Monday, November 30, 2015

The Construction Of TCG Pirireis Has Started

Turkish Navy reported that the construction of TCG Pirireis the first Type 214 class submarine has officially started.
Admiral Bülent Bostanoğlu, making the first ceremonial welding.
There was a ceremony at the Gölcük Naval Shipyard were the construction will be done. This is a big event actually which was not served to the mass media which I find it a little bit odd. The construction of a new submarine the first of its class deserves a bigger public attention. I assume that the silent service wanted the ceremony to be true to their motto.

On 2nd July 2009, a contract was signed by Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft GmbH (HDW), Kiel, a company of ThyssenKrupp Technologies, and MarineForce International LLP (MFI), London, for the delivery of six material packages for the construction of Class 214 submarines to Turkey.

The value of the contract is estimated as 2,5 billion €. There is %80 offset agreement. The submarines will be built in Gölcük Naval Shipyard where 11 submarines of Type 209, were previously built. According to the original contract terms the construction was to start in 2011, and the first sub delivered in 2015.

The reasons for the delay of the construction is both technical and commercial.

Source: turkishnavy.net

Submarines: Underwater Game Changers

The United States builds, arguably, the world’s most capable submarines. But at about $2 billion apiece, there are only so many subs the US Navy will acquire, and it’s widely recognized the supply will never meet the demand.

Meanwhile, building and acquiring modern submarines is a worldwide growth industry. Russia, China and even India are designing and building multiple new classes of subs, armed and fit with a growing variety of weapons and sensors — and a number of nations are building or purchasing foreign-designed undersea craft.

Retired Vice Adm. Michael Connor, a former commander of the US Navy’s submarine forces, explained this activity in a recent hearing on Capitol Hill.

“The undersea arena is the most opaque of all warfighting domains,” Connor said during an Oct. 27 hearingat the House Seapower subcommittee. “It is easier to track a small object in space than it is to track a large submarine, with tremendous fire power under the water. That is why countries with the technical wherewithal to operate in this domain are pursuing advanced capability. The two countries that present the biggest challenge in the undersea are Russia and China, with Russia being the more capable of the two.”

Rather than simply building more submarines, Connor and others are urging more sustained development of weapons and sensors to increase the power of US undersea forces. Among Connor’s top recommendations is the desire to extend the striking range of submarine-launched weapons.

“This multiplies the impact of each submarine and multiplies the search challenge that each submarine presents to a potential foe,” he said.

Connor specifically wants torpedoes with ranges of more than 100 miles.

“This is definitely doable with chemical-based propulsion systems and will likely soon be achievable with battery systems,” he said. Such a range also will need better command-and-control systems, including the ability to communicate with the torpedo, perhaps via manned or unmanned aircraft or by satellite, he said.

“The torpedo will come to be considered along the line of a slow-moving missile,” he said, “with the advantage that it is more difficult to detect, carries a much larger explosive charge and strikes the enemy beneath the waterline, where the impact is most severe.”

Connor also wants the US “to get back into the business of submarine-launched anti-ship missiles” with the ability to “confidently attack a specific target at sea at a range of about 1,000 miles. We should be pursuing this more aggressively than we are.”

Connor also wants better and more-capable undersea vehicles.

“We need to improve the endurance of the vehicles, expand the payload set, and get to the point where any submarine can recover the mission data, if not the vehicle. We need to do this while keeping the cost of the vehicle down. The cost should be low enough such that, while we would always like to get the vehicles back, it is not a crisis if we don’t. The value is in the data, not the vehicle.”

Bryan Clark, a naval analyst with the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, appeared alongside Connor and urged greater development in undersea sensors — onboard submarines, unmanned vehicles and weapons, as well as deployed in the water and fixed on the seabed.

To coordinate the development and fielding of underwater systems, Clark said the Navy should “make its undersea warfare resource sponsor and acquisition organizations responsible for all undersea vehicles and systems once they transition out of research and development.”

Clark urged continued development in a wide range of unmanned underwater vehicles (UUV), including looking at ways to arm some. He pointed to the compact, very lightweight torpedo — now under development — as having potential not only as a defensive, anti-torpedo weapon but also as a weapon that could be carried and launched by larger UUVs.

Connor and Clark said Congress could aid these efforts by providing funding not tied to specific programs of record. “Programs should be defined broadly so that they can incorporate innovation without recreating the program,” Connor said.

The failure of some efforts, he said, should not necessarily be taken as a negative thing. He said Silicon Valley failure rates sometimes approach 90 percent.

“If we are innovating aggressively enough, perhaps half of our initiatives will fail,” he said.

Rep. Randy Forbes, R-Va., chairman of the subcommittee, agreed with many of the recommendations.

“There’s a recognition that if we’re going to keep up with undersea dominance, it’s not just about creating more platforms, but we have to create relatively sophisticated systems of systems with the ability to multiply capability but not just adding a platform,” he said in a post-hearing interview.

“We can create a platform to last 20, 30, 40 years,” he said, noting that many systems will be developed over that time. “So it’s important to find the process or architecture to create innovation and put it out in three to four year cycles.

“What I’m excited about,” he said, “is we’ve got people in the Pentagon, the private sector and in policy sectors who understand this and can create partnerships to actually get them done.”

Secret Russian Flying Fortress - Bomber K-7

In 1930s Russian army was ... by the idea of creating huge planes. At that times they were proposed to have as much propellers as possible to help carrying those huge flying fortresses into the air, jet propulsion has not been implemented at those times yet.

Not much photos were saved since that times, because of the high secrecy levels of such projects and because a lot of time passed already. Still on the photo below you can see one of such planes - a heavy bomber K-7.

Now modern history lovers in Russia try to reconstruct according the plans left in once to be top-secret Russian army archives their look in full color. This is one example based on ideas of Russian aviation engineers of that times.

Pakistan's First Female Fighter Pilot Killed in Trainer Crash

Pakistan's first female fighter pilot died today when a twin-seat fighter aircraft crashed in Punjab province on a training mission.

A statement from the Pakistan Air Force soon after the crash said "an FT-7PG aircraft, while on a routine operational training mission, crashed near Kundian (Mianwali). Both the pilots of the aircraft ejected safely and [have] been rescued. No loss of civilian life and property has been reported on ground. A board of inquiry has been ordered by Air Headquarters to determine the cause of accident."
Flying officer Marium Mukhtiar posing beside an aircraft in Islamabad. Marium, one of Pakistan's few female fighter jet pilots, was killed Nov. 24 in a training crash, the air force said in a statement.
However, it was later reported that Flying Officer Marium Mukhtiar died of injuries sustained on ejection.

Flying Officer Mukhtiar was the subject of a report by the BBC early in 2014 that covered her decision to join the PAF as a fighter pilot. Pakistan has only had female fighter pilots since 2006.

Pakistan Air Force (PAF) soldiers carry the coffin of female fighter jet pilot Marium Mukhtiar, who was killed in a crash during a training mission, at the Faisal Air Base in Karachi.

The FT-7PG was ordered in 1999 as part of the F-7PG package. The F-7PG is a double-delta development of the Chengdu F-7 and fitted with uprated avionics by Pakistan.

Kaiser Tufail was one of the officers who evaluated the F-7PG prior to its selection and purchase. He also flew the F-7P operationally. A former air force pilot and analyst, Tufail praised the aircraft, but under certain circumstances said it can be unforgiving.
Pakistan Air Force (PAF) soldiers carry the coffin of female fighter jet pilot Marium Mukhtiar, who was killed in a crash during a training mission, at the Faisal Air Base in Karachi.
"The FT-7PG is a regular F-7P except for the cockpit switchology and layout, which is similar to the -PG version," he said. "It is a fairly safe aircraft ... until something fails drastically."

He said he understands whatever happened hampered the ability of the pilots to eject safely.

"I have no idea what might have gone wrong, but word has it that since the ejection took place at very low altitude on final approach, the fatality might have been due to a delayed ejection," he said. "Under such flight conditions involving a rate of descent, there is not giving enough time for the chute to blossom fully."

He said without further details however this is presently speculative.

Pakistan's F-7 series of fighters are fitted with Martin Baker Mk10 zero-zero ejection seats in which it places a high degree of faith. The seat is also fitted to its Mirage-III/5s, and prior to their retirement from Pakistani service was fitted to the Nanchang A-5, Shenyang FT-5 and F-6/FT-6 jets.

Though it is a very good seat, Tufail said under certain circumstances it may not perform as well as it could.

"It is a zero-zero seat, but these have to be activated in level flight at zero level (ground). If there is a rate of descent, the minimum ejection height goes up, proportionately. In this case, the aircraft was low, on final approach, and the rate of descent apparently did not allow enough time for the parachute to blossom fully," he said.

Tufail said he believes for Mukhtiar these circumstances may have been compounded by the type of training mission she may have been flying as usually the instructor occupies the rear seat. However, if it was an instrument flying mission, then the student would have sat in the rear seat and been under a 'hood' to restrict external vision.

Though he said he did not know her personally, Tufail paid tribute to Mukhtiar.

"I am told she was a very fine officer."

Jordanian King Visiting Spain, Shows Interest in A400M & C295

King Abdullah II of Jordan today showed interest in the A400M airlifter and the multirole C-295 aircraft during his visit to the Airbus Defence and Space factory in Getafe near Madrid, according to Spanish officials.

King Abdullah visited the facilities of Airbus with King Felipe VI of Spain. Both monarchs took a photo inside the cockpit of an A400M already prepared to be delivered to the British Royal Air Force.

Spanish Defense Minister Pedro Morenés,  Prince Faisal bin Hussein, deputy supreme commander of the Jordanian Armed Forces, and Fernando Alonso, head of the Military Aircraft division of Airbus Defence and Space, were present  during the visit.

In July 2014, Jordan announced an agreement with US company ATK to convert a Royal Jordanian Air Force C-295 into a gunship to provide “additional capabilities, more firepower and flexibility for the defense of the Kingdom.” That new C-295 will join two smaller AC-235s made by Airbus in Spain and also modified for ground attack by ATK.

US-Japan $1.2B RQ-4 Global Hawk Deal Finalized

The US Department of State has approved a potential sale of three Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk unmanned surveillance systems to Japan.

The Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress of the possible foreign military sale on Nov. 19, according to a DSCA statement.
The deal for three Block 30 Global Hawk remotely piloted aircraft, including three Enhanced Integrated Sensor Suites and 16 navigation systems, is worth up to US $1.2 billion.

Japan has been focused on building up its surveillance assets in the region as neighboring China has become increasingly aggressive. Japan's Ministry of Defense officially decided to procure the Global Hawk, as well as Boeing's V-22 Osprey and Northrop's E-2D Hawkeye command and control aircraft, in 2014.

Japan chose the Global Hawk over the Guardian ER design by General Atomics for the country's Air Self Defense Force.

"The proposed sale of the RQ-4 will significantly enhance Japan's intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities and help ensure that Japan is able to continue to monitor and deter regional threats," according to the statement. "The Japan Air Self Defense Force (JASDF) will have no difficulty absorbing these systems into its armed forces."

In the statement, DSCA touted the sale as strengthening the US-Japanese alliance at a time of growing tensions over China's moves in the South China Sea.

"This proposed sale will contribute to the foreign policy and national security of the United States," the statement reads. "Japan is one of the major political and economic powers in East Asia and the Western Pacific and a key partner of the United States in ensuring regional peace and stability."

Russian Sukhoi Jet Down Made Turkish President 'Saddened'

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday expressed "sadness" over Turkey's downing of a Russian warplane that has severely strained relations, saying he wished the incident had never happened.
In his most conciliatory comments yet after Tuesday's incident, Erdogan said: "I'm really saddened by the incident. We wish it had never happened, but it happened. I hope something like this doesn't happen again.

"We hope that the issue between us and Russia does not escalate any further, become corrosive and have dire consequences in the future," Erdogan told supporters in western Balikesir province.

Erdogan also renewed a call to Russian President Vladimir Putin for a face-to-face meeting in Paris on the sidelines of the Global Climate Summit on Monday, saying it would be an opportunity to restore relations.

"What we tell Russia is 'Let's resolve this issue between ourselves and within its boundaries. Let's not make others happy by destroying our whole relationship," Erdogan said.

"Russia is important for Turkey as much as Turkey is important for Russia. Both countries cannot afford to give up on each other."

Putin, who has branded the incident a "stab in the back", is yet to agree to talks.

The plane incident, one of the most serious clashes between a NATO member and Russia, has drawn a harsh response from Moscow.

Russia announced it was halting a visa-free regime for Turkish visitors, after threatening a raft of retaliatory economic measures to punish the NATO member state.

Earlier Saturday, Turkish foreign ministry warned its citizens off non-urgent and unnecessary travel to Russia.

Turkey says the Su-24 warplane strayed into its airspace and ignored repeated warnings, but Russia has insisted it did not cross the border from Syria and demanded an apology.

Al-Quds Brigades' General Qassem Soleimani Lightly Wounded in Syria

Gen. Qassem Soleimani, commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guards' foreign operations wing, was lightly injured in fighting against Syria rebels near Aleppo, a monitoring group and a security source said Wednesday.
Soleimani "was injured a few days ago" in an offensive in the southwest of Aleppo province, a security source on the ground told AFP.

The head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitor of the war, also said the general was hurt.

He was "lightly injured three days ago in the Al-Eis area in the south of Aleppo province," Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP.

For several days, reports have been circulating on social media claiming the powerful commander was wounded or even killed in Syria, where Iran backs President Bashar al-Assad against an uprising that began in March 2011.
In response, a spokesman for the Revolutionary Guards, Rameza Sharif, said Tuesday that Soleimani was "in perfect health and full of energy."

"He helps the Islamic resistance in Syria and Iraq," Sharif added, according to SepahNews, the official site of the Revolutionary Guards.

Abdel Rahman said the commander was wounded while "leading military operations on the outskirts of Al-Eis, which is under the control of pro-regime forces."

"Many Iranian fighters are present in the area," he added.

Abdel Rahman said rebel groups launched a counteroffensive on Sunday in a bid to push regime forces from several areas in south Aleppo that they captured with support from Iranian and Lebanese Hezbollah ground forces and Russia air strikes.

Russia, another key Assad ally, began airstrikes in support of the government on Sept. 30.

Last month, a US official said some 2,000 Iranian or Iranian-backed forces were participating in the regime's Aleppo operations.

Iran has not officially acknowledged sending troops to Syria, but says it has "advisers" on the ground assisting regime forces.

Iran-backed Hezbollah also acknowledges its forces are fighting on the ground, and the presence of Iranian, Iraqi and Afghan "volunteers" has been documented.

Egypt, Russia Negotiating Air Defense Missile Systems Sale

Russian State Technologies Corporation (ROSTEC) says it is holding pre-contract delivery negotiations for the supply of the Antey 2500 and Buk missile systems ordered by Egypt in 2014 to upgrade the capabilities of its Air Defense Force (ADF).
Antey-2500 air defense system components. 
According to a military source quoted by Interfax in March this year, the missile order is part of the multi-billion Russian-Egyptian arms deal of 2014 and involves the supply of Buk air-to-air missiles, the Antey 2500 (S-300VM) anti-ballistic missile system, command posts, spares and accessories at a cost of US$1 billion. Egypt will also receive auxiliary technological equipment,launchers and other essential equipment to support the system.

According to the initial agreement, deliveries are expected to start later this year and be complete by late 2016.

"Today, we are considering the possibility of delivering to Egypt the anti-ballistic missile system Antey-2500 and the Buk 2 surface-to-air missiles. Negotiations are continuing," ROSTEC CEO Sergey Chemezov told Russian news agency ITAR-TASS at the end of the recent Dubai Airshow.

He said the Egyptian air defense systems sale will contribute substantially to the $12.5 billion in arms exports that Russia expects to earn by end of the year.

"Rosoboronexport foreign arms sales should reach $12.5 billion by the end of this year. We hope it (arms export revenue) will be a little more, but we will definitely fulfill the plan," Chemezov said.

The Antey 2500 system is an upgraded version of the S-300 missile aerial defense system. It can destroy aircraft, ballistic and cruise missiles flying at a range of up to 250 km and a height of up to 25 km.

The 9K37 Buk missile system is designed to hit aircraft, cruise missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) flying at distances of up to 30 miles and altitudes of up to 15 miles. Egypt is the third buyer of the Russian air defense system after Venezuela and Iran.
9K37 Buk missile system. 
Russia is aggressively marketing upgraded weapons and aerial defense systems in the Middle East. ROSTEC exhibited and demonstrated the new Antey 2500 and upgraded Buk-2 missile system to Middle Eastern and African customers in Abu Dhabi early in 2014.

Germany Going to Put on Steps in Syrian Soil

Germany is planning to deploy 1,200 troops to help France in the fight against Islamic State jihadists in Syria, its army chief said Sunday, in what would be the military's biggest deployment abroad.
"From a military point of view, around 1,200 soldiers would be necessary to run the planes and ship," army chief of staff Gen. Volker Wieker told Bild am Sonntag newspaper, adding that the mission would begin "very quickly once a mandate is obtained."

"The government is seeking a mandate this year," said Wieker.

Berlin on Thursday offered France Tornado reconnaissance jets, a naval frigate, aerial refueling and satellite images in the fight against the IS group.

Between four and six Tornados would be deployed to deliver images of the ground, even in poor weather and during the night, Wieker said.

Asked why Germany had shied away from participating in direct air strikes, Wieker said the coalition already had "sufficient forces and means" dealing with that aspect of the battle.

"What is needed is reconnaissance on the ground, so that these forces can be deployed effectively. Our Tornados can contribute a lot in that area," he said.

Talks are ongoing with Turkey and Jordan on stationing the planes in Incirlik — which also serves as a base for US jets, as well as in Amman.

Wieker swiped aside any criticism that Germany had opted for "the least dangerous" tasks, saying: "This allegation is not justified. What is the difference when you fly a bomber jet or a reconnaissance plane over the same area? The levels of threat and danger are the same."

Post-war Germany has been traditionally reluctant to send troops abroad, although it has joined UN-mandated missions in the Balkans and elsewhere, and the NATO coalition in Afghanistan.

Germany has not taken part in air strikes against the IS in Syria and Iraq, which have been mainly flown by US and French aircraft.

After France last week invoked a clause requiring EU member states to provide military assistance after the Paris attacks, Germany swiftly announced its participation in the fight in Syria.

Sunday, November 29, 2015

Russia Sends 7,000 Troops To Turkish Border As US Halt Air Operations

Russian President Vladimir Putin has issued orders to deploy nearly 7,000 troops, anti-aircraft, rocket launchers, and artillery forces to the Turkish border, and for them to be in readiness for full combat. 

The Ministry of Defense say the legal authorisation for this deployment comes from the joint Russian-Armenian missile air defense system agreement signed by Putin on 11th November.

Whatdoesitmean.com reports:

With Armenia now becoming a vital part of the Russian Joint Air Defense, this report continues, Federation military forces will now be able to counter threats from Turkey coming from that nations western border—which will mirror the air defense protections provided by Federation Aerospace and Naval forces on Turkey’s border with Syria that since being implemented this past week have seen both United States and Turkish aircraft completely cease flying missions against Islamic State terrorists in this war zone all together.

Important to note too about this Federation military deployment to Armenia, this report says, are that these forces will be protected, like their counterparts operating in Syria, with S-400 Triumf (NATO designation: SA-21 Growler) medium/long-range mobile surface-to-air missile systems and Krasukha-4 jamming platforms giving them near total air defense superiority over 85 percent of Turkish territory.

USAF, US Navy Seeks for Joint Development of Sixth-Generation Unmanned Fighter

Navy and Air Force developers are immersed in early conceptual work on a new, sixth-generation fighter aircraft designed with breakthrough technologies and an ability to perform for both manned and unmanned missions.
Few details are available about the new aircraft, called F/A-XX by the Navy, because the early work is at this point purely conceptual, said Rear Adm. Michael Manazir, Director of Air Warfare.

"There is an opportunity to field an unmanned system in the F/A XX program. We are collaborating with the Air Force on the technologies that would be required to operate an air system that gives us enhanced capabilities in the future," Manazir told reporters June 15.

Air Force senior leaders tell Military.com they are working closely with the Navy on future technologies but do not yet have a platform identified.

"We are actively engaged with the Navy on the capabilities required to achieve air superiority to 2030 and beyond. As always, we’ll need the capability to sense and characterize the battlespace, then command and control platforms and weapons, all while surviving. As of right now, that does not translate to a next-gen fighter," Maj. Gen. Paul Johnson, Deputy Chief of Staff, Requirements, Air Force said in a statement.

The new aircraft will, at least in part, replace the existing inventory ofF/A-18 Super Hornets which will start to retire by 2035, Manazir said.

The Navy vision for a future carrier air wing in 2040 and beyond is comprised of the carrier-launched variant of the Joint Strike Fighter, the F-35C, as the legacy aircraft alongside the EA-18G Growler electronic jamming aircraft and the yet-to-be built Unmanned Carrier Launched Airborne Surveillance and Strike platform, or UCLASS, a carrier-launched drone slated to arrive by 2025. 

Also, around this time is when Navy planners envision its F/A-XX aircraft to be ready, an aircraft which will likely be engineered for both manned and unmanned missions.

"Technologies are rapidly advancing in coatings, electromagnetic spectrum issues, maneuvering, superiority in sensing the battlespace, communications and data links. We are looking at the way in which you integrate these into platforms into the future. Lots of things are starting to come to the fore, but it is as amorphous as it sounds," Manazir added. 

Manazir also added that the Navy is likely to develop new carrier-launched unmanned air vehicles other than UCLASS in coming years as well.

Analysts have speculated that as Navy F/A-XX developers seek to engineer a sixth-generation aircraft, they will likely explore a range of next-generation technologies such as maximum sensor connectivity, super cruise ability and an aircraft with electronically configured "smart skins."

Maximum connectivity would mean massively increased communications and sensor technology such as having an ability to achieve real-time connectivity with satellites, other aircraft and anything that could provide relevant battlefield information, said Richard Aboulafia, vice-president of analysis at the Teal Group, a Va.-based consultancy.

Hypersonic Scramjets


The new aircraft might also seek to develop the ability to fire hypersonic weapons, however such a development would hinge upon successful progress with yet-to-be-proven technologies such as scramjets, Aboulafia added.

Super cruise technology would enable the new fighter jet to cruise at supersonic speeds without needing afterburner, he explained.

Smart aircraft skins would involve dispersing certain technologies or sensors across the fuselage and further integrating them into the aircraft itself, Aboulafia said.

"Smart skins with distributed electronics means that instead of having systems mounted on the aircraft, you would have apertures integrated on the skin of the aircraft," he said.

This could reduce drag, increase speed and maneuverability while increasing the technological ability of the sensors.

Source: Military.com

S-400 will Bolster China's Capabilities in Response to Any Aerial Threat

A deal between Russia and China for procurement of the new S-400 air defense system will serve as a force multiplier for Beijing in its quest to dominate the skies along its borders, experts said.
The 400-kilometer-range system will, for the first time, allow China to strike any aerial target on the island of Taiwan, in addition to reaching air targets as far as New Delhi, Calcutta, Hanoi and Seoul. The Yellow Sea and China's new air defense identification zone (ADIZ) in the East China Sea will also be protected. The system will permit China, if need be, to strike any air target within North Korea.
The S-400 will also allow China to extend, but not dominate, the air defense space closer to the disputed Japanese-controlled Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea, said Vasiliy Kashin, a China defense specialist at the Centre for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies, Moscow. China refers to the islands as the Diaoyu, and tensions between Beijing and Japan have been increasing for several years as China continues to claim the islands.
China's current inventory of S-300s, at a range of 300 kilometers, only allows it to strike targets along Taiwan's northwestern coast and cannot reach capital cities in India and South Korea, said Alexander Huang, chairman, Council on Strategic and Wargaming Studies, Taipei. The S-400 will challenge Taiwan's ability to conduct air defense operations within its own ADIZ, which covers the Taiwan Strait.
"Of course, these new systems will also give China extra capability to deter and deny hostile air threats, making regional forces more cautious when operating near China," Huang said.
Rosoboronexport CEO Anatoly Isaikin announced the sale on April 13. He told news media outlets that the S-400 was in demand in the international market and that China would be the first export customer. No specifics were revealed, but the actual contract was most likely signed in the last quarter of 2014, Kashin said. He said the deal will include four to six battalions at about US $3 billion.
The S-400 is capable of intercepting missiles and air breathing targets, he said. Rosoboronexport did not clarifies any additional information.
The S-400 is a decent system and an evolutionary progression of China's air and missile defense modernization, said Mark Stokes, executive director of the Project 2049 Institute. "It would be interesting to know what specific missile variant is being exported, and where the systems would be deployed," he said.
Deployment of S-400 systems opposite Taiwan could drive Taiwan to increase investment into asymmetric capabilities designed to exploit vulnerabilities in China's air defenses, he said.
Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense (MND) is not surprised by the revelation and the military is keeping a close watch on developments, said Maj. Gen. Luo Shou-he, MND spokesman. Russia and China have cooperated closely on military issues for decades, he said, including arms sales and exchanges of defense technology.
"To cope with the potential threat of this new system, the ROC [Taiwan] armed forces has already completed its analysis of the missile threat, and tweaked its tactics and strategies to reflect countermeasures for engaging the S-400," he said.
Flight training by Taiwan's armed forces would still continue as planned and remain unaffected by the new system, Luo said .
"In the future, the ROC military will continue to keep a close eye on China as the S-400 begins deployment and take precautions for any possible new contingencies."
Kashin said China is gradually improving its long-range air defense missile production capabilities, but still lags behind Russia in this area. Chinese systems sometimes compete effectively on international markets, "but that was achieved not so much by the system capabilities but by Chinese willingness to provide favorable financial conditions and to transfer technology," he said.
China would no doubt attempt to reverse engineer the S-400, as it has done with previous sales of the S-300, but reverse engineering is time consuming, Kashin said, and Russia is now working on the next-generation S-500. The S-500 is expected to enter serial production in 2017; roughly, the same time China receives its first S-400 delivery, Kashin said.

P&W And GE Competing For Sixth-Generation Fighter Engine

Pratt & Whitney and General Electric’s proposals for the next phase of the US Air Force’s sixth-generation fighter engine development effort are due tomorrow, with the two sides anticipating sole-source contract awards in June or July of 2016.

The Adaptive Engine Transition Programme (AETP) is the next step in the development of a highly efficient and adaptive military engine for combat jets and the five-year effort could be worth as much as $950 million to each team.

The Air Force Research Laboratory has been working with GE and P&W on an adaptive, three-stream engines since 2008 with the ultimate goal of introducing a new engine in the 45,000lb thrust class with 25% to 30% better fuel efficiency. The new sponsor is USAF’s Propulsion Directorate.

P&W's director of advanced programs and technology Jimmy Kenyon says the air force originally anticipated a competition for one “winner takes all” $900 million contract for AETP, but through industry engagement has decided to carry two teams forward instead.

Kenyon says an approximately one-year schedule adjustment has also eliminated much of the overlap between the current Adaptive Engine Technology Development (AETD) effort, which started in 2012 to bring two designs up to a preliminary design review.
P&W's conceptual design of next-gen fighter engine. 
The air force now expects to assemble two competing designs for engine testing before transitioning to a competition in the early 2020s for development of a sixth-generation “F-X” and “F-XX” fighter engine.

“There was a lot of concurrency between what they were doing in AETP and what we were still trying to finish in AETD, the current programme, and that posed a lot of risk,” says Kenyon. “It was going to be a fixed-price contract with a lot risk in it – a $900 million winner-takes-all.

“They’ve since taken a step back, because one of the things the air force is hot on is maintaining a competitive industrial base.”

P&W has been pursuing AETP as a critical bridge between the end of F135 development in 2016 for Lockheed Martin's F-35 and the competition for a sixth-generation aircraft.

The company says its current work on AETD will result in product improvements for the F135, which Kenyon says represent a 5% to 7% fuel savings. This next programme is mostly about positioning for the next big development opportunity, but some components could roll into an F135 mid-live overhaul.

“Now you’re thinking five years into the future and where you need to be [in preparation for the sixth-generation fighter engine competition]. How to get to the end of the five years and be in the best position possible?” he says.

“We have a very successful design and we are projecting to meet all of the performance requirements. We have a lot of experience with the fifth-generation fighters and fifth-generation integration, and we can bring all of that experience to bear.”

Photo Source: FlightGlobal

China Finalized The Deal For S-400 With Russia

China buys much eexpected S-400 Triumf air defense system from her long-standing friend Russia. Announcement came from Russian state owned arms trade organization Rosobornexport's CEO on April 13. According to him China signed the deal for four to six battalions of the system.
S-400 Triumf is one of the world's best air defense missile system capable of intercepting various targets includes all air breathing aerial objects and ballistic missiles. S-400 has the range of upto 400 km, hence, it'll bolster China's air defense capabilities in huge. Chinese military will be able now to dominate the skies inside around it's hostile neighbors. 

Saturday, November 28, 2015

Indian Navy Tested SLBM From INS Arihant

Indian naval forces tested Souriya (Sagarika) SLBM from the INS Arihant. Earlier they tested same missile on the land based test facilities. It seems that the test was successful. The missile has the range of 700 km.

INS Arihant was build with Russian technical assistance, though, this nuke sub shouldn't be used in operational deployments because of its PWR nuclear reactors' design errors which could create  disastrous situation. But DRDO hopes to use this boat as an R&D platform for future nuke submarines. Design errors are expected to be solved in the next submarines of this class.

Turkish Jets Ambushed Russian Su-24 - Russian Air Force Commanderj

Turkey had been tracking the Russian Su-24 for 34 minutes before shooting it down, Bondarev said. Turkish fighter jets were warned about Russian warplanes beforehand and waited in ambush prior to the attack.
​"The radar surveillance data confirms that two F-16 fighter jets were patrolling the flight zone for an hour an 45 minutes at an altitude of 2,400 meters [some 7,800 feet], which speaks of a deliberate action and their readiness to attack from an ambush over the Turkish territory," Bondarev told reporters in Moscow.
According to Bondarev, the Russian pilots have not received any warnings from the Turkish pilots on the designated radio frequency.

​​The Turkish plane spent 40 seconds in the Syrian airspace, entering it for two kilometers, the commander said.
"According to radar tracking data, it was the Turkish warplane that crossed into the Syrian airspace for about 40 seconds to a depth of 2 kilometers [6,560 feet], while the Russian fighter-bomber never violated the Turkish border", he said.
​According to the Syrian Air Defense data, "an object moving at a speed of 810 kmph from Turkey was registered".

The Su-24 was downed at a distance of 5,5 kilometers to the south of the Turkish border immediately after it had attacked terrorists.

"At 10.24 Moscow time the crew carried out bombing and after it the plane was shot down by an air-to-air missile launched by a Turkish Air Force F-16 that had taken off from the 8th Diyarbakir airbase on the Turkish territory."

Bondarev added that a Turkish F-16 fighter jet was guided to its intended target from the ground and launched an air-to-air missile while the Russian warplane was readying to carry out a second attack on terrorist positions.

"The method of guidance of F-16 aircraft into effective engagement zone directly, but not along the pursuit course curve shows that the fighter jet was directed from a ground control station," Bondarev told reporters.

The fighter jet stopped maneuvers in the area of patrolling and commenced missile launching a minute and 40 seconds before the Su-24 maximum proximity to the Syrian-Turkish border, Bondarev added.

"After approaching the Su-24M at a distance of launching a missile (5-7 kilometers), which proves that the F-16 was in the Syrian airspace, the fighter jet made a sharp descending manoeuvre to the right and disappeared from the radars."

The launch of a missile was confirmed by the crew of the second Russian Su-24.

"[The crew] observed a plume of a white smoke and reported it."

Turkey downed the Russian plane on November 24 over Syria. One of the pilots was killed by fire from the ground, the second one was rescued.
The rescue operation to save the second pilot was conducted professionally, the commander said. The survivor was being hunted down by "well-equipped groups" of militants. After the pilot had been evacuated, Russian "bombers delivered massive, crushing airstrikes" on the area, the commander elaborated.

​The attack on the plane was filmed by radicals who knew where and when they could "get that exclusive footage", Bondarev added. The readiness of Turkish media to cover the accident was surprising, as the video of the missile striking the Su-24 was uploaded to YouTube by a private Turkish TV-channel just 1,5 hours after the accident.

Bangladesh Commissioned Second USCG High Endurance Cutter

Key Points: 

> Bangladesh Navy receives second cutter from US Coast Guard.
> Ship then departed Alameda, California in September 2015 following maintenance, equipment installation, and crew training.
The Bangladesh Navy (BN) received in early May its second high endurance cutter from the United States Coast Guard (USCG), during a handover ceremony on Coast Guard Island in Alameda, California.

Decommissioned in February 2015, the 378 ft ex-CGC Rush was transferred as the frigate BNS Somudra Avijan under a Foreign Military Sales (FMS) excess defence article (EDA) grant.

In service with the USCG, Rush conducted a variety of roles, including operations during the Vietnam War, counter-narcotics patrols in Central and South American waters, fisheries enforcement, and in various SAR missions.

BN spent around $12 million on maintenance, equipment installation, and crew training (provided by former Rush crew members) prior to the ship's departure from Alameda in September 2015.
" Somudra Avijan is the 44th vessel to be transferred to Bangladesh in the last five years under the FMS programme," said coastguard international programmes office director Tod Reinert.

Even though BNS Somudra Avijan and sister ship BNS Somudra Joy (ex- Jarvis ) are ageing and well-used platforms, the BN is adept at retaining such vessels in operational service beyond design life - something noted by USCG officials. "They have processes and procedures that work very well," said an official, with sustainment practices focusing on issues like maintenance, training, and subject matter expertise.

Speaking at the transfer ceremony, United States Ambassador to Bangladesh Marcia Bernicat remarked that the partnership between the USCG and the BN is emblematic of the bonds that exist between their parent countries. "Our maritime security co-operation is stronger than ever," said the Ambassador.
Bangladesh's naval chief Vice Admiral M Farid Habib said, "These two ships will be deployed not only for ensuring good order at sea, but will also be utilised for achieving common goals of both countries like combating maritime terrorism and various unconventional threats. Moreover, they will also be used for peace support operations around the globe." He added that the transfer of the second ship enhanced the BN's operational capability "many fold".

Friday, November 27, 2015

Russian and Turkish Claims Over Su-24 Flight Path That Shot Downed

Russian Defense Ministry said that the Su-24 which was shot down by two Turkish Airforce's F-16. Turkey said that jet violated Turkish air space several times and the Su-24 were 5 minutes in the their (Turkish) while TuAF F-16s warned the crews of the jet 10 times. The region of which airspace violated by Russian jet actually an very narrow finger head like territorial extension hardly two mile wide. Yesterday Turkish president Recep Tayyep Erdogan said that the broken pieces of the downed jet hurts some of the Turkish citizens of the adjacent

Russia Installing S-400 Triumf Advanced Air Defense Missile Systems In Latakia

S-400 Triumf advanced Air Defense Missile Systems on the way to Syria as Russian Defense Ministry announced earlier after Su-24 shot downed by Turkish F-16. First SAM battery being installed in Hemeimeem Air Base (also known as Khmeimim Air Base) next to the Tartus port of Syria. S-400 SAM has the ranges from over 400 km up to 600 km.
Air bases & airports in Syria.
The Su-24 shot down by Turkish fighters on 24 November 2015 was said to be on its way back to Hemeimeem.

S-400 Triumf SAM batteries being transported and installed inHemeimeem Air Base.






Thursday, November 26, 2015

Prototype No. 2017: Its May Be The Production Model Prototype of The J-20 Mighty Dragon

Just after three months from the 7th prototype of the J-20 Mighty Dragon its the 8th prototype of this 5th Gen. fighter rolled out. Its not that much wonder that engineers, scientists & technicians in the Chengdu are doing very much well to be ahead of their projected timeline for J-20's production model freezing target date. They did it regarding some previous prototypes, built prototypes faster & stunned technological world.

Till the date, Chengdu builds 8 prototypes of this stealth fighter. It was speculative in some of those previous prototypes that they're doing major-minor changes and correctional design works. And none of them were graced with festive mode, which, J-20 prototype no. 2017 embraced. Some other forward fuselage features redesigned with extreme care and looks like Chengdu gonna freeze the final design for Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP). Its a little bit tough to assume the final design because the brains are working inside there in Chengdu frequently changed design features of the Mighty Dragon. But, due to some simple but thoughtful clues, now it seems that the final LRIP design for J-20 gonna freeze.

Why? Because it was never seen that none of those previous prototypes were being celebrated except first prototype. And, the number "eight", its literally enough for any advanced fighter to be build un their development phases.

Firstly, In the picture it is speculative that women are hailing the prototype no. 2017 with flowers and people are likely in joyous mode, seeing the Dragon. Its might hints that it is the last prototype and this model finalized for production. There in China its the tradition to celebrate something important to start with in festive occasions.

Secondly, to develop any fighter aircraft its conventionally enough to build five-ten prototypes if there not any teething problem causing severe delay in development. Hence no sign of development problem of J-20 has been seen yet, it is likely that development of this fighter were & still smooth enough except powerful engine. The development of airframe and other sub-systems were smooth and tests being conducted simultaneously on an An-204 & Y-8 platform to reduce development time and advance the development process. First two, 2001 & 2002, was mainly demonstrators. Prototype no. 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016 & 2017 are intended for heavy trials and experiments for all aspects. Regarding stealth performances developers shuffles their designs with extreme catholicism. Rear fuselage, engine exhaust covering, forward fuselage, forward canard, radome and wing design was reshuffled several times to refine the final airframe design.

Due to this speculations and from experts views it can be concluded that world gonna see soon the LRIP small batch of J-20 Mighty Dragon ruling over the Asian skies; though, the intended engine for J-20 is still not ready.

Here this is the forward fuselage comparisons between prototype no. 2011 & prototype no. 2017 (the last one). It shows the differences between two models' radome shape for AESA, DSI bump in the mouth of intakes, raised canopy tinted with gold gloss and some other minor redesigning on the intakes' outer surface etc.