Da-20 Falcon: ELINT/Electronic Counter Measures (ECM) Aircraft of PAF

A F-16 formation flying along side of Da-20 Electronic singals INTelligence (ELINT) aircraft from No.24 Sqn. Da-20 Falcon aircraft are fitted with Electronic Warfare equipment for ELINT/Electronic Counter Measures (ECM) role. ELINT aircraft support in battlefield gives Air Force command over the adversary by literally blinding the enemy with radar jamming, communications jamming and radar spoofing.

 

 

Amazing Shots of Y-20 Heavy Military Transport Aircraft From Zhuhai Airshow 2014

Amazing Shots of Chinese Y-20 Heavy Military Transport Aircraft From China International Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition 2014 (Airshow China 2014) . Y-20 transport aircraft is being developed to meet heavy airlift requirements of People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF). 

 

 

Shaheen-1A Missile Successfully Test-fired

Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile "Shaheen-1A" of Pakistan successfully test-fired from some undisclosed place, Some shots are here:

Latest of Z-10 Fierce Thunderbolt (Pi Li Huo, 霹雳火) Attack Helicopter

Latest set of images of Z-10 Fierce Thunderbolt (Pi Li Huo, 霹雳火) Attack Helicopter in service with the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA)।

Insight into JF-17 Thunder Block-II.

From The Showcase of Zuhai: Anti-Ballistic Target Missile

Y-20 To Use More Powerful Turbofan Engine

One Chinese Internet image displays that a newly developed Chinese indigenous turbofan engine has been installed on one IL-76 test platform. This indicates that China’s WS-20 Turbofan engine project is going to be finished, which will provide a more powerful engine for Y-20 to upgrade load performance. Now Y-20′s engine is Soloviev D-30KP-2 (WS-18) engine.

A Y-20 model with 4 new engines

More powerful engine testing on a Y-20

In an recent interview of “People Daily” (overseas edition), Chen Maozhang(陈懋章), one Chinese aviation engine expert, confidently says that Y-20 airlifter will definitely use Chinese turbofan engine which is now in rapid development. The report also says that China is developing new generation “Taihang” turbofan engine. Besides, some Analysts believe that the new Y-20 engine is a hybrid of WS-10 “Taihang” and CFM-56.

From The Showcase of Zuhai: KJ-2000 AWACS

KJ-2000 AWACS in Zhuhai Airshow, 2014 :

From The Showcase of Zuhai: Refined Model of Shenyang J-31 Falcon Eagle Stealth Fighter Aircraft

Refined Model of Shenyang J-31 Falcon Eagle Stealth fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft at China International Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition 2014 (Airshow China 2014).

 

China’s Military Urged Closely Guard Its Military Secrets

From U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel’s tour of the Liaoning aircraft carrier earlier this month to the recent release of two music videos featuring footage of Liaoning’s crew in training, we’ve been seeing a lot of what might be termed “military transparency with Chinese characteristics.” Lest anyone get too optimistic, however, those initiatives were followed up this week by an article in the People’s Liberation Army Daily extolling the virtues of secrecy. Xinhua also carried excerpts of the article in English translation, with the headline “China’s military requires tightened secrecy.”

Latest prototype of J-20 Mighty Dragon in flight testing.

The article quoted from a document entitled “Suggestions Regarding the Work of Protecting Secrets Under New Trends,” which PLA Daily said had been issued by China’s Central Military Commission at the order of Xi Jinping. The report named military secrecy as a key requirement to fulfilling Xi Jinping’s exhortation that China’s military should be capable of winning a war. Chinese military personnel must “clearly recognize the severe and complicated situation facing the protection of secrets, always remain sober-minded, persist in strengthening knowledge of enemies and awareness of duty, and spare no effort to fight the battle of maintaining secrecy,” the report urged.

The report, or at least the version carried in Chinese media, did not contain any specific details on how China would strengthen its military secrecy — such plans would naturally be themselves considered military secrets. The document did generally refer to a need to strengthen the protection of documents and other classified information as well as increasing security for computer networks and mobile communications.

While the report did not mention any specific countries, it’s likely that at least part of the impetus for it comes from revelations about the U.S. National Security Agency’s widespread cyber espionage programs, including substantial hacking into Chinese telecommunications firm Huawei. Following that revelation, China’s military announced they planned to increase cybersecurity, and the report cited by PLA Daily may be part of that campaign.

Regardless of the cause, the new document provides an interesting juxtaposition for China’s recent attempts at transparency. Even while providing some degree of access to PR showpieces like the Liaoning, China’s military is apparently working even harder to protect the information that actually matters — military secrets that will affect China’s ability to fight and win a war.

Official information on China’s military has always been hard to come by. For example, despite numerous rumors in Chinese media, China’s Ministry of Defense has yet to confirm if China is constructing a second aircraft carrier. Such information may be even more tightly guarded in the future as China alters it methods for ensuring military secrecy. As Dingding Chen wrote earlier for The Diplomat’s Flashpoints blog, there are compelling strategic reasons for China to curtail its military transparency. The new report from the Central Military Commission suggests that China’s military brass agree.

Source: diplomat.com

Bakter-Shikan's Rage On A SyAA's T-72 MBT!

This one was fired by FSA rebel's during a front-fight:

In The Same Line: J-20, Y-20 and KJ-500

Chengdu J-20 Mighty Dragon

Three prototypes are currently conducting test flights at Yanliang Airport near Xian.   The most interesting of this bunch is probably the KJ-500 AWAC, a domestic modification of the  ZDK-03 exported to Pakistan.  

 KJ-500 AWACS

Unlike the ZDK-03, this Chinese AWAC is based on the newly available Y-9 tactical transport airframe with longer range and greater payloads rather than the older Y-8.

Xian Y-20 Heavy Transport

Pakistan Air Force Going To Induct 5th Gen. Stealth Fighter Before IAF Does!

An article in the People’s Daily at the end of last month did little to clarify matters. The article referred to the J-31 as a fourth-generation stealth fighter, while also saying that is comparable to the U.S.’ F-35 fighter jets. The report first said that it would be exported abroad as a competitor to the F-35, before discussing the possibility that it will be China’s next carrier-borne fighter.

“Experts predict that the J-31 will make rapid inroads in the international market in the future, and will undoubtedly steal the limelight from the F-35,” the People’s Daily report said, noting also that competition to sell the fighter jets to international customers was “becoming a new variable in the Sino-US strategic game.”
The report added that, “The J-31, with its main target as the export market, represents a serious threat to U.S. arms manufacturers.” Later in the same article, however, People’s Daily noted that the plane’s landing gear was built to sustain the impact of landing on a carrier better than the current J-15s, and therefore might be used as China’s future carrier-based jet.
One possibility is that China is building both a domestic and export version of the aircraft. Some foreign news outlets have indeed said that China may sell a version of the aircraft abroad under the name F-60, while maintaining a fleet of domestic J-31s for the PLA.
With so little known about the J-31, it’s hard to gauge how credible China’s claims are that the J-31 is a low-cost alternative to the F-35. In a report in Defense News last August, shortly after the first few images of the plane surfaced, Project 2049 Institute’s Robert Cliff dismissed the notion that the J-31 would pose a serious threat to the F-35 in terms of overseas sales.
““India won’t buy it. Russia won’t buy it,” Cliff noted, adding: “That pretty much leaves countries like Pakistan, Brazil, some Middle East countries, none of whom [the U.S. is] likely to sell the F-35 to anytime this decade or next.”
He also said that he did not believe Saudi Arabia was interested in the plane.
Pakistan is perhaps the most likely foreign purchaser of the fighter. Pakistan and China previously jointly developed the JF-17 Thunder advanced fighter, although only Islamabad has ended up purchasing the jet thus far. This week Pakistani officials called on China to increase cooperation in the area of defense production. Beijing has long helped Islamabad acquire the necessary knowledge and expertise to develop a more advanced domestic defense industry.

Big Punch: In Pakistans' Restive Tribal Area (Orakzai, Bara) 24 Militants Killed

Four soldiers embraced shadat and several militants were killed in separate clashes involving a gunfight and roadside bombings in Pakistan’s restive Tribal Region, officials said on Tuesday. Sources said militants attacked a checkpost in the Shirin Dara area of Orakzai, resulting in a clash that also left several militants and six security personnel injured.

Soldiers searching for IEDs and Roadside Bombs

The attack was successfully repulsed. Some of the injured security personnel are said to be in critical condition. The information could not be independently verified as journalists have restricted access in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata). Tuesday's clash comes as the army is engaged in an offensive against local and foreign militants in the northwestern tribal regions of North Waziristan and Khyber.

Pakistan Navy Plans To Buy 30 JF-17 Thunder Block-II

A rumor spreads through defence.pk forum couple of a years ago. But still there's nothing loud to confirm by the appropriate authority. However, it could be very possible because of the higher threat assessment for navy. Till today, if Pakistan Navy needs air support they must call air force. But considering the situation and multi-front scenario they could think of an fighter arm of Pakistan Navy Air Arms.

Due some speculation and information from highly valued sources of the forum it can be assumed that really navy going to establish their Naval Fighter Regiment soon. If this happen still we need to wait to see the real.

 

Leopard 2A7: An Urban Demon

The Leopard 2A7 main battle tank was developed by German Krauss-Maffei Wegmann in cooperation with the German Army. It is a proposed upgrade package for existing MBTs. It was first revealed in 2010. It is a further development of the Leopard 2A6 MBT. It includes some subsystems of the Leopard 2 PSO. The Leopard 2A7 is intended for urban warfare, low intensity conflicts, as well as conventional military operations. Currently it is one of the best main battle tanks in the world. German Army plans to upgrade about 50-150 Leopard 2 tanks to the 2A7 standard. In 2011 Germany agreed to sell more tank 200 of these main battle tanks to Saudi Arabia. In 2013, Qatar ordered 62 of these MBTs. 

 

Leopard2A7-UrbOps MBT

 

The Leopard 2A7 is a modular upgrade package, so other Leopard 2 tanks can be upgraded to this standard. Combat systems can be optimized depending on customer requirements. Protection of this main battle tank was further improved. The Leopard 2A7 is fitted with additional passive armor. It offers 360° protection against RPG rounds. New side skirts were fitted. Protection of the hull floor was also increased to withstand IEDs and landmines. This MBT has a modular armor, so damaged modules can be easily replaced in field conditions.

This main battle tank is armed with a Rheinmetall 120-mm / L55 smoothbore gun. The same gun is used on the Leopard 2A6. It has better fire accuracy and longer range, comparing with the previous Leopard 2 tanks. The gun is loaded manually and is compatible with all standard NATO ammunition, as well as newly developed programmable HE munitions. These programmeable rounds enable to engage targets behind cover and within buildings. These multi-purpose rounds can be also used against enemy troops, armored vehicles and low-flying helicopters. A total of 42 rounds are carried inside the tank. 15 rounds are stored in the turret bustle and are ready to use. Remaining rounds are stored inside the hull.

Secondary armament consists of a 12.7-mm machine gun. It is mounted in remotely controlled weapon station on top of the roof. There is also a coaxial 7.62-mm machine gun. This main battle tank has a front and rear thermal image system for the driver. Commander and gunner have additional cameras for long-range surveillance. Vehicle also carries advanced command and control equipment and is fitted with battlefield management system. The Leopard 2A7 is operated by a crew of four, including commander, gunner, loader and driver.

The Leopard 2A7 retains the engine of it's predecessor. It is powered by an MTU MB-837 Ka501 turbocharged diesel, developing 1 500 hp. This MBT is also fitted with Steyr auxiliary power unit, which powers all systems, when the main engine is turned off. Despite increase in weight vehicle has increased mobility due to improved suspension components. Cross-country performance is similar to that of the 2A5 and 2A6 tanks. This main battle tank can be fitted with a front-mounted dozer blade for self-entrenching and clearing obstacles. Mine ploughs or mine rollers can also be attached.

Map: The countries that recognize Palestine as a state - The Washington Post

The 135th member (Sweden) of the United Nations to officially recognize Palestine as an independent state. The act sparked a tetchy diplomatic incident with Israel.

 

 Map of the countries that recognize Palestine as a state.

 

On the ground, a separate, viable Palestinian state is far from a reality. Israel occupies the West Bank and East Jerusalem, and it partially blockades the Gaza Strip, the territories that would comprise it. The continued expansion of Israeli settlements into the West Bank makes tackling the question of Palestinian sovereignty all the more difficult. So, too, the apparentcollapse of talks between the Israeli government and its Palestinian interlocutors.

Sweden's Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom said her government's decision was aimed at supporting the Palestinian Authority and its beleaguered President Mahmoud Abbas, particularly given the present tensions in Jerusalem. "It is important to support those who believe in negotiations and not violence," she told Al Jazeera. "This will give hope to young Palestinians and Israelis that there is an alternative to violence."

In the absence of progress in negotiations with Israel, Abbas has taken the Palestinians' case to the United Nations in recent years. The effort is mostly symbolic — a bid to deepen the political isolation of the right-wing government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Sweden's move reflects a wider European frustration with Netanyahu. This week, French socialist lawmakers said they were preparing a bill calling on the government to recognize Palestine. In mid-October, British lawmakers overwhelmingly passed a motion indicating "that the Government should recognise the state of Palestine alongside the state of Israel, as a contribution to securing a negotiated two state solution."

The motion is nonbinding, but serves as one more sign of Europe's growing impatience with the Mideast status quo. The United States would want to see the two-state solution come into fruition before conferring official recognition upon Palestine. But that is, at present, a naive hope: A number of prominent ministers in Netanyahu's government reject outright the possibility of the two-state solution ever being realized.

Before Sweden's decision, tiny Iceland was the only Western European country to recognize Palestine.

As you can see in the map, most of the other nations that have not officially recognized Palestine are in the E.U. or are U.S. partners who wouldn't want to ruffle Washington's feathers. These include South Pacific island nations like Kiribati and Nauru.

Even then, it's quite likely that the U.S. will find itself on this map within a steadily shrinking patch of gray in the months and years to come.

Source: The Washington Post

I was a rookie reporter nine years ago in October 2005 when, in the main ceremonial room of the Indian MoD, then Defence Secretary Shekhar Dutt and then Ambassador of France, the tempestuous Dominique Girard, signed the Indian government's contract for six Scorpene submarines. I had spent just over a year on the defence beat at The Indian Express. The P75 submarine build programme was one of the biggest developing stories at the time. 

 It would be the new UPA government's first defence deal, and the Indian Navy was desperate for an early conclusion. Only two weeks before the signing at the MoD, I and a small group of other reporters were huddled in a small conference room at Delhi's Hyatt Hotel receiving a briefing from Germany's HDW on the Class 214 submarine. We were only journalists, but it was a final effort to pitch the U-boat as a better product than the French offering that would defeat it less than 14 days later.

Nearly a decade later, the Germans are back in the race. Presumably. (No maker of submarines has officially declared interest in the P75I competition since it was cleared for a 'Make in India' route earlier this month.) Cleared of corruption allegations in the Shishumar-class build programme, the Germans still smart at how they lost the 2005 deal. And they'll be competing to make good. But, in every way -- every possible way -- the P75I programme is likely to be more complicated, contentious and competitive than its predecessor. The Class 214, which squared off against the Scorpene in the final race the last time, could face at least four worthy competitors this time. All come with their own technical, capability-centric and political pros and cons:

All six submarines will be built in India at an Indian shipyard. By December, the MoD has committed to identifying the public and private shipyards capable of taking on such work. Apart from Mazagon Dock Ltd (MDL) and L&T's shipyards (the only two currently engaged in submarine building work), the MoD will size up Cochin Shipyard Ltd, GRSE, GSL, Hindustan Shipyard Ltd (HSL) and Pipavav, among prospective others. 

Here's the original P75I request for information from years ago, which originally envisaged two submarines built by the OEM and four in an Indian shipyard:

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION FOR PROCUREMENT OF 06 CONVENTIONAL SUBMARINES UNDER PROJECT 75(I) 

1. INDIAN NAVY IS IN THE PROCESS OF IDENTIFYING A CONTEMPORARY CONVENTIONAL SUBMARINE FOR CONSTRUCTION AS FOLLOWS:- 

(A) TWO SUBMARINES AT COLLABORATORS SHIPYARD. 

(B) FOUR SUBMARINES AT TWO INDIAN SHIPYARDS. 

2. INDIAN NAVY REQUESTS INFORMATION FROM FIRMS WHO HAVE INDEPENDENTLY DESIGNED AND CONSTRUCTED A COMPLETE MODERN CONVENTIONAL SUBMARINE WHICH IS CURRENTLY IN SERVICE / UNDERGOING SEA TRIALS. THE SUBMARINE SHOULD BE CAPABLE OF OPERATING IN OPEN OCEAN AND LITTORAL / SHALLOW WATERS IN DENSE ASW AND EW ENVIRONMENT AND ABLE TO UNDERTAKE FOLLOWING MISSIONS:-

(A) ANTI SURFACE AND ANTI SUBMARINE WARFARE.
(B) SUPPORTING OPERATIONS ASHORE.
(C) ISR MISSIONS.
(D) SPECIAL FORCE AND MINING OPS.

3. PROSPECTIVE COLLABORATORS ARE REQUESTED TO FORWARD DATA REGARDING THE FOLLOWING CAPABILITIES OF THE PROPOSED DESIGN:- 

(A) MAXIMUM DIVING DEPTH WITHOUT LIMITATION ON NUMBER OF DIVES. 

(B) MAXIMUM OPERATING RANGE (DIVED-SNORT-SURFACE) AND MISSION ENDURANCE. 

(C) AIR INDEPENDENT PROPULSION SYSTEM BEING OFFERED. 

(D) SURFACE DISPLACEMENT AND RESERVE BUOYANCY. 

(E) INDISCRETION RATE.

(F) SEA WATER SPECIFIC GRAVITY OPERATING RANGE. 

(G) TORPEDO TUBES WITH CAPABILITY TO LAUNCH LONG RANGE HEAVY WEIGHT WIRE GUIDED TORPEDOES, MISSILES AND METHOD FOR WEAPON DISCHARGE. 

(H) EXTERNALLY LAUNCHED TORPEDO DECOY SYSTEM. 

(J) INTEGRATED COMBAT SYSTEM (DETAILS OF PROSPECTIVE SUPPLIERS TO BE PROVIDED). 

(K) CONTEMPORARY LOW NOISE PROPULSION AND POWER GENERATION SYSTEM. 

(L) AUXILIARY MOTORS WITH TAKE HOME CAPABILITY. 

(M) CONTEMPORARY IPMS, SMCS, APMS. 

(N) AC SYSTEM CUSTOMISED FOR OPERATION IN TROPICAL WATERS CHARACTERISED BY HIGH TEMPERATURE AND HIGH HUMIDITY CONDITIONS. 

4. THE FOLLOWING DATA IN RESPECT OF THE PROPOSED SUBMARINE BE PROVIDED ALONG WITH RESPONSE TO RFI:- 

(A) RADIATED NOISE LEVELS IN FREQUENCY BAND 30 Hz TO 10000Hz (db // REF μPa) AT SPEED OF 5 KNOTS AND 10 KN 

(B) NOISE AND VIBRATION DATA FOR MAJOR PROPULSION AND AUXILIARY MACHINERY (C) MANOEUVRABILITY & STABILITY CHARACTERISTICS 

5. THE RESPONSE TO THIS RFI SHOULD ALSO ELABORATE THE FOLLOWING:-

(A) SCOPE AND DEPTH FOR TRANSFER OF TECHNOLOGY (TOT) FOR SUBMARINE DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION AND PRODUCTION OF KEY SYSTEMS/SUBSYSTEMS AT INDIAN SHIPYARD / BY INDIAN INDUSTRY.
(B) PLAN FOR DISCHARGE OF OFFSET COMMITMENTS AS ENUMERATED IN THE "DEFENCE PROCUREMENT PROCEDURE – 2008" AT WEBSITE WWW.MOD.NIC.IN. 

(C) FEASIBILITY AND PROPOSED APPROACH FOR USE OF ITEMS / EQUIPMENTS SOURCED FROM INDIAN INDUSTRY ON THE SUBMARINE. 

(D) PLAN FOR TRAINING SHIPYARD PERSONNEL FOR PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION AND INDIAN NAVY PERSONNEL IN ASPECTS OF SUBMARINE DESIGN. 

6. IT IS REQUESTED THAT THE RESPONSE TO THIS RFI BE FORWARDED BY 30 SEP 10.

Source: Livefist