120th K-8E Karakorum Jet Trainer Handed Over to Egyptian Air Force

120th locally manufactured K-8E Karakorum training aircraft was handed over to the Egyptian Air Force (EAF) in a ceremony under the Sino-Egyptian co-production program for the K-8E. Chinese Aviation Technology Import-Export Cooperation (CATIC) and Egyptian Defense Ministry signed a contract in1999 to produce 80 aircraft of K-8E in first stage and another 40 in second stage to meet the modern training requirements of the Egyptian Air Force. Egyptian Air Force opted for the K-8E aircraft to replace...

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PLA's Heli-Assault Battalion

Pictures are courtesy of xinhui @...

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Major Changes in CRPF’s Operational Strategies After Setback Against Naxals

Major changes in CRPF’s operational strategies are underway following the recent setback against Naxals, especially in Dantewada where it lost over 75 personnel. The post of CRPF Inspector General of Police (Operations) is likely to be created in every state where the force is deployed for anti-Naxal operations, official sources said. The most crucial states of Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh may be the first to get the new IGP, who would exclusively oversee operations and will not do any administrative work. Such a set-up currently exists in militancy-hit...

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Indian Armed ForceTribunal upholds conviction of Maj Gen PSK Choudhary

About five years after a Major General was convicted by a general court martial (GCM) for his alleged involvement in the Tehelka scandal, the Armed Forces Tribunal has dismissed his petition challenging his trial. The GCM had in March 2005 found Maj Gen PSK Choudhary guilty on three charges of accepting gratification and professional impropriety and sentenced him to one-year rigorous imprisonment.Read M...

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IAF Set for Trials of New Combat and Heavy Lift Helicopters This Summer

The Indian Air Force (IAF) seems set for trials of new combat and heavy lift helicopters this summer, possibly from June or July, as Boeing gets ready to field its latest versions of AH 64D Apache and Chinook CH-47F helicopters.IAF is looking for 22 Attack and 15 Heavy Lift helicopters as replacement for its Soviet vintage Mi 35 Attack and Mi 26 Heavy Lift machines which have served well but are too old now either to carry on or bear the burden of modern technology. The RfP for the two new aircraft was issued last year and besides Boeing, Russia's...

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Israel to Deploy Dolphin Class Submarines Armed with Nuclear Cruise Missiles in Gulf

Three German-built Israeli submarines equipped with nuclear cruise missiles are to be deployed in the Gulf near the Iranian coastline.The submarines of Flotilla 7 — Dolphin, Tekuma and Leviathan — have visited the Gulf before. But the decision has now been taken to ensure a permanent presence of at least one of the vessels.Each of the submarines has a crew of 35 to 50, commanded by a colonel capable of launching a nuclear cruise missile.Read M...

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IAF's Su-30MKI, IL-76 and IL-78 will Participate Garuda-IV Exercise in France

Six Indian Sukhoi-30MKI fighters, two IL-76 heavy-lift aircraft and a IL-78 mid-air refueller will be leaving for France for a joint air combat exercise with the French Air Force next month. The exercise, Garuda-IV, will be held at the Istres airbase in France from June 14 to 25. The exercise comes at a time when India and France are all set now to ink the around Rs 10,000 crore deal to upgrade the 56 Mirage-2000 fighter jets in IAF's combat fleet. The first four to six Mirages will be upgraded in France, with the rest 50 or so being upgraded...

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NAL Plans RTA design that can Use both Turboprop and Turbojet Engine

Bangalore: Facing tough competition, designers at the National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL) are mulling over a change in the configuration of the so-called regional transport aircraft (RTA) they plan to build to run on short-haul feeder routes.The RTA was envisaged as a 70-90 seat civilian aircraft powered by a turboprop engine—a gas turbine engine used to drive a propeller.But NAL is now thinking of using a jet engine as well and increasing its capacity to 90-110 passengers.“We are looking at an aircraft (where) both turboprop and turbojet can...

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$580-million tag for IAF's C-17 aircraft can be cut: India chief of Boeing Defence Space & Security

With India’s fleet of 24 IL-76 aircraft now obsolescent, planners have decided to buy Boeing’s C-17 Globemaster III, widely acknowledged as the world’s most versatile military transport aircraft.The downside: At over half a billion dollars a piece, the Globemaster is also the world’s most expensive air-lifter. With criticism rising of India’s $5.8 billion (Rs 27,000 crore) purchase of 10 Globemasters, Boeing now says India could actually pay far less. Responding to a question from Business Standard about the Globemaster’s high cost, Vivek Lall,...

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Russia Wins "Super 30 "Contract to Modernize Indian Su-30MKI fighters

India has placed orders with the Russian defense industry to modernize Su-30MKI Flanker-H fighters produced in India under the Russian license, India Today magazine reported in its June issue, without disclosing the sum of the contract.The project codenamed Super 30 stipulates the installation of new radars, onboard computers, electronic warfare systems and BrahMos supersonic missiles on 40 Su-30MKI fighters, the magazine said.The Indian Air Force currently operates about 100 Su-30MKI fighters and plans to produce another 170 aircraft in the next...

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Pakistan Army’s Azm-e-Nau-III: Hot Start Vs Cold Start

Iftikhar Butt Pakistan Army’s Azm-e-Nau-III exercise ends with 35 days round-the clock, almost non-stop, drill for sharpening wits and weapons, upgrading and uplifting physical and spiritual endurance capacities and capabilities and above all it was an exercise for operational readiness of faith, discipline and armament-with a renewed determination to fight any force on earth threatening the security, people and national assets of Pakistan. Pakistan’s armed forces are a strange phenomenon. The enemy will find them ever ready for any war, from anywhere,...

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Fight in Kandahar won’t look like war: US

In the make-or-break struggle for Kandahar, birthplace of Afghanistan’s Taliban insurgency, U.S. commanders will try to pull off the military equivalent of brain surgery: defeating the militants with minimal use of force.The goal of U.S.-led NATO forces will be to avoid inspiring support for the Taliban even as the coalition tries to root them out when the Kandahar operation begins in earnest next month.President Barack Obama’s counterinsurgency strategy focuses on protecting population centers such as Kandahar from Taliban predation, with the...

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Russian Yak-130 Crash due to Technical Fault

The Russian warplane crash could have been caused by a technical defect, a Defense Ministry source said on Saturday.A Yak-130 crashed earlier on Saturday near the city of Lipetsk in central Russia but both pilots ejected safely.Defense Ministry Spokesman Lt. Col. Vladimir Drik said it crashed at 16:58 Moscow time during takeoff at the Lipetsk Air Force Training Center.RIA Novo...

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Indian Army Working on Plan to begin Anti-Naxal Ops

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Lahore Attacks

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A year after War Rajapaksa Resetting Compass in Sri Lanka

by Maj-Gen Ashok K. Mehta (retd) One year after the war, victorious President of Sri Lanka, Mahinda Rajapaksa will be in India on June 8 to discuss relief and rehabilitation of the nearly 300,000 war displaced Tamils of the North. Any serious dialogue with Indian leaders on power sharing with minority Tamils and implementing the 13th Amendment in letter and spirit is unlikely though the issue will make it to the joint statement. Despite winning the war, the Sri Lankan President has wavered on a political solution by failing to appreciate the necessity...

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U.S. report faults Air Force drone crew, ground commanders in Afghan civilian deaths

Reporting from Kandahar, Afghanistan A U.S. military investigation has harshly criticized a Nevada-based Air Force drone crew and American ground commanders in Afghanistan for misidentifying civilians as insurgents during a U.S. Army Special Forces operation in Oruzgan province in February, resulting in the deaths of as many as 23 civilians.Six U.S. officers will be punished and a sweeping review of counterinsurgency training will be undertaken, U.S. Army Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, commander of NATO forces in Afghanistan, said Saturday.The investigation...

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US Army hits 1 million flight hours with unmanned aircraft

The Army recognized a milestone of 1 million hours of flight for unmanned aerial systems, May 25 at the Pentagon.Several UAS vehicles were on display in the courtyard of the Pentagon to officially mark the event. Those vehicles included the MQ-1C Extended Range Multi-Purpose UAS, the RQ-7B Shadow, and the RQ-11B Raven. According to the Army Unmanned Aircraft Systems Project Office, Army UAS actually surpassed one million flight hours April 14. Of those hours, 88 percent were flown in Iraq and Afghanistan. According to the project office, the RQ-7B...

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India To Open Competition for New Aerostats

India, which bought three radar-equipped aerostats from Rafael in 2005, has thrown open the competition for a new batch of three to the global market.Last month, Indian Air Force officials asked the Defence Ministry to prepare a request for information, which is to be issued in the next two to three months to BAE Systems, Israel Aerospace Industries, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Rosoboronexport and Thales, ministry sources said. The aerostats must be able to carry a payload of 2,400 kilograms to 15,000 feet for 28 days at a stretch, including...

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Australian Defence Force (ADF) Addresses MRH90 Problems

The Australian Defence Force (ADF) continues to face significant issues getting the MRH90 multirole helicopter into service but defence chiefs remain confident of the capabilities of the aircraft.At the Shephard Heli-Pacific conference on Australia’s Gold Coast on 27 May, the problems the ADF has experienced with the aircraft were laid bare, with capability managers outlining the steps they are now taking to resolve the issues.The MRH90 programme has come under fresh scrutiny after revelations the fleet has been grounded indefinitely following...

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Japan to Develop Fighter-launched UAV, despite Test Mishap

Fuji Heavy Industries is continuing to develop a fixed-wing unmanned air vehicle that can be deployed from under the wing of a fighter aircraft.The conglomerate is developing the UAV for Japan's air force, say industry sources in the country. It has built two so far, but lost one during testing, they add.The UAV was deployed from under the wing of an air force Mitsubishi/Lockheed Martin F-2 fighter before plunging into the sea, and was not recovered, the sources say.Read m...

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North Korea is Exporting Nuclear Technology

International efforts to avert a full-blown crisis on the Korean peninsula were given greater urgency today after a leaked UN report claimed that North Korea is defying UN sanctions and using front companies to export nuclear and missile technology to Iran, Syria and Burma.The report, by a panel that monitors sanctions imposed after Pyongyang conducted nuclear weapons tests in 2006 and 2009, said the regime was using shell companies and overseas criminal networks to export the technology.The revelations came just hours before the Chinese premier,...

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Israel to hold First Test of the Arrow 3 Interceptor Early Next Year

The Israel Air Force will hold its first test of the Arrow 3 missile which is under development by Israel Aerospace Industries early next year, officials said. Arrow 3 is jointly developed by IAI and Boeing in the US and it will serve as Israel’s top-tier missile defense system, adding another layer of defense to that provided by the Arrow 2, which is already operational and deployed throughout Israel. The initial test of the Arrow 3 will not include the interception of a mock enemy missile. An interception test will likely take place in 2012.“The...

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Greek-Israeli Air Exercise "Minoas 2010" Starts

A Greek-Israeli air exercise with the codename "Minoas 2010" is taking place between Tuesday and June 3 in the framework of the military cooperation programme between the two countries' air forces.The exercise is developing on the mainland, the Ionian Sea and the Aegean sea and participating on the Israeli side are five F16s and five F15s and 15 Greek F16s that have been stationed at the 110 squadron in Sou...

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South Korea's Defense Reform Initiative 2020 Under Intense Review

The five-year-old defense reform initiative aimed at building smaller but high-tech armed forces is under intense review following the sinking of the frigate in a "surprise attack" by North KoreaThe Defense Reform 2020 plan was initiated in 2005 by the liberal Roh Moo-hyun administration in pursuit of a "self-reliant" military that could deal with regional threats beyond defense against a North Korean invasion. The plan included reducing the number of standing troops and instead equipping the armed forces with advanced weapons systems by 2020...

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China's Rapid Development Missile forces is Altering Balance of Power in Asia

China's rapid development of ballistic and cruise missile forces is altering the balance of power in Asia and threatens U.S. forces in a conflict over Taiwan and beyond, according to a forthcoming report.China for the first time showed off its new DH-10 land-attack cruise missile during the Oct. 1 military parade."Driven in large measure by a Taiwan scenario, China's capacity to conduct a successful aerospace campaign to quickly gain a decisive advantage in the air is growing faster than the defenses that its neighbors, including Taiwan, Japan,...

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Barak-2 MR-SAM Successfully Test Fired by Israel

Barak-2 surface-to-air missile (MR-SAM)which is being developed jointly by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) and Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) under a Rs2,600 crore deal was successfully test fired by Israel . "The 70-km missile was fired at an electronic target and met with its initial objectives," DRDO chief Dr Vijay Saraswat said.The second test of the Barak-2 missile is scheduled to be held in India later this year. Barak-2 MR-SAM will equip the three Project 15 Guided Missile Destroyers. DRDO chief Dr Vijay Saraswat...

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Swiftships Delivers First Iraqi Patrol Boat P-301 to United States Navy

Pictured from left to right (foreground): Mr. Jawaid Ahmad, LTCD Walla, Commander FahdilAbood, Mr. Haider Rizvi, Commander Thamer, Mr. Mohamed Kazilbash, Mr. Lutfi Hassan, Mr. Calvin Leleux, Commodore Munir Saddam, Commodore Abid Ali Abdulhussein, Mrs. Ina Jolicoeur, Captain Abdul Sattar, Captain Faraj, LTCDMaitham.On May 15, 2010, after successfully completing acceptance trials, P-301, the first 35-meter patrol boat built for the Iraqi Navy was provisionally delivered to the U.S. Navy at Swiftships...

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Australian and Afghan National Army Soldiers Completed Operation TOR GHAR IV

Last week approximately 250 Afghan National Army and 1st Mentoring Task Force (MTF-1) soldiers completed Operation TOR GHAR IV (‘Black Mountain’ in Pashtu), a dangerous and complex re-supply convoy between Tarin Kowt and Kandahar in Afghanistan.The first leg from Tarin Kowt to Kandahar, a 150 kilometre road trip, involving around 100 vehicles, was conducted without incident in around 18 hours on 16 May. The return trip was completed without incident on 20-21 May. Officer Commanding the MTF-1 elements...

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RAAF use of Evans Head Air Weapons Range

Chief of Air Force Air Marshal (AIRMSHL) Mark Binskin today announced that the Air Force had directed a review into future training requirements at Evans Head.In recent days there has been significant local media coverage regarding the future use of Evans Head Air Weapons Range.Air Force currently uses the Evans Head range for F-111 bombing training most weekdays. This training involves activating only part of the full Evans Head Air Weapons Range....

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Australian troops sent home from Middle East for getting pregnant

FOUR female troops have been sent home from the Middle East after getting pregnant. All female soldiers are pregnancy tested before they leave Australia and fraternisation is banned on operations, but that didn't stop the four from finding a way to conceive.The Australian Defence Force said all troops on overseas duty were counselled about safe sex and contraception before they left Australia and they would be doubly reminded of those principles in future.Australian troops are much better behaved than their British counterparts - last year more...

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Australian Soldiers in Afghanistan will Get New Light-Weight Body Armour

In a three day visit to Afghanistan last week, the Chief of Army, Lieutenant General Ken Gillespie, told Australian soldiers that Army will start issuing a new light-weight combat body armour system that is lighter than the current system for trial by the end of 2010.LTGEN Gillespie discussed and demonstrated the new Tiered Body Armour System (TBAS) with troops at Multinational Base Tarin Kowt including the 1st Mentoring Task Force and Special Operations Task Group, as well as soldiers at three patrol bases in the Chora and Mirabad Valley regions. He...

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The Sinking of the South Korean Warship Cheonan

Who Sank the South Korean Warship Cheonan? Destabilization of the Korean Peninsula Introduction At 9:22 on the night of March 26, the 1,200 ton ROK Navy corvette Cheonan was on patrol when it was severed in two and sank in the waters off Baengnyeong Island, a contested area twenty kilometers from North Korea, the closest point of South Korean territory to the North and to Pyongyang. Forty-six crew members died and 58 of the 104 member crew were rescued. It was the worst ROK naval disaster since...

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Australia - Defence's spending debacle

In the mid-1990s, Defence decided it wanted a new anti-submarine torpedo that could be deployed on frigates, helicopters, and patrol aircraft. Phase 1 of this acquisition started in March 1998. Twelve years and two months later, $391 million has been spent and there's still no torpedo. The whole thing would be substantially over budget if they hadn't eliminated three of the five platforms the torpedo was originally supposed to be deployed on. The $16 billion F-35 Joint Strike Fighter is well on its way to becoming as iconic a debacle as the Collins...

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China to Train Indonesian Pilots for Sukhoi jet Fighters

Indonesia and China have agreed to continue cooperation in training pilots for Russian-made Su-family fighters in service with the Indonesian air force, the Antara news agency said on Friday.The agreement was reached during the current visit of the deputy chief of China's Central Military Commission Gen. Guo Boxiong to Jakarta.According to the Indonesian military, ten Indonesian pilots have already undergone Sukhoi jet fighter simulation training in China and training courses for new pilots will start in the near futu...

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UAE Order 40 K11 Airburst Rifles from South Korea

The United Arab Emirates has placed an initial order for 40 K11 dual-caliber air-burst weapon during the Special Operations Forces Exhibition Conference 2010 earlier this month in Jordan. This is first export order for the K11 airburst rifles. Contract for this sale is likely to be signed within next few months. Unit price of K11 dual-caliber air-burst weapon is estimated at $14,000.Information about the development of a dual-caliber air-burst weapon by South Korea was available since...

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Lockheed Martin Awarded Contract For Kuwait Air Force KC-130J Tankers

Lockheed Martin has received a $245 million contract from the U.S. Government for the Foreign Military Sale of three KC 130J tanker aircraft to Kuwait. The program will be managed by the U.S. Navy. The Kuwait Air Force’s new KC-130Js will provide aerial refueling for its F 18 fleet and augment its current airlift fleet of three Lockheed Martin L-100s. Kuwait’s KC-130Js also will perform air mobility, disaster relief and humanitarian missions throughout the world. “We are proud to add yet another country to the growing worldwide C-130J community,”...

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Pakistan Aeronautical Complex Starts Production of Avionics for JF-17 Thunder Jet

Pakistan on Friday successfully launched the production project of avionics for the fighter jet (JF-17 Thunder) at Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) Kamra.Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Rao Qamar Suleman, speaking as chief guest on the historic occasion, said, "a strong air force is essential for our nation's survival; therefore, self-reliance for PAF (Pakistan Air Force) is an important factor. Today's ceremony is an important step in this direction." He informed that the production scope would be progressively broadened to include the...

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The Truth Behind 'Sinking' of Pakistani Submarine Ghazi

Lt General JFR Jacob, (retd), hero of the 1971 India Pakistan war, explains why the Indian Navy destroyed documents related to the sinking of the Pakistani submarine, PNS Ghazi. Earlier this month, there were reports that all documents connected with the sinking of the Pakistani submarine PNS Ghazi during the 1971 war had been destroyed by the Indian Navy.It is not difficult to conjecture the reasons why.Back in November 1971, our signal intercept units had been monitoring the movements of the Ghazi on her entering the Bay of Bengal. The last intercept...

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JASDF F-15 Pilots Training Long Range for Air-to-Air Refueling

Japanese and U.S. airmen are working together to certify about 20 Japanese Air Self Defense Force pilots in day and night air refueling here.The training comes as Japanese pilots from Naha and Hyakuri air bases prepare to fly across the Pacific to participate in a Red Flag Alaska exercise in June at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska.Red Flag Alaska is a large coalition exercise that involves many aircraft in complex missions. The exercise provides U.S. and coalition forces an opportunity to train together, improving readiness for wartime coalition...

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USN and South Korean Navy to Hold Anti-Submarine Exercise

THE South Korean and US navies will hold combined anti-submarine exercises in the Yellow Sea, a Pentagon official confirmed yesterday, as a North Korean defectors' group claimed Pyongyang had ordered troops and civilians to combat-readiness.The naval exercises, a direct response to North Korea's alleged torpedoing of South Korean warship Cheonan on March 26 with the loss of 46 sailors, will stoke tempers in Pyongyang, where joint manoeuvres are routinely denounced as war preparations."Those initiatives are a result of the findings of this recent...

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Russian to Order An-124 Condor & An-70 Transport Aircraft

The Russian Defense Ministry intends to order An-124 and An-70 military transport aircraft under the new state arms procurement program for 2011-2020, Airborne Troops Commander Lt. Gen. Vladimir Shamanov said."While working under the state program, we have submitted our proposals," Shamanov said.He said the Airborne Troops had ordered 40 An-70s aircraft, but he did not specify the number of An-124s ordered by his military unit.There are up to 300 transport aircraft in service with the Russian Air Force, including, among others, An-12, An-70 and...

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Russian PAK FA Stealth Fighter Test Flight

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There is "Overwhelming" Temptation to Opt for Imported Weapon Systems in Indian Armed Forces: DRDO

Under attack for delays in projects, DRDO said the onus of self-reliance cannot be put on it alone and targeted the defence services for their "overwhelming" temptation to opt for imported weapon systems. In a strong statement here in presence of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) chief V K Saraswat said the responsibility of self-reliance was to be shared by all stake-holders but the Indian industry has not yet matured to take it up. "The services also must understand that while the temptation...

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Indian Navy's Chand Kumar Prasad Arrested for Spying for Pakistan

An employee of the Indian Navy has been arrested on charges of spying for Pakistan and police claimed to have recovered from him some "secret and sensitive" documents like photograph of the Hindan Air Base and map of Meerut Cantonment. 24-year-old Chand Kumar Prasad, posted in the Navy's Aircraft Maintenance Unit in Mumbai, was arrested by Delhi Police's Special Cell from New Delhi Railway Station yesterday, police sources said. He was allegedly passing on classified information to a Pakistan High Commission official through another person, they...

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Indirect Army Involvement in Anti-Maoist Fight

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DRDO lets loose 'missiles' at armed forces

After public bickering among Cabinet ministers, here comes the sharp divide in the defence establishment. Defence Research and Development Organisation chief V K Saraswat, speaking at the National Technology Day awards function, tore into the armed forces for failing to overcome their "temptation" to induct the latest weapon systems from abroad. This did not go down well with the forces, represented as they were by Air Chief Marshal P V Naik, Admiral Nirmal Verma and General V K Singh as well as other officers in the audience. Some officers told...

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Venezuela plant to Produce 50 million 7.62-mm Kalashnikov Rounds Annually

An ammunition plant being built by Russia in Venezuela will have the capacity to produce over 50 million rounds for Kalashnikov assault rifles per year, a Russian defense industry official said on Tuesday.The Urals-based Izhevsk Mechanical Plant (IMP) supplied 100,000 AK-103 assault rifles to Venezuela, and signed a new contract in 2007 licensing production of Kalashnikov rifles in the Latin American country.Under the contract, Russia is building an assembly line for AK-103 assault rifles and an ammunition plant to produce 7.62-mm ammunition for...

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Russian Armed Forces to Receive 1,500 Combat Aircraft and about 200 Air Defense Systems by 2020

A new state arms procurement program for 2011-2020 will be adopted by the Russian government and signed by the president this fall, a deputy prime minister said."The deadline is the third quarter of this year," Sergei Ivanov told reporters in Moscow.The draft program stipulates the upgrade of up to 11% of military equipment annually and will allow Russia to increase the share of modern weaponry to 70% by 2020. According to the draft program, the Russian Armed Forces should receive, in particular, more than 1,500 combat aircraft and about 200 air...

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Russia sends its Moskva Missile Cruiser for drills in Far East

Flagships of three Russian fleets have united in Russia's Far East for the large-scale naval exercises in the Sea of Japan in June, a Pacific Fleet spokesman said.The flagship of the Black Sea fleet, the Moskva missile cruiser, arrived at a naval base near Vladivostok on Wednesday and teamed up with the flagship of the Northern Fleet, the Pyotr Veliky nuclear-powered guided-missile cruiser, and the flagship of the Pacific Fleet, the Varyag guided-missile cruiser."After the Moskva crew has had a short rest, warships of three Russian fleets will...

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Russia to Test New AK-200 Kalashnikov Assault Rifle in 2011

State tests of the new model of Kalashnikov automatic rifles will be held in Russia next year, Izhmash Director General Vladimir Grodetsky said on Tuesday.The new model of the legendary assault rifle, the AK-200, is based on the AK-74M and differs in weight (3.8 kilograms/8.4 lbs vs. 3.3 kilograms/7.3 lbs) and the magazine capacity (30, 50, 60 rounds vs. 30).The AK-74, a developed version of the Kalashnikov rifle's first model, the AK-47, was introduced in 1974 and used by the Soviet forces during the Afghanistan conflict................................Read...

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USA may not Oppose China-Pak civilian Nuclear Deal

The US has indicated it would not oppose a Sino-Pak civilian nuclear deal but wants it to be in compliance with NSG rules, notwithstanding warnings by top scholars that such an approach would be a high-stakes diplomatic gamble and "short-sighted" move. "We will seek to make sure that, should this deal go forward, it is in compliance with the rules of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG)," State Department spokesman P J Crowley told reporters at his daily press briefing last evening. Crowley was not sure if the issue specifically came up or would figure...

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Indian Army orders probe on missing ammunition

The Indian Army has ordered a probe into to disappearance of a “small quantity” of small arms ammunition from the Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (LTT) in Mumbai, while it was being sent from Guwahati to Controllerate of Quality Assurance (CQA) at Kirkee in Pune, for tests. The Army also blamed the Indian Railway for misplacing the consignment. “As per rules, Army authorities have ordered an inquiry for loss of ammunition in transit,” a Defence Ministry spokesperson said in Mumbai on Tuesday. Last Friday, the consignment has gone missing, only noticed...

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Indian Army Denies that General V.K. Singh Objected to Arms Deal with US

The Indian Army Tuesday denied its chief General V.K. Singh had warned Defence Minister A.K. Antony on government-to-government arms deals with the US. The denial comes as a section of media reported that the army chief had red-flagged defence purchases from the US through the government-to-government route, calling attention to its serious pitfalls. A defence ministry officer said the news report was based on 'hearsay'. 'The article mentions a letter written by the Chief of Army Staff to the Hon'ble Raksha Mantri (Defence Minister) A.K. Antony...

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Indian Army wants INSAS rifles replaced

New Delhi, May 25 Gearing up its soldiers for future warfare, the Indian Army feels there is an urgent need to replace the indigenously developed and manufactured the INSAS series of rifles. “There is an urgent need to develop rifles, carbines and light machine guns of 5.56mm calibre to replace the existing INSAS class of weapons,” it said in the Defence Ministry’s Technology Perspective and Capability Roadmap document. The INSAS rifles, designed by the DRDO, were inducted into the Armed forces in the ’90s and have been used in the Kargil war...

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Indian Air Force has Requirement for 65 Light Combat Helicopters

State-run military plane maker Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) plans to build three prototypes of its indigenous light combat helicopter (LCH) and aims to achieve initial operational clearance in two years, a top official of the firm has said.The helicopter gunship would need to register 500 hours of flight for the initial clearance, Ashok Nayak, CMD, HAL, told reporters on the sidelines of the inaugural flight of the first prototype on Sunday. The LCH was dedicated to the nation after the flight.Nayak said the Indian Air Force had a requirement...

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Indian Air Force to Get its first C‑130J Super Hercules later this year

Lockheed Martin is gearing up for the delivery of the first C‑130J Super Hercules to the Indian Air Force later this year. In 2008 the Indian Air Force ordered six C-130J’s for Special Services, with Lockheed Martin is gearing up for the delivery of the first C-130J Super Hercules to the Indian Air Force an option for six more.The order includes six aircraft, three years of initial support, training of aircrew and maintenance technicians, spares, ground support and test equipment, servicing carts, forklifts, loading vehicles, cargo pallets, and...

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India to fire over 5000 km range Agni V in 2011

India is all set to test fire its first Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile, Agni-V, in Mach-April 2011.Agni V is being designed by adding a third composite stage to the two-stage 3,500-km Agni-III, having a range of over 5000 km to carry multiple warheads and will have countermeasures against anti-ballistic missile systems.It is a three-stage solid fuelled missile with composite motor casing in the third stage. Two stages of this missile will be made of composite material. The Agni V will be the first canisterised, road-mobile missile in India....

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India to Gear up for 'Star Wars' with Countries like China

India has no option but to get ready for "star wars" in the future, with countries like China working overtime to develop advanced ASAT (anti-satellite) capabilities with "direct-ascent" missiles, hit-to-kill "kinetic" and directed-energy laser weapons. The defence ministry's spanking new "Technology Perspective and Capability Roadmap" seems to recognize this overriding necessity, outlining as it does a wide array of high-tech offensive and defensive capabilities Indian armed forces will need over the next 15 years. Identifying priority areas...

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China to Provide Pakistan Air Force 4 Trainer Aircrafts

China has agreed to provide four trainers aircrafts for Pakistan Air Force and 60 Million Yuan for training purposes of the Armed Forces of Pakistan. Both countries signed agreements to this effect in Ministry of Defence on Monday. Federal Minister for Defence, Ch. Ahmad Mukhtar, and the Chinese Defence Minister, General Liang Guangile, put signatures on the agreements on behalf of their respective countries. Read M...

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Indian Army wants its Futuristic Main Battle Tank with Laser-based Weapons

Looking to strengthen its armoured capabilities, the Indian Army wants its futuristic Main Battle Tank to be equipped with high-powered lasers for taking on enemy rockets, aircraft and electro-optical sensors. "High/medium-energy level laser is expected to be a lethality option against rockets, air vehicles, light ground vehicles, antennas of armoured vehicles and electro-optical sensors," the Army stated in its long-term technology plans submitted to the Defence Ministry.  Officials said concerned DRDO labs are already working in this direction...

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Maoists attack CRPF patrol

Maoists again attacked a CRPF patrol in Jangalmahal area of West Midnapore district in West Bengal yesterday prior to the gunning down of two CPM cadres at nearby Jhargram town. One CRPF personnel was also injured. The bodies were found lying on the main thoroughfare to Jamshedpur today. Maoist posters and literature were also strewn around, with one poster carrying the warning of “more such attacks if the joint action force was not withdrawn and innocent villagers of Lalgarh-Jangalmahal area not released”. Read M...

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Russia may begin operating domestic drones

Russia may begin using domestic drones after training operators for drones purchased from Israel, Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov said on Monday.Russia has bought 15 Israeli spy drones since its domestic hardware has not met Russia's requirements on speed, altitude capacity, or accuracy."Work is underway to train people to operate the Israeli spy drones," Serdyukov said adding that training is due to finish by the middle of summer 2010.Russian Deputy Defense Minister Vladimir Popovkin earlier said Russia had spent about 5 billion rubles...

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Israel offered to sell South Africa nuclear weapons

Secret South African documents reveal that Israel offered to sell nuclear warheads to the apartheid regime, providing the first official documentary evidence of the state's possession of nuclear weapons.The "top secret" minutes of meetings between senior officials from the two countries in 1975 show that South Africa's defence minister, PW Botha, asked for the warheads and Shimon Peres, then Israel's defence minister and now its president, responded by offering them "in three sizes". The two men...

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South Korea cuts off trade with North over sinking of warship

Announcing retaliatory measures for the torpedoing of the Cheonan, South Korea's president Lee Myung-bak, also raised the temperature of the military stand-off on the Korean Peninsular, vowing "immediate" retaliation if the North committed any further provocations.North Korea has continued to deny responsibility for the attack, which killed 46 South Korean sailors, despite the wealth of evidence produced by a multi-national inquiry which recovered parts of the tail section of a North Korean-designed torpedo from the seabed where the Cheonan sa...

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India May Soon Get Indigenous Unmanned Aerial Vehicle: HAL

India is likely to come out with its indigenous Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) in the coming two to three years, a top official of the country's only aircraft manufacturing company, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), has said.Talking to media persons on the margins of the inaugural test launch of the Light Combat Helicopter, HAL chairman Ashok Nayak disclosed that work is on for developing India's very own UAVs."There are some projects going on in collaboration with the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO)," Nayak said."May be...

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Indian Navy get ready to operate N-submarine

The navy is firing on all cylinders to get a headstart on operating nuclear submarines, the most complex machines to be ever built. Indian submariners will get a chance to get into the belly of HMS Talent when the British nuclear submarine pulls into Indian waters off the western coast in June.The navy hopes to induct its first indigenously-built nuclear submarine, INS Arihant, by the end of 2011. Arihant will complete the sea-leg of India’s nuclear triad.The navy is also on the verge of commissioning the K152 Nerpa Akula-II nuclear submarine being...

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Work on P-8I maritime patrol aircraft to start this year

Work on the Indian Navy's latest acquisition, the long-range maritime patrol aircraft that will add strength to its ability in domain awareness and deal with threats below the surface, will get underway later this year.The Boeing Company is developing the long-range patrol aircraft for the U.S. Navy, called P8A, and the Indian Navy is getting the P8I to specifications as provided by it.The contract was signed in January 2009, with the first delivery scheduled 48 months from the date. “The Indian Navy is the first foreign customer that Boeing is...

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Ravi Shankaran sold navy's purchase plans for 20 years

Ravi Shankaran, 46, a key accused in the sensational war room leak case, may have sold Indian Navy’s secret equipment purchase plans for the next 20 years, a probe has revealed.“We had received intimation about Shankaran’s arrest on April 29. He was arrested under the Extradition Act, 2003, UK, and produced before a court the same day. We are pressing the UK authorities through the Indian mission in London for assistance in his extradition,” a senior CBI officer said.ReadMo...

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HAL Conducted Successful Test Flight of Light Combat Helicopter

The successful test flight of the Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) on Sunday will would go down in the history of Indian combat avionics as a new era in indigenous development of dedicated fighter helicopters in the country.Defence Minister A K Antony, his deputy Pallam Raju and Air Force Chief Air Chief Marshal P V Naik were to attend the function, but they cancelled their visit after Saturday's air disaster at Mangalore. Secretary Defence Production R K Singh, Vice Chief of Air Staff Air Marshall P K Barbora, Chairman HAL Ashok Nayak besides many...

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