US Army Lost Track of27 Ballistic Missiles LeftOver from Cold War-Era

The US Army retired its Cold War-era Lance ballistic missiles in 1992 after 30 years of deploying the weapons to Europe. Since then, the Army somehow lost track of 27 of the 20-foot-long missiles.

More than 20 years after the Army retired its last Lances, 27 of the 1.5-ton missiles were discovered last year at Redstone Arsenal, in Alabama, where they had been stored unbeknownst to anyone at the Army post.

Local ABC affiliate WAAY-TV reports: "[Aviation and Missile Life Cycle Management Command] officials say they did not even know the missiles were on post, stored inside igloos on the south side of the arsenal, until AMCOM did a thorough counting of all weapons in 2014. That's when the missiles were discovered.

"The Lance Missiles have been stored in the igloos for an unknown amount of time but it could have been decades."

The Lance was most notorious for its association with the so-called "neutron bomb" warhead.

The warhead was designed to be fatal, but cause minimal destruction to infrastructure. It released great quantities of neutrons which attacked the central nervous system. The warhead also reduced the heat and blast effects of conventional nuclear warheads.

Congress approved production funds for the new warhead in 1977, but it was deferred the following year by President Jimmy Carter.

After 1992, the US military used Lances as targets for missile-interceptors, finally expending the last viable Lances in July 2015, according to the Army.

The last of the 27 lost Lances were demilitarized in September and the metal will be recycled. The project was dangerous, because of the Lance's "hypergolic" liquid propulsion, which mixes nitric acid with hydrazine, chemicals that spontaneously ignite when they come into contact.

Pakistan Building & Exporting Chinese Designed Anti-tank Guided Missiles

A PLA marine fires an HJ-8 anti-tank missile. Internet photo.

With the help of Pakistan, China North Industries Corporation, better known as Norinco, has been able to export its HJ-8 anti-tank missiles to 20 countries around the world, Duowei News, a news outlet operated by overseas Chinese, reported on Oct. 21.

Pakistan produces the HJ-8 under license from China, which helped the South Asian country build an independent production line to manufacture the anti-tank missile.

In the late 1980s, China convinced the Pakistan Army, which had been using the American-built BGM-71 TOW anti-tank missile, to purchase the Chinese-made HJ-8.

Pakistan carried out tests pitting the HJ-8 against the TOW system to see which missile was more suited to its ground force. The HJ-8 came out on top by destroying all five targets with five launches, while the TOW only destroyed three, according to the Duowei report.

Nearly 10,000 HJ-8 missiles have since exported to around 20 countries. These include Bangladesh, Bolivia, Egypt, Ecuador, Kenya, Malaysia, Morocco, Peru, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria, the United Arab Emirates, Uruguay, Venezuela and Zimbabwe.

As Islamabad opens up new overseas markets for China, it also builds trust with Beijing to gain access to the further arms technology in the future, creating a win-win situation for both nations, Duowei said.

Source: WCT

RAW on its old business of assassination of neighboring State Heads!

The Punjab Home Department had issued a high alert to security institutions "over an assassination threat to Sharif from the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW)", The News International said.

Pakistan has stepped up security for Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif after learning that the Indian intelligence agency RAW was trying to assassinate him, the media said on Sunday.

The Punjab Home Department had issued a high alert to security institutions "over an assassination threat to Sharif from the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW)", The News International said.

It quoted a circular from the home department as saying that "RAW has weaved a plan to assassinate Sharif" and that a number of other prominent personalities in Pakistan were also on RAW's radar.

"In view of the latest threat, the circular carries strict orders for the law enforcing departments to take all necessary measures to ensure fool-proof security of the prime minister and others," the report said.

Sharif's special assistant Musadik Malik told Geo News: "We know how to protect our prime minister."

GB-6 Guided Aerial Dispenser For JF-17 Thunder Light Fighter

Its stated that this heavy munition is intended for anti-armor & IFVs in battlefield. Chinese state-owned precision defense equipment designer and manufacturer NORINCO build this lethal weapon system.

Its clustered with various sub-munitions which could adjusted against any armor or soft targets (human or soft skinned vehicles)  for precise attack. This weapon system successfully integrated into JF-17 Thunder to widen its attack capabilities. Its surely increases Thunders' lethality in a greater extents.

India Has "Tactical Nuclear Weapons" (TNW) From The Very Beginning

Recently Pakistan complains that India possessed low-yield Tactical Nuclear Weapons from the very beginning and it tested the first TNW at Pokhran Ranges in 1998 test fire. This allegations come after India heavily complaining to the west against Pakistani TNWs and short-rangr battlefield Nasr (Vangeance-IX) missile systems.

Pakistani Authorities always claiming that they must use this battlefield nukes & Nasr missiles against any Indian aggression into its territories. After Modi's taking over of Delhi's power house Pakistan-India tensions are high and border-skirmishes increases in dangerous level.

Pakistan Army Again Used Burraq UCAV At Night-Time Attack

A press report from Pakistan Armed Forces Spokesman (ISPR) stated that PA used Burraq drone to target TTP terrorists at night-time attack last thursday. This official source also said the attack was highly precise and targeted terrorists were eliminated. But the numbers of terrorists were terminated is not specified by any independent source. Burraq drone  uses the newly developed "Burq" air-to-surface missile.

Pakistan became one of the fifth country that build and deployed "home made combat drones" in an active war scenario all over the world. Previously they used this combat drone first time after its successful tests to target TTP terrorists in the Shawal Valley war front and successfully killed 4 TTP terrorists among two high level commanders.

Within 2016 Turkish Police Going To Acquire Six Drones

The Turkish police have ordered six domestically-developed drones and four ground control stations set to be delivered beginning in 2016, sources from the Undersecretariat for Defence Industries have stated.

The Turkish police submitted orders for two systems, which included six unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) and four ground control systems, to be developed domestically through a joint venture of Turkish companies Baykar and Kale Kalıp. 

The undersecretariat initiated talks to acquire locally-made drones in August 2015 in order to meet the “urgent necessities” of the police department. 

According to reports, the first agreement for the Bayraktar TB2 Tactical UAVs was signed with the Kale-Baykar joint venture on Oct. 15. 

The Bayraktar TB2 successfully completed acceptance tests conducted at a military airport of the 4th Mechanized Infantry Brigade in Turkey’s northwestern Keşan district in November 2014, qualifying to join the inventory of the Turkish Armed Forces. 

The UAVs will be able to surveil, perform reconnaissance flights during both daylight and at night and perform fixed or moving target acquisition. The deliveries of “completely national and unique” UAVs are set to start in October 2016. 

Bayraktars are able to perform semi-automatic control and automatic taxi, take-off, cruise, landing and parking. They can fly for 30 hours with a 22,000-foot cruising height and can carry a payload of up to 55 kg. 

Meanwhile, Turkish police will also acquire 16 explosive ordnance disposal robots from Turkish defense producer Aselsan, alongside 16 mid-size bomb disposal robots.

Egyptian Mistrals Going To House Russian Equipments And Ka-52s

Russia will supply equipment and helicopters worth over $1 billion for the Egyptian Mistral helicopter carriers, the Kremlin chief of staff said Monday.

NOVO-OGARYOVO (Sputnik) — Cairo and Paris signed a contract earlier this month for the purchase of two French-made Mistral-class helicopter carriers originally built for Russia.

"Russia will be, if you want, a sub-contractor, who will supply the missing equipment without which the Mistral warships are just a tin can. And of course, all the helicopters,” Sergei Ivanov said.
He added that the price of potential contracts would amount to over $1 billion.

Egypt emerged as France’s replacement customer for the Mistrals in September 2015, after Paris and Moscow formally terminated a 2011 deal on the construction and delivery of the two ships. In November 2014, France suspended the contract, claiming Moscow's alleged participation in the Ukrainian conflict.

Russia and France are expected to sign the final documents on the removal of radio-electronic systems from the Mistral-class helicopter carriers in early November.

Source: Sputnik News

Egyptian Mistrals Going To House Russian Equipments And Ka-52s

Russia will supply equipment and helicopters worth over $1 billion for the Egyptian Mistral helicopter carriers, the Kremlin chief of staff said Monday.

NOVO-OGARYOVO (Sputnik) — Cairo and Paris signed a contract earlier this month for the purchase of two French-made Mistral-class helicopter carriers originally built for Russia.

"Russia will be, if you want, a sub-contractor, who will supply the missing equipment without which the Mistral warships are just a tin can. And of course, all the helicopters,” Sergei Ivanov said.
He added that the price of potential contracts would amount to over $1 billion.

Egypt emerged as France’s replacement customer for the Mistrals in September 2015, after Paris and Moscow formally terminated a 2011 deal on the construction and delivery of the two ships. In November 2014, France suspended the contract, claiming Moscow's alleged participation in the Ukrainian conflict.

Russia and France are expected to sign the final documents on the removal of radio-electronic systems from the Mistral-class helicopter carriers in early November.

Source: Sputnik News

Flankers Roaring Over Archipelagos!

Indonesian TNI-AU Flankers.
Sukhoi Su-27/30 s MK2:

Japan to Offer Australia Its Top-Secret Submarine Technology

Japan has for the first time revealed additional details of its proposal to design and build submarines to replace Australia’s fleet of six Collins-class boats.

This week, the head of a high-powered Japanese delegation, speaking at this year’s Sea Power conference in Sydney, told local media that Japan would transfer 100 percent of the technology involved in building a larger version of Japan’s state-of-the-art 4,000-ton diesel-electric Soryu-class submarine to the Australian submariner community. “Our objective is to have everything available to transfer,” delegation head Masaki Ishikawa said.

In detail, Japan’s proposal includes advanced welding technologies, top-secret stealth technology, combat system integration, lithium-ion batteries as the submarine’s main energy source (with the option for air-independent propulsion to be added later an), and an all-weather snorkel system that can operate even during a typhoon, according to the Australian news website Perth Now. In addition, the sub will feature a U.S. combat system.

Ishikawa also offered further details for the construction process of the vessels, with the Japanese plan calling for hundreds of  Australian workers to be sent to Japan for  training and constructing a mock-up submarine under the supervision of engineers from Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Kawasaki Heavy Industries.

He also emphasized that all vessels could be built in Australia, while the option for the first boat to be constructed in Kobe, Japan under Australian supervision remains an option. “Both options have strong points,” Ishikawa said.

The delegation head furthermore dismissed the language barrier as a problem for Australian-Japanese cooperation on the A$50 billion ($38.8 billion) project. “There is no problem with language and cultural issues,” he said. The recent changes in Australia’s government should also have no impact on the ongoing bidding process, according to Ishikawa: “You have a new prime minister and that has no impact on our proposed strategic partnership.”

In May 2015, Australia invited France, Germany, and Japan to participate in a 10-month long “competitive evaluation process” with each bidder receiving around $6 million to prepare a proposal. (Given specific Australian requirements, an “off-the-shelf” solution is not an option.)

So far, all three bidding countries have agreed to build the submarines in Adelaide, the home base of Australian Submarine Corporation (ASC). To make its offer more competitive, the Japanese government announced this May that it would share top-secret technology, including details about lithium-ion battery systems, with Australia – a first for Tokyo.

The Soryu-class boats currently in service with the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force are outfitted with a Swedish-made air-independent propulsion system. However, the Australian government has expressed its preference for a lithium-ion battery option – one of Japan’s most preciously guarded military technologies.

Long considered the frontrunner, Japan has been losing ground to Germany and its offer of the HDW-class 216 diesel-electric sub designed by ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS). Unlike their Japanese competitors, the German company has already built over 160 submarines for 20 different international customers.

Russian Navy's Cruise Missiles Hits ISIS Targets in Syria

Russian Navy launches cruise missile attacks on takfiri ISIS targets across Syria. From four Russian warships in Caspian Sea navy launched 26 cruise missiles which hits targets after traveling 1,000 miles through Iran & Iraqi territories. 11 high value targets of ISIS positions were targeted, claimed by both Russian & Syrian authorities.

This fresh attacks from Russian Navy marked a new level for Putin's anti-terrorism in Middle East. This attacks came after while western world voicing loudly against this types of campaign of Russian authority. US, EU & other western allies wants Russia to stop this campaign and started shouting that Russia doesn't hits ISIS but attacking all anti-Syrian groups like FSA, Jabhat Al-Nusra & some so-called moderate democratic groups those wants Bashar to go.

Although western hypocrisy it seems that Putin won't stop until Syria got safe from terrorism.

'JF-17 thunder fighter has capability to compete with any modern fighter jet' - Report Says

Minister for Defence Production Rana Tanveer said on Tuesday the country is producing state of the art competitive defence products.

“The indigenously built JF-17 thunder fighter has the capability to compete with any modern fighter jet, including the F-16,” the minister said, while addressing the media after inaugurating the modern display center of Defense Export Promotion Organisation.

“The world is showing great interest in purchase of this fighter jet because of its cost effectiveness,” Tanveer added, according to Radio Pakistan.

Further, the minister said Pakistan’s defence products are also being exported to European countries and the United States.

“Pakistan’s defence products have the ability to compete with those that are the best in the world,” Tanveer said.

Earlier, addressing the inaugural ceremony Tanveer said the government is encouraging ‘made in Pakistan’ products to realise the goal of economic development.

“Utilisation of latest technology is inevitable in keeping with the requirements of modern time,” he said.

JF-17 Thunder Block-III Getting AESA and Upgraded Engine

Block -3 has AESA & an upgraded engine ~ 98kn of after burning thrust plus upgraded software & a chin mounted hard point.

China Bans on J-20 Mighty Dragon Export

The Chengdu J-20 is a stealth, twin – engine, fifth generation fighter aircraft which is being produced by the Chengdu Aerospace Corporation for the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF). The J-20’s first appearance was made on 11 January 2011 after which six prototypes were produced with various modifications. The latest two prototypes of the J-20 are equipped with active electronically scanned array radar. Three of the six J-20 prototypes were delivered for test flights in the year 2014.

Chengdu Aircraft Company has produced J-10 and JF-17 for overseas markets, but China has made a decision not to export the J-20 overseas. This news is likely to disappoint the manufacturer of the fighter aircraft. The J-20 is expected to be operational during 2017-2019. China wants to keep the J-20’s high-end military equipment all to itself. The ban on export of the Chengdu J-20 was revealed in an interview with the China’s Phoenix TV news program.

“The export of advanced Chinese military technology is prohibited,” Song said. “This is in order to keep J-20’s fifth-generation technology out of hostile hands.”

The J-20 prototypes are said to be very similar to the Lockheed Martin’s F-22. While in shape, weight and engine power the J-20 resembles the McDonnell Douglas’s F-15C which was designed during the Cold War Era. The J-20’s maximum weight is estimated to be 36 tons.

Suspicions are that China’s J-20 is produced using America’s F-35 data, which was stolen by some Chinese hackers.

“If one day the United States decides to export the F-22, China might consider lifting its ban, as well,” he said.

The reason for the ban according to Song is that if American allies possess F-22s, China’s allies need the J-20s to balance it out.

The J-20’s disadvantage is that China is still not able to build a powerful engine for it. The power of the engine is the same as the F-15C. The engine approaches the thrust of the F-22 only when the afterburner is turned on, but the afterburner can be turned on only for a few minutes because of excess fuel consumption. The J-20 is able to super cruise without an afterburner just like the F-22, Eurofighter and the Gripen.

China has been trying to develop a more powerful WS-15 engine for almost two decades but the date has not been set as to when it’ll be fitted to the J-20 fighter.

On the other hand China plans to export the J-31 fighter to global customers who cannot afford the Lockheed Martin F-35. The J-31 was revealed at the Aviation Industry Corporation of China Exhibition hall on Nov 10 during a pre-show of that week’s airshow China in Zhuhai.

The aircraft is designated with “J” for fighters and “FC” for export. The J-31 was referred to as the FC-31, which meant the FC-31 was ready for export.

Four of Eight Pakistan Navy Submarines Will Be Built In Karachi

ISLAMABAD: China will build in Karachi four of eight submarines that it is selling to Pakistan.

Minister for Defence Production Rana Tanveer Hussain told at the inauguration of the Defence Export Promotion Organisation (DEPO) Display Centre in the federal capital that the deal for the acquisition of submarines from China had been finalised and four of them would be built here.

He further said that construction of the submarines would simultaneously begin in Pakistan and China.

China, he said, would transfer the technology to Pakistan for submarine construction.

The implementation of the agreement would augment the existing submarine related capacity. One of the three Agosta 90-B submarines in Navy’s fleet — PNS Hamza commissioned in 2008 — was assembled at the Karachi Shipyard and Engineering Works. The other two Agosta 90-B submarines — PNS Khalid and PNS Saad — were also indigenously overhauled and retrofitted with air-independent propulsion (AIP) systems in 2011.

The three Agosta 90-B submarines of French design form the core of Pakistan’s current submarine fleet that also includes two ageing Agosta-70 submarines.

Mr Hussain did not specify when the construction would begin, but said it would be happening soon. A training centre would be set up in Karachi for this purpose.

The minister did not either say which type of submarines were being purchased from China. It is, however, speculated that the deal was for Yuan-class Type-041 diesel-electric submarines equipped with AIP systems.

Navy has been pursuing different options for expanding its submarine fleet. Naval officials say that more submarines were needed to address force imbalance with India, which too is increasing and modernising its fleet of submarines.

Pakistan had earlier explored the options of buying submarines from France and Germany, but those deals did not materialise.

PRIVATE-PUBLIC PARTNERSHIP: Mr Hussain said the government would encourage private-public partnership in defence production to improve the efficiency of the sector.

“We can compete with the best in the world only through a national effort,” he said, adding that the government would extend all possible cooperation to private sector in this regard.

He said that this was “the beginning of a new approach”.

The minister said the country needed indigenously developed hardware, which was also technologically innovative.

New Naval Shipyard for Gwadar Port

The minister expected progress on the proposal for a new deep-sea shipyard planned in Gawadar.

“The summary for the new shipyard is with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his approval is expected,” he said.

The shipyard is planned to be constructed by foreign investors on build-operate-transfer basis.

“We have already earmarked land for this purpose,” the minister said.

Mr Hussain hoped that the new shipyard would be able to get substantial maritime related business from Gulf and Arab countries.

Next Gen. S-350 Vityaz Mobile SAM Systems: It Seems Russian Air Defense Immpenetrable

Russian air defense is getting ready to deploy S-350 Vityaz mobile SAMs to replace outgoing versions of S-300 anti-aircraft systems. The core of the new system features missiles with state-of-the-art active radar-homing warheads.
Everything is ready for the production of Russia’s brand-new medium to short range mobile S-350 Vityazanti-aircraft missile complex. The system will replace S-300ps SAMs, which are armed with outdated V55R missiles due for decommissioning by the end of the year.
“The next generation S-350 systems will be operational in the nearest possible future,” General-Major Sergey Babakov, the Commander of Russia’s anti-aircraft missile troops, told journalists in early July. “Deployment is expected to comply with the schedule, no failures on delivery are expected,” the general added.
The S-350 Vityaz system consists of a launcher vehicle, all-aspect radar for scanning airspace and a command vehicle. The maximum number of launchers operating with one radar and command center is classified, as well as the maximum quantity of simultaneously tracked targets.
S-350 Vityaz launcher (Image from Igor Korotchenko's Military Diary http://i-korotchenko.livejournal.com)The S-350 Vityaz is armed with two types of missiles. One is medium range also employed by anti-aircraft S-400 Triumph systems. The other interceptor missile is a brand-new modern projectile with an active homing head, which means it has its own radar station.
The tec The S-350 Vityaz is armed with two types of missiles. One is medium range also employed by anti-aircraft S-400 Triumph systems. The other interceptor missile is a brand-new modern projectile with an active homing head, which means it has its own radar station.
The technical characteristics of this new missile “outperform missiles of previous generation systems,” Colonel Igor Klimov, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman, told journalists.
The new missile is smaller, lighter and more maneuverable, General Babakov said last weekend in an interview with Igor Korotchenko, editor-in-chief of the National Defense magazine. “Though it is smaller, its characteristics are better than that of S-300ps. It is agile, does better at ultra-low and maximum heights and has longer range,” the general said.
“I believe the new system is going to be die-hard,” Babakov said in an interview with the Russian News Service radio station.
The S-350 Vityaz was unveiled to the public at the MAKS-2013 International Aviation and Space Show.
Initially, the complex was expected to enter production in 2014, but the final tests of the new missile took more time than was expected.
The S-400 Triumph and S-350 Vityaz complexes are replacing those of the outdated S-300 family systems.
The principal difference between S-350 Vityaz and S-300 is the number of missiles ready for use: the S-350 launcher vehicle carries 12 missiles, whereas the S-300 has just four. This is due to modern missiles being more powerful, and so missiles become either smaller or achieve longer ranges with the same size.

Source: RT News

Russian Knights in Syria, Smashing Daesh

As Unmanned Systems Inducted From Russia Syrian Arab Army Gained Grounds

Syria has deployed for the first time drones that Russia has provided to the Middle Eastern country for the fight against Takfiri terrorists, a security source says.

“For the first time, the army today used drones received from Moscow in operations against extremists in the north and east of the country,” the source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said in the capital, Damascus, on Wednesday.

The source did not provide any further details on the type of the drones or the exact locations they were used.

The development comes a day after a senior Syrian military official said Syria has received advanced military aircraft from Russia for its battle against the Daesh Takfiri terrorists who are wreaking havoc in the war-torn country.

The Syrian air force has “taken delivery of at least five fighter planes from Moscow as well as reconnaissance aircraft which allow us to identify targets with great accuracy,” the source said.

The official added that Syria has also received “sophisticated military equipment” such as targeting equipment and precision-guided missiles, noting that the new arms have been put to use in Deir ez-Zor and Raqqah provinces in the battle against Daesh.

Syrian infantry units are now receiving precise satellite imagery of Takfiri positions thanks to the new equipment, another Syrian official said.

Russia’s assistance for the Syrian government has irked the United States.  

"These actions could provoke a further escalation of the conflict and lead to the loss of more innocent lives, increasing the flow of refugees and risking a confrontation with the anti-ISIL (Daesh) coalition operating in Syria," US Secretary of State John Kerry said on Wednesday, referring to the US-led alliance said to be fighting against Daesh terrorists in Syria and Iraq.

The foreign-sponsored conflict in Syria has reportedly claimed about 250,000 lives since March 2011.

The United Nations says the militancy has displaced more than 7.6 million Syrians internally, and over four million others have fled the country to take refuge in neighboring states, including Jordan and Lebanon.

Russian Airforce's Su-34 Heavy Bombers In Syria

Speculation suggests that along with Su-27, Su-25 & Su-24 fighter jets of the Russian Airforce's Sukhoi Su-34 fighter-bombers also touched Syrian lands to take part in the campaign against takfiri terrorists like ISIS, Al-Nusra Front & others. Here is a glimpse: