Pakistan Air Force's Exercise High Mark 2010

The PAF’s five yearly ‘Exercise High Mark 2010’ has commenced to test its professional skills, capabilities and combat readiness. The countrywide exercise, which will last for nearly 60 days, will also be dovetailed with the Pakistan army’s exercise named Azm-e-Nau III and Naval operations to make it a tri-service test of mettle under realistic conditions. ‘High Mark 2010’ comes in the backdrop of a clear threat to Pakistan, both externally and internally.Combined with the threat from extremists, our eastern neighbour has evolved a Pakistan specific new war doctrine named ‘Cold Start’, which it is in the process of testing and adapting for all the three services. Simultaneously, terror organisations are keen to steal or hijack a nuke or two from Pakistan’s arsenal and destabilise the world by posing a nuclear threat. Whereas Pakistan’s Nuclear Command Authority’s efficacy and effectiveness is beyond the shadow of doubt, and its nuclear assets have been stored, deployed and dispersed in a manner where the most sophisticated countries have not been able to get even an inkling of their location, what to talk of any rag-tag militia.

The freshly acquired and operationally inducted squadron of JF-17 Thunder, the Airborne Early Warning and Control System (AEW & CS), the air-to-air refueller, use of advanced UAVs and the more sophisticated precision guided munitions added to the PAF’s inventory will all come into play in both offensive and defensive roles. Operating under the enhanced threat of electronic warfare and employing electronic countermeasure techniques through various platforms must be definitely receiving due consideration. Therefore, the Indian threat of surgical strikes have already been shrugged off by Pakistani defence planners because PAF possesses the capability to strike back with extreme vigour, and inflict heavy damage to the aggressor, in a matter of hours provided there is political will. The enemy will have to think hard before undertaking a foolhardy operation like the one the Indian air chief was rearing to undertake in the aftermath of the Mumbai attacks in 2008..........................................Nation

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Kunsan Airmen train with South Korean fighter pilots

Kunsan Air Base officials hosted an exercise with South Korean airmen March 15 through 17 here to operate effectively together for possible joint combat actions. South Korean air force F-16s from the 21st Fighting Squadron out of Seosan Air Base and F-15E Strike Eagles from the 391st Expeditionary Fighter Squadron played part in several realistic aerial exercises to become familiar with each other's tactics and procedures. "(Exercise) Buddy Wing is a way for us to gain experience flying with the host nation pilots," said Capt. Patrick Hickie, a 391st Expeditionary Fighter Squadron pilot. "This enables us to integrate seamlessly and be effective as possible. This is the bread and butter of what we do. We need to understand how to operate and employ together efficiently, this exercise gives us the chance to do that."

The exercise is held several times throughout the year to help ensure all incoming pilots are able to participate sometime throughout their tour and so the U.S. and South Korean air forces can operate smoothly together to complete their missions. "ROKAF mainly use English terms on the radio in accordance with communication procedures," said South Korean air force Capt. Sung Jin Jeon, assigned to the 21st Fighter Squadron. "We primarily share jargon, codeword, brevity, and so forth, so we don't see any problem with communication between ROKAF and USAF pilots." ......................................AF

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Turkey's B-737-700 AEW&C Program Back on Track

After facing delays of more than three years, a $1.6 billion program headed by Boeing to construct four specialized planes for Turkey’s military is now back on track, a Turkish defense industry specialist said Monday."We are close to agreeing with Boeing to a revised timetable for the program," Murad Bayar, head of the undersecretariat for Defense Industries, or SSM, Turkey's procurement agency, told the Hürriyet Daily News and Economic Review."We hope to receive the first aircraft before the end of next year," he said.Boeing officials also confirmed that both sides are working on a new and detailed schedule for the program, dubbed Peace Eagle, also saying that the firm is committed to an airborne early warning and control, or AEW&C, system that meets Turkey's procurement requirements...........................Hürriyet Daily News

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Polish F-16 pilots get set for possible Afghanistan mission

Poland has 48 F-16 jet fighter planes. Most of them rarely take to the skies outside of routine training.But in two years, the planes could be heading to Afghanistan, reports Rzeczpospolita.The paper cites an unnamed soldier as a source that says the matter is already settled, just has not yet been announced publicly by Polish army authorities.Pilots at a large Polish Air Force base admit they have already started rigorous training and preparation for the 2012 departure to the war-torn middle-eastern nation, but Polish Air Force officials have yet to confirm this.

Rzeczpospolita

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India's Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) Takes 1st Flight

India's indigenous Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) has flown for the first time. The helicopter, which was test-flown on Monday, successfully hovered for 15 minutes. The LCH is based on technologies developed for India's Dhruv Advanced Light Helicopter. The LCH will be equipped with missiles in addition to its nose-mounted cannon. It will be able to take out tanks and other armoured vehicles in addition to giving battlefield support to Indian military formations.

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India to Buy 15 Fast-Interception Boats from French Shipyard

India has signed a deal to buy 15 fast-interception boats (FIBs) from the French shipyard Chantier Naval Couach.The boats are meant for use by the new Sagar Prahari Bal (Sea Patrol Force in Hindi) being raised by Navy.Indian media quoting defence ministry sources said the deal could be worth an estimated $500 million and was concluded on March 27. However, there was no official word on this from the Indian MoD...............................Read More

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India inked Rs 11,600-crore Agreement for Induction of Brahmos into IAF

Aiming to provide the country’s defence with an extra edge, the government last week inked a Rs 11,600-crore agreement that will pave the way for formal induction of the Brahmos missile into the Indian Air Force (IAF), besides giving two more regiments of the supersonic land attack system to the Army.While the missile is already in service with the Navy and Army, this is the first time that a surface-to-surface version of the missile will be inducted into the IAF. This will give the IAF a cutting edge over adversaries in the region and will arm it with the capability of taking out enemy radars and other air defence installations without even sending fighters across the border.Top sources said the multi-crore agreement with Brahmos Aerospace, a joint venture between the DRDO and Russian company, would enable factory production of advanced versions of the cruise missile that can be launched from aircraft, submarines, ships and land. Capable of attaining speeds between 2.5 and 2.8 mach, Brahmos missiles have a range of about 290 kilometres. “In the next couple of years, we will have different versions of the Brahmos in all the three services,” sources said................................Indianexpress

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Indian Navy launched three Water Jet Fast Attack Crafts

The Indian Navy today launched three Water Jet Fast Attack Crafts ''INS Kabra'', ''INS Koswari'' and ''INS Karuva'' to be deployed around the peninsula to keep a strict vigil, Rear Admiral K N Sekhar, CMD Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) Limited said today.At the launch of the warships from Raja Bagan Dockyard(RBD), Mr Sekhar said, ''For the second time in succession, three water jet fast attack crafts are being launched simultaneously from here.'' The warships were lauched by Ms Letha Sushil, wife of Vice-Admiral K N Sushil. The names of the warships were assigned after three islands of the Arabian Sea..........................................Webindia

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U.S. hopes to give Pakistan drones within a year

The Pentagon aims to deliver a fleet of surveillance drones to Pakistan within a year, but weaponized versions of the unmanned aircraft are still off-limits, a U.S. military official said on Monday.U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates announced plans in January to provide Islamabad with what aides said at the time were 12 Shadow drones, aiming to boost its ability to track insurgents.But a senior U.S. military official, briefing reporters at the Pentagon on the condition of anonymity, said Islamabad was still weighing whether Shadow drones were the model of unmanned aircraft best suited to its needs."We looked at Shadows. We looked at Scan Eagles and other tactical UAVs that are out and about and what we want to do is try to find out" which model is best, the official said, referring to drones as unmanned aerial vehicles, or UAVs.Pakistan is already using some non-U.S., imported drone technology and has modified a C-130 military transport aircraft to allow some surveillance activities, the official said.......................Reuters

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F-16 Block 52 with AMRAAM BVR Missiles to Start Joining PAF by June: PAF Air Chie

Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Rao Qamar Suleman on Saturday said PAF would start getting the lot of 18 latest version of F-16 fighting falcon aircraft fitted with Beyond Visual Range (BVR) missile system by June this year.Briefing newsmen on the on-going High Mark-2010 Exercise by PAF in collusion with Pakistan Army and Pakistan Navy, the Chief of Air Staff said the delivery of aircraft to Pakistan would complete by the end of current year.

He, however, did not disclose the number of BVR systems being acquired from the US, but said in addition to 18 F-16s, Pakistan has also been negotiating to get another lot of 14 aircraft of same version, besides getting other modern gadgets and weapons.“Our wish-list is unending, but we are heading with the realistic approach,” he said when was asked about the PAF’s wish-list from the US. He said the indigenously developed aircraft with the help of friendly country China JF-17 (Thunder) has been producing much better results than expectations, especially its weapon system.

He told another questioner that the existing lot of F-16s in the PAF inventory would be upgraded to the level of Block 52 series in Turkey and the project would be completed by 2014.Highlighting the importance of High Mark-2010, he said significance of the exercise could be gauged from the fact that the air force had been engaging all its assets, especially those recently inducted in its inventory like, Early Air Warning and Control System, JF-17 Thunder and Air to Air refueller. Besides, he said Pakistan Army and Pakistan Navy have also been taking part in wholesome manner in the exercise which has been tailored to carry out joint and solo operations in accordance with the need that may occur.

He said the exercise is being carried out in the near to real situation with the aim to give mastery to the fighter pilots on avoiding collateral damage as in the past maximum efforts were made to avoid civilian casualties during the anti-terrorist operations.Air Chief Marshal Rao Qamar Suleman said this joint exercise not only focusses on to deal with the threat from the traditional rival, but also from the potential unconventional enemy.

When his attention was drawn towards the Indian doctrine of carrying out surgical strikes in the wake of Mumbai attacks, the PAF chief said the air force had immediately developed strategy to counter the threat which barred the adversary to opt for any extreme option. “Our response time during such situations is from 2 to 6 minutes from the ground,” he responded in a firm manner. He said knowing the capability of PAF the adversary did not dare to take any step.

He said PAF has been keeping a watchful eye to safeguard the frontiers of the country and effective systems are already in place to meet with any situation.In reply to a question, he said PAF had already been using

Unarmed Aerial Vehicle (UAV) technology for reconnaissance purposes while it hardly needs to go for armed aerial vehicle.He said the Exercise High Mark is being carried out from the existing financial resources available with the PAF as no additional allocations have been sought from the government for the purpose.

Answering another question, he said the coalition forces hardly commit any violation of Pakistan’s air while Pakistan had always strongly protested in case of any airspace violation by the coalition forces in Afghanistan.

He said that Pakistan and India back in 1991 had reached a mutual agreement not to enter in air space from 10 km of the border with the aim to avoid any violations.He said there was no threat from the western border while a sizeable number of aircraft are continuously guarding the eastern border, which are not a part of the exercise High Mark 2010.Detailed briefings were also given to the senior media-persons who were especially invited by the Air Chief to impart first hand information on the exercise, which has been entering its most important phase of fire power show. In the next phase which would be the culminating part of the exercise, contingents from Pakistan Army and Pakistan Navy would also participate.

APP

The new F-16s are one facet of the U.S.-Pakistan air force relationship, Lemkin said. “Other recent military-to-military engagements include exercises that provide focused training for air refueling, close air support and other air-to-ground missions, and some air-to- air training,” he said.This training is designed to increase “weapons delivery precision and decrease potential for collateral damage,” Lemkin said. “The U.S. has ongoing efforts to provide the Pakistan Air Force with night vision devices and associated training for their older F-16 aircraft,” he said. Lemkin said the senior Air Force leadership is also reviewing a Pakistani request to loan or lease excess or retired U.S. F-16s for ground operations before the newer ones are delivered. Still, “taking into account our own operational requirements and policy considerations, it is important to note that, currently, there are no available, retired F-16s that are readily available for transfer,” Lemkin said. ................................Bloomberg

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China is Testing DF-21 Anti-ship Ballistic Missile to Target US Aircraft Carriers: US Adm. Willard

The commander of U.S. military forces in the Pacific said Thursday that the buildup of Chinese armed forces is continuing "unabated" and Beijing's goal appears to be power projection beyond Asia."China's rapid and comprehensive transformation of its armed forces is affecting regional military balances and holds implications beyond the Asia-Pacific region," said Adm. Robert F. Willard, the Pacific Command leader. "Of particular concern is that elements of China's military modernization appear designed to challenge our freedom of action in the region."The comments in testimony to the House Armed Services Committee are likely to fuel an ongoing debate inside the U.S. government among military, policy and intelligence officials over whether China's military buildup is limited to a future conflict with Taiwan or whether China harbors global military ambitions.China also will deploy its own aircraft carrier by 2012 and currently has more than 60 submarines, he said.China is "developing and testing a conventional anti-ship ballistic missile based on the DF-21/CSS-5 medium-range ballistic missile designed specifically to target aircraft carriers," Adm. Willard said in his prepared statement..........................................Washington Times

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Taiwan Plans to Develop Ballistic and Cruise Missiles

It was right for Taiwan’s military to be moving toward the development of a mid-range ground-to-ground missile, Vice Defense Minister Andrew Yang said Monday, though he failed to confirm reports of tests.Ruling Kuomintang lawmaker Ting Shou-chung asked Yang at the Legislative Yuan whether he had visited the United States to explain planned tests in June at the Chiupeng military base in Pingtung County.Yang denied he had traveled to the U.S. and failed to give a direct answer to the question about the missile test, only saying it was right for the military to be thinking about developing the weapons.Ting said reports about plans to develop ground-to-ground missiles with a range of 1,200 kilometers and cruise missiles with a range of 800 kilometers had attracted concern from overseas that Taiwan might be violating international ballistic missile limitation treaties.......................Taiwan News

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China to Establishment Two Nuclear Power Plants in Pakistan

Pakistan has entered a civil nuclear deal with China for the establishment of two nuclear power projects of 640 megawatts in Chashma. The breakthrough deal – under which Pakistan would be provided a loan, technology and installation facilities – was finalised ahead of the latest round of the Pak-US strategic dialogue, as the federal cabinet granted financial approval at a meeting on March 24. Sources privy to the deal said the federal cabinet had approved an inter-government framework agreement on the financing of ‘Chashma Nuclear Power Project 3’ and ‘Chashma Nuclear Power Project 4’ with China. The sources said under the agreement, China would provide 82 percent of the total $1.912 billion financing to Pakistan as a 20-year soft loan, with an eight-year grace period.  The sources said each 320-megawatt unit would contain a nuclear steam supply system, a turbine-generator set and the associated auxiliary equipment and installations.................................Daily Times

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IndiaTtest-Fires Nuke-Capable Agni-I Ballistic Missile

India on sunday successfully test-fired its indigenously developed, nuclear-capable, short range ballistic missile (SRBM) Agni-1 from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Wheeler Island, about 100 km from here off the Orissa coast. "It was a fantastic mission carried out by the Indian Army. The test-fire of the Agni-I missile met all parameters," director of ITR S P Dash told a news agency. Blasted off from a rail mobile launcher, the surface-to-surface, single-stage missile, powered by solid propellants, roared into the sky trailing behind a column of orange and white thick smoke at about 1305 hours.

"After piercing the sky, the missile re-entered the earth's atmosphere and its dummy warhead impacted in the waters of the Bay of Bengal in the down range," a defence official said from the launch site, adding that the guidance and re-entry system worked well. User of the missile, the strategic force command of the Indian Army, executed the entire launch operation with the necessary logistic support being provided by the Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO) at the integrated test range (ITR).

Weighing 12 tonnes, the 15 metre tall Agni-1, which can carry payloads weighing up to one tonne, has already been inducted into the Indian Army. The Agni-1 has a range of upto 700 kms. "The command chain has been validated. This is a major step in the preparedness of the Army in using this weapon system. We have reached the full range capability of the missile," said a DRDO scientist. The entire trajectory of today's mission was tracked by a battery of sophisticated radars, telemetry and electro-optic systems and a naval ship anchored in the impact point.

The command, operation, integration, execution and networking for the launch was done by the Army. India successfully test-fired two nuclear-capable medium-range ballistic missiles Prithvi-II and Dhanush in quick succession from different locations off the Orissa coast yesterday. Dhanush was test-fired from INS Subhadra, about 50 nautical miles from Puri, while Prithvi-11 was test-fired from a mobile launcher from the ITR. Prithvi-II has a range of 295 km while Dhanush, the naval version of Prithvi, can cruise upto 350 km. On March 22, the super-sonic cruise missile BrahMos, jointly developed by India and Russia, was successfully test-launched from INS Ranvir off the Orissa coast.

PTI

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Pakistan to get 14 more F-16 jets from US

The US has agreed to give 14 more F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan, Air Chief Marshal Rao Qamar Suleman said on Saturday. Briefing the media at the air headquarters, Suleman said the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) was ready to thwart any internal or external threat. He said an air exercise now under way would continue till May 10. "Its sole purpose is to ensure the country's security," the Online news agency quoted him as saying. He said the US had agreed to give 14 F-16 jets in addition to the 18 it was committed to. Pakistan will also participate in a joint exercise with the US, he said. He added that the air force had not asked the US for drone technology and that it would develop it on its own.................................Times of India

Pakistan is negotiating with the United States to buy 14 additional F-16 fighter planes, Pakistan defence officials said on Sunday, following talks aimed at reversing tempestuous ties between the allies.The United States and Pakistan have agreed to fast-track pending Pakistani requests for military equipment as the two step up security cooperation, Pakistan's foreign minister said on Wednesday during a high-profile visit to Washington.A senior Pakistani defence official told Reuters that Pakistan was asking for 14 new F-16 planes. “Talks are underway and we're hoping to get them at a low price,” the official, who requested not to be identified, said.Pakistan is an important US ally in the battle against al Qaeda and the Taliban in neighbouring Afghanistan...........................................Dawn

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Joint India, Singapore Military Exercise Ends

A two-day-long joint military exercise by Indian and Singaporean armies - code-named Bold Kurukshetra - aimed at validating inter-operability between the two forces concluded here on Saturday.Singapore Minister of State for Defence Koo Tsai Kee and its High Commissioner to India Calvin Eu, along with a delegation of ten dignitaries witnessed the bilateral exercise. The visit underscored the warm defence relations between both countries.

"To what I have seen today, I'm pleased to say that what we have achieved here eventually is what we had asked for. For this, I extend my appreciation to Indian Army for allowing us to train in India," said Neo Kian Hong, Major-General, Singapore Army. Earlier, elements of the Singaporean Army had started their training on March 1 under the supervision of the Armoured Division of Indian Army.

The training also included professional exchange between the two armies in form of lectures, presentations, familiarisation with the other army's equipment, tactical discussions, and sand-model exercises.India and Singapore had signed an India-Singapore defence cooperation agreement in 2003 to advance their bilateral defence relationship. (ANI)

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Arms Open At Desi War Mart

With a defence budget of around $32 billion, India is one of the biggest arms importers among emerging economies. But this vast sum is mostly spent without any real planning. As foreign armament manufacturers eye our impressive shopping list, the question is: Will we get enough bang for our buck?

There is simply no business like the arms business. No trade is as deadly and as lucrative. Just about every nation is amassing the latest arms and defence technology to fight off or vanquish its real or imagined enemies.

Global annual military expenditure tops $1,500 billion now. With a defence budget of close to $32 billion, India, too, has emerged as a major buyer in the global arms bazaar in the last decade. India, in fact, is the largest arms importer in the emerging economies with the exception of China. India’s giant — and, of late, increasingly assertive — neighbour pegs its annual defence budget at around $78 billion. And this is a conservative estimate. .................................................Times of India

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Indian Navy on Aggressive Acquisition; Plans to have Fighter Planes

ndian Navy plans to take up aggressive acquisition programmes in aviation including induction of fighter planes and multi-role India's fighter jets helicopters for its fleet, its Chief Admiral Nirmal Verma has said."We are acquiring our ships, aircraft and submarines in accordance with the Navy's current Maritime Capability Perspective Plan. There are presently 40 ships and submarines on order," Verma said.He said in addition, Navy has aggressive acquisition programmes in aviation including induction of Mig 29K, the acquisition of Boeing P8I MPA aircraft, additional Kamov 31 helicopters and new multi-role helicopters.

"We would also by then have our indigenous strategic submarine force fully operationalised," the Chief of Naval Staff said in an interview to recently published 'Manas Defence Year Book'."The linking of all our platforms through ongoing efforts in data linking will realise the creation of a truly network centric force that is tomorrow ready. In sum by 2020, I see a modern and powerful Navy with a large indigenous component, manned by a highly tech-savvy manpower ready to meet the transformational changes," Verma said...............................EconomicTimes

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Indian Navy Outlines Plan for Nuclear Submarine INS Chakra

The Indian Navy is hoping to have individual say in running the nuclear submarine INS Chakra, which will be under the strategic forces command.The strategic forces command is jointly run by the army, air force and the navy.The Akula class nuclear sub, to be acquired from Russia on a 10- year lease, is expected to be delivered to India in six to eight months.Sources say the submarine will be based on a coast that has the best logistical infrastructure such as maintenance facilities for a sea-based nuclear asset.

Besides, the waters near the coast would have to be sufficiently deep for the sub.One of the key operational elements of Chakra would be to train nuclear submariners of the Indian forces, as the pool of trained navy men of the 1980s has retired by now. They were those who had cut their teeth on the first INS Chakra, a Charlie class nuclear submarine that had been leased by the Rajiv Gandhi government from Russia. That submarine was returned at the end of its lease period in 1992................................IndiaToday

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U.S. and Pakistan Agree to Reinforce Strategic Ties

Pakistan and the United States wrapped up two days of high-level talks on Thursday, with a raft of economic development initiatives, an agreement to hasten deliveries of military hardware and a promise to put their often mistrustful relationship on a new footing. In a communiqué issued after the talks, the countries said they would “redouble their efforts to deal effectively with terrorism” and would work together for “peace and stability in Afghanistan.”

Administration officials said Pakistan was likely to get swifter delivery of F-16 fighter jets, naval frigates and helicopter gunships, as well as new remotely piloted aircraft for surveillance missions. But the United States was silent about Pakistan’s most heavily advertised proposal: a civil nuclear agreement similar to the one the Bush administration signed with Pakistan’s archrival, India.

Given Pakistan’s history of selling nuclear technology to Iran, Libya and North Korea, such an agreement would realistically be 10 or 15 years away, a senior administration official said Thursday. Still, the administration was careful not to dismiss the idea out of hand. “This is a new day,” Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said in greeting Pakistan’s foreign minister, Shah Mahmood Qureshi. “For the past year, the Obama administration has shown in our words and our deeds a different approach and a different attitude toward Pakistan.” .........................................NY Times

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Fire Broke Out at Panagarh Indian Army Depot in West Bengal

A major fire broke out early today in one of the largest ammunition depots of Indian Army at Panagarh in Burdwan district of West Bengal, gutting a store house containing a large number of small arms and ammunition. "The fire broke out in shed number 16 (store house) of the depot at 1.30 am. Within five minutes, the entire fire fighting machinery of the Army was activated to battle the blaze," Wing Commander M Upasani of Eastern Command told PTI.

The fire was brought under control at around 3.30 am but the shed was totally destroyed, he said. There was no loss of life or injury, the defence spokesman said. A crisis management team of the Army, led by Colonel A D Sethi, rushed to the site and controlled the fire, which destroyed a large number of small arms and ammunition, he said. The Wing Commander said Maj Gen Chowdhury of the Eastern Command rushed to the site for an immediate probe. The cause of the fire was not known, he said. Panagarh, about 120 kms from here, has one of the largest ammunition depots of the Indian Army and is also an important air force base.

PTI

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India Tests N-capable Prithvi II, Dhanush Ballistic Missiles

India today successfully test-fired indigenously developed ballistic missiles 'Prithvi II' and 'Dhanush' from different locations off the Orissa coast, adding more firepower to the armed forces. "The tests were successful. Both the missiles test-fired early today met all the parameters," the director of the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur, S P Dash, told PTI. While the 'Prithvi II' was test-fired from complex-3 of ITR Chandipur, 15 km from here, from a mobile launcher at around 0548 hours, the 'Dhanush' was fired from INS-Subhadra in the Bay of Bengal near Puri at around 0544 hours by the Navy personnel as part of user training exercise.

The test firing of the short-range, surface-to-surface 'Prithvi II' ballistic missile having a range of 295 km, which has already been inducted into the armed forces, was a user trial by the Army. The sleek missile is "handled by the strategic force command", the sources said. Prithvi, the first ballistic missile developed under the country's prestigious Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP), has the capability to carry 500 kg of warhead and has liquid propulsion twine engine. With a nine-metre length and one-metre diameter, Prithvi II uses an advanced inertial guidance system with manoeuvring trajectory and reach the targets with a few metre accuracy.

The entire trajectory of today's trial was tracked down by a battery of sophisticated radars and an electro-optic telemetry stations were positioned in different locations for post-launch analysis, defence sources said. The nuclear-capable 'Dhanush', the naval version of Prithvi, followed the pre-designated trajectory with text-book precision and two naval ships located near the target have tracked the splash, sources said. The 350-km range missile will give the Navy the capability to attack enemy targets with great precision. The sophisticated radar systems located along the coast monitored its entire trajectory, the sources said. The single stage missile, weighing six tonnes, is powered by liquid propellants.

PTI

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India Received 2nd Israeli-made Phalcon Airborne Early Warning and Control System

India today(Mar 25) received the second of the three contracted Israeli-made Phalcon Airborne Early Warning and Control System at the Jamnagar air base, giving it the second 'eye in the sky' for enhanced surveillance capabilities.The second AWACS arrived in Gujarat from Israel in the evening and will be deployed in Agra, IAF officials said here.With the arrival of the second AWACS, officials said the IAF can keep an eye on both the eastern and western front at the same time and with the induction of the third system, expected later this year, virtually covering the entire nation.The system, primarily used for detection of incoming hostile cruise missiles and aircraft from hundreds of kilometres away, can also direct air defence fighters during combat operations against enemy jets. It also helps detect troop build-up across the border.

PTI

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South Korea Says Not Clear North Korea Involved In Ship Sinking

A South Korean naval ship was sinking on Friday night with more than 100 people on board, but officials played down earlier suggestions that it may have been the result of an attack by North Korea."It is not clear whether North Korea was involved," Presidential Blue House spokeswoman Kim Eun-hye told Reuters.The Joint Chiefs of Staff also said it could not conclude that the reclusive North was behind the attack.......................Reuters

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Russia delivers first 3 helicopter gunships to Brazil

Russia has delivered the first batch of Mi-35M Hind E attack helicopters to Brazil, a Russian state arms exporter said on Thursday.Rosoboronexport spokesman Sergei Svechnikov said a total of 12 helicopters are to be delivered under a 2008 contract, worth $150 million.The Mi-35M is an export version of the Mi-24 Hind that was used extensively in Afghanistan. The Mi-24/35 is unique among dedicated attack helicopters insofar as it can carry a load of troops, in addition to performing its offensive role......................Full Story

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Malaysia to order CN-235 maritime patrol aircraft from Indonesia

Malaysia is planning to sign a letter of intent in April for four Indonesian Aerospace CN-235 maritime patrol aircraft.Air force officials, including chief of staff Rodzali bin Daud, have been negotiating with Indonesia's state-owned aircraft-maker PT Dirgantara Indonesia for the purchase, say industry sources...............................Full Story

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Leaders not impressed by new Russian PAK-FA fighter

The flying debut of Russia’s answer to the F-22 Raptor isn’t wowing Air Force leaders.Dubbed the T-50 or PAK-FA, the fifth-generation stealth fighter jet made its maiden flight Jan. 29 — 47 minutes over eastern Russia — and has flown at least twice since then. The twin-engine jet will replace the MiG-29 Fulcrum and Su-27 Flanker, both fourth-generation front-line fighters.The first operational T-50s should be delivered in 2015, the same year the Air Force expects its first F-35 Lightning II. Also a fifth-generation fighter, the F-35 has a single supersonic engine and stealth capabilities..................................AirforceTime

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Israel Delivers 6 Heron UAV To Turkey

Israel Military Industries (IMI) has delivered six drones to Turkey, media reported March 25.Public radio and YNet news said the Turkish military would receive the remaining four Heron drones on order by the end of April.............................................Full Story

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Royal Australian Air Force's F/A-18 Super Hornets Arrive in Australia

The first five of 24 Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornets for the Royal Australian Air Force have arrived in Australia at its largest air force base, Amberley in Queensland. The F/A-18Fs are Canberra's first new combat aircraft in 25 years. ................................Full Story

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Royal Malaysia Air Force (RMAF) Pilatus PC-7 MK II Aircraft Crashes

More than 1,000 Universiti Utara Malaysia students and their parents watched in horror as a Royal Malaysia Air Force (RMAF) Pilatus PC-7 MK II aircraft exploded in mid-air, killing the pilot during an air show.Mejar Zulrihan Yusoh’s body was found some 10m from his aircraft which had crashed into the university’s forest research area at 10.15am. He was still strapped to his seat.It was believed that the 33-year-old pilot had managed to eject from the plane but could not save himself as the aircraft was flying too low.........................................................Full Story

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Pak Navy to Consider French Marlin class and Chinese Yuan for its Next-Generation Submarines

Pakistan Navy is in discussions with China and France to acquire seven latest conventional submarines, negotiations with Germany to purchase three U-214 is also on cards.Chinese version offers economical price of around $230 million for each boat.To negotiate with French DCN Company for Marline Submarines, a high level naval delegation will visit France on April 27.

Reliable sources from Pakistan Navy told DawnNews that after three years of continuous negotiations with Germany PN has decided to avail some other options as well for acquiring next-generation submarines. Sources maintained that Islamabad is deeply interested in acquiring four Chinese Yuan and Song Class and three French Marlin class latest diesel electric conventional versions in a bid to meet any challenge from the rapidly expanding Indian navy.Initially German company HDW had drawn up technical specifications for three U-214 boats and a billion dollars contract also intact and was almost final.

Dawn/Asian News International

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Pakistan and Czech Republic Signed MoU to Increase Defence Cooperation

Pakistan and Czech Republic have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to increase military and defence cooperation between the two countries.Minister for Defence Production, Abdul Qayyum Jatoi and the visiting Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister of Czech Republic Martin Bartak put signatures on the MoU on behalf of their countries here in the Ministry of Defence.The MoU envisages to increase cooperation in the area of military training, exchange of military delegations and collaboration in the filed of defence production.Earlier, the defence delegation led by Defence Minister of Czech Republic Martin Bartak called on Minister for Defence Production Abdul Qayyum Jatoi and exchanged views on matters pertaining to enhancement of defence cooperation.

They emphasized the need to promote broad spectrum bilateral cooperation covering all aspects including defence, trade and economy.The meeting acknowledged the fact that both the countries had greater potential in the field of defence production which needed to be explored for the mutual benefits of the two sides.The minister also highlighted the contribution made by Pakistan against the war on terror. He informed the delegation that Pakistan was committed to contain and uproot terrorism. He said that the fighting against terror had drained Pakistan’s economy and the International community was required to assist Pakistan in its efforts to combat and eliminate terrorism.

While appreciating the counter-terrorism measures taken by Pakistan, the Czech Defence Minister said Pakistan had been playing a key role against the war on terror and the international community needed to assist Pakistan in its endeavors against the war on terror.Martin Bartak said his country was keen to promote closer partnership and meaningful defence cooperation with Pakistan.He hoped that the MoU, signed between Pakistan and Czech Republic would pave a way for promoting and strengthening closer defence cooperation between the countries.

APP

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Pakistan Army Ready to Forgo Military Hardware: Kayani

Army chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani said on Thursday that the military was willing to forgo its requests for hardware to ensure that Pakistan’s energy and economic needs were met.At a briefing at the Pakistan Embassy, Gen Kayani also said that there had been a marked change in the US attitude towards Pakistan because of the army’s success in South Waziristan and Swat.“I told Senator John Kerry and Senator Richard Lugar that in order to make sure that Pakistan’s economy and energy needs are met, we are willing to forgo the military equipment that we have asked for,” he said.“The most important concerns for Pakistan today are economy and energy and we have emphasised that with the American administration that these are the needs that need to be met,” he added.Gen Kayani met the two senators earlier this week when he arrived in Washington for the two-day strategic dialogue, which concluded on Thursday....................Dawn

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Pakistan May Be Operating Second Khushab Reactor

GoogleEarth recently posted satellite imagery from GeoEye featuring the Khushab nuclear site in Pakistan. Imagery dated December 31, 2009 shows what appears to be steam distorting the view of some of the cooling tower fan blades for the second plutonium production Khushab reactor. This would indicate that the second Khushab reactor is at least at some state of initial operation. On April 23, 2009, ISIS determined from DigitalGlobe satellite imagery that major construction of the second Khushab reactor was likely finished, and that it could soon begin operation. In February 2010, Zia Mian reported that Pakistan may have completed the second Khushab reactor, citing a recent visit to the site by the Prime Minister where he reportedly congratulated engineers for “completing important projects.”Pakistan has one plutonium production reactor already operational at Khushab. Pakistan began building the second Khushab reactor sometime between 2000 and 2002. Pakistan began building a third Khushab reactor sometime around the middle of 2006. These Khushab reactors support Pakistan’s nuclear weapons program. ...............................................ISIS

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President grants awards to personnel of Air Force, Army, Navy on Pakistan Day

President Asif Ali Zardari has granted military awards to officers and men of Pakistan Army, Navy and Air Force in recognition to their gallantry contributions,an ISPR press release said here Monday. Detail of Pakistan Army personnel who are nominated for awards are as under:

SITARA-I-BASALAT.

Following officers have been conferred with Sitara-i-Basalat:

Major General Bilal Omer Khan (Shaheed), HI (M), AC, Brigadier Syed Hussain Abbas Shah (Shaheed), Punjab , Lieutenant Colonel Muhammad Umer, FF and Major Mudassar Razzaq, Avn.

TAMGHA-I-BASALAT.

Following officers and men have been awarded Tamgha-i-Basalat:

Brigadier Aftab Afzal, CMI, Brigadier Amer Aslam Khan, Baloch, Lieutenant Colonel Manzoor Saeed (Shaheed), ASC, Lieutenant Colonel Muhammad Rizwan Lashari, S Bt, SSG, Lieutenant Colonel Jawad Khan (Shaheed), AC, Major Hafiz Atique Ahmed (Shaheed), Baloch, Major Afzaal Ahmed (Shaheed), AD, Major Tauqir Anwar Khan, S Bt, SSG, Major Qaiser Mehmood Sahi (Shaheed), FF, Major Khawar Mubeen Khattak, Punjab, Captain Sohail Akbar (Shaheed), FF, Captain Aamir Butt (Shaheed), Baloch, Captain Asim Karim Khan (Shaheed), Avn, Captain Shahadat Hussain, CMI, Captain Muhammad Khurram Shehzad (Shaheed), Avn, Captain Saifullah, NLI, Captain Aamir Shahzad, SSG, Captain Adnan Javed, SSG, Captain Muhammad Azhar Manzoor, AC, Captain Qammar Abbas (Shaheed), Arty, Captain Fayyaz Ahmed (Shaheed), Punjab, Captain Omerzeb Afzal Baig (Shaheed), AK, Captain Waqar Alam Shah, AC, Lieutenant Muhammad Faraz Malik (Shaheed), Arty, Subedar Rahib Ali Bangash (Shaheed), FC, Naib / Subedar Ismail Khan (Shaheed), FC, Naib / Subedar Muhammad Saleem (Shaheed), Engrs, Naib / Subedar Muhammad Ikram Ullah (Shaheed), AK, Naib / Subedar Muhammad Akram, (Shaheed), Punjab, Naib / Subedar Habib Ur Rehman, (Shaheed), FC, Havildar Fateh Ullah (Shaheed), FC, Havildar Sher Muhammad, (Shaheed), Baloch, Havildar Muhammad Luqman (Shaheed), Baloch, Havildar Syed Ahmed Shah (Shaheed), NLI, Havildar Iqbal Shah, (Shaheed), FC, Havildar Imran Ali (Shaheed), FC, Havildar Rehman Wali Afridi (Shaheed), FC, Havildar Muhammad Naeem (Shaheed), Engrs, Havildar Musaver Khan (Shaheed), Punjab, Havildar Ghulam Ahmed (Shaheed), AK, Havildar Nasar Hayat (Shaheed), FF, Havildar Istahzar Hussain (Shaheed), FF, Havildar Muhammad Safdar (Shaheed), FF, Havildar Tariq Mehmood (Shaheed), Sind, Havildar Muhammad Arif (Shaheed), Sind, Havildar Munawar Kamal (Shaheed), Baloch, Havildar Khajid Ullah, (Shaheed), Baloch, Havildar Zameer Hussain Shah, (Shaheed), Baloch, Havildar Muhammad Ijaz (Shaheed), AK, Havildar Anayat Ullah (Shaheed), AK, Havildar Ali Asghar (Shaheed), Avn, Havildar Hazrat Hussain (Shaheed), Avn, Havildar Asif Rashid (Shaheed), Avn, Lance/Havildar Muhammad Sharif (Shaheed), Baloch, Lance / Havildar Muhammad Nazabat, (Shaheed), NLI, Havildar Abbas Raza, (Shaheed), NLI, Lance / Havildar Muhammad Hafeez (Shaheed), Sind, Lance/Havildar Muhammad Ali (Shaheed) Baloch, Naik Javed Shaikh, (Shaheed),NLI, Naik Muhammad Ayub (Shaheed), SSG, Naik Gunner Allah Bux, (Shaheed) Arty, Naik Muhammad Rafiq (Shaheed), SSG, Naik Tariq Irshad Iqbal (Shaheed), Baloch, Naik Muhammad Mehboob (Shaheed), AK, Lance Naik Hadi Gul (Shaheed), FC, Lance Naik Abdur Raheem Khan, (Shaheed) Punjab, Lance Naik Shahid Iqbal (Shaheed), ASC, Lance Naik Fazal Nabi (Shaheed), FF, Lance Naik Muhammad Niaz (Shaheed), SSG, Lance Naik Khizar Iqbal (Shaheed), AK, Lance Naik Qudrat Ali (Shaheed), SSG, Sepoy Hazrat Muhammad, (Shaheed), FC, Sepoy Anwar Ullah Khan, (Shaheed), NLI, Sepoy Sher Dullah Baig, (Shaheed), NLI, Sepoy Jamil Akhter, (Shaheed), NLI, Sepoy Arab Khan, (Shaheed), NLI, Sepoy Mushtaq Ahmed, (Shaheed), NLI, Sepoy Atta Ullah (Shaheed), FC, Sepoy Muhammad Younis (Shaheed), SSG, Sepoy Umer Hayat, (Shaheed) Baloch, Sepoy Qasim Islam (Shaheed), Baloch, Sowar Saif Ur Rehman (Shaheed), AC, Spr Abid Hussain (Shaheed), Engrs, Spr Ahmed Khan (Shaheed), Engrs, Sepoy Sikandar Ali (Shaheed), Punjab, Sepoy Shafi Ullah (Shaheed), Punjab, Sepoy Muhammad Pervaiz Iqbal(Shaheed), Punjab, Sepoy Muhammad Saeed (Shaheed), Punjab, Sepoy Muhammad Amin (Shaheed), NLI, Sepoy Tahir Abbas (Shaheed), Arty, Sepoy Rab Nawaz (Shaheed), SSG, OCU Nayer Abbas (Shaheed), Arty, Sepoy Muhammad Shahzad Anjum (Shaheed), FF, Sepoy Hazrat Mir (Shaheed), FF, Sepoy Asim Raza (Shaheed), FF, Sepoy Ubaid Ullah Zahid, Sind, Sepoy Muhammad Hayat (Shaheed) Sind, Sepoy Muhammad Nisar (Shaheed), Sind, Sepoy Sajjad Ur Rehman, (Shaheed), Baloch, Sepoy Muhammad Arif (Shaheed) Baloch, Sepoy Gul Nawaz (Shaheed), Baloch, Sepoy Muhammad Imtiaz (Shaheed), Baloch, Sepoy Ghulam Mustefa (Shaheed), Baloch, Sepoy Zaka Ullah, (Shaheed), Baloch, Sepoy Muhammad Shahbaz Latif (Shaheed), Baloch, Sepoy Muhammad Ashraf, AK, Sepoy Muhammad Sajid Hafeez (Shaheed), AK, Sepoy Tamour Ahmed Chak (Shaheed), AK, Sepoy Abdul Rehman (Shaheed), AK and Sepoy Javeed Hussain (Shaheed), AK.

HILAL-I-IMTIAZ (MILITARY).

Following officers and men have been awarded Hilal-i-Imtiaz (Military):

Major General Muhammad Shahid, SI(M), EME, Major General Obaid Bin Zakria, EME, Major General Niaz Kausar Sheikh, SI(M), ASC, Major General Zahir Shah, SI(M), Engrs, Major General Muhammad Khalid, SI(M), Sigs, Major General Muhammad Khalid, Baloch, Major General Kaleem Saber Taseer, Arty, Major General Muhammad Mansha, Baloch, Major General Ghulam Dastagir, Punjab, Major General Abid Pervaiz, AC, Major General Javed Iqbal, FF, Major General Muhammad Saeed Aleem, FF and Major General Azhar Mahmud, AMC.

SITARA-I-IMTIAZ (MILITARY).

Following officers and men have been awarded Sitara-i-Imtiaz (Military):

Brigadier Iftikhar Mahmood Aleem, AC, Brigadier Viqar Rashid Khan, Sigs, Brigadier Akhtar Mahmood, Baloch, Brigadier Muhammad Ayub, Engrs, Brigadier Muzaffar Ali Khan, Arty, Brigadier Tanzeem Ud Din, Arty, Brigadier Ashfaq Hussain Gardezi, GL, Brigadier Muhammad Afzal Khan, FF, Brigadier Masuood Ahmad, FF, Brigadier Abdul Basit, AC, Brigadier Muhammad Waqar Aslam, Arty, Brigadier Naeem Sadiq, Sind, Brigadier Omar Farooq, Engrs, Brigadier Mushtaq Ahmad, Arty, Brigadier Muhammad Mumtaz, Baloch, Brigadier Asrar Ahmad Satti, FF, Brigadier Aziz Ur Rehman, T Bt, Arty, Brigadier Tanvir Ali Kausar, Punjab, Brigadier Waheed Akhtar, Baloch, Brigadier Abdul Waheed Khan, Engrs, Brigadier Sajid Nisar Khan, TI(M), Punjab, Brigadier Zulfiqar Ali, Arty, Brigadier Syed Raza Nawab, AC, Brigadier Rashid Majeeb Alavi, Ord, Brigadier Manzoor Ahmad, Baloch, Brigadier Ahmad Jamal Gilani, Sigs, Brigadier Tasawar Hussain, Baloch, Brigadier Aleem Ud Din Ahmed, Arty, Brigadier Shafqat Hayat Khan, Arty, Brigadier Aulad Hussain Rizvi, AD, Brigadier Muhammad Shakil, EME, Brigadier Muhammad Aman Ullah, RV&FC, Brigadier Abdus Sattar, AMC, Brigadier Muhammad Fayaz, AMC, Brigadier Ghulam Rasul Tariq, TI(M), AMC, Colonel Attiq Ur Rehman, ASC, Colonel Riaz Ur Rehman, FF, Colonel Syed Ahmad Raza, AC, Colonel Sharafat Ali, Baloch, Colonel Shahid Mehboob Elahi Siddiqi, CMI, Colonel Farooq Ashraf, AD, Colonel Shabbir Ahmad, Engrs, Colonel Salman Awais, Sigs, Colonel Abdus Sattar, Arty, Colonel Rashid Ahmad, Punjab, Colonel Mansoor Abbas, Ord, Colonel Tariq Mahmood, EME, Colonel Muhammad Ishfaq, AMC, Colonel Inam Ul Haq, AMC and Colonel Rizwan Masood Butt, AMC.

TAMGHA-I-IMTIAZ (MILITARY).

Following officers and men have been awarded Tamgha-i-Imtiaz (Military):

Lieutenant Colonel Yousaf Javed Qureshi, JAG, Lieutenant Colonel Salim Arshad Alyana, Punjab, Lieutenant Colonel Muhammad Ali Haider, Baloch, Lieutenant Colonel Muhammad Younis, Arty, Lieutenant Colonel Fazal Dad, Arty, Lieutenant Colonel Shah Rukh Nawaz, Baloch, Lieutenant Colonel Muhammad Khalil Zikria, Ord, Lieutenant Colonel Sikandar Hayat Zafar, FF, Lieutenant Colonel Yousaf Khan, Sind, Lieutenant Colonel Tahir Nawaz, Arty, Lieutenant Colonel Imtiaz Ahmad, AK, Lieutenant Colonel Muhammad Nadeem, Sigs, Lieutenant Colonel Teepu Sultan, Engrs, Lieutenant Colonel Zulfiqar Ali, Baloch, Lieutenant Colonel Syed Qasim Shah, Arty, Lieutenant Colonel Allah Rakha Sandhu, ASC, Lieutenant Colonel Ghulam Sarwar, Punjab, Lieutenant Colonel Mohsin Adeel, AC, Lieutenant Colonel Muhammad Kamran, SJ, AK, Lieutenant Colonel Muhammad Mahroof, Sigs, Lieutenant Colonel Mushtaq Ahmad, CMI, Lieutenant Colonel Muhammad Asim Imran, FF, Lieutenant Colonel Farid Iqbal Khattak, FF, Lieutenant Colonel Muhammad Shahid Javed, Sigs, Lieutenant Colonel Syed Dildar Haider Raza, Baloch, Lieutenant Colonel Imran Safdar, AC, Lieutenant Colonel Khalid Mahmood Awan, Arty, Lieutenant Colonel Abdul Razaq, Arty, Lieutenant Colonel Moeen Ghiyas, EME, Lieutenant Colonel Muhammad Halim, Punjab, Lieutenant Colonel Haroon Rashid Ch, AD, Lieutenant Colonel Fakhar Ul Islam, CMI, Lieutenant Colonel Muhammad Alam Kayani, ASC, Lieutenant Colonel Arshad Mahmood, Arty, Lieutenant Colonel Muhammad Saqlain Khan, AD, Lieutenant Colonel Faqir Taj, AEC, Lieutenant Colonel Amir Shehzad, Engrs, Lieutenant Colonel Khalid Mahmood, CMI, Lieutenant Colonel Amer Ayub, Avn, Lieutenant Colonel Rashid Ahmad, EME, Lieutenant Colonel Ashiq Hussain, FF, Lieutenant Colonel Afzal Mahmood, AC, Lieutenant Colonel Asad Ullah Baig, Ord, Lieutenant Colonel Intikhab Ahmed Qureshi, Engrs, Lieutenant Colonel Asif Rashid, Sind, Lieutenant Colonel Ghulam Murtaza Shah, Punjab, Lieutenant Colonel Farooque Azam, EME, Lieutenant Colonel Taseer Ibrahim, AMC, Lieutenant Colonel Tahir Ahmad Khan, AMC, Lieutenant Colonel Mrs Afshan Fayyaz, AMC, Lieutenant Colonel Rasikh Maqsood, AMC, Lieutenant Colonel Shahzad Akhtar, AMC, Lieutenant Colonel Muhammad Junaid Khan, AMC, Lieutenant Colonel Muhammad Azhar, AMC, Lieutenant Colonel Muhammad Munir, AMC, Lieutenant Colonel Miss Iffat Huma, AFNS, Major Aamer Pir Zada, Avn, Major Mahmood Ur Rahman Saqub, Baloch, Major Zubair Ahmed, FF, Major Asim Riaz Hashmat Khan, Arty, Major Malik Muhammad Tanseer Ahmed, Engrs, Major Zulfiqar, Sind, Major Saeed Ahmad, Engrs, Major Anwar Ul Haq, AD, Major Muhammad Shirjeel Khan, T Bt, Arty, Major Umar Hayat, Arty, Major Raja Sajid Mahmood, Punjab, Major Atif Manzoor Ansari, AC, Major Akbar Ali Khan, Ord, Major Muhammad Ali Pasha, AK, Major Tariq Hamid, Punjab, Major Muhammad Tanweer Khan, FF, Major Muhammad Arif Malik, Baloch, Major Tariq Habib Khan, ASC, Major Nadeem Akhtar Rao, Sigs, Major Mohyud Din Khan, AK, Major Syed Jawad Hassan, EME, Major Khawar Zaman. AMC, Major Mrs Rubina Rahman, AMC and Major Mrs Kaukab Aurangzeb, AMC.

IMTIAZI SANAD.

Following officers and men have been awarded Imtiazi Sanad:

Brigadier Fiaz Mahmood Qamar, Arty, Brigadier Aamer Riaz, FF, Brigadier Sarfraz Sattar, AC, Brigadier Muhammad Shafiq, AC, Brigadier Abid Mumtaz, Arty, Colonel Asad Shahzada, AC, Colonel Masood Ahmed Babar, Sigs, Lieutenant Colonel Syed Nadeem Jamshed, AK, Lieutenant Colonel Muhammad Fahim Akram, Engrs, Lieutenant Colonel Mustazhar Habib, CMI, Lieutenant Colonel Abrar Hussain, Punjab, Lieutenant Colonel Asad Nawaz, Sind, Lieutenant Colonel Muhammad Hashim, CMI, Lieutenant Colonel Syed Ahsan Masood, Arty, Major Shah Rukh Mahboob Khan, Arty, Lieutenant Colonel Muhammad Tufail, Avn, Major Ashfaq Ur Rahman, TBt, Avn, Major Irfan Inayat, ASC, Major Amir Ghafoor, Sigs, Major Abrar Hussain, Punjab, Major (Now Lieutenant Colonel) Muhammad Atif Saeed, Avn, Major (Now Lieutenant Colonel) Sheharyar Parvez Butt, AC, Major Masood Azam, Punjab, Major Wajahat Ali Khan, S Bt, SSG, Major Malik Muhammad Iftikhar Khan, Baloch, Major Hilal Rashid Hasnat, Avn, Major Muhammad Asif Siddique, Avn, Major Imran Sartaj, Arty, Major Syed Abbas Raza, FF, Major Nadeem Khan, Avn, Major Malik Mumtaz Jillani, Punjab, Major Abdul Qayyum AK, Major Kashif Imran, NLI, Major Irfan Maqbool, FF, Major Muhammad Changez Zeb, Sind, Major Ghaffar Haider, Baloch, Major Rizwan Bashir, Punjab, Major Muhammad Ali Shah, FF, Major Muhammad Owais Tamimy, Engrs, Captain Syed Jawad Ul Hasnain Kazmi, SSG, Captain Aijaz Ali, NLI, Captain Ali Sheharyar Saadi, SSG, Captain (Now Major) Abrar Hussain, Avn, Captain Mazhar Ali, Avn, Captain Farooq Ahmad, Baloch, Captain Nasir Barkat Ullah Khan, SSG, Captain Abdul Rehman Makky, SSG, Captain Abdul Razzaq, NLI, Captain Zia Ur Rehman, SSG, Captain Hassan Zia, Arty, Captain Nabeel Rasheed, AK, Captain Asad Ullah Ghauri, Sind, Captain Ehsan Ullah, FF, Captain Shahbaz Khan, AC, Captain Nabeel Rehman Mughal, AK, Captain Rizwan Ahmed Shaikh, NLI, Captain Khalid Hussain, Punjab, Captain Muhammad Waqas, FF, Captain Aftab Ahmad, AK, Captain Naseem Jan, NLI, Captain Muhammad Awais Pirzada, Sind, Captain Shahzad Bashir Anjum, AC, Captain Amer Khan, AMC, Lieutenant Obaid Tariq Butt, SSG, Lieutenant (Now Captain) Imran Khan Niazi, SSG, Lieutenant Amir Zaman, FF, Lieutenant Umair Sarwar, AK, Lieutenant Rao Muhammad Suleman, Punjab, Lieutenant Muhammad Arshad Khan, Arty, Lieutenant Muhammad Sohail Shah, Punjab, Lieutenant Bilal Rauf, Punjab, Lieutenant Hamayun Mushtaq, Punjab, Lieutenant Izat Ibrahim, NLI, Lieutenant Syed Hamza Anwaar Naqvi, FF, Lieutenant Aamir Mushtaq, Baloch, Lieutenant Moaz Haider Janjua, NLI, Lieutenant Adil Nisar, Punjab, Subedar Muhammad Bashir, AK, Subedar Muhammad Yousaf, NLI, Subedar Abbas Ali, Punjab, Risaldar Muhammad Feroze, AC, Subedar Muhammad Yar, Sind, Subedar Mir Alam Khan, FF, Subedar Sabir Hussain, FF, Naib/Subedar Sardar Khan, Arty, Naib/Subedar Ghulam Muhammad, NLI, Naib / Subedar Ijaz Hussain, Punjab, Naib/Subedar Muhammad Mumtaz, Sind, Naib / Subedar Niaz Muhammad, FF, Naib/Subedar Muhammad Farooq Azam, FF, Naib / Subedar Iftikhar Hussain, ASC, Naib / Subedar Abdul Waheed, SSG, Naib / Subedar Janas Khan, FC, Dfr Andaz Khan, AC, Havildar Aushiq Hussain, SSG, Havildar Khalil Ahmed, SSG, Havildar Muhammad Hussain, Baloch, Havildar Muhammad Aslam, SSG, Havildar Arfan Ali, SSG, Havildar Bakhtiar Ahmed Khan, FF, Havildar Mehr Zaman, Sind, Lance Havildar Muhammad Shoaib, Baloch, Lance Havildar Maqsud Ahmed, SSG, Lance Havildar Muhammad Khurshid Khan, AK, Naik Imtiaz Ahmed, Baloch, Naik Nusrat Shah, NLI, Naik Muhammad Saeed, SSG, Naik Muhammad Riaz, Baloch, Lance Naik Tika Khan, FC, Unpaid Naik Muhammad Ali, NLI, Unpaid Naik Asrar Hussain, NLI, Lance Naik Iftikhar Ahmed, Baloch, Lance Naik Muhammad Saleem, AK, Lance Naik Wajid Ali, PR (Punjab), Lance Naik Muhammad Ramzan, FF, Sepoy Ghulam Shabbir, Sind, Sepoy Muhammad Ajmal, Sind, Sepoy Muhammad Naves, Baloch, Sepoy Badshah Khan, FC, Sepoy Nasrullah, Baloch, Sepoy Shakeel Ahmed, Baloch, Sepoy Ansar Hayat, NLI, Sepoy Muhammad Amin, NLI, Sepoy Zulfiqar Ali, SSG, Spr Israr Ud Din, Engrs, Spr Christopher, Engrs, Sepoy Muhammad Sharif, NLI, Sepoy Zulfiqar Ali, SSG, Sepoy Rafee Ullah, FF, Sepoy Niaz Ali, FF, Sepoy Khan Muhammad, FF, Sepoy Junaid Sadiq, FF and Sepoy Muhammad Rizwan, AK.

COAS Commendation Card.

Following officers and men have been awarded COAS Commendation Card:

Brigadier Abid Saeed, T Bt, Avn, Colonel Moazzam Ejaz, Engrs, Colonel Muhammad Wajahat Ali Ghuman, T Bt, Avn, Lieutenant Colonel Syed Khurram Khurazmi, AC, Lieutenant Colonel Naseer Ahmed Khattak, Sigs, Lieutenant Colonel Khalid Mahmood, Sind, Lieutenant Colonel Abdul Karim Jaffari, FF, Lieutenant Colonel Kamran Hayat Khan, AC, Lieutenant Colonel Pervaiz Aslam, ICTO, Lieutenant Colonel Azmat Habib, NLI, Lieutenant Colonel Riaz Ud Din Kasi, AK, Lieutenant Colonel Muhammad Iqbal Mirza, CMI, Lieutenant Colonel Javaid Hussain Khan Baloch, Punjab, Lieutenant Colonel Ejaz Ahmad, CMI, Lieutenant Colonel Muhammad Azam Ajmal, ICTO, Lieutenant Colonel Zafar Iqbal, Ord, Lieutenant Colonel Muqarrab Khan Marwat, Avn, Lieutenant Colonel Muhammad Aman Ullah Khan, Avn, Lieutenant Colonel Suhail Sadiq, TJ, Avn, Lieutenant Colonel Khalid Ahmed, Avn, Lieutenant Colonel Tahir Mahmood, Avn, Lieutenant Colonel Farrukh Ejaz Tehseen, Avn, Lieutenant Colonel Rizwan Afzal, Avn, Lieutenant Colonel Nayyar Abbas, NLI, Lieutenant Colonel Waseem Ahmed, Sind, Lieutenant Colonel Syed Waheed Ul Haq, EME, Lieutenant Colonel Abdul Aziz, AK, Lieutenant Colonel Rehan Jamshid Namti, ICTO, Lieutenant Colonel Muhammad Aamir Majeed, AK, Lieutenant Colonel Adil Ashraf Naveed, Punjab, Lieutenant Colonel Abdul Ghaffar, FF, Lieutenant Colonel Rafi Ullah, CMI, Lieutenant Colonel Asif Saleem, EME, Major (Now Lieutenant Colonel) Muhammad Arif, CMI, Lieutenant Colonel Asim Razzaque, Avn, Lieutenant Colonel Javed Iqbal, Avn, Major Agha Asad Farooq Khan, Punjab, Major Asif Jamal, FF, Major Shahid Asghar, ICTO, Major Mudasir Ul Baqer, Engrs, Major Arif Shafique, Avn, Major Khalid Iqbal Muzafar, Avn, Major Hilal Rashid Hasnat, Avn, Major Khurram Altaf Khan, Avn, Major Nazar Abbas, AD, Major Muhammad Jawwad Nasir Malik AC, Major Hassan Abbas, FF, Major Ahmad Ali Khan, FF, Major Javeed Iqbal Khan, CMI, Major Aamer Masood, Avn, Major Zafar Iqbal, AK, Major Ubaid Nasir, Engrs, Major Haroon Mushtaq, CMI, Major Khalid Mehmood, AD, Major Muhammad Tariq Malik, CMI, Major Javed Aslam, Arty, Major Ahmad Usman Nawaz Khan, AC, Major Jahanzeb Khan, Punjab, Major Syed Shehzad Ali Bokhari, AC, Major Khurram Rehmani, EME, Major Kashif Ehtisham, AC, Major Murad Ali Khan, Sind, Major Abdul Hafeez, NLI, Major Shahzad Mussaddiq, AK, Major Mian Waqar Ahmed, Avn, Major Nabeel Asghar, EME, Major Umais Naseem Cheema, Engrs, Major Adil Ghazanfar Ali, Sigs, Major Mrs Ayesha Hafeez, AMC, Major Ahsen Masood, Avn, Major Mehtab Khalique, Avn, Major Ahmad Anwar Baig, Avn, Major Farakh Mustafa Saleem, Avn, Major Syed Faisal Salam, Avn, Major Asif Hayat, Avn, Major Muhammad Anjum Rafique, Avn, Major Muhammad Nabil, Avn, Major Sami Ullah Khan Bangash, Avn, Major Sajid Raza, Avn, Major Muhammad Raza Ayub, Avn, Major Naveed Anwar, Avn, Major Muzammil Saeed, Avn, Major Sohail Bin Shafique, Avn, Major Mrs Syeda Rifaat Qamar Naqvi, AMC, Captain (Now Major) Sajid Hussain Mehar, Avn, Captain (Now Major) Shahid Azhar Kiani, Ord, Captain Waqas Anwar Golra, Avn, Captain Shahid Mahmood, FF, Captain Muhammad Fahad Hafeez, Sind, Captain Saif Ullah Jan, Sind, Captain Tariq Yaqub, AK, Captain Murad Ali Khan, Baloch, Captain Akhunzada Abbas Hazrat, Baloch, Captain Zeerak Khan Khalil, NLI, Captain Mubasher Hameed Kiani, Engrs, Captain Fahd Javed Khan, Punjab, Captain Toqir Ahmad, Baloch, Captain Rahat Mahmood, EME, Captain Zarrar Liaqat, Engrs, Captain Usman Bin Ali, AMC, Lieutenant Raja Yasir Sajjad, AC, Lieutenant Sami Ullah, Arty, Lieutenant Saad Tanvir, AC, Lieutenant Fahad Ali Khan, FF, Lieutenant Ali Hannan Baig, Sind, Lieutenant Waseem Ahmed, Baloch, 2nd Lieutenant (Now Lieutenant) Syed Khurram Khurshid, AK, Subedar Younis Khan, Punjab, Subedar Muhammad Nadir Khan, FC, Havildar Lal Baz, FC, Naik Muhammad Iqbal, SSG, Lance Naik (MT) Nasir Mehmood, ASC, Lance Naik Muzaffar Khan, FF, Lance Naik Mujeeb Ur Rehman, Engrs, Sepoy Akhtar Ayub, SSG and CIO Asad Mehmood.

CGS GREEN ENDORSEMENT.

Following officers have been awarded CGS Green Endorsement:

Major Mehtab Khalique, Avn, Major Khawer Rasheed, Avn, Major Salahuddin, Major Muhammad Akhlaq, Avn, Major Muhammad Shahzad Ch, Avn, Major Khalid Rashid Maooz, T Bt, Avn, Major Abdul Majid, Avn, Major Assad Nawaz, Avn, Major Aamer Masood, Avn, Major Tariq Mahmood, Avn, Major Muhammad Asim Khan, Avn, Major Musa Raza, Avn, Major Kamran Younis, Avn and Major Asad Mansoor Khan.

The personnell of Pakistan Navy and Air Force are:

SITARA-I-BASALAT.

Following officers and men have been awarded with Sitara-i-Basalat : Leading Petrol Man Amjad Atwar (Shaheed) from Pakistan Navy and CPL Tech Muhammad Hussain, (Shaheed) and Junior Tech Ihsan Ur Rehman (Shaheed) from Pakistan Air Forces.

TAMGHA-I-BASALAT.

Following officers have been awarded Tamgha-i-Basalat:

Squadron Leader Saud Ghulam Nabi (Late) and Flight Lieutenant Shehryar Nisar (Late) from Pakistan Air Forces.

HILAL-I-IMTIAZ (MILITARY).

Following officers have been awarded Hilal-i-Imtiaz (Military):

Vice Admiral Mohammad Asif Sandila, SI(M), Vice Admiral Tanveer Fiaz, SI(M) from Pakistan Navy, Air Vice Marshal Tubrez Asif, SI(M) and Air Vice Marshal Aftab Hussain, SI(M) from Pakistan Air Force.

SITARA-I-IMTIAZ (MILITARY).

Following officers have been awarded Sitara-i-Imtiaz (Military):

Commodore Abdul Aleem, Commodore Mukhtar Khan, Commodore Ather Mukhtar, Commodore Muhammad Aslam, Commodore Shahid Azmat Wain, Commodore Muhammad Ihsan Qadir, TI(M), Commodore Muhammad Fayyaz Gilani from Pakistan Navy, Air Commodore Saeed Muhammad Khan, S.Bt, Air Commodore Muhammad Iqbal, TI(M), Air Commodore Muhammad Saleem, TI(M), Group Captain Muhammad Zia Khan, Group Captain Zaheer Ahmad Babar, TI(M), Group Captain Khawaja Ahmad Amin Haider, Group Captain Mansoor Ahmed Khan, Group Captain Muhammad Amin, Group Captain Muhammad Farooq Shahid, Group Captain Sardar Ahmad, Group Captain Tariq Mohiuddin, Group Captain Ghulam Qadir Lodhi, Group Captain Ghulam Shabbir from Pakistan Air Force.

TAMGHA-I-IMTIAZ (MILITARY).

Following officers have been awarded Tamgha-i-Imtiaz (Military):

Commander Muhammad Sarfraz Khan, Commander Farrukh Nadeem, Commander, Muhammad Junaid, Commander Dr Muhammad Saeed Kahlid, Commander Noaman Imam, Commander Mujtaba Saeed, Lieutenant Commander Ijaz Ahmed, Lieutenant Commander Liaquat Ullah Khan, Lieutenant Commander Shahid Aslam Mirza, Lieutenant Commander Asif Maqsood from Pakistan Navy, Wing Commander Muhammad Qaiser Janjua, Wing Commander Rizwan Butt, Wing Commander Shahbzada Shah Jahan, Wing Commander Abdul Moeed Khan, Wing Commander Syed Fayyaz Ahmad, Wing Commander Syed Farhat Nadeem, Wing Commander Nadeem Khalid, Wing Commander Asif Maqsood, Wing Commander Aamir Hasan, Wing Commander Fawad Ejaz Ahmad Khan, Wing Commander Gohar Majeed Khan, Wing Commander Ch Iftikhar

Ahmad.

Associated Press of Pakistan

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Pakistan Air Force in Anti-Terror War

By Air Marshal Ayaz A Khan (R)

The high professional excellence of Pakistan Air Force has been put to test by the war on terror. This is a different kind of war, because the enemy cannot be seen. The terrorists are engaged in a hit and run guerrilla war. Their tactics are secrecy, suicide bombings and ambush. Yet their greatest fear is that of air attacks. This is because of the surprise, speed, shock and devastation of air attacks. Missiles and bombs hit the terrorists, before they see the fighter jets, releasing and firing their lethal ordnance. The fighter bombers, and gun ship helicopters descend from the sky suddenly, and destroy their targets with great accuracy and greater lethality than is possible by ground attacks. Pakistan Air Force has flown over five hundred attack mission against the Taliban and Al-Qaeda Taliban, with devastating results. Hundreds of terrorists have been killed and injured, and not a single PAF air craft has suffered damage. The selected targets be they caves, hidden weapon, munitions and explosive stores were hit with great accuracy, by laser guided bombs, homing missiles, and accurately delivered ordnance. The terrorists insurgents remain in dread of air and drone attacks, which have taken a heavy toll of terrorist lives and properties.

The hills and mountains of Swat, Malakand, Bajaur, Orakzai, South Waziristan provide them an ideal terrain for hide, hit and run operations. Fortunately Pakistan Army’s excellent strategic planning and tactical operations and close cooperation with the Pakistan Air Force denied them the advantage of the terrain and forced and flushed the terrorists out of hideouts, trenches and mud forts into the open. Identification of terrorist caves and hideouts by Pakistan Army OP‘s , enabled Pakistan Air Force, to launch missiles, guided bombs and rockets with great accuracy to destroy and demolish terrorist caves, covered bunkers and trenches and mud forts, with minimum co-lateral damage. Highly coordinated land air operations has contributed effectively to the land operations of Pakistan Army and para-military forces against the terrorists in Swat-Malakand, South Waziristan, Bajaur and Orakzai Agencies. The success of air and ground operations in unison and coordination reflects high professional expertise of PAF commanders and pilots, and Pakistan Army commanders and jawans. While the nature of air operations, and excellent planning has ensured almost zero attrition, the same is not the case with the Army and the Frontier Corps. Hundreds of officers and thousands of JCO‘s, NCO‘s and Jawans have embraced Shahadat to ensure that Pakistani nation lives in safety. May God the Almighty bless them in heaven. The gallantry in battle of Pak Army’s and FC’s senior and junior officers, and jawans has inspired the national resolve not to rest till terrorism and terrorists are wiped out. Their names will be written in gold letters.

High professionalism of the PAF is because of intensive training, and first rate equipment. F-16, JF-17 Thunders, Mirage III and V’s and latest F-7P’s have been mastered by PAF fighter pilots. They are equipped with latest avionics, and high technology weapons systems. Air operations in Swat and FATA agencies have infused much needed confidence, and will be valuable assets in any future war like operations. War exercises have helped the PAF to maintain its operational edge. The Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Rao Qamar Suleman has assured all neighbors by categorically stating that the ongoing “Exercise High Mark – 2010 is not aimed against any country and that the mission of PAF is to ensure peace, with honor. History teaches us that peace cannot be maintained from a position of weakness”. Air Chief further said that “Exercise is aimed at improving and demonstrating PAF’s operational capabilities”.

PAF Exercise High Mark 2010 is in full swing and the entire Air Force is engaged in operations in a realistic training environment. For the first time JF-17 Thunder aircraft were put through their paces in the stringent air environment that has been orchestrated to ensure realism in the exercise. The recently induced JF-17 Thunder would be put to test by undertaking entire spectrum of air war operations during High Mark, 2010.

For sustained air operations JF-17 Thunder fighter needs air refueling. A few Days earlier U.S. Air Force pilots and aircrews from the 22nd Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron, deployed at Transit Center at Manas, Kyrgyzstan, arrived at PAF Chaklala to conduct joint exercises with the Pakistan Air Force. Upon arrival, the U.S. airmen invited PAF pilots and aircrews aboard their KC-135 Strato-tanker aircraft to familiarize them with U.S. Air Force air refueling equipment and procedures. U.S. Navy Vice Adm. Michael LeFever, the senior U.S. Defense Representative to Pakistan, hosted Pakistan Air Commodore Tahir Ranjha, PAF Air Transportation Director; and Air Commodore Khalil Ahmed, PAF Chaklala commander, aboard the KC-135 aircraft. “Events like these promote understanding and enhance PAF-USAF cooperation, while also boosting PAF’s capability and expertise.

US political and military leaders realize that the arrival of more F-16s in Pakistan later this year, developing air refuelling expertise is critical to increasing the PAF’s airborne endurance and enhancing their ability to counter the violent extremist threat in their country.” The new JF- 17 Thunder fighter of the PAF’s has aerial refueling capability, vital to ensure greater range and endurance.

Over the last three years, U.S. civilian and security assistance to Pakistan of $4 billion, includes medical aid, school refurbishment, bridge and well reconstruction materials, food distribution, agricultural and education projects. The military side ot the US aid includes supply of 18 F-16 fighter aircraft, 5 Fast Patrol Boats, 115 self-propelled Howitzer field artillery cannons, more than 450 battle vehicles for Pakistan’s Frontier Corps, one squadron of night attack Cobra helicopters, hundreds of night vision goggles, day/night scopes, radios, and thousands of protective vests and first-aid items for Pakistan’s security forces. Considering how deeply involved in the war against terror is the Pakistan military, this aid needs to be increased substantially.

PAF would benefit by close Pak-US cooperation in the field of aviation technology, and continued supply of aircraft, weapons and spares. The Peoples Republic of China has been Pakistan’s closest and consistent friend, and has provided the technology for the manufacture of fighter aircraft, warships, tanks and field guns. US has passed nuclear technology to India and not to Pakistan! Yet expects Pakistan to play front line role in the war against terror. The leadership in Washington needs to end discrimination, and come upfront in aiding Pakistan to fight the anti-terror with greater effect.

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Pakistan Air Force successfully employs air-to-air refueling skill

Pakistan Air Force (PAF) on Sunday employed air-to-air refuelling skill successfully thus attaining another milestone to prove itself ‘second to none’ as envisioned by Father of the Nation Muhammad Ali Jinnah. The attainment of the capability was a part of the on-going High-Mark-10 exercises kicked off a week ago.The first Air-to-Air Re-Fuller aircraft of Pakistan Air Force which had joined PAF in the mid of December-2009, today took active part in the exercises and ably re-fulled two fighter aircraft in the PAF’s inventory, a senior officer of PAF said while talking to APP here.

The PAF is expecting delivery of three similar re fulling aircraft by June this year.By virtue of its ability to refuel Air Defence aircraft in air, PAF's overall capability in terms of its effectiveness to defend the airspace of the motherland has significantly enhanced, he said.The area of exercise High Mark-10 is spread over the entire country from Skardu in the North up to the Arabian Sea in the South. The exercise has been tailored to include joint operations with extensive participation from Pakistan Army and Pakistan Navy that would further enhance might to conduct joint operations amongst the three most essential services.

High Mark-10 is aimed at conducting operations in near-realistic tactical environment while integrating new inductions and providing role-oriented training to combat and support elements of PAF and other services.“It is designed to achieve stipulated objectives with special emphasis on exposing PAF combat crew to simulated air battles based on contemporary concepts,” he said.He said, all the Main Operating Bases (Peace Time) and Forward Operating Bases (War Time) are operative during the on-going exercise.

New inductions like JF-17 Thunder aircraft and force multipliers such as Saab-2000 Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) aircraft and Air-to-Air Refueller aircraft are participating in the exercise for the first time.Exercise High Mark is PAF’s biggest operational event that is being conducted after a pause of five years.The ever changing geo-political environment in the region demands change in the employment concepts and doctrinal changes in the application of air power with emphasis on joint operations, he said. Exercise High Mark 2010 would provide PAF an opportunity to validate these concepts that are vital in the overall defence of the country.

APP

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Australia orders 7 CH-47F Chinook helicopters

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Russia Navy Needs Minimum 50 Nuclear Subs for Fleet

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Australian Submarines 'Poor Value for Money'

Australia's insistence on maintaining a strong defence industry means it pays vastly more than other nations for its equipment, a study has found.Conducted in the United States by McKinsey consultants, the study raises further concerns about the Rudd government's plans to acquire 12 submarines to replace the trouble-plagued Collins class vessels.The report ranked the US and Australia equal last out of 33 countries on a measure of defence equipment output versus expenditure. Brazil, Poland and Russia headed the table.''In general, countries that make it a point to support their domestic defence industries have higher procurement costs than those that rely on imports,'' the report says. ''Countries that procure older equipment from the global market tend to have very capable fleets for less money.''The new submarine fleet for Australia was proposed in a defence white paper last year.The Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI), in a study last year, put a price tag of $9 billion on buying off-the-shelf European submarines, and $36 billion on an Australian design and build.............................................Defense-Aerospace

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PAF Mirage Fighter jet Refueled in Air By IL-78 in "HighMark-2010"

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IAF Pilots Wear Diapers on Bombing Missions

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US offers Airborne Stand-Off Radar (ASTOR) to India

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First deployed in 2008, ASTOR can even detect minor variations in surface levels, like digging and filling of earth at the same place, and draw conclusions about activity. The system consists of an Active ElectronicallyScanned Array (AESA) radar on board the Bombardier Global Express 'Sentinel' business jet. Indian officials first visited the aircraft displayed at the Paris Air Show in June 2009 and have followed up with discussions..................................................Hindustan Times

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Long-term plan to indigenously manufacture all major defence equipment'

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