ASIAN DEFENCE: October 2011

Oct 28, 2011

Turkish Reconnaissance Anka UAV Ready For Operational Service

A Turkish reconnaissance unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) Anka which has been designed in-house, carried out its first successful two-hour test flight and is now ready for use, the Zaman newspaper reports.

The Turkish Armed Forces plans to use the UAV Anka in combating terrorism. Earlier, Turkish Defence Minister Ismet Yilmaz said tthe UAV will go into service in 2012 and will be used in military operations from April.

India is experiencing a wave of protests against the construction of Russian nuclear power plants. Public fears, fuelled by the Fukushima accident and exacerbated by the regional politicians’ populist slogans, may provoke a chain reaction of problems, hampering power generation development and depriving the Indian economy.

Russian and Indian nuclear experts cannot meet to discuss the launch of Kudankulam NPP’s first unit because of public protests, Alexander Glukhov, the head of the Russian contractor, Atomstroyexport, told the media. This could set back the deadline for the launch of the plant, which is being built with Russia’s assistance.

Tensions in Tamil Nadu, where the nuclear power plant is being built, started growing early this year and resulted in a public blockade of the construction site by local public activists in the fall. They are protesting for environmental reasons, and their concerns have only grown following the Fukushima tragedy in Japan. Unsure of what would happen next, the Indian regulators are procrastinating with the issue of permits to commission the power plant.

Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Mohammad Asif Sandila said on Thursday that Pakistan Air Force (PAF) is fully cognizant of its defence needs and is exploiting all avenues to deter country’s adversaries.Addressing the Graduation Ceremony of No 127th GD (P), 71st Engineering and 85th Air Defence Courses and Commissioning Parade of 129th GD (P), 75th Engineering and 11th A&SD Courses here at PAF Academy, he said, “A strong Air Force is an indispensable instrument for ensuring the security and sanctity of our air space”. Admiral Asif Sandila said, “Pakistan is a forward looking country and believes in peaceful co-existence but guards its sovereignty and freedom with utmost dignity and honour”.

Congratulating the passed out Graduating and Commissioning Under Training Officer and Cadets, he said, “As you would assume your duties in this arena of technological advancements and changing warfare scenario, it will define your careers.Remember, your goal is to make our country strong to boldly face any aggressor who dares to trespass its sovereign boundaries.”

He also appreciated the Lady Graduates and Commissioned Officers and said, their role would be source of inspiration for other women of the country.

On his arrival at PAF Academy, the chief guest was received by Air Chief Marshal Rao Qamar Suleman, Chief of the Air Staff, Pakistan Air Force.
He reviewed the Parade and presented the Quaid-e-Azam Banner to the Champion Squadron of the Academy.

Major General Anders Silwer, Commander Swedish Air Force visited Air Headquarters in Islamabad on Wednesday.

On his arrival at Air Headquarters, Air Chief Marshal Rao Qamar Suleman, Chief of the Air Staff, Pakistan Air Force received the distinguished guest.

A smartly turned out contingent of Pakistan Air Force presented the Guard of Honour, says a press release issued here. After reviewing the Guard of Honour, he was introduced to Principal Staff Officers of Pakistan Air Force.

The visiting guest paid homage to the martyrs of PAF by laying floral wreath on Martyrs’ Monument at Air Headquarters Islamabad.

He also called on Air Chief Marshal Rao Qamar Suleman in his office. Both remained together for some time and discussed matters of professional interest.

Agni-III Could Be Modified For Use As Anti-Satellite Weapon

An anti-satellite missile that can put in the leaage of countries like the US and China is feasible with Agni III intergrated with a satellite kill vehicle, according to DRDO Chief and Scientific Advisor to the Defence Minister V K Saraswat.

Delivering a lecture on ‘DRDO, the Challenges Ahead’ at Air Marshal Y V Malse Memorial Lecture at the University of Pune, Saraswat said, “Developing such a missile is feasible if Agni III and BMD (ballistic Missile Defence) kill vehicle are integrated. The effective range, which is about 1400-1500 km, is sufficient to engage a satellite.”

Air Chief Marshal (Retd) P V Naik and Air Marshal (Retd) Bhushan Gokhale were also present on the occasion.

India has been reportedly developing an exo-atmospheric kill vehicle that can be integrated with the missile to engage satellites. Only the US, Russia and China have developed such anti-satellite weapon.

During the 90-minute lecture, Saraswat touched upon a number of issues pertaining to DRDO and defence production in general. After the failure of Kaveri engine for India’s Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas, which is fitted with GE 404/ 414 engines, Saraswat said there was the need to start yet another programme for development of a new engine for the ongoing Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA). “While upgrade of Kaveri engine can continue, a new engine with variable cycle can be developed for AMCA,” he said, adding, “If we as nation are able to operationalise AMCA by 2030, we will be doing fairly good as far as IAF aircraft inventory is concerned.”

AMCA, being developed by HAL, is expected to fit between MMRCA and LCA. “Advanced integrated controls, reduced infrared signatures, advanced avionics, stealth materials such as radar absorbing paint, advanced composites and hypersonic materials are some areas that need further development. Further, production facilities at HAL also need to go hand in hand for which an upgrade is required at HAL,” he said.

He also spoke about a number of futuristic developments required in the era of cyber/ network centric warfare. “The idea of solar powered aircraft should have occurred to us. The development of such aircraft has certain challenges like development of avionic sensors, energy consumption-to-collection ratio, geographic areas of operation, weather and so on,” he said.

A South African Air Force Saab Gripen D fighter is expected to perform the first live firing of an A-Darter short-range air-to-air missile later this month, advancing a joint project with Brazilian industry.

Launched in April 2007 under a 66-month development and production programme co-funded by the Brazilian and South African air forces, the A-Darter is intended to arm the services' respective Northrop F-5EM/FM and future F-X2 fighters, and Gripen and BAE Systems Hawk 120 aircraft.

Worth $130 million, the project involves Denel Dynamics and a group of Brazilian companies headed by Mectron. Production activities should start in 2013, with Brazil's air force expecting the missile to enter service the following year.

Launch trials with the new weapon are scheduled to take place at South Africa's Overberg test range. Ground seeker tests concluded in January and captive carriage flight trials were completed in March, following the delivery of a first test missile to Saab in Sweden last September.

Iranian Experts Develop Electromagnetic Gun--- Railgun

Iranian experts announced that they have designed and developed an electromagnetic gun that fires steel bullets without explosive propellant.

The home-made advanced gun (Railgun) enjoys a capability to fire thirty 8mm steel bullets per minute at targets. The gun needs 2 seconds to recharge after each shot and fires bullets at a velocity of 330 meters per second (about the speed of the sound). The gun's specification, including its high technology, soundlessness and its ability to fire bullets without explosive propellant has made it desirable for guarding important persons, protecting ammo caches, oil and gas installations and refineries and other vital centers and remote-protection of military and other sensitive and vital sites and facilities.

Indo-Russian Joint project to develop a multi-role transport aircraft is facing hurdles after the Centre raised objections over the business plan proposed by Moscow for the project.

India was "not satisfied" over the business plan submitted by the Russian side as there was nothing much for its engineers and scientists to do in the development of the proposed aircraft, Defence Ministry sources said here.

Defence Minister AK Antony had expressed India's views on the issue to his Russian counterpart Anatoly E Serdyukov during his visit to the European nation earlier this month for the 11th meeting of the India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Military Technical Cooperation (IRIGC-MTC).

The two sides have now decided to hold a meeting next month to iron out the differences, the sources said.

Chinese President Stresses Quality In Weaponry Research And Manufacture

President Hu Jintao has urged the country's military industry to improve its quality and efficiency in weaponry research and production so as to promote the modernization of national defense and the army.

Hu made the remarks in a congratulatory letter addressed to a meeting held Thursday to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the founding of the country's military industry.

In October 1931, the Revolutionary Military Commission of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee set up a weapons factory in a village in east China's Jiangxi Province, marking the birth of the country's military industry.

Over the past 80 years, the industry has transformed from improvising indigenous methods to making guns and ammunition to independently developing state-of-the-art weaponry, realizing a comprehensive industrial system featuring modern science and technology for national defense.

Foreign competitors Indicate willingness to help Korea acquire combat aircraft technology.

Attention is being drawn to what technology foreign competitors can offer for South Korea’s next generation fighter procurement.
Under the “FX-III” project, the Seoul government plans to purchase a high-end fleet of about 60 fighter jets with a budget of around 8.3 trillion won ($7.3 billion), seeking to deploy them from 2016.

At the same time, it has been pursuing the KF-X project with a budget of 11.1 trillion won since 2000 to replace its aging F-4 and F-5 fighter jets with KF-16-class indigenous combat aircraft. For this, Korea needs outside technological support.

Lockheed Martin’s F-35 Lightning II, Boeing’s F-15 Silent Eagle and the Eurofighter Typhoon made by European Aeronautic Defense and Space Company N.V. are cited as the likely candidates for the FX-III project.

The Seoul government is expected to choose one of them around next October, officials said.

“Technology transfer may be one of the major issues the government will take into account in selecting the final candidate for the project,” a government official said, declining to be named.

Chinese military spending is expected to increase by 12.7% for 2011, after growth of only 7.5% in 2010. Total expenditure in the official budget for 2011 is around CNY601bn (up from CNY532bn in 2010). One reason for the rising spend is to provide for salaries and welfare services for staff. Another reason is the increasing cost of military equipment, especially high-tech weapons. A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said that his country's move to modernise its military is solely to protect national sovereignty and not to target any other country.

China's military modernisation continues apace. According to a US Department of Defense's report in August 2011, in 2000, only about 2% of its platforms were modern. In 2011, 25% of its platforms are modern. Until now, China has lacked the ability to produce high-performance engines, especially fighter jet engines. China's aerospace industry is determined to develop the means to produce these engines, at a cost of CNY10bn (US$1.5bn) over the next five years: to avoid dependence on foreign parts suppliers; (b) in case of foreign unwillingness to supply; to avoid any poor after-sales service; and to be autonomous in aircraft export sales.

On January 11 2011, the J-20 "Black Eagle" - a 5th-generation, twin-engine radarevading, stealth fighter aircraft developed by Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group - made its first known test flight. According the US Department of Defense report, this aircraft 'will eventually give the People's Liberation Army Air Force a platform capable of long-range, penetrating strikes into complex air defence environments'.

China is also developing an aircraft carrier platform. In late July 2011, China announced the inaugural sea trial of its first aircraft carrier, purchased some time ago from Ukraine. China is also planning to build two new aircraft carriers. China is also developing an anti-ship ballistic missile (ASBM) that could be used to target aircraft carriers.

China International General Aviation Convention 2011

As concept of security widened in post cold war politics in different dimensions, its essence of traditional view could not change even in 21st century. Every state of the world shapes conventional notion of security complying with its own regional environment and requirements. In Far East and South Asian regions, emergence of China has determined security issues. Every participant of the region re-securitizes its strategic policies by itself or by being ally of the USA. Sino-oriented securitization paradigm has become a pivotal part of international strategic studies because the USA perceives threats from it to its geopolitical and strategic interests in the region.

The geopolitical-cum-economic strategic significance of region is very momentous; as according to Food Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the UN about 3.1 billion people out of the world’s total 6.4 billion reside over here; presence of important international maritime transport route; nuclear proliferation in the form of de jure Indian, Pakistani, North Korean nuclear programs and having capacity to make nuclear devise within three to six months by Japan, emergence of marvelous economic integration in ASEAN under strong Sino-oriented order, existential presence of world’s 4 major economic hubs (China, India, Japan, ASEAN, and to some extent South Korea) in this area make it more important, hence the volatile security situations of the region.

In Far East, there is confrontation between China and USA. As it is being stated by strategic analysts and experts, Afghan war can be a cause of the USA’s supremacy in world politics. Therefore, she is tackling with China with two basic foreign policy instruments—encirclement and management—over Far East theatre. The sole superpower wants her hegemony in the region and has strong allies in the form of Japan, South Korea (SK) and Taiwan to support her ambitions. Starting from Taiwan issue, China considers it as an integral part with mainland China.

The Chinese military has reportedly built a huge underground tunnel network from which nuclear missiles can be deployed.

China's strategic missile squadron, the Second Artillery Division, has built an "Underground Great Wall" stretching for more than 5,000km in the north of the country, according to a report in Hong Kong's Ta Kung Pao on Saturday. Citing the People's Liberation Army's official newsletter, the paper said the underground tunnel system has been built to conceal nuclear weapons to ensure the nation's second strike capability.

According to state broadcaster CCTV, the tunnel network, reportedly hundreds of meters underground, has been under construction since 1995 and can withstand several nuclear attacks. A documentary broadcast by CCTV in March 2008 revealed that the PLA had been building underground facilities enabling it to launch a counterstrike in case of a first strike scenario. The news has received very little attention both in the west and in Asia, despite the vast scale of the project.

"The early version of China's mid- to long-range missiles had all been deployed above ground and were vulnerable to detection by spy satellites and attacks by interceptor missiles. That prompted the Chinese military to move all of their missiles hundreds of meters underground," reported Taiwan's Asia-Pacific Defense Magazine. PLA squadrons deployed below ground would be completely undetectable.

Facebook Is A Information Gathering Program OF The CIA

The Indian Navy is all set to increase its officer and sailor strength by 10-15 per cent who would be deployed on all new ships, submarines and aircraft to be inducted in the next five years for maintaining the combative edge in the Indian Ocean region.

Outlining the road map to its top commanders here on Friday, Navy Chief Admiral Nirmal Verma said contracts for five Offshore Patrol Vessels, two Cadet Training Ships, eight Amphibious Landing Craft and Fast Interceptor Craft concluded in the last few months. Besides these vessels, the Navy is getting large ships like two aircraft carriers, nine nuclear and conventional submarines and a large number of destroyers and frigates, which are under constructions at various ship yards in India and abroad.

On the aviation side, the first batch of MiG 29K aircraft for Vikramaditya had been inducted this year. The first flight of the P8I Maritime Patrol Aircraft took place in September and the first aircraft is on schedule for induction in 2013. The Navy plans to induct as many as 12 of them. Sustaining the new platforms would require an increase in manpower.

India Clears $275 mn Order For T-72 Tank Recovery Vehicles

India on Thursday cleared a repeat order worth Rs.1,350 crore ($275 million) for 650 armoured recovery and repair vehicles for its 1,500 T-72 Ajeya main battle tanks.

The Cabinet Committee on Security, which met here under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, cleared the defence ministry's proposal and approved the orders to be placed with defence public sector undertaking Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML), according to government sources.

The defence PSU will build the armoured recovery and repair vehicles through technology transfer from Polish company Bumar, with which it had signed an agreement on this, the sources said.

BEML and Bumar came together in February 2003 when they signed a memorandum of understanding.

Currently 603 Institute, XAC and SAC are developing an advanced 4-engine large transport (Y-20?) which is smaller than American C-17 and based upon some IL-76MD technology. As the result assistance was sought from Antonov Design Bureau in 2008. Its max payload was expected to be around 50t and max TO weight >200t. Fitted with high-lift devices along the wing leading and trailing edges, the aircraft is capable of taking off from relatively short and unpaved runways, making many temporary airfields behind the battlefield accessible. Currently it is unclear whether the aircraft will have an IFR probe installed or not. The prototypes and the initial batch may be powered by Russian D-30KP-2/WS-18 turbofans, later by the modified WS-10 (WS-118?). A full-scale metal mock-up (head section) of Y-20 was constructed by 2008 and the first flight is projected in 2012. On August 20, 2009 SAC started to build the rear fuselage of the first prototype. It was reported (April 2010) that the full-scale mock-up was completed in early 2010. It was also rumored that the aircraft might serve as the testbed for the Chinese airborne laser weapon prototype similar to American YAL-1 which is thought to be under development. In addition the next generation of medium transport aircraft was believed to be under development at XAC/603 Institute as well, powered by two modified WS-10 turbofans. Its max payload is around 25t.

A JH-7 Chinese fighter crashed Friday at an air show in northwest China's Shaanxi Province, but no casualties were reported, authorities said.

At the air show in Pucheng County, the jet -- known as Flying Leopard -- plunged to the ground and exploded but television footage showed the pilot had ejected and parachuted before the crash, the official Xinhua news agency reported. Witnesses were also quoted as saying the pilot ejected.

Xinhua reporters said the air show went on despite the incident. The three-day event opened Friday as part of the China International General Aviation Convention being held in Xi'an, capital city of Shaanxi.

Shanghai Daily.com said the jet was performing at the show. It said it was not known, however, whether the pilot's parachute opened fully.

An ambulance was dispatched to the crash site to attend to the pilot.

While the third week of September saw an orchestrated verbal onslaught on Pakistan by the US policymakers and military brass, alleging it of providing support to the Haqqani network, there remains an eerie silence in US politico-military circles about the string of Taliban attacks on Pakistani border posts in Dir, Bajaur and Chitral. These large-sized attacks sporadically delivered during the last one year were launched from areas under the operational control of the US-led ISAF and their sidekick, the Afghan National Army (ANA), and were organised by well entrenched TTP and Afghan Taliban factions from bases maintained in border areas of Afghanistan.

The US desperate urgings for the overstretched Pak Army to commence operations against the Haqqani network in North Waziristan stand in marked contrast to its turning a Nelson’s eye to the anti-Pakistan witches’ brew viciously bubbling in the areas under US control on the Afghan side of the border. What is hard to stomach is that while the Kabul attack on the US Embassy, precipitating no casualty was treated as an act of war, Washington has persistently refused to accept responsibility for scores of casualties among Pakistani troops caused by the Afghan Taliban and the TTP fighters operating out of Nooristan and Kunar provinces.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Says US, Israel Cause OF Adversity In World

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says the United States and the Israeli regime must be held accountable as they are the root cause of the problems of nations.

According to Press TV, Ahmadinejad stressed the importance of unity among justice-seeking nations and said they must not be misdirected and should direct their rage towards the US and the Zionist regime.
He said, “The foundation of dictatorship is created by colonialist and arrogant powers”.

The Iranian president said the people of the world are unhappy with the current situation, but unlike the past when they were denied a voice to express their demands, the international wave in today's world enables them to enter the decision-making stage to shape their future.

Rolls-Royce To Deliver First Lift Fan For F-35B

Rolls-Royce has completed the first lift fan for the Lockheed Martin F-35B to be produced at a $13 million final assembly plant opened 17 months ago.
The London, UK-headquartered manufacturer was due to deliver the first module - the 12th lift fan to be completed overall - to Lockheed on 4 October.

The roughly 1,220kg (2,690lb) lift fan activates in short take-off and vertical landing modes for the F-35B, generating an output of 19,000lb-thrust (85kN).

The fan combines with a three-bearing swivel nozzle in the exhaust and twin roll posts.

The overall system creates 40,700lb-thrust, allowing the F-35B to hover and take-off from the US Marine Corps' LHD-class amphibious carriers.
Rolls-Royce expects the new facility in Indianapolis, Indiana, to build 84 lift fans each year - although expected commitments for the F-35B have fallen in the last year, from about 520 to 400 orders.

New Surface To Air Missile HQ-16 Ready For Action: PLA

HQ-16

Official military media for the first time acknowledged Monday that China's new land-based mid-range Surface to Air Missile (SAM) system has reached operational capability. Military observers say that deployment of this missile system will boost China's air defense capability.

The new SAM system, dubbed by foreign media as the Hongqi-16, or Red Flag-16, has been delivered to an air defense unit in the Shenyang Military Region.

In a recent drill, two HQ-16 missiles fired by the unit successfully hit their aerial targets, the official website of the People's Liberation Army Daily reported Monday.

As well as being able to engage aerial targets at high altitude, the mid-range HQ-16 is also able to intercept very low-flying targets at a distance of up to about 40 kilometers, filling the gap between the HQ-7 short-range SAM and the HQ-9 long-range SAM systems, Lan Yun, editor of Modern Ships, a Beijing-based military magazine, told.

Russian Getting Angry At China For Copying There Military HardwareTechnology

Russia's intelligence service said Wednesday it has Arrested an alleged Chinese spy who tried to obtain designs of an advanced missile system as part of Beijing's efforts to update its weaponry.

The Chinese national, who worked as an interpreter for visiting Chinese officials, made attempts to buy documentation for the S-300 long-range surface-to-air missile system, the Federal Security Service said in a statement. He faces up to 20 years in jail if convicted.

Prosecutors submitted the case to the Moscow City Court Wednesday, although the man was detained late last October, it said.

The truck-mounted S-300 is capable of shooting down aircraft, cruise missiles and ballistic missile warheads at ranges of over 90 miles (144 kilometers) and at altitudes of about 90,000 feet (27,432 meters).

In recent years, Russia banned the sale of the S-300 systems to Iran and Syria following international pressure.

The Pakistan Navy is slated to receive its first Azmat Class Fast Attack Craft (FAC) from China in within 6 months. These boats are not to be confused with the older Azmat class which are less than half the tonnage and are significantly less capable ships. The Azmat class will be the first stealth FACs in the Subcontinent. They will be superior in every way to the Indian Navy counterparts. To date however, only two such ships have been ordered. A follow on order for two more are also likely.

Of the two boats ordered, one is being built in China and another is being built in Pakistan. These boats are well-armed although somewhat lacking in air defense, a typical problem with smaller boats of this type. The ships are designed to have both a defensive and offensive capability. Herein lies the advantage of these boats - with many Indian ports within 200 miles of Pakistan, the Azmat Class's 500 nautical mile range and 110 mile C-802 range makes these boats an effective threat along with her traditional defensive coastal role. The ship is further equiped with a modern networked C4I system that will be a force multiplier in terms of network-centric warfare, utilizing the sensors of other ships, aircraft and PN assets.

Indo-Pak War

ISLAMABAD: Recent developments on the eastern border have alarmed Pakistani policymakers and military officials, who are keenly observing India's preparations for a conventional war with Pakistan in the context of the Cold Start war doctrine, a Pakistani newspaper has said.

There has been a chain of developments, all tied to the overall scheme of things, which aims at destabilising its neighbour and building a formidable war machine to strike within the Pakistani borders, The News reports.

First, in the context of current events, is Afghan President Hamid Karzai's recent visit to New Delhi and the signing of a strategic accord with India at the heels of High Peace Council leader Burhanuddin Rabbani's assassination.

IAF TO Seal MMRCA Combat Jet Deal In November

The winner of India's $10.4-billion tender for 126 combat aircraft is expected to be announced in November, Indian Air Force (IAF) chief Air Chief Marshal Norman Anil Kumar Browne said Saturday.

Browne's assertion comes a day after the acquisition council led by Defence Minister A.K. Antony gave its go-ahead for the opening of commercial bids from European consortium EADS Cassidian and French Dassault, after clearing the ministry's report on their offset proposals.

" In the middle of November, we shall be able to announce to the whole world which plane we have selected, the L1 vendor (lowest bidder)," Browne said in his interaction with reporters after he inspected the 79th Air Force Day parade here.

Earlier in his address to the air warriors, Browne said: "The process for acquisition of the MMRCA (Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft) is in its last lap and we should be able to open the bids in 10 days' time from now."

However, explaining the complexities involved in finalising the winner, the IAF chief said that after opening of the commercial bids, "complex calculations" would be done in a tabular format of the entire life-cycle cost, the acquisition cost and the technology transfer.

"It may take two to three weeks to calculate these," he added.

EADS Cassidian has offered its Eurofighter Typhoon and Dassault its Rafale to the IAF, which is looking at inducting these aircraft from the beginning of 2015.

Agni-V ICBM

Moscow to provide ‘seeker’ tech for Agni-V, capable of hitting target beyond 10,000 km

India is all set to join the select group of nations capable of launching nuclear strikes across continent. With Russia ready to provide the cutting-edge “seeker” technology for India’s Agni-V intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), the country is ready to flaunt its nuclear might in a big way by year end when the ICBM will undergo its maiden launch.

The development of the ICBM had been delayed because no country was ready to provide India the crucial ‘seekers’ technology, which enables the missile to home in on the target with pinpoint precision. The ICBM will be capable of carrying nuclear payload and has a strike range of 10,000 km.

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has indigenously developed the ‘seeker’ technology for Agni-I, Agni-II and Agni-III intermediate range missiles. But the DRDO was not in a position to develop the next stage technology and efforts to import it had been futile so far.

The breakthrough with Russia for the most critical system of the ICBM came after extensive talks between delegations of the two countries during Defence Minister AK Antony’s three-day visit to Moscow earlier this week. The Indian delegation comprised senior missile scientists of the DRDO besides others, and Moscow agreed to help New Delhi for the ICBM project, sources said.

The two sides met to review progress on various defence projects under the India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Military Technical Co-operation set up a decade back. The Defence Ministers of the two countries head this body and meet once a year either in Moscow or New Delhi.

Russia, UK, the US, France and China are the only countries in the world to have ICBMs which can hit a target beyond 10,000 km. India has successfully developed intermediate range ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear weapons and hitting a target less than 4,000 km.

With the successful launch of the Agni-III two years back, the Indian scientists displayed their capability to even develop ICBM. However, their efforts over the last two years or so to go ahead with Angi-V launch could not progress due to non-availability of ‘seeker’ techology.

The Presidency appointed Vice Admiral Asif Sandila as Chief of Naval Staff on merit after Pakistan’s military establishment reportedly opposed Vice Admiral Abbas Raza’s appointment for the naval chief slot.

Vice Admiral Asif Sandila was previously performing duties as Chief of the Staff and is the first in the seniority list of Pakistan Navy’s top hierarchy. Last month, the Defence Ministry had forwarded four names to the Presidency for the selection of Naval chief. They included vice admirals Asif Sandila, Tanveer Faiz, Abbas Raza and Tayyab Ali Dogar. Reportedly, Secretary Defence Syed Athar Ali was supporting Vice Admiral Abbas Raza due to the Secretary’s close association with Raza. Abbas Raza is third in the seniority list and is presently working as the Commander Pak Fleet. It is learnt that the President Asif Ali Zardari had finalised Abbas Raza’s name for his appointment as Chief of Naval Staff but the military establishment opposed this move; reportedly on the pretext that it wanted the naval chief appointment on the basis of merit considering the seniority factor.

A decision in principal was subsequently taken by the Presidency to chose Vice Admiral Asif Sandila for filling in the naval chief slot, reportedly a couple of days ago. Principal Staff Officer Vice Admiral Tanveer Faiz is second in the seniority list while Air Defence Commander Vice Admiral Tayyab Ali Dogar is fourth in line.
The incumbent outgoing Naval Chief Admiral Noman Bashir is due to retire tomorrow (Friday).

Boeing F-15E Radar Modernization Program to Enter Production

Boeing has announced that the U.S. Air Force has granted the F-15E Radar Modernization Program (RMP) approval to begin low-rate initial production (LRIP) of the APG-82(V)1 radar system.

Boeing and radar supplier Raytheon also performed extensive flight tests to validate the design and development of the system. The RMP leverages prior radar development programs on F-15C and F/A-18E/F aircraft to significantly reduce cost and integration risk for this new radar.

"This is a great day for the F-15E and for the U.S. Air Force," said Maj. Brian Hartt, U.S. Air Force RMP program manager. "The F-15E RMP couples new technology with improved system reliability to position the F-15E for many more years of service to the warfighter."

The RMP development effort is undergoing an aggressive 14-month, 110-sortie flight test program at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., and Holloman Air Force Base, N.M. Boeing and Raytheon will perform data reduction analysis throughout the test phase to verify that the system performance meets the rigorous specifications that make the APG-82(V)1 radar state-of-the-art.

Chinese AWACS ZDK-03 Karakoram Eagle

PAF have received the first of the four planned Chinese AWE&C aircraft ZDK-03 "Karakoram Eagle".

The plane have reported to have landed at Masroor Airbase Karachi.
a separate squadron is being st up for the four planned Chinese ZDK-03. the procurement will help PAF establish a new regime of situational awareness and control.

TEHRAN (FNA)- Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi announced on Friday that Tehran would soon unveil a new cruise missile called 'Zafar (Triumph).

"We unveiled the Qader cruise missiles in the Week of Sacred Defense and we plan to showcase Zafar which is a new cruise missile in the near future," Vahidi told reporters in the Western city of Hamedan today.

"We also have other plans in area of ballistic missiles which will be unveiled once their production phases are complete," he added.

Iran has made giant progress in arms production, specially in area of missile technology, in the last decade.

Iran's latest cruise missile production, Qader (Mighty), was displayed to the public during the military parades marking the Week of Sacred Defense in September.

Pakistan China Friendship

ISLAMABAD Pakistan —
As relations with Washington plummeted in the aftermath of the killing of Osama bin Laden in May, Pakistan’s leaders turned to China, which is seen here as an enduring all-weather friend, an alternative to the troublesome and overbearing Americans.

Over the years, Beijing has sent military assistance to Pakistan, provided crucial help in initiating Pakistan’s nuclear weapons program and cooperated closely on intelligence. Sturdy Chinese-Pakistan relations are seen as a hedge against India, a rival to both nations. In recent months Pakistani officials have gone to Beijing seeking Chinese investment in a naval base and weapons, as well as trade deals worth millions of dollars.

But on closer examination, Pakistan’s ability to use China to offset its collapsing relations with the United States may be far more limited than it appears, raising the prospect that Pakistan will be left on the world’s periphery once the Americans wind down the war in Afghanistan and vastly reduce their presence in the region.

A rising China with global ambitions is unlikely to supplant the United States in Pakistan, according to Chinese experts on Pakistan, as well as Pakistani and American officials. And while Pakistan’s latest flirtations with Beijing have been received cordially, Pakistani officials have walked away from their junkets with far less in hand than they might have hoped.

As Pakistan’s economy continues to decline, and the nation is beset by terrorist attacks, some Pakistanis are asking whether China will prove so helpful after all.

India Building New Secret Military Uranium Enrichment Plant

Rare Materials Plant Karnataka India

India has got a new military uranium enrichment plant at a secret location in Karnataka,Plant called Rear Material Plant. A huge boost to their nuclear stock pile.

This was disclosed by ISIS ( Institute for Science and Industrial Security ).
This plant is not listed.

Now USA has to defend their agreement.

IAF Expanding Wings Beyond Pakistan And China

Indian Air Force

India is gradually building powerful military capabilities in tune with its expanding geopolitical interests, which are no longer limited to the swathe stretching from the Persian Gulf to Malacca Strait, even as the eastern and western fronts are being strengthened to deter the twin Pakistan-China threat.

After the over Rs 3,00,000 crore plan to build a potent three-dimensional Indian Navy for the future, reported by TOI last month, it was IAF's turn on Monday to assert it was on the path to transform into a true aerospace power with the capability to rapidly deploy and operate around the globe.

"No other air force has attempted to modernize at such a fast pace in such a short span of 15 years," said Air Chief Marshal Norman Anil Kumar Browne, indicating a doctrinal shift in the run-up to IAF's 79th anniversary on October 8.

But he was quick to emphasize this did not mean "an expeditionary force" on the lines of the US Air Force. "We are not going to fight other people's wars. But yes, IAF must have the wherewithal to meet the requirements wherever India's strategic interests lie," said the IAF chief.

The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation's (NATO) invitation to India in the first week of September to be a partner in its ballistic missile defence (BMD) programme is being analysed, according to V.K. Saraswat, Scientific Adviser to the Defence Minister.

“We are analysing the report. It is under consideration,” he said on September 30 after the successful launch of the Agni-II ballistic missile from the Wheeler Island on the Orissa coast.

India has so far conducted six interceptor missile tests as part of its quest to establish a credible shield against ballistic missiles launched from adversarial countries. Of these, five interceptor tests, including the first three in a row, were successful.

The first interceptor missile test took place in November 2006.

These six tests featured a missile launched from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur on the Orissa coast, mimicking the path of a ballistic missile coming from an “enemy country” and an interceptor launched from the Wheeler Island destroying the incoming missile in mid-flight.

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is the author of India's BMD programme and Dr. Saraswat is the programme's architect. He is DRDO Director-General.

General Kayani

President Obama’s national security adviser met with Pakistan’s top military officer in a secret meeting in Persian Gulf last week to deliver ‘a tough message’ regarding the Haqqani network, reported The New York Times (NYT).

According to a senior administration official quoted in the report, it was safe to assume that the Haqqani network was discussed during the secret meeting and that the Pakistan Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani was stressed towards taking a direct action against the militant network.

Earlier, the US officials met with the leaders of Haqqani network in efforts to talk the militant organisation into ending the war in Afghanistan.

According to the NYT report, both the meetings were an indication of “Obama administration’s complicated and seemingly contradictory policies in Afghanistan and Pakistan”, as well as the efforts of the US to rebuild its deteriorating relationship with Pakistan.

The report states that the US State Department is willing to designate the Haqqani network as a “Foreign Terrorist Organisation,” but some military commanders are holding back the decision fearing that it might “alienate the Haqqanis and drive them away from future talks.”

TEHRAN (FNA)- Senior Iranian military officials announced here on Tuesday that the country has developed a technology to jam enemies' military and spy satellites.

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Commander of Khatam-ol-Anbia Air Defense Base Brigadier General Farzad Esmayeeli stressed the necessity of developing and using the latest electronic defense systems for future electronic warfare.

Pointing to three electronic warfare systems unveiled today, the commander said that necessary grounds have been prepared to bring iran's air defense capability to the cyber space.

IAI Reveals Airborne Hostile Fire Locator Passive Sensors Development

Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) is developing passive sensors that will allow aerial platforms to locate the source of hostile fire from the ground.

The company has revealed first details of a system called the optical hostile fire source locator, or OTHELLO, which has been developed by its ELTA Systems subsidiary.

IAI said OTHELLO can detect and precisely locate the source of hostile anti-tank guided missiles, rocket-propelled grenades and cannon, and automatically transfer data to weapon systems that can neutralise the threat.

F-15

Boeing has backed off from previous forecasts that the 40-year-old F-15 production line would shut down next year in the absence of new orders, adding that there are a "number of pending" orders for the type.

"It is premature and inappropriate for us to even speculate on when the production line might close," Boeing said in a statement responding to a question.

On 21 October last year, the Obama administration notified the US Congress of a possible sale of 72 F-15Es to Riyadh, but the deal with Saudi Arabia has now been pending for almost a year.

The proposed deal included significant capability upgrades for the nation's existing F-15SAs.

The 2010 notification signalled that the administration intended to move forwards with the sale, despite objections from Israel.

The Israeli government had openly expressed concerns that the sale of upgraded F-15Es to Saudi Arabia could erode its qualitative military advantage in the Middle East.

ITT has received a $49 million contract to supply pod-housed electronic warfare equipment for the Pakistan air force's Lockheed Martin F-16 fighters. The acquisition is being made using the US government's Foreign Military Sales mechanism.

The US manufacturer has described the system involved as being identical to the ALQ-131 advanced integrated defensive electronic warfare system (AIDEWS) already integrated with the F-16 for the US Air Force and other international operators.

ITT said it has delivered 134 systems so far from an order book of 160, spread across six export buyers.

Carried beneath the fuselage of an F-16, the AIDEWS pod will provide protection by detecting incoming radar-guided surface-to-air and air-to-air missiles.

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