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North Korea Tested It's First Thermonuclear Device (Hydrogen Bomb)

North Korea declared that it has successfully tested a thermonuclear device for first time in an underground test facility; basically called a hydrogen bomb - a more powerful weapon than an atomic bomb. This declaration of detonation of Hydrogen Bomb last Tuesday ( January 6, 2016) creates world condemnation about this state's arrogance about ignoring world community's anger.

Quake magnitudes detected near the Punggye-ri Nuclear Test range of North Korean Nuke Test site. Photo: BBC

A quake magnitude of 5.1 detected just near the N. Korea's nuke test site in the Punggye-ri Nuclear Test range by the USGS. Hours after the test North Korean state TV announcement cleared that the isolated communist state tested its first H-bomb, which it calls "the H-bomb of justice". Though Analysts & experts are skeptical whether it's a full-scale thermonuclear device or not, North Korean military sources advice the media that it was a "miniaturized H-bomb".

A picture from North Korean state TV showing leader Kim Jong-un signing the document for the hydrogen bomb test. Photo: BBC

On October 9, 2006, North Korea tested its first atomic device in a site of Punggye-ri Nuclear Test range, Kilju County. After that in 25 May, 2009 & 12 February, 2013 N. Korea tested another two low-yield devices in the same test-range. Those two tests was of, respectively, 2.95 & 6-7 kilotons of TNT strength.

3 In A Row, New Chinese 052D Destroyers

After commissioning the first Type 052D earlier this year, three more 052D destroyers have been launched, awaiting their final electronics fitting and eventual commissioning.  

 

Three Type 052D Luyang III guided missile destroyer (DDG), seen here in various stages of construction, are lined together at the Jiangnan Changxingdao Shipyard. The first Type 052D DDG, the Kunming, has already entered into PLAN service in March 2014. The second 052D, on the left, may enter service in the second half of 2014, while the two less completed destroyers to its right, will be commissioned in 2015. In service, the 052D destroyers’ likely missions could range from anti-piracy patrols to aircraft carrier escort to air defense for Chinese civilian activities like oil drilling rigs. 

 

In the past decade, the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) has built up a formidable area air defense capability, with an eye on deterring attack by enemy carrier groups and anti-ship missiles. While the ship’s powerful Type 346A radars provides for an air defense role, the 052D's modular vertical launch systems also gives it powerful land attack and anti-submarine capabilities. In addition, the Type 0346A radar and other sensors give the 052D vast intelligence gathering capabilities, which is vital for anti-access/area denial operations. 

The first 052D destroyer, Kunming, sails in the waters of Qingdao, China. The 052D is distinguished by the powerful Type 346A radars located under the bridge, and 64 vertical launch system cells located forward of the bridge and in the middle of the hull. 

 

It is expected that at least 12 052D destroyers will be built before production shifts to the projected Type 055D multi-role cruiser. The rapid production of the 052D is indicative of China's commitment to building a modern “blue water” navy. What is even more illustrative about China's determination is that the mass production of the 052D overlapped with the production run of the 6 less advanced 052C destroyers. The fact that the PLAN has chosen to rapidly produce both the 052C and 052D DDGs instead of waiting and concentrating on only one class of advanced warships demonstrates Chinese confidence in both its warship technology and the urgency to quickly develop multirole surface warships in the context of an Asian arms race.

Three 052D, from the air. Seen here are three 052D destroyers in the shipyard, as viewed from a commercial airliner. 

 

Source: www.hobbyshanghai.net & remono via 1t.cdjby.net

Russia Seeks To Sell PAK-FA Stealth Fighter Jets To S. Korea

Russia has decided to enter Korea’s advanced jet acquisition project, which would be the biggest arms-procurement deal ever in the country, a defense official said Wednesday. 

“Russian aircraft manufacturer Sukhoi expressed its intent to compete in the fighter jet procurement project early this year,” Col. Wi Jong-seong of the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) said. 

He said Sukhoi’s T-50 PAK-FA will vie with the F-15SE Silent Eagle from Boeing, the F-35 Lightning II f4rom Lockheed Martin and the Eurofighter Typhoon from the European Aeronautic Defense and Space Company (EADS). 

The T-50 PAK-FA and the F-35 Lightning II are fifth generation stealth fighters, while the remaining two are fourth generation jets with limited stealth capabilities. 

Earlier in the day, DAPA spokesman Son Hyeong-yeong announced that his agency has eased the criteria to allow more companies to bid for the FX-III project, under which Korea will purchase 60 high-end fighters with a budget of 8.29 trillion won ($7.86 billion). 

“We will set up strategies that will allow for the transfer of core technology and that will encourage competition,” he said. 

Insiders, however, say both the T-50 PAK-FA and Eurofighter Typhoon have a little chance in winning the bid as Korea’s alliance with the United States will be a decisive factor in the race. 

They say EADS offered a better deal in Korea’s last jet acquisition project in 2008 than its American competitor Boeing, but lost the bid due largely to political decisions. 

Boeing and Lockheed Martin, two of the largest defense contractors in the United States, say they have had a long industrial partnership with Korea and their fighters offer high compatibility with its existing weapons systems. 

EADS recently announced that it will offer Korea the chance to assemble and partly manufacture Eurofighter Typhoons in Korea in an apparent bid not to lose the FX-race again. 

“The first 10 deliveries will be assembled in Europe, while the next 24 will be built with components manufactured in Korea,” Erwin Obermeier, a senior advisor of export projects at EADS said, adding that the remainder will be assembled here. 

He also downplayed concerns over compatibility, saying all Korean fighters and Eurofighters are built to be inter-operable in the NATO environment. 

Korea has purchased 60 F-15s from Boeing, which won both the FX-I and II projects in 2002 and 2008 

Meanwhile, DAPA announced that Korea will spend 1.84 trillion won to acquire 36 attack helicopters from overseas. Col. Tan Myeong-hoon of DAPA said the AH-1W SuperCobra by Bell and AH-64D Block III from Boeing, will compete with the EC-665 Tiger from Eurocopter of France and the T-129 from Turkey. 

The winners of the FX-III and the attack helicopter bids will be announced in October next year.

2 new corvettes from South Korea for Bangladesh Navy

Interview: Vice-Admiral Zahir Uddin Ahmed, Chief of the Bangladesh Navy

................................................................................................
Author:Guy Toremans, Brussels
INTERVIEWCountry:Bangladesh
Last posted:2012-Dec-12

Vice-Admiral Zahir Uddin Ahmed, Chief of Staff of the Bangladesh Navy. (G Toremans) With the growing complexity of maritime scenarios calling for flexibility, the Bangladesh Navy (BN) is modernising its fleet and at the same time developing a sustainable local shipbuilding capability.

"To effectively meet the growing challenges we need a three-dimensional naval force capable to support fleet, area, combined and joint operations," Vice Admiral Zahir Uddin Ahmed, Chief of Staff of the Bangladesh Navy, stated.

"Consequently we are engaged in purchasing a variety of both new and off-the-shelf vessels from friendly navies - mainly frigate- and corvette-type platforms, helicopters and maritime patrol aircraft - and plan the establishment of a submarine branch.

"When I took the helm of the Bangladesh Navy [in January 2009] my highest priority was the upgrade of our ageing assets," said the admiral, pointing out that over the past three-and-a-half years some degree of progress has already been made.

"The first phase of our recapitalisation efforts was the acquisition of the two ex-Royal Navy [RN] Castle-class offshore patrol vessels," he said. Transferred on 24 September 2011, both ships were re-commissioned into the BN at the end of November 2011

"We also purchased the ex-RN survey ship HMS Roebuck ," the admiral added. "This ship arrived in Bangladesh on 25 July 2010, while in April 2010 the United States donated 16 Defender-class boats, which bolster our counter-terrorism and maritime interdiction capabilities."

Looking to the most recent additions to the fleet, Adm Ahmed said: "The first of two large patrol craft from China under construction at Wuchang Shipyard, launched on 26 August 2012, is scheduled for delivery in late 2012; the second unit will be launched at the end of 2012 as well. The first of five new 50.4 m patrol craft - the first ever indigenously built warship - was launched at the Khulna Shipyard (KSY) on 8 October 2012. We already decommissioned one of our two ex-Royal Navy Type 41 (Leopard-class) frigates and the second will be phased out shortly. Both will be replaced by off-the-shelf units.

"In September 2012 we signed a contract with the Chinese Navy for the transfer of two Jianghu-class frigates, which are expected to be delivered in mid-2013," he continued. "The Type 61 (Salisbury-class) frigate BNS Umar Farooq will be transformed into a training ship. She will be re-engined and her accommodation upgraded in order to keep her in service for another 15 years."

Detailing further planned acquisitions over the medium term, Adm Ahmed said that a contract for the construction of two corvettes has already been signed with South Korea. "These platforms are scheduled to join the fleet in the first quarter of 2016," he confirmed.

Reports also suggest that Bangladesh may receive two modern F-22B frigates from China, which would be based on the Type 053H3 (Jiangwei) class.

The BN's most ambitious project is undoubtedly the establishment of a submarine branch. Adm Ahmed said that he hopes to have this up and running by 2020, but added: "I am well aware of the challenges inherent in commissioning and supporting infrastructure of an entirely new capability. Back in 2010 we started negotiations with the German Navy and government to acquire the Type 206 boats, but this didn't materialise. We've had talks with the Italian Navy about the possible acquisition of their Improved Sauro-class boats, which the Italian Navy plans to decommission by 2016."

Recent years have also seen a push to develop Bangladesh's indigenous shipbuilding sector. "We took over management of the country's two major shipyards, the Khulna and Narayangonj shipyards, and our naval engineers and technicians have gained the expertise to upgrade our units and weapon systems in-country," said Adm Ahmed. "The technical expertise they've gained has helped us start building our first ever modern naval patrol craft and soon they will gain the capacity and expertise to build larger vessels."

The admiral expects that the BN will be capable of building corvette- and frigate-type warships indigenously by 2020, but was keen to point out that the service is also looking to improve the welfare and training of its personnel. "The infrastructure - training establishments, simulators, and other buildings - is being modernised as well," he said, adding that the navy has no problems with recruitment. "The military is a good employer and young people are quite interested in joining the armed forces," he said. "Serving in the navy is a very viable option for our youngsters. Over the past three-and-a-half years the recruitment of officers, petty officers and ratings has almost doubled."

One of the admiral's other goals when he took command was to help improve relations with Bangladesh's neighbours over access to seabed minerals. "You may recall the dispute about oil exploration rights in 2008 with Myanmar," he said. "Consequently we support our Ministry of Foreign Affairs by assigning naval officers as naval attachés to the embassies involved."

Bangladesh's new government, which was elected at the end of 2008, is very supportive towards the modernisation of the navy's fleet to maintain its capability to comply with its national commitments and facilitate interoperability with friendly navies.

Adm Ahmed is conscious of this fact. "Initially it was not that [easy] to start this modernisation programme and quite difficult to convince the people of Bangladesh that their money is being well spent on the much-needed modernising of their navy, [but] the government approved a 10-year plan and recently has approved the budget for the next five-year plan through to 2017. I can say that we are ahead of the 10-year plan because our government is so supportive."

Looking ahead, Adm Ahmed said that, when handing over the helm of the BN in January 2013, he will be a happy man. "I know the navy is well on course to become a truly three-dimensional force," he said. "Flexibility will remain a driving factor for our ongoing innovation process, yet we must take into consideration the global financial crisis, which will certainly influence decisions regarding the further projects. But I am sure the Bangladesh Navy will remain available, adaptive, and affordable."

Beijing's imposition of an air defense identification zone is only one part of the struggle over the future of Northeast Asia. 

Vice President Biden at a press conference with Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe in Tokyo. (Toru Hanai/Reuters)

So far, much of the discussion of China's air-defense identification zone (ADIZ), a new law requiring foreign aircraft to notify China when they fly over a designated region in the East China Sea, has centered on Beijing's motivations: What is China trying to accomplish by instituting the zone? And, considering that it triggered immediate opposition from the United States and Japan, was this decision a mistake?

These are important questions, but it's worth zooming out and considering the more fundamental causes for tension in Northeast Asia. Here, the issues become more complex. Is China's aggression caused by a new president trying to establish his legitimacy? Or is it, instead, an attempt to capitalize on domestic anti-Japanese sentiment? Does the conflict reflect how pre-World War II history continues to shape contemporary East Asian relations? Or is it a scramble for the rich energy resources that supposedly lie inside the disputed waters?

The answer to each of these questions is, unhelpfully, yes. And that's what makes the present conflict in Northeast Asia so difficult to resolve.

 

The territorial dispute between China and Japan, concerning a group of islands called the Senkakus in Japanese (and the Diaoyu in Chinese), is hardly unusual in a crowded region with many competing interests. Since the establishment of the People's Republic in 1949, China has resolved border disagreements with nearly all of its neighbors, but still has outstanding disputes with India (over Arunachal Pradesh) and several Southeast Asian countries (over the Spratly and Paracel Islands). Japan, too, is engaged in an ongoing spat with South Korea over the Takeshima Islands, known as Dokdo in Korean.

 

The disagreement over the Senkaku/Diaoyu islands began in 1971, when, after sovereignty reverted from American to Japanese control (a legacy from the postwar Treaty of San Francisco that gave the U.S. jurisdiction over some Japanese territory), both China and Taiwan claimed ownership. But it is only in the last decade that the conflict has escalated beyond a regional issue and has attracted widespread international concern. Why has the island dispute turned into such a problem?

 

China and Japan Need Fossil Fuels—and the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands (Probably) Have Them

 

The Senkaku/Diaoyus are a chain of islands and rocks in the East China Sea that, since Japan's discovery of them in the 1880s, have never been inhabited. In the late 1960s, a geological survey determined that the waters surrounding the islands likely contain vast deposits of oil and natural gas, and, though this energy potential has yet to be realized, Beijing and Tokyo have a strong incentive to claim it for themselves.

 

No countries in the world import more fossil fuels than China and Japan. For the Chinese Communist Party, whose legitimacy depends largely on enabling fast economic growth, oil and natural gas imports are essential in fueling fixed-asset infrastructure and the country's expansion of private car ownership. More domestic resources would allow the country to disengage from potentially unstable oil exporters such as Iran, Sudan, and Venezuela. (The same logic, of course, explains interest in the U.S. for Alaskan oil drilling and hydraulic fracturing.)

Japan faces a different calculation. Over the last few decades, the country moved away from oil and natural gas imports, but the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster caused the Japanese government to shut down all 50 of its nuclear reactors and rely on fossil fuels to compensate.

But the present military brinkmanship over the ADIZ seems to be an overreaction to a trade issue that, presumably, could be negotiated. According to Shihoko Goto, a Japan expert at the Wilson Center, "For both Japan and China, this has gone far beyond the question of who has access to the blue water, oil and other natural resources. This is about history."

Source: Reuters

Turkey looking partner the KF-X Program

The Korea Times reported last Wednesday, September 8, that Turkey has been showing interest in joining the development program of the KF-X fighter, South Korea The program has won investment from Indonesia, according to the newspaper.

KF-X Fighter

Gen. Choi Cha-kyu, director general of bureal aircraft programs of DAPA (Defense Acquisition Program Administration - Program Management Defense Acquisition), during a forum held at the South Korean city of Gyeongju. According to Major General to Turkey runs about 180 F-16s and are considering, seriously, participation in the KF-X program to replace the old with new fighters, around 2020.

Choi Cha-kyu also said that the KF-X program, which began in 2002 but postponed for technical and financial problems, should start again next year, with the consent of authorities involved in the budget.

Industry sources said that Turkey's participation in the project could result in a swap deal: Turkey wants South Korea to consider the T-129 helicopter, under development for the Turkish Army, as a candidate for the AH-purchase program X, heavy attack helicopters.

The KF-X program seeks to develop a site similar game to the latest versions of F-16, circa 2022.South Korea will fund 60% of development costs, estimated at 5 trillion won (approximately $ 4.2 billion, or 7.3 billion reais). The rest should be financed by foreign nations or defense companies, sharing the risks.

Chinese fighters tail U.S. aircraft in disputed airspace

The Want China Times has quoted the Tokyo’s Sankei Shimbun newspaper as saying that Chinese J-7 and J-10 fighters tailed two US aircraft as they reached the airspace close to the border between China and Japan.

The two U.S. aircraft allegedly shadowed by the People’s Loberation Army Air Force were a U.S. Navy P-3C from Misawa and a U.S. Air Force C-130 from Yokota airbase.  According to the Japanese media outlets, the Chinese fighter jets were scrambled to intercept them.

J-10

Image credit: Wiki/Retxham

This incident took place on January 10, the same day when a  Japanese reconnaissance aircraft attached to Japan’s Maritime Self-defence Force were dispatched to monitor Chinese aircraft movements near to the disputed Diaoyutai islands (Senkaku in Japan).

The following day Japanese F-15J Eagle interceptors tailed two Chinese J-10s that were launched to observe Japanese aircraft movements close to the border.

Even if it would appear that both sides are only conducting routine patrols in the area, there is a concrete risk that such close encounters turn into something more serious, escalating tensions into a conflict.

On April 1, 2001, a U.S. Navy EP-3E SIGINT plane was intercepted by a PLA Navy J-8 of the island of Hainan. The two planes went a bit too close each other and collided mid-air.

The collision, caused the death of the Chinese fighter pilot, whereas the American spyplane was forced to perform an emergency landing on Hainan.

The 24 crew members were detained and interrogated by the Chinese authorities until being released on April 21, 2001.

Written with Richard Clements

B-2 stealth bombers conduct “extended deterrence” round trip mission from the U.S. to S. Korea

B-2 stealth bombers of the U.S. Air Force from Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri have conducted a long-duration, round trip (training) mission to the Republic of Korea on Mar. 28.

The new “extended deterrence” mission is just the last “show of force” by the United States whose aim was to show its commitment and its capability to defend South Korea and allies in the Asia-Pacific region.

 

B-2-Russell-Hill

However, unlike previous sorties that were launched by B-52 Stratofortress bombers based at Guam (strategically located 1,800 miles (about 2,900 km) to the east of China), the last mission was conducted by stealth bombers assigned to 509th Bomb Wing that took off from the Continental U.S., flew for more than 6,500 miles to drop inert bombs on the Jik Do Range and returned home in a single, continuos mission like those flown during Allied Force in Serbia or Odyssey Dawn in Libya.

By the way, the B-2 is the only platform capable to deliver the Massive Ordnance Penetrator 30,000lb bomb.

Although the mission was tasked within Ex. Foal Eagle it represents a significant answer to the recent Pyongyang threats. On Mar. 26, 2013 North Korea announced it has ordered artillery and rocket units into “combat posture” to prepare to target US bases in Hawaii, Guam and the US mainland.

U.S. Weighs Options In Possible N. Korea Conflict

by JJ Sutherland

July 27, 2010 4:05 PM

 Deck crew members stand on the flight deck of the USS George Washington for joint military exercises between the U.S. and South Korea in South Korea's East Sea on Monday.  

Lee Jin-man/AFP/Getty Images

About 20 ships and submarines and the aircraft carrier USS George Washington are participating in joint U.S.-South Korea naval exercises that began Sunday. 

North Korea has promised "sacred war" in response to these maneuvers, taking place in the Sea of Japan, east of the Korean peninsula.

That kind of rhetoric is not new — the North used similar language after an international investigation blamed them for the sinking of a South Korean warship this spring. Still, the U.S. military must prepare for the worst. 

The man in charge of the U.S. fleet in the Pacific is Adm. Robert Willard. When North Korea threatened war earlier this year, he acted like he'd heard it all before. 

"The rhetoric from North Korea is not unusual. We're prepared for any contingency in this region. It's my responsibility that we are," Willard said. 

Now, with the latest naval exercises, there is a new standoff.

 U.S. Navy and South Korean ships sail in a 13-ship formation led by the Los Angeles-class attack submarine USS Tucson on Monday in the East Sea off the Korean peninsula. North Korea has promised "sacred war" in response to the naval exercises, which began on Sunday. U.S Navy via Getty Images

The U.S. military has a number of plans on the shelf, but John Pike, the director of GlobalSecurity.org, explains the two primary scenarios.

One is based on North Korea initiating an attack — the "major theater war plan," or OPLAN 5027. The second situation would be the collapse of North Korea. This second possibility, Pike says, "is no one's initiative — that's something that just happens." It's known as OPLAN 5029.

The First Scenario: War

War might begin with North Korea launching an artillery barrage against Seoul, South Korea's capital. 

Michael Green is with the Center for Strategic and International Studies and served on President George W. Bush's National Security Council. He says the U.S. and South Korea would have to respond quickly.

"There would be enormous pressure. In fact, I think the war plans would argue for immediately suppressing the North Korean artillery capability, if they fired at all," Green says.

One risk is that North Korea could launch chemical or biological weapons with that artillery. The North has thousands of guns at the demilitarized zone (DMZ) — many of them in hardened positions such as caves. A few hundred could reach Seoul.

Pike says the Americans and South Koreans have been aware of the artillery threat to Seoul for some time.

"They have counter-battery radars that would detect these guns firing, and counter-battery fire would probably destroy those guns before the first shells that they had fired had hit Seoul," Pike says.

Even so, the first round of fire would still hit the city of 10 million people, possibly killing thousands. 

Responses To The First Scenario

Destroying North Korea's artillery would be a U.S. Air Force and Navy fight. Precision-guided munitions would fall from warplanes. Warships stationed nearby would launch guided missiles. 

Michael O'Hanlon, a military expert at the Brookings Institution, says responding to a North Korean attack with artillery may not be adequate.

"[Y]ou have to say, 'Well, OK, if we've got to the point where we're dropping hundreds or thousands of bombs on them, and they are shelling Seoul with hundreds or thousands of rounds — is this thing really containable?' " O'Hanlon says.

And if it's not, then OPLAN 5027 offers options for what comes next.

O'Hanlon says one possibility in this scenario is taking the fight on the ground into North Korea.

"Do we move in and secure at least a certain swath of land north of the DMZ to push back the artillery more systematically, or do we actually make a quick strike for Pyongyang and try to get the North Korean leadership?" he asks.

Should it come to that, the U.S. would still be in command. But South Korea's army would likely take the lead, driving north across the DMZ, moving into the cities and trying to secure the surrender of individual North Korean commanders.

Despite the planning, most experts agree that the war scenario is unlikely. 

The Second Scenario: Collapse

Another plan exists for the second scenario, called OPLAN 5029 — regime collapse.

Pike, with GlobalSecurity.org, says this is the plan that the South Koreans have increasingly focused on.

"Over time, South Korea has concluded that an invasion from North Korea is improbable, but a collapse of North Korea may be inevitable. And then the question becomes: What do you do when North Korea falls apart?" Pike says.

O'Hanlon adds that a collapse scenario is "very complicated."

He and others note that in addition to everything planners must anticipate in the first scenario — the barrage on Seoul, for example, or how China would react — a North Korean collapse poses other challenges. That includes securing the nuclear weapons the North is believed to possess, says O'Hanlon.

"I tend to think that one of the most important priorities is going to be to establish, essentially, a cordon sanitaire around the country's perimeter, because you can't risk the nuclear weapons getting out," he says. "And what if some North Korean commander decides that he'll do a deal with al-Qaida?" 

O'Hanlon admits that situation is unlikely, but he says reality can be unanticipated. 

"We also have to acknowledge that the scenario can surprise us all. We don't get to choose the scenario. The enemy gets a vote, so to speak," O'Hanlon says. 

Even 60 years after the Korean War began, some things still can't be planned for.

 Source: www.npr.org

 

North Korea sends threat -- by fax -- to South Korea

Kim Jong-un, pictured on Chinese television watching his father, North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, lying in state in Pyongyang December 20, 2011, issued a threat by fax to South Korea on December 19, 2013 that it would launch an attack against the South for insulting North Korea during anti-Pyongyang protests on the anniversary of Kim Jong-il's death. (File/UPI/Stephen Shaver)  License Photo

Dec. 20 (UPI) -- North Korea's National Defence Commission faxed a threat to South Korea's National Security Council in response to anti-Pyongyang protests in Seoul on the anniversary of former North Korean leader Kim Jong-il's death.The fax from Pyongyang on Thursday threatened to launch a strike against the South "without notice." The strikes would be launched "mercilessly" if "the provocation against our highest dignity is to be repeated in the downtown of Seoul."

In response to the faxed threat, South Korea told the North that it would "sternly react" to any provocations.

At the anti-Pyongyang rallies in Seoul, some protesters reportedly burned photographs of Kim Jong-un.

Threats from North Korea occur regularly following perceived provocations by South Korea.

Sources: [Yonhap News Agency] [CNN] [The Telegraph]

Is Iran’s Military Visiting Pyongyang Right Now?

North Korean media is reporting that, on Thursday, Minister of North Korea’s Armed Forces Col. Gen. Jang Jong Nam met with an Iranian military delegation that was in in town to commemorate the 60-year anniversary of the armistice that ended active fighting in the Korean War. The report says that the Iranian military delegation was led by Sayed Hamidreza Tabatabaei, Deputy Commander of the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Up until very recently Tabatabaei was a Parliamentarian who served as vice-chairman of the Judiciary Committee. Furthermore, when Iran’s media reported on the trip a week ago, it said that the Iran-North Korea Parliamentary Group would be visiting Pyongyang. Finally, Kim Yong-Nam, the Chairman of the North Korean Supreme People's Assembly (SPA) will reportedly lead the North Korean delegation who will attend Iran’s president-elect, Hassan Rouhani’s swearing in next week. 

 

Thus, it seems that North Korea is misreporting who the delegation really is. Then again, there's that KCNA picture above that suggests differently.

Also on Thursday, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe began a three-day trip to Southeast Asia. In his third trip to the region since reassuming the Premiership, Abe will visit Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines. “I hope I can take in the energy of the ASEAN region to achieve the economic recovery of Japan,” The Japan Times quoted Abe as saying before he leaving the airport.

In Singapore, Abe’s path seems to have crossed with U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, whose wrapping up a weeklong trip to India and Singapore.

Australia’s Foreign Minister, Bob Carr began a 10-day trip to China on Thursday. “Mr. Carr will have a series of high-level meetings in China, including in Hong Kong, Sichuan, Chongqing and Fujian,” China’s People’s Online Daily reported.

According to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Russian and Iranian media outlets are reporting that Russian President Vladimir Putin intends to visit Iran in mid-August to meet with incoming President Hassan Rouhani, who takes office on August 3.

Their talks will reportedly focus on solving Iran’s standoff with the international community over its nuclear program. Some believe the S-300 air defense system Russia was supposed to sell Iran may be discussed as well. It’s possible that Putin will be the first head-of-state Rouhani hosts after his inauguration.

Outgoing Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad met with Putin at the beginning of this month when he was in Russia for a forum of gas-exporting nations.

Meanwhile, Vietnam President Truong Tan Sang and U.S. President Barack Obama agreed to establish a comprehensive partnership during a meeting at the White House on Thursday. The “U.S.-Vietnam Comprehensive Partnership” will “provide an overarching framework for advancing the relationship,” a joint statement released after their meeting said. It also said the partnership would be based on their shared respect for the “UN Charter, international law, and each other’s political systems, independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity.”

The U.S. and South Korea failed to bridge the gap on funding the U.S. Forces-Korea for 2013-2017 during two days of meetings in Seoul this week. They may meet again next month, according to Yonhap News Agency.

American Classic Multirole Fighter - McDonnell Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle/ F-15SE (Silent Eagle)_Part-I

US reveals details of F-15SE, F-35A bids for South Korea

 

The US Department of Defense formally notified the US Congress of potential sales of the Boeing F-15SE Silent Eagle and Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter to South Korea on 29 March. The two aircraft are on offer to the Asian nation as part of South Korea's F-X III fighter competition. The Eurofighter Typhoon is a third contender for the 60 aircraft tender. 

For the potential F-35 sale, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) says that South Korea could order 60 conventional A-model aircraft and associated support equipment for $10.8 billion. There would also be provisions for spares including nine additional Pratt & Whitney F135 afterburning turbofans. The package would also encompass training-including simulators. 

Lockheed Martin says that it is pleased that the formal Congressional notification process is now under way, but notes that the competing bids are still being evaluated by Korea and price discussions are "on-going". 

Lockheed Martin

Boeing's F-15SE Silent Eagle offering is a somewhat more complicated bid because it is a hybrid of a direct commercial sale and government-to-government US foreign military sale (FMS). As such the DSCA notification to Congress is only for certain equipment that would have to be sold to South Korea to support the Silent Eagle sale. 

Equipment that would be sold under the auspices of the US government FMS programme include 60 Raytheon-built active electronically scanned array radar (AESA) radars, but it is not specified if those are APG-63 (V)3 or APG-82 sets. Additionally, the F-15SE sale would include 60 digital electronic warfare systems (DEWS), 60 Lockheed AN/AAQ-33 Sniper targeting pods, 60 Lockheed AN/AAS-42 infrared search and track systems and other ancillary hardware. The estimated cost of the FMS portion of the sale would be $2.41 billion according the DSCA.

"We do feel we have the lower cost, better value bid here," a Boeing official says, but the company did not say how much the direct commercial sale portion of their bid would cost. In a written statement, Boeing adds: "We are confident our Silent Eagle offering is best suited to address F-X requirements."

While he does not rule out the possibility that South Korea will opt for the Typhoon, Raymond Jaworowski, an analyst with Forecast International, says the contest will most like come down to a battle between the F-35 and the Silent Eagle. "The F-15 and the F-35 are the frontrunners," he says. "South Korea has previously bought US fighter aircraft and it seems likely that's the way they'll go for this buy."

In the Silent Eagle's favour is the fact that South Korea already has the older F-15K Slam Eagle in service. "The commonality factor will come into play," Jaworowski says. "On the other hand, the F-35 is more and more becoming the dominant fighter on the market." Other factors that play in the F-35's favour are the fact that Japan has already ordered the stealthy fifth-generation jet and growing threats in the region. 

But given the state of the South Korean tender, "I think at this point it's too early to predict between the F-35 and the F-15," Jaworowski says.

Source: Flight Global

South Korean SSM-700K Hae Sung I (Sea Star) Anti-ship Missile

SSM-700K Hae Sung I (Sea Star) Anti-ship Missile which are deployed guided missile destroyers of Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN)