Agni Warrior, this year's exercise involves soldiers from the 23rd and 24th Battalion, Singapore Artillery, as well as the Indian Army's 283 Field Regiment. As part of the exercise, the two armies carried out a combined live-firing with the SAF's FH-88 Howitzer guns and 155mm Battery guns from the Indian Army on 26 October 2009. Chief of Army Major-General (MG) Neo Kian Hong, who was on an official visit to India from...

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Viraat to be back in action in a week

The ‘mother’ will be back in action soon. With power projection being the name of the game, India is finally ready to once again deploy its solitary aircraft carrier INS Viraat on the high seas after an almost two-year gap. INS Viraat is now on the verge of completing its ‘sea-acceptance trials’ and ‘work-up phase’ off Mumbai after an 18-month-long comprehensive refit in Mumbai and Kochi to increase its longevity as well as upgrade its weapon and sensor packages. Coincidentally enough, the...

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Four feared killed in IAF chopper crash

An Indian Air Force (IAF) chopper crashed and plunged into the Chenab at Trungal in Doda district today. The rotors of the ill-fated chopper got entangled in the cable of a ropeway hung by the locals to cross the river. Although the authorities have yet not confirmed the total causalities in the tragic incident, all four crew members on board were feared killed, as the chopper was drowned into the reservoir of the Baglihar hydroelectric project. Only one body has been recovered so far and the...

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Taiwan says U.S. stalling on F-16 sale because of China

Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou said on Thursday the U.S. government was stalling in replying to Taiwan's request for F-16 jet fighters because of displeasure from China, which claims sovereignty over the self-ruled island. Taiwan is seeking a $4.9 billion deal for 66 advanced F-16s to modernise its military as China's armed forces grow. The U.S. government has said it is reviewing Taiwan's defence needs and has made no commitment to a sale. "We still hope to acquire F-16 jet fighters to replace...

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NATO clears German colonel for calling in F-15E strike in Afghanistan

German troops acted appropriately when they called in a deadly airstrike on two fuel trucks in Afghanistan according to a NATO investigation, a top German general said on Thursday. The September 4 strike was the most deadly operation involving German troops since World War Two, killing 69 Taliban fighters and 30 civilians, the Afghan government has said. The attack, carried out by a U.S. F-15 fighter jet, was condemned by several European foreign ministers. But Germany has said it was necessary to protect its troops from a possible suicide attack...

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India's new defence policy to open $100 bn market

Indian defence companies will gain access to a potential $100 billion market over the next 10 years, following a new policy that allows domestic firms to bid for large defence contracts, officials said on Friday. India, one of the world's biggest arms importers, wants to increase the role of its private sector, which holds around 20 percent of the defence industry market but has the potential to grow significantly. Under the new policy, the government will allow domestic companies to bid for key projects on their own. Indian companies until...

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Insatiable dragon

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Prez to become first Indian woman to fly in Sukhoi

For once, President Pratibha Patil will don a G-suit instead of her trademark sari as she flies in a Sukhoi-30 MKI - a frontline fighter jet of the Indian Air Force (IAF) - next month. Patil, 74, is expected to board one of the Sukhois based in Lohegaon, Pune, and will make history of sorts by becoming the first woman to fly in an IAF war plane. The President is the supreme commander of the Indian armed forces. "The president will be flying in a Sukhoi soon. It should happen by November end," a senior IAF official told IANS without divulging...

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North Korea's latest missile tests failed

North Korea's short-range missile tests earlier this month were a failure with none of the five projectiles reaching its target, a report said Thursday. The North test-fired five KN-02 missiles with a range of 120 kilometres (75 miles) from mobile launchers off its east coast on October 12. Radio Free Asia, quoting an intelligence source, said four of the five missed the mark and one did not even launch properly."Two fell into the sea right after launch, another two missed the targets and the last one failed to launch," the source said, according...

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Obama inks military budget bill; Pakistan to get $2.3bn

US President Barack Obama today signed a $680 billion defence budget bill that provides $2.3 billion military assistance to Pakistan with tough condition to make sure that the funds are not squandered or diverted to affect the "balance of power in the region". Obama said the Defence Authorisation Bill for 2010 eliminates some of the waste and inefficiency in the defence process that will better protect the nation, troops and save taxpayers tens of billions of dollars. "The bill includes a commitment to the stability of Afghanistan and Pakistan,...

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Maritime exercise Seaspark 2009

By Amar Guriro Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Noman Bashir said Thursday Pakistan Navy has tightened, as well as reinforced, the maritime security in its naval territories, following the Mumbai attacks. Talking to the media on PNS Nasr on the last day of the tactical (war at sea) phase, which is a part of ongoing six-week-long maritime exercise, Seaspark 2009, in North Arabian Sea, he suggested a joint maritime security agency comprising maritime security agency, ports and shipping and other...

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Raytheon to offer AESA radar for Seoul's F/A-50 fighter

By Siva Govindasamy Raytheon is offering an active electronically scanned array radar to South Korea for installation on the proposed Korea Aerospace Industries F/A-50 light fighter. The Raytheon advanced combat radar (RACR) primarily targets the Lockheed Martin F-16 retrofit market. But company officials say that the F/A-50, which is based on the KAI/Lockheed T-50 advanced jet trainer derived from the US company's F-16, could also use the AESA radar to meet South Korean requirements. "Given...

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Russian missile cruiser to depart on visit to Singapore

The missile cruiser Varyag, the flagship of Russia's Pacific Fleet, will sail on Tuesday on a month-long tour-of-duty, which will include a visit to Singapore, a fleet spokesman said."The group of ships departing today from Vladivostok comprises the Varyag missile cruiser, the Fotiy Krylov salvage tug and the Pechenga tanker," the official said. "There is a naval infantry unit, an air support group and a number of naval cadets on board the cruiser," he added.According to the spokesman, the main...

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U.S. Speeds Aid to Pakistan to Fight Taliban

By ERIC SCHMITT Even as the Pakistani government plays down the American role in its military operations in Taliban-controlled areas along the border with Afghanistan, the United States has quietly rushed hundreds of millions of dollars in arms, equipment and sophisticated sensors to Pakistani forces in recent months, said senior American and Pakistani officials. During preparations this spring for the Pakistani campaigns in Swat and South Waziristan, President Obama personally intervened at...

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German Armed Forces in Afghanistan will get ISR data from Heron UAV

Rheinmetall Defence and the German Federal Office of Defense Technology and Procurement (Bundesamt für Wehrtechnik und Beschaffung – BWB) signed a service provider contract today to provide the German Bundeswehr with intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities through the deployment of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) system. This bridges the gap prior to the "SAATEG (System zur Abbildenden Aufklärung in der Tiefe des Einsatzgebietes)" acquisition programme. Under the current...

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Indian supplied Dhruv Helicopter crashes in Eucador air show

Two helicopter pilots have been hospitalised after a crash during a military parade in Eucador. The recently purchased Dhruv helicopter was flying in formation with two other choppers over an air force base near Quito when it suddenly veered off course and slammed into the ground."The two crew members managed to get out by their own means and were taken to hospital," air force general Leonardo Barreiro told local media. "Their condition is apparently good."Ecuadorian Vice President Lenin Moreno...

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Israel hopes to obtain two German corvettes

Israel intends to order in Germany, two warships and possibly avoid payment. Newspaper Hannoversche Allgemeine Zeitung wrote that hope is being placed on funding by the German government. Government of Israel intends shortly to order in Germany, the construction of several warships - two MEKO corvettes and submarines Dolphin. Reporting this on Friday, October 23, the newspaper Hannoversche Allgemeine Zeitung refers to the German government circles. According to the newspaper, senior representatives...

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Japanese navy destroyer collides with South Korean container ship off

A Japanese navy destroyer has collided with a commercial vessel off southern Japan, starting fires on both ships and injuring one crew member, defense officials said Tuesday.The destroyer JS Kurama collided with the South Korean container ship Carina Star on Tuesday night in the Kanmon Strait near the southern main island of Kyushu and both were engulfed in flames, a defense ministry spokesman said on condition of anonymity, citing protocol. One Kurama crew member was slightly injured, the...

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Indian Army is all set to induct 124 Arjun tanks

After repeated trials and a huge budget overrun, a total of 124 Arjun Main Battle Tanks (MBT) are all set to be inducted into the armoury of the Indian Army by April next year, said Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) scientist and chief controller (R&D) Dr W Selvamurthy. He was speaking at the valedictory ceremony of the 13th Post Induction Training School (POINTS-13) programme held at the Defence Institute of Advanced Technology (DIAT) here on Monday. Outlining the contribution...

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Defence acquisitions to be made more transparent

The government will roll out a new defence procurement policy (DPP) Nov 1 in a bid to promote the Indian defence industry and bring transparency in acquisitions, Defence Minister A K Antony said Tuesday.The reviewed DPP would also aim to promote joint ventures between foreign original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and Indian companies. "We are ready to promulgate DPP-2009 with effect from Nov 1," Antony said at a seminar on defence acquisition. Under the DPP 2009: * Broad contours of the 15-year armed forces acquisition plan will be made public *...

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South Korea to retrofit F-16 with AESA radar upgrade soon

By Bradley Perrett in Seoul and Douglas Barrie in London South Korea is planning to retrofit an active, electronically scanned array radar to its fleet of Lockheed Martin F-16s, sparking a competition liable to be repeated for a swath of Fighting Falcon operators. The South Korean air force will likely issue a request for proposals in 2010 or early 2011 for an active, electronically scanned array (AESA) radar for its F‑16C/D aircraft. The air force has around 40 Block 32 aircraft and 140 Block...

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Australia Army's 1st Aviation Regiment bids farewell to Kiowa

THE Army's Kiowa helicopters took to Top End skies for the last time yesterday.A formation of seven of the old choppers left their base at Robertson Barracks and roared across Darwin city to mark their farewell from frontline military duties.The choppers have served Defence for more than three decades. They have been replaced by the futuristic Tiger Armed Reconnaissance Helicopters.1st Aviation Regiment soldiers stood on the tarmac and saluted the Kiowas as they flew over the army barracks near Palmerston under the escort of the Tigers.Regiment...

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