Dutch Earmark Funds for NATO C-17 Purchase

Dutch Earmark Funds for NATO C-17 Purchase (NSI News Source Info) THE HAGUE - December 1, 2008: Defence State Secretary Jack de Vries wants to spend 70 million euros on the purchase of three C-17 transport aircraft. The money is available due to a surplus of vacancies at the armed forces.

De Vries will save 90 million euros this year due to the shortage of personnel. Of this, 70 million will go on the purchase, along with a number of NATO countries, of three C-17s. The other 20 million will cover higher than expected fuel prices, the state secretary said in the Lower House. The Christian democrats (CDA) and Labour (PvdA) also asked for funds to be spent on a bonus that military personnel should receive if they have been on foreign missions three times in the past three years. If they were away for a total of 12 months, they should get 1,000 euros net. The state secretary was sympathetic towards the proposal and will discuss it with the military unions.

The House also asked for Fennek reconnaissance vehicles to be given extra armouring, so that they could offer the Dutch troops in Afghanistan more protection against roadside bombs from the 2009 second half. The Fenneks are faster and more manoeuvrable than Bushmasters, which are much more heavily armoured. De Vries will first investigate how much money this would involve.

De Vries rejected the establishment of a centrally-managed independent complaints commission for veterans. PvdA, the Socialist party (SP), small Christian party ChristenUnie and the leftwing Greens (GroenLinks) wanted this.

The defence ministry also said the armed forces will use computer games Steel Beast Pro and Virtual Battlespace 2 to train army personnel. The simulation games, which are for sale to ordinary consumers, will be adapted with a real-time evaluation mode for the army.

India’s Astra Microwave Wins Israeli Order

India’s Astra Microwave Wins Israeli Order

(NSI News Source Info) HYDERABAD, India - December 1, 2008: Astra Microwave Products Ltd.? India’s leading provider of microwave wireless technologies used in defense, space, and telecommunications, today announced that the company has won an order worth INR 570 million (USD 11.5 million) from Israel’s ELTA Systems Ltd. A group subsidiary of Israel Aerospace Industries, ELTA is a world leader in electromagnetic sensors-based advanced defense systems for radar, electronic warfare, and communications. The order is for the supply of microwave wireless sub-systems for India’s defense radar program. The contract is effective between November 2008 and mid-2010.

The order from ELTA is Astra’s first contract under the offset obligations clause of India’s Defence Procurement Policy, 2006. The offsets clause mandates that 30% of all defense contracts worth INR 3 billion and above must be invested in the Indian defense industry by way of sourcing components, sharing technology, setting up training facilities, or using IT services. Comment by B Malla Reddy, Managing Director, Astra Microwave Products:

“The ELTA contract showcases Astra Microwave’s global technological capabilities and scale of operations to meet the demand from obligations mandated by the Defence Procurement Policy,” said B Malla Reddy, Managing Director, Astra Microwave.

“Offset obligations are a significant opportunity for manufacturers and technology providers in the Indian defense space. Our proven technological expertise, infrastructure, and processes are a strong positive differentiator with global defense suppliers. Going forward, we are confident of forging many such relationships,” Mr Malla Reddy said.

Astra Microwave Products Ltd Headquartered in Hyderabad, India, Astra Microwave Products Ltd designs, develops, and manufactures components and sub-systems for microwave wireless communications systems used in defense, space, and civilian applications. Prominent customers include, among others, the Defence Research Development Organization, Bharat Electronics, Hindustan Aeronautics, Bharat Dynamics, Electronics Corporation of India, the Indian Space Research Organization, Reliance Communications, Ericsson, and Tata Teleservices.

In FY08, Astra Microwave gross revenue was INR 1.27 billion on an equity capital of INR 107.5 million.

Pakistan pressed on India attacks

Pakistan pressed on India attacks

(NSI News Source Info) NEW DELHI and ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN - December 1, 2008: After a weekend of frantic calls pleading for India to refrain from retaliation for the attacks that killed 185 people in Mumbai (Bombay), US pressure is turning toward Pakistan. On her way to London and then New Delhi, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told reporters Monday that "this is a time for complete, absolute, total transparency and cooperation" from Pakistan. It is acknowledgment that mounting evidence suggeststhe involvement of Pakistani militants in Mumbai – and that Pakistan might be loath to admit it. It also reflects concern that rising tension between the neighboring nations over the attacks might divert Pakistan's attention – and even troops – from the fight against militants on its border with Afghanistan. Already pulled between US pressure in its war on terror and financial collapse, Pakistan will probably face renewed demands from its longtime rival: control militants targeting India, or else. On Monday, India said it had told Pakistan's envoy that militants from Pakistan had carried out the attacks, and it demanded swift action against those responsible. It would be a difficult and enormously unpopular task to uproot groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba – the militants the Indian police have linked to the Mumbai attacks. "International pressure is needed" to get India and Pakistan to talk constructively on this point, says Ahmed Rashid, an independent political analyst in Lahore. No senior Indian official has yet accused Lashkar-e-Taiba openly. Both the prime minister and foreign minister have spoken only generally that "elements with links to Pakistan" were involved. Indeed, two days after the shooting stopped, there remain questions about the attackers. Though Indian officials claimed that there were only 10 terrorists, investigators found supplies for 15 men on the boat that carried the militants to the Mumbai coast, according to the Indian Express. It suggests some militants might have escaped. In addition, an antiterrorism squad official interviewed by The New York Times refuted the idea that all of the terrorists were from Pakistan. But numerous reports quote police officials saying that they believe the militants were trained in Pakistan. The most likely culprit is Lashkar-e-Taiba. According to a police official, the only gunman captured alive after the attacks claimed to belong to the militant group, which was created in 1989 to foment insurgency in Kashmir. The group has denied involvement in the Mumbai attacks. Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari's civilian government has gone to great lengths to insist that it will honestly investigate any claim that Pakistanis were involved. In an interview Sunday with The Hindu, an Indian newspaper, he stated that "if any evidence points to any individual or group in my part of the country, I shall take the strictest of actions ... without any hesitation." Yet the old fault lines that have made the India-Pakistan problem so intractable show signs of resurfacing. Shortly after the attacks, Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani made an unprecedented offer to send the head of Pakistan's top intelligence agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence directorate (ISI), to India to clear the air. The offer was promptly withdrawn; neither the country nor the Army would tolerate it. Indian accusations of a Pakistani hand in the attacks have been branded as a "smear campaign" by news outlets, which have told the government to counter "Indian aggression." It points to a coming test. India does not want to provoke Pakistan further, says C. Raja Mohan, a political analyst at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore. That would only strengthen the hawkish elements in Pakistan's public and Army, he says. Instead, "Let's test out what Zardari is saying," he says. "Is he serious about acting against these groups?"

The problem is that Mr. Zardari's government is probably too weak to take such action, even if there is convincing evidence. "This is going to be extremely difficult for the government if it is asked [by India] to go after Kashmiri-based militants," says Hassan Askari Rizvi, an independent political analyst in Lahore. "It would be suicidal for the government to begin a wide crackdown without taking everyone at home aboard first." On Sunday, Mr. Gilani called a conference of political leaders to discuss the current situation. But winning support to go after Kashmir-based militants is unlikely. The Pakistani Army is already stretched by operations against militants along the Afghan border. And while that war is unpopular in Pakistan, a move against Kashmiri militants would be hugely more so. Most Pakistanis believe that India illegally occupied Muslim-majority Kashmir in 1947, and the countries have fought two wars over the territory since. "A large number of people believe in the legitimacy of jihad in Kashmir," says Rifaat Hussein, a military analyst at Quaid-i-Azam University in Islamabad. Moreover, the Army has mostly ignored Lashkar-e-Taiba since signing a cease-fire with India in 2004, allowing the banned group to regain its former strength, according to several analysts. Part of this could be intentional. Though the Army may be willing to go after certain militant groups in Kashmir, it would still be hesitant to crack down on those who are strategically engaging the Indian Army in Kashmir, says Ikram Sehgal, editor of the Defence Journal in Karachi and a retired Army major. In recent years, Lashkar-e-Taiba has built ties with Al Qaeda and the Taliban. It has coordinated many of the suicide attacks in Pakistan on the Taliban's behalf, says Mr. Rashid, who also wrote the book "Taliban." "Lashkar-e-Taiba is the hit squad for Al Qaeda and the Taliban," Rashid says. These links could explain the Mumbai attacks, he adds. Lashkar-e-Taiba is suspected of attacking the Indian Parliament in 2001, essentially to create a diversion. Suspecting Pakistani involvement in the attacks, India deployed troops along its western border. In response Pakistan pulled its forces from its western border with Afghanistan in preparation for a potential war with India. In the meantime, Al Qaeda leaders escaped US forces in Tora Bora, Afghanistan, and crept across the thinly guarded western border. The Mumbai attacks could be an attempt at a repeat performance, Rashid suggests, with Al Qaeda and the Taliban now seeking respite from the Pakistani Army's increasingly intense offensive, as well as the US campaign of airstrikes. The goal is again to bring India and Pakistan to the brink of war. "If India decides to build military pressure, Pakistan will have no choice but to start redeploying its forces to its eastern border as well," says Ejaz Haider, a newspaper editor for a national English daily. Rice's comments hint at the Indian strategy for challenging anti-India militants in Pakistan: build international support. It was international pressure that forced Pakistan to outlaw Lashkar-e-Taiba after the 2001 attack. International pressure also persuaded Pakistan to go after militants on its Afghan border. "Similar pressure will be needed here," says Mr. Mohan.

Sweden to Deploy CV-90 to Afghanistan

Sweden to Deploy CV-90 to Afghanistan

(NSI News Source Info) December 1, 2008: Swedish troops have on two occasions been subjected to rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) attacks in Afghanistan. This is made clear in Army Inspector Berndt Grundevik’s analysis of the events of 7 and 8 November, when Swedish soldiers found themselves under fire in northern Afghanistan.

Major General Grundevik is now recommending that the Swedish Armed Forces should take new measures including the deployment of Combat Vehicle 90 (CV 90) to Afghanistan. The Swedish Armed Forces have stated in recent weeks that the incidents lie within the threat and risk assessment previously carried out by the Swedish Military Intelligence and Security Service.

“In my capacity as tactical commander, I consider that these incidents have involved greater risk. I should like to make it clear, however, that this is my own view, and now that the report has been completed, a deeper analysis by the Swedish Military Intelligence Service will also be needed,” says Maj Gen Grundevik.

Following the incident on 7 November, empty 7.62×39 mm cartridge cases and an RPG grenade, the type fired from an RPG rocket launcher, were found at the location of the shooting.

“At least one, but probably two or three, RPG grenades were fired during this incident. It is estimated that two or three explosions were also heard on 8 November, a fact that has emerged from interviews and witness statements. Since the propellant pack for an RPG was subsequently found approximately 300 metres from the location where the troops came under fire, these explosions are judged to have come from the firing of RPG rounds,” says Berndt Grundevik.

On the day following the 7 November incident, one of the soldiers, the vehicle commander, discovered when having a shower that he had some small marks, about a millimetre or less in size and probably due to very small fragments, on his head and right arm. A soldier who had been sitting in the left rear seat had opened fire through the window. A round had struck the door frame and it was probably fragments from this impact that had then hit the vehicle commander.

During the course of the autumn, the Armed Forces have carried out an analysis of the vehicles deployed in Afghanistan and have looked carefully at the possible need to make changes.

“To improve still further the balance between protection and effectiveness, more armoured vehicles should be provided. At least three additional CV 90 armoured combat vehicles should be provided to give further freedom of movement. This means making armoured vehicles available for all units as an immediate alternative,” says the General.

The Swedish Armed Forces have previously drawn attention to the need to improve the intelligence capability in Afghanistan.

“To enhance our ability to gather intelligence round the clock, a lightweight UAV system, that is to say a team capable of operating small unmanned aircraft equipped for surveillance, should be sent to Afghanistan immediately for trials and evaluation. Preparations for this are in hand.” General Grundevik’s report is based on interviews, a search of the site and examination of items found. Two former commanders in Afghanistan are to put forward, no later than mid-December, their suggestions as to how operations in Mazar-e-Sharif can be further developed.

ASTOR Enters Service with Royal Air Force

ASTOR Enters Service with Royal Air Force

(NSI News Source Info) December 1, 2008: The MoD has today declared the technologically advanced ASTOR (Airborne Stand-Off Radar) in service with the RAF, on the Sentinel R1 aircraft.

The new radar system will be operated by the RAF's Number 5 (Army Co-Operation) Squadron based at RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire providing a new all-weather intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance capability to assist commanders on the battlefield. Operating at altitudes in excess of 40,000ft, for over 9 hours at a time, the aircraft is capable of detecting and recognising moving, static and fixed targets at stand-off range. This information is transmitted in near-real time to commanders on the ground, enabling rapid tactical planning and efficient cueing of other sensor and attack systems such as Reaper and GMLRS (Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System).

Minister for Defence Equipment and Support, Quentin Davies said:

"The new ASTOR system onboard our Sentinel R1 aircraft is a unique and technologically advanced capability that will deliver exceptional battlefield surveillance. The ASTOR radar will link up with other intelligence-gathering equipment providing commanders with a complete picture of the ground allowing them to make immediate decisions on operations.

"ASTOR is already providing a number of UK companies the opportunity to participate in a high-technology programme ensuring that the UK remains at the forefront of defence technology. I am delighted to welcome this vital asset into service with the RAF and Army. " Defence Equipment and Support, ASTOR Project Team leader, Bill Chrispin said:

"Accepting ASTOR into service with the RAF represents the initial stage in the roll-out of this entirely new capability to our Armed Forces. Only through a strong working relationship between the MoD and the prime contractor, Raytheon Systems Limited, has ASTOR matured into what we see today. 5 (AC) Squadron, re-formed on 1 April 2004, has risen to the doctrinal and training challenges of this dynamic platform, and is now well set to face the future challenges."

The ASTOR system is designed to communicate with a wide-range of other systems and networks and is therefore at the heart of the UK's Network Enabled Capability (NEC). NEC facilitates the build-up of a complete picture of the operating environment on land aiding decision making by commanders on the ground, in the air and at sea.

As part of the ongoing operational development process ASTOR will undertake an overseas deployment prior to achieving Full Operating Capability about two years from now.

The fully operational ASTOR system will comprise five modified Bombardier Global Express business jets (dubbed Sentinel R1) crewed by two aircrew, at least three radar operators, and eight ground stations.

Wing Commander Harry Kemsley, Officer Commanding RAF 5 (Army Co-Operation) Squadron said:

"ASTOR is a unique, cutting edge, ground surveillance capability for the UK Armed Forces. It will provide battlefield commanders with critical, all-weather wide area, Near-Real Time intelligence, which will enhance the effectiveness of Land operations. Training of Sqn personnel and development of the System has progressed exceedingly well over the last 18 months and the Sqn is now in a position to make a positive contribution to current operations in the very near future."

James Klein, vice president of Raytheon's Mission Systems Integration business said:

"We are confident that ASTOR will be a critical asset, providing the actionable intelligence necessary to help protect British and coalition forces worldwide. Raytheon is excited to see ASTOR enter service as a valuable asset for the UK. This world-class capability is the product of great teamwork with the MoD, RAF 5 (AC) Squadron, and our industry partners." BACKGROUND NOTES:

1. 5 (AC) Squadron is based at RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire, which is the RAF's Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance (ISTAR) hub, also housing the E3D Sentry and Nimrod R1 aircraft.

2. The Sentinel R1 aircraft, based on Bombardier's Global Express business jet, have been converted to specification by Raytheon in Texas and at Broughton near Chester in order to incorporate Raytheon's dual mode radar system.

3. Other companies involved in the project include L3 Com IS (System integration and design authority), Lucas Aerospace (electrical systems), Messier Dowty (landing gear), AgustaWestland (doors), Marshalls (Tactical and Operational Level Ground Stations), BAe Systems (Defensive Aids), Selex (radar components),and Rolls-Royce Deutschland (BR710 engines).

4. The £860M contract to develop, supply and maintain the advanced intelligence gathering system was awarded to Raytheon Systems Ltd in 1999.

5. In-Service-Date is defined as the acceptance in service of two Sentinel R1 aircraft, two Tactical Ground Stations and two trained crews.

Russia Tests Sea And Land Based Nuke Missiles

Russia Tests Sea And Land Based Nuke Missiles

(NSI News Source Info) Moscow - December 1, 2008: Russia successfully tested Friday a sea-based missile capable of carrying multiple nuclear warheads, the military said, amid continued tension with Washington over missile defence. A Bulava missile fired from the Dmitry Donskoy submarine in the White Sea, along Russia's northern coast, hit its target on the Kamchatka Peninsula near the Pacific Ocean, navy spokesman Igor Dygalo said in a statement. "The warhead successfully reached the Kura test site on Kamchatka," he said, describing a flight-path around 6,000 kilometres (4,000 miles) in length. Four out of the six previous tests of the Bulava were unsuccessful, the Interfax news agency reported. Friday's launch comes after Moscow has repeatedly expressed its fury over US plans to place a missile defence radar system in the Czech Republic and interceptor missiles in Poland. Earlier on Friday, the commander of Russia's missile forces announced that their new RS-24 missile -- a land-based weapon that Moscow says is designed to overcome the US missile shield -- would be deployed from December 2009. The Bulava, which can be equipped with up to 10 individually targeted nuclear warheads, has a maximum range of 8,000 kilometres (5,000 miles) and was first successfully tested in December 2005. It is the sea-based version of the Topol-M, designed to be launched from Moscow's newest Borei class of submarines.

Pakistan Air Force prepares to induct UAVs into service

Pakistan Air Force prepares to induct UAVs into service (NSI News Source Info) December 1, 2008: The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) will formally induct unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) into service for the first time in 2009, the chief of the PAF has told Jane's. This comes five years after the PAF launched a programme to acquire UAVs for intelligence-gathering and reconnaissance operations. In addition to the Bravo+ UAV, which, according to PAF Chief Air Chief Marshal Tanvir Mahmood Ahmed, has been built indigenously, the air force will also receive the Falco UAV produced by Selex Galileo of Italy. The two systems will be used mainly for aerial reconnaissance and information gathering, although the PAF will later also induct UAVs equipped with weapon systems to carry out offensive operations. "This capability we are developing fairly rapidly; we are becoming mature. It is part of our operations now and I look forward to seeing this in real operations by [the] beginning [of] 2009," said ACM Ahmed.

China unveils new self-propelled howitzer system

China unveils new self-propelled howitzer system (NSI News Source Info) December 1, 2008: China North Industries Corporation (NORINCO) has completed the development of a new 122 mm full-tracked self-propelled howitzer (SPH) called the SH3, which is now being offered on the export market. The artillery system is based on a new full-tracked chassis, with the driver seated front left, to the right of a diesel powerpack, leaving the remainder of the chassis clear for the fighting compartment. Suspension is of the torsion bar type with six dual-rubber-tyre road wheels, drive sprocket at the front, idler at the rear and track return rollers. At the rear of the chassis the fully enclosed turret is armed with a 122 mm ordnance fitted with a fume extractor and muzzle brake. The turret traverses a full 360 degrees, with weapon elevation from -3 to +70 degrees. This fires standard 122 mm D-30 separate loading (projectile and charge) ammunition. The standard 122 mm high-explosive (HE) projectile has a maximum range of 17,000 m; other natures include smoke and illuminating rounds. NORINCO is now marketing a new family of 122 mm separate loading ammunition, which also includes an HE base bleed (BB) rocket-assist projectile Type BEE2, HE hollow base (HB) and HE BB projectile. Maximum ranges are 27,000 m, 18,000 m and 22,000 m respectively. Image: The NORINCO SH3 122 mm self-propelled howitzer is based on a new full tracked chassis (NORINCO)

Russia To Lease Sub to India Despite Fatal Accident

Russia To Lease Sub to India Despite Fatal Accident (NSI News Source Info) NEW DELHI - December 1, 2008: Moscow has told New Delhi that it remains committed to leasing a nuclear submarine to the Indian Navy despite the Nov. 8 accident that killed 20 crew members aboard a Russian nuclear sub, say Indian Defence Ministry sources. The Akula-2 nuclear-powered attack submarine, the Nerpa, which is being built by Russia for the Indian Navy, was on sea trials off the Sea of Japan Nov. 8 when 20 personnel were killed in an accident reportedly involving activation of the submarine's fire-fighting system. However, the sea trials of the submarine have been temporarily halted, said sources. The Indian Defence Ministry has already asked the Russian yard building the submarine to extend the trials. The Indian Navy is acquiring the Nerpa in the run-up to its own secretive, classified nuclear submarine Advanced Technology Vehicle (ATV) under construction. The crew trained on the leased Nerpa would eventually take over the indigenous ATV, expected to be inducted by 2010-11. The nuclear submarines will give India the third leg of its nuclear triad by acquiring submarine-launched nuclear capable missiles.

Singapore Uses Public Road as Alternate Runway

Fighter Jets to Land on Singapore Road: Ministry (NSI News Source Info) SINGAPORE - December 1, 2008: First, there was F1. Now come the F-16s. After a Formula One (F1) Grand Prix auto race in September, Singapore streets on Nov. 30 will see something even faster - F-16 fighter bombers. The jets and other military aircraft are to take off and land on a stretch of road that has been converted into an alternative runway, the Ministry of Defence said. The exercise, which helps prepare the air force in case normal runways become unusable, hones its readiness "to deliver uninterrupted air power at all times," a statement said. "The aircraft will be executing a series of take-offs and landings along a stretch of Lim Chu Kang Road, 2,500 meters long (1.6 miles) and 24 meters wide," the ministry said. Singapore is an island nation of just 3.6 million citizens and permanent residents that was ejected from the Malaysian Federation in 1965 over ethnic issues. The security-conscious city-state, one of Asia's wealthiest, also has one of the region's most modern armed forces. All able-bodied 18-year-old male citizens are eligible to be conscripted for two years of full-time active service in the military or emergency services. Military planes and helicopters often roar over parts of the city on their way into and out of air bases. "In war, runways are one of the key targets for the enemy," Colonel Tan Kah Han, who is overseeing the exercise, was quoted as saying in the Straits Times. The exercise will involve more than 10 aircraft including F-5 jets and E-2C early warning planes as well as F-16s, the inistry said. Troops will set up a mobile control tower, lights, and cables to help stop the planes when they land, it said. The Straits Times reported that about 400 air force personnel have been removing lamp posts, road signs and bus shelters in preparation. The six-lane road on the far west of the island has been closed since Thursday and will reopen on Dec. 1, the paper said. This is the sixth exercise of its kind in the past 22 years, the ministry said. Singapore staged Formula One's first night race in September on a circuit that snaked through the city's streets.