Rafale Can Be Shot Down Like 'Mosquitoes by Chinese-Made Flankers': Russian Envoy

Indirectly expressing his country's surprise over the Indian Government and its defence establishment's decision to go ahead with its reported plan to buy 126 Rafale combat aircraft from France, Russia's Ambassador to India, Alexander M. Kadakin, said the Dassault Aviation-manufactured fighter aircraft could be shot down like a mosquito by a Chinese-manufactured or produced Sukhoi jet should there ever be a conflict in the neighbourhood.

 

Ambassador Kadakin, who was attending an interaction between Russian and Indian journalists in the national capital yesterday, said, "We (Russia) are still very surprised that Rafale is being bought, because if the Rafale is intended to oppose Pakistani or Chinese planes, then the Sukhoi which the Chinese produce, or mobilizes, but which is only 50 percent of the Sukhoi which you (India) produce, then even for the Chinese Sukhoi, these Rafales will be like mosquitoes on an August night. They will be shot down like mosquitoes. That's why I don't understand why...."

Rafale had won the bid to supply the Indian Air Force with 126 medium multi-role combat aircraft. In July this year, Indian media reported that the Ministry of Defence is continuing its final negotiations for acquiring these aircraft for almost USD 20 billion.

The negotiations, which have been protracted and complex, are reportedly at a final stage, with over 50 per cent of the final contract as well as the inter-governmental agreement, and all that reportedly remains is for the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) to give its political approval for the inking of the contract. Ambassador Kadakin, however, said that he or the Russian Government must not be misunderstood on the issue.

"There were some reports about difficulties. Of course, if you mobilize funds to buy Rafales, which has become from 10 million U.S. dollars to 23 million U.S. dollars (in terms of cost), then it is another story. That is a story of mobilizing finance and resources. But it doesn't have to affect the (sale or purchase of) fifth generation aircrafts," he said.

"The fifth generation aircraft, work is going according to schedule, and there were no problems reported about the designing work which carried out now by Indian and Russian scientists. Work is going according to schedule, and there were no complaints. There were some negotiations about the share of designing work. We understand India has already accumulated good experience in designing aircrafts, and that is why we were thinking of doing it fifty-fifty. But this has to be now specified and elaborated on paper because there are certain fields of aircraft building industry where India is not yet ready completely to take up responsibility for designing it. This can be done jointly by Indian and Russian designers and engineers," Ambassador Kadakin added.

Taking an apparent dig at New Delhi's reported shift towards acquiring weapons from the United States, Ambassador Kadakin said, "When people start speculating around world, U.S. their technology, and that there would be much more military supplies, all that, you understand, it is all just hullabaloo, it's all hype, it's not much technology coming from them (U.S.) to India. Or, should that be corrected, zero technology is coming from U.S to India."

He took pains to highlight Russia's contribution to India's defence sector over the years. "At the same time, India is building Russian Sukhoi 30s in Pune, India is producing the world's best cruise missile Brahmos, India is navigating in the open waters in nuclear powered submarines (Akula-II class). India is building Kudankulam with our help. These are the real facts, and wrong are those doomsayers," the Russian envoy said.

Once the project is finalized, the first 18 jets are to be delivered to IAF within 36-48 months, while the rest 108 will be manufactured by HAL with transfer of technology over the next seven years. In July, then British Foreign Secretary William Hague lobbied hard for the Eurofighter Typhoon, which is backed by UK, Germany, Spain and Italy, in his meetings with the Narendra Modi Government. Germany is also learnt to have renewed the push for Typhoons.

The U.S. lobby reportedly still hopes that either the F/A-18 'Super Hornet' or the F-16 'Super Viper' can fly back into the MMRCA competition. But the Indian defence establishment is quite clear there can be "no comebacks" in the ongoing MMRCA project. With IAF down to 34 fighter squadrons, when at least 44 are required, IAF has identified the MMRCA project as its "topmost priority" for the NDA Government.

The event was organized at the Press Club of India. The club's president, Anand Sahay, used the opportunity of the interaction to highlight the need for a greater exchange of views between journalists and media houses of the two nations. He said that media of both countries must play significant roles in a wide and broad range of spheres, and not just restrict themselves to geo-political or strategic coverage.

Can't ban Kashmir 'Million March', UK tells India

The United Kingdom government has told India that it cannot ban the planned ‘Kashmir Million March’ in London 'as it will be against the principles of free speech espoused by Britain', a news report said on Friday. 

Details have emerged that Sushma Swaraj, External Affairs Minister (EAM) of India, met British Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg last week here and raised concerns with him about the march, which will be led by former Pakistan-administered Kashmir prime minister Barrister Sultan Mahmood Chaudhary and other Kashmiri leaders.

The British PM was told that the issue of Indian-controlled Kashmir was a “matter between India and Islamabad and such a rally would be against an open society”. Swaraj told Clegg that the ‘Kashmir Million March’ doesn’t “bode well for the relationship between the two countries” but the deputy PM told her that the march cannot be stopped, The News International said.

Clegg told the Indian minister that he appreciated her concerns but the rally in London will not be banned as it will be against the principles of free speech espoused by Britain, the report said.

He told the Indian minister that Britain greatly valued its relations with India but will not go against a democratic march which is expected to bring thousands of Kashmiris to the streets of London on Sunday.

India is taking this march so seriously that Prime Minister David Cameron was also asked about the ‘Kashmir Million March’ during an interview with a leading Indian channel but the PM refused to be drawn into the controversy. Cameron, however, said that Indo-Pak ties were a “bilateral issue” and the UK “wanted to see good relations between India and Pakistan”. The PM said that the UK didn’t want to see “any incursions across the Line of Control” and “its important that India and Pakistan have those coversations”. But Syed Akbaruddin, the spokesperson of Indian Ministry of External Affairs, said that it’s “normal for open societies to have platforms where people express their opinions”.

He went on: “However, at times these platforms are misused by enemies of open societies and its for those open societies to ensure that nothing is done which is inimical to their interests.”

The Indian irritation with the march was further evident when occupied Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said that the “Million March” should have been held in the valley rather than the “cozy capitals of the United States and United Kingdom”.

“I have no problem in these people propounding an ideology but it would be better doing it from here rather than cozy environs of London, Washington, Paris and places like that,” Omar told reporters.

The Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) has also objected to the “Kashmir Million March” which coincides with the day when the then ruler of erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir Maharaja Hari Singh signed the Instrument of Accession of the state with India against the wishes of the Kashmiri people.

BJP Kashmiri spokespersons Sunil Sethi and Balbir Ram Rattan said that those organsing the march in London were “anti nationals and divisive forces”.

Barrister Sultan Mahmood said that India doesn’t need to panic over the march and should show grace by not trying to arm-twist the UK government. “This march is independent and being organised by the Kashmiris who want to expose the barbaric face of India before the western world. Thousands had marched against Israel in London over the Gaza bombings. More than 120,000 Kashmiris have been massacred by India and India has acted worse than Israel but its crimes have not been exposed before the civilised world. This cannot go on. India must be held accountable.”

Veteran Kashmiri campaigner Hameed Pothi said that the UK government was aware that British Kashmiris are pro-democracy and peace-loving people who have taken part in the UK politics actively. “The UK govt is very much aware of the role of British Kashmiris and will never bow before the Indian pressure. India thinks that it can use its economic clout to suppress its dark deeds but that policy has failed and we will not rest until India is fully exposed.”

http://www.kashmirdispatch.com

J-31 Shen Fei (Falcon Eagle) Goes On Chinese Aircraft Carrier "Liaoning"

It  was an aspect that J-31 Shen Fei (Falcon Eagle) stealth fighter jet will go on flight deck of Chinese aircraft carrier "Liaoning".

Full scale model of the Chinese J-31 Shen Fei (Falcon Eagle) Stealth Fighter Jet has been spotted on Flight Deck of Chinese Aircraft Carrier Replica.

 

Stealth Back On Track With Further Flight Tests!

Shenyang J-31 completed another test flight last week and here are photos of that flight.

 

New Photos of Rescued Humvee

The new images are on order from Miranshah exclusively of that Humvee rescued from mischievous Mollah Fazlullahs' field terrorists group....

Artists' Impression of Block-II JF-17 Thunder of PAF

JF-17 Thunder Block-II - An artist's impression

It Confirmed, Thunder Will Fly With Additional Two Tonnes of Hell!!

PAF's JF-17 Thunder Block-II has been tested and will be certified to carry 3000lbs of extra weight on its stores. It takes the JF-17 Block-II into the 5 tonne payload fighter aircraft category.

This is an exclusively sourced excerpt from the upcoming November issue of combataircrafts.net. Its not available yet to the public.

JF-17 Thunder Block-II - A Beast in Making

• SD-10A – Beyond Visual Range Air to Air Missile

• C-802AK – Multirole Attack Cruise Missile

• Ra’ad – Stealth Stand off Cruise Missile (Nuclear Capable)

• MAR-1 – Anti Radiation Missile

• CM-400AKG – Hypersonic Carrier Killer

• CBU-100 – Anti Armor Cluster Bombs

• GBU-10/12 – LT-2 – Laser Guided Smart Munitions

• LS-6 – GPS Guided Direct Attack Munitions.

• Hafr-4 – Anti Runway Bomb

• Hafr-2 – Electro Optical Guided Glide Bomb

• LS-Series – Satellite Guided Glide Munitions
  
• Takbir Satellite Guided Stand off Munition

Pakistan Army Rescued A Humvee From Fazlu's Terrorists

A Humvee rescued from Mollah Fazlullah's command terrorists by Pakistan Army. Its heard that terrorist leader (Mollah Fazlullah) personally used this once.

Mollah Fazlullah operates Pakistan Taliban named 'Tehrik-e-Taliban, Pakistan' from Kunar, Afghanistan. Intelligence reports stated that this ill-borne mischievous terrorist leader got funds and all other supports from Indian Intelligent Orgs. (such as RAW) to destabilized Pakistan from inside.

Mollah Fazlullah and RAW operators gathered all Uzbek & North-Afghan terrors and pushing them inside Pakistan through Pak-Afghan borders. They are responsible for all terrorist attacks from near past to present, inside Pakistan.

Does, the TTP commanders pledge of allegiance to ISIS matter to Pakistan? A "Pakistan Defence" forum analysis.

Much hype is being created over a handful of disgruntled TTP commander's apparent pledge of allegiance to ISIS in Pakistani media these days. We would like to clarify a few things in this debate.

1: TTP's back has been broken and it no longer exists as a unified umbrella entity with a singular Command & Control structure, for it has fragmented. Its operational capabilities have been decimated and its nerve centers destroyed.

2: Terrorist leaders are inherently oblivious of sharing power, therefore if some terrorist commanders are pledging allegiance to ISIS, it should be seen as a sign of desperation to ride the ISIS bandwagon. They will get off that bandwagon as quickly as they boarded it, when the ISIS is finally defeated.

3: TTP commander's allegiance to ISIS is also an admission on their behalf that their own narrative has been defeated by the people of Pakistan.

4: Their allegiance to ISIS offers no tactical utility in the battlefield for TTP. Their ideological realignment will only accelerate the process of structural rot and operational decay.

5: TTP's allegiance to ISIS is going to place them firmly in the firing scopes of Ayman Al Zawahiri's gang known as Al-Qaeda, which will further complicate its footprint in the region by isolating its intra terrorist network contacts. ISIS simply doesn't have any regional apparatus capable of replacing Al-Qaeda's expertise in the areas of for example IED manufacturing, brainwashing and propaganda.

The Sindh High Court Stalled A 1 Gigawatt Power Peoject Due To The Evironmental Safety Issue!!

The Sindh High Court on Thursday blocked the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission from establishing two nuclear power plants on the outskirts of Karachi in violation of environmental laws.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif at a ceremony launching the construction of the atomic power plant at Paradise Beach.

Hearing a petition filed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, Dr. Pervez Hoodhboy, Dr. A. H. Nayyar and Arif Bilgrami, a two-member bench led by Chief Justice Maqbool Baqar issued notices to the PAEC, the Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority chairman, the Sindh Environment Protection Agency director general, the Pakistan Environment Protection Agency chairman and the Sindh Environmental and Alternative Energy Department to respond to the complaints by Nov. 11.

 

Sindh High Court

During proceedings on Thursday, the petitioners’ counsel submitted that the PAEC intended to build the K-2 and K-3 reactors using the ACP-1000 design, which has not been constructed or tested anywhere else. The 1,100MW power plants, which are to be built by the China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC), have “unclear” safety precautions, according to the counsel, who added that any malfunction could prove disastrous for the 21 million estimated residents of Karachi.

Atomic Power Plant

The petitioners’ lawyer claimed that the nuclear disasters in Japan (2011) and Ukraine (1987) had raised concerns about the safety measures adopted in nuclear plants. He said reactors located so close to a major population hub like Karachi required planning for mass evacuation in case of a nuclear disaster. He told the judges that the city lacked the infrastructure for evacuations.

According to the lawyer, the nuclear project was granted an environmental impact assessment without fully complying with environment protection laws, adding that no public hearing had been organized to take all stakeholders’ concerns into consideration. The lawyer urged the judges to declare the project illegal until a public hearing could be organized to determine the suitability of the reactor location.

India Test-fires Her First Nuclear-capable Cruise Missile ( Its the first test after failed maiden test)

First Indian origin sub-sonic cruise missile, with the name of Nirbhay, has a range of over 700 kilometres, the DRDO official said. Friday's test-fire was the second developmental trial of the missile. The long range capability Nirbhay is being developed by India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

 DRDO Nirbhay Cruise Missile, which will range 700+ KM when will be in-service

The missile's first test was carried out on March 12 last year from the same base but the flight had to be terminated mid-way, as deviations were observed from its intended course, however, what was the defects to terminate the test still unknown. The official added that Nirbhay has good loitering capability, effective control and guidance, high degree of accuracy as well as effective stealth features. 

 Pakistani Cruise Missiles, Formidable Babur LACM & Silent Hunter Ra'ad Air-Launched Cruise Missile.

The stealth features of Nirbhay is not known also, and how they'll will work. It has a sub-sonic speed, some observer starting compare it with NESCOM developed (Pakistan) "Babur" cruise missile though the official from DRDO didn't clear when this cruise missile will be in series production to add to the Indian missile inventory where Pakistan already swelling their cruise missile inventory with "Babur" (over 700 KM range, another submarine launched version in well under development) long range cruise missile and Air Launched "Ra'ad" (350 KM range) cruise missile. Both of them are efficiently nuclear capable. Among them "Ra'ad" is extremely stealth designed one, and can strike fully silently with very low altitude.

Babur LACM With The Distinct Developers (Scientists & Technicians) & Officials From Strategic Planing Division.

The test comes as India and Pakistan are engaged in skirmishes along the Line of Control (LoC) and the working boundary and also as India has conveyed to China that it could no longer be issued warnings by anyone saying the South Asian nation was now immensely powerful and held a prominent position on the international stage.

Saudi Arabia Making Deterrence Against Iran With That DF-21

The missile has a range of between 1000 to 1700 mile, and is believed to have a top speed around mach 5.

 

In January 2014, Newsweek revealed that Saudi Arabia had secretly bought a number of DF-21 medium-range ballistic missiles in 2007. But the question is that "how much they bought from China?" They also said that the American CIA had allowed the deal to go through as long as the missiles were modified to not be able to carry nuclear warheads. 

 

Retired Saudi General Dr.Anwar Eshqi and adviser to the joint military council gives a statement to the media when asked about new acquisitions by the RSBMF and says "Saudi military did indeed receive the DF-21 missile from China and all integration of the missiles including a full maintenance and upgrade facility are complete" he further elaborated that the acquisition of these missiles are not meant as an offensive force by Saudi Arabia, but to further strengthen its mission to protect the holy places and other allied countries under its protective umbrella.

 

Saudi Arabia had previously secretly acquired Chinese DF-3A ballistic missiles in 1988, which was later exposed by the United States. While the DF-3 has a longer range, it was designed to carry a nuclear payload, and so had poor accuracy (300 meters CEP) if used with a conventional warhead. It would only be useful against large area targets like cities and military bases. 

 

Here is Maj. Gen. Jarallah bin Mohammed Al-Alwit, the current commander of the Saudi Strategic Missile Force, giving a commencement address.

 

This made them useless during the Gulf War for retaliating against Iraqi Scud missile attacks, as they would cause mass civilian casualties and would not be as effective as the ongoing coalition air attacks. After the war, the Saudis and the CIA worked together to covertly allow the purchase of Chinese DF-21s. 

 

Targets for Saudi DF-21 Missiles.

The DF-21 is solid-fueled instead of liquid-fueled like the DF-3, so it takes less time to prepare for launch. It is accurate to 30 meters CEP, allowing it to attack specific targets like compounds or palaces. 

 

 

The Saudis are not known to possess mobile launchers, but may use the some 12 launchers originally bought with the DF-3s. The number of DF-21 missiles that were bought is unknown. Newsweek speculates that details of the deal being made public is part of Saudi deterrence against Iran.

PLA conducts major military operation in the Tibetan Autonomous Region

The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) conducted a co-ordinated joint military operation in the Autonomous region of Tibet this week. 

 PLA Commanders on field planning.

In addition to the PLA Ground Forces, a contingent from the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLA-AF) also participated in the operations. The exercise was supervised by officials from the Tibetan Military District, which is a part of the Chengdu Military Region. A number of fighter jets and military helicopters belonging to the PLAAF participated, in addition to hundreds of soldiers from the Ground Forces.

With the latest military drills, the PLA has so far conducted a total of four major military operations in the Tibet region, for the last 6 months. Indian officials have expressed their concerns over many of the drills, which allegedly took place close to the disputed Indo-China border, near the Aksai Chin region. However, the Chinese military officials have claimed that the drills were routine training operations, and said that the operations were by no means directed against any of the neighbouring nations, including India. 

 

Chinese PLAAF fighters  in Tibetan plateau  China in Tibet Chinese military locations in Tibet

Last month, the PLA had conducted a successful test launch of its new Surface-to-Air Missiles (SAMs) in Tibet. Earlier the Ground Forces had conducted major anti-tank drills in the same region. Defence analysts have opined that the heightened Chinese military activity comes as a response to the Indian plans to deploy missiles along the Indo-China border. Earlier this year, the Indian defence authorities had approved a plan, to deploy the BrahMos I Block-III supersonic cruise missiles along the border between the two nations in the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh. 

 

Tibetan Plateau People's Liberation Army Air Force J-10 Vanguard Vigorous Dragon practicing with precision guided bomb LS-6 & four 4 SD-10 PL-12, BVRAAM PL-8, 10.

Despite the tensions surrounding the deployment of missiles and the conduction of major military exercises, local experts have noted that the relations between the two sides are warming up. In July, an Indian delegation visited several of the PLA’s military facilities in the sensitive Tibetan region, and held talks with the senior Chinese officials. The Chinese defence minister, Liang Guanglie is also likely to visit India on an official trip next month.