DTN News: North Korean Willing To Engage In Talks On Controversial Nuclear Programme

DTN News: North Korean Willing To Engage In Talks On Controversial Nuclear Programme

*Source: DTN News / Int'l Media

(NSI News Source Info) SEOUL, South Korea - October 5, 2009: China says North Korea has expressed willingness to resolve its nuclear standoff with the world through negotiations.

According to Chinese media, North Korean Premier Kim Yong-Il has told visiting Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao on Sunday that Pyongyang was open to talks on its nuclear programs. "North Korea has never abandoned its willingness to realize this goal (denuclearizing the Korean peninsula) through bilateral and multilateral dialogue," China's state television quoted Kim as saying. The Chinese premier arrived in North Korea on Sunday and was greeted by North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il at Pyongyang airport.

Wen is the most senior Chinese figure to visit North Korea since 2005 when President Hu Jintao paid a visit to the country. During his three-day visit, Wen is expected to urge the North to return to the stalled six-party disarmament negotiations, which Pyongyang withdrew from last year in protest at the United Nations censure of its long-range missile test on April 5.

Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi and Beijing's top envoy to the six-party talks are accompanying Wen on the visit portrayed by Chinese officials as a "goodwill trip."

Pyongyang has repeatedly said that it must keep its nuclear deterrent in the face of what it calls "US nuclear threats," adding that it prefers to directly negotiate with Washington.

DTN News: Colombia Says No US Base Planned Near Venezuela

DTN News: Colombia Says No US Base Planned Near Venezuela

*Source: DTN News / Int'l Media

(NSI News Source Info) BOGOTA, Colombia - October 5, 2009: Amid reports of a deal reached for the establishment of US military bases in Colombia, the country's foreign minister says there is no need for more American personnel.

In an effort to reassure other South American countries, Foreign Minister Jaime Bermudez told the BBC that Colombia seeks only "information, technology, intelligence" in the form of military cooperation with the US.

"We don't need personnel, we need more information, technology, intelligence - that's the key issue… Those who fight best in Colombia are our own soldiers. We don't need American soldiers to do this." "We are not going to have American bases in Colombia.

Today we have 71 military personnel from the US," Bermudez said. His remarks come as South American nations feel threatened by what is considered as 'suspicious intentions' of their northern neighbor.

He, however, said while it is important for his country to stay in good relation with its neighbors, especially Venezuela, Colombia appreciates US help. The minister said the US has been helping Colombia in fighting "narco-traffickers and terrorists."

DTN News: (K)DC-10 With Boeing-Modified Cockpit Completes Certification Flight Tests

DTN News: (K)DC-10 With Boeing-Modified Cockpit Completes Certification Flight Tests

*Source: DTN News / Boeing

(NSI News Source Info) ST. LOUIS, USA - October 4, 2009: The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] announced Oct. 1, 2009 that a (K)DC-10 modified with Fokker Services and Boeing's Cockpit Upgrade Program (CUP) has completed a certification flight-test program that began in July 2008. The 2 KDC-10 are Dutch tanker and transport aircraft from the Royal Netherlands Air Force which can rapidly deploy large numbers of cargo and troops over long distances. Besides, they can refuel other NATO aircraft like F-16 fighter jets and other aircraft equipped to be refueled by a boom system. By refueling fighter jets, they will have to make less starts and landings which take care of a better environment around an air force base. Secondary the refuel aircraft take care that during operations the operational aircraft can fly over longer distances and can stay longer in the sky.These two aspects were used when Dutch F-16's toke part of Operation Enduring Freedom. To refuel other aircraft the KDC-10 has a long boom on the back of the aircraft where a controller in the KDC-10 maneuvers the boom with joysticks to the fighter jet. The KDC-10 are the largest aircraft from the RNLAF.BackgroundThe Royal Netherlands Air Force has 2 KDC-10 (number T235 and T264) and 1 DC-10 (which comes operation in 2007). Furthermore the Air Force will get a 4th DC-10. The 2 KDC-10 aircraft were bought in june 1992 from the civil airliner Martinair (in those days they were designated with DC-10) and came operational in 1995. After they had been bought they were converted to tanker and military transport aircraft. To make it a military aircraft it must have specific NAVO equipment like avionics, navigation- and communications systems. Other systems that were build in into the planes are: the installation of the 'boom'-system and -lightening, adjustment of the fuel-, electric and hydraulic systems to use the boom, a 'Remote Air Refueling Operating' (RARO)-control station with the corresponding systems. The boom operator control station is direct behind the cockpit. CUP provides aircraft with new flight-management and display systems as well as improved communications. Crewmembers from the Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF), Fokker and subcontractor Boeing conducted the certification program's five-hour final test flight from the Netherlands' Eindhoven Air Base on Aug. 26. "We are pleased with the results of the flight tests for this system, which will provide the RNLAF with the worldwide navigation capability we need as we continue to share assets with other European countries," said RNLAF Maj. Michel Broekman. The program now moves into the certification process with the Netherlands' certification authority, followed by customer acceptance early next year. Next, the CUP-modified aircraft will begin Operational Test and Evaluation (OTE) with the RNLAF crew. Upon completion of OTE for the first aircraft, the RNLAF will induct the next of two more (K)DC-10s for the CUP modification in 2010. "Our success with this upgrade positions us well for future modification work in the communication, navigation, surveillance and air-traffic management arena. The CUP modification offers an affordable, proven solution for other aircraft, including the KC-10," said Mark Rowland, (K)DC-10 CUP program manager for Boeing. Boeing submitted a proposal in July for the U.S. Air Force's KC-10 Communication Navigation Surveillance/Air Traffic Management (CNS/ATM) upgrade program. The contract is expected to be awarded in May 2010. A unit of The Boeing Company, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is one of the world's largest space and defense businesses specializing in innovative and capabilities-driven customer solutions, and the world's largest and most versatile manufacturer of military aircraft. Headquartered in St. Louis, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is a $32 billion business with 70,000 employees worldwide.

DTN News: MRAP As Mothership

DTN News: MRAP As Mothership *Source: DTN News / Defense News (NSI News Source Info) KABUL, Afghanistan - October 4, 2009: Some 12 ton Cougar 6x6 MRAPs (Mine Resistant Ambush Protected) have been modified and used successfully as RVSs (Reconnaissance Vehicle Systems). These are used for combat reconnaissance (along a road that might have roadside bombs) as well as route clearance (getting rid of the roadside bombs).BAE has worked hard to catch up, even as the number of MRAPs in the program more than doubled to over 15,000. The final tally gave them a wide 2nd place lead over 3rd place firm Force Protection. It also made them one of just 2 firms with a foothold under new MRAP-II qualifications, which includes protection against EFP (explosively-formed projectile) land mines that fire the equivalent of a cannon shell at the vehicle, in addition to the standard under-body blasts. As of December 2007, more than 2,000 BAE Systems employees in the United States and 400 in South Africa (BAE OMC, producing General Dynamics’ entry) are producing vehicles with the support of suppliers in more than 30 states across the United States. Key production locations include York, PA; Fairfield, OH; Aiken, SC, and Sealy, TX, with production assistance from partners Spartan Motors Chassis and Demmer Corporation. Of the envisaged 15,771 vehicles in the MRAP-I program as of March 31/08, all have now been ordered. Orders continue to be placed under the original MRAP vehicle solicitation until production verification of vehicles presented for testing in response to the MRAP II solicitation is completed, or an interim buy is approved. Thus far, BAE has directly received MRAP contract orders to date for 5,120 vehicles: *369 RG-33 MRAP CAT-I and SOCOM variants *1,710 RG-33L (MRAP CAT-II w. optional robotic arm) *179 RG-33L MEDEVAC Ambulance variant *2,178 BAE-TVS Caimans, CAT-I seating internally *684 BAE-TVS Caimans, CAT-II seating internally Based on these orders, BAE remains 2nd place in the MRAP CAT-I/II race, with 32.4% of all orders to date. This is a major improvement from its position earlier in the competition, and its own high-end RG-33 vehicles now own a respectable 14.3% share. The leader is still Navistar with 38.3%, a lead that widened recently when its lighter “MaxxPro Dash” was selected by the US Army in a recent order for the Afghan theater. One-time leader Force Protection has slipped to a distant 3rd place at 19.5% and is unlikely to receive further MRAP orders. To that end, the RVS is equipped with a remotely controlled (from inside the RVS) 12.7mm machine-gun turret, blue force tracker (to see where all other friendly vehicles are) and several external vidcams. The most interesting feature is a robot deployment and recovery system. The robot has its own armored compartment, and it can exit the RVS, check out a suspected roadside bomb, and return to the RVS, all without exposing any of the human crew to enemy fire. Basically, RVS is a 12 ton truck that is hardened to survive bombs and mines. The Cougar can get troops into combat situations where mines, explosives or any kind of obstacle, have to be cleared, or just survived. The RVS was designed to carry 16 troops, but with all the extra equipment, normally carries fewer than ten. The RVSs cost about a million dollars each, and have been very successful in combat. The U.S. Navy evaluated nine suppliers for the procurement of Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) trucks, destined to augment and later replace up-armored HMMWVs currently operating in Iraq and Afghanistan. The new vehicles provides much improved protection , specifically against Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), which cause 70% of all U.S. casualties in Iraq. The Cougar from Force Protection Industries is the most widely sought-after armored vehicle under the military's Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) program. The vehicle is designed with a V-shaped underbody that was adapted from the hull of the speedboats the company used to make. Force Protection has now won more than $1 billion in Cougar orders, including contracts for almost half of the armored vehicles being purchased through MRAP. According to Force Protection Industries, not a single person has died in a Cougar after more than 2 million operational hours. Here, two Marines stand in front of a Cougar after it was hit last December by an improvised explosive device less than a meter away. While the occupants suffered minor injuries, including blown eardrums, they were able to drive home at 30 miles per hour with two good tires.

DTN News: China And India To Manufacture BM-30 (9K58) MLRS

DTN News: China And India To Manufacture BM-30 (9K58) MLRS *Source: DTN News / Defense News (NSI News Source Info) MOSCOW, Russia - October 4, 2009: Russia has sold manufacturing licenses for its BM-30 (9K58) multiple rocket launchers to China and India. No price was announced, and the deal may involve a royalty for each launcher and rocket produced. The 9K58 entered service in the late 1980s, just before the Cold War ended and the Soviet Union dissolved. Think of this as Russians answer to the American MLRS. Nicknamed Smerch (Tornado), this twelve tube launcher fires 300mm rockets, that have a max range of 90 kilometers and weigh about 550 pounds (depending on type). A 44 ton wheeled vehicle carries the launcher and the three man crew. The vehicle can be ready to fire in three minutes, and can move on within two minutes of firing. All twelve rounds can be fired within 38 seconds. It takes twenty minutes to reload. Russia has been selling the BM-30 vehicles for about $12 million each (including a supply of rockets and technical support). Russia has about 300 BM-30s. About 150 have been exported so far. China reverse engineered the BM-30 as the A100, which was introduced in 2002. But the A100 was inferior to the BM-30, especially in terms of reliability. By buying a manufacturing license, China can now improve the effectiveness of its A100 systems, especially the propellant in the rockets (which the Chinese have had a lot of trouble with). The competition is the U.S. M270 MLRS, which entered service in 1982. This system fires twelve 227mm (650 pound) or two 610mm (1.6 ton) rockets. The smaller rockets have a max range of 70 kilometers, the larger ones, 300 kilometers. The rockets are carried on a 25 ton tracked vehicle and has a crew of three. There is also a lighter, wheeled vehicle, that carries six 227mm or one 610mm rockets. The MLRS costs about the same as the BM-30, and now has GPS guided rockets, which provides a major advantage over the BM-30.

DTN News: France Deployed Own SIDM UAV In Afghanistan

DTN News: France Deployed Own SIDM UAV In Afghanistan *Source: DTN News / Int'l Media (NSI News Source Info) PARIS, France - October 4, 2009: France has finally developed a competitor for the U.S. Predator, and they are sending three of them to Afghanistan next month. The EADS SIDM is actually a modified version of the Israeli IAI Eagle UAV. SIDM is, like Predator, a 1.2 ton UAV that can stay in the air for up to 24 hours, at altitudes of up to 30,000 feet. SIDM has a 51.4 foot wingspan and a total payload capacity of 600 pounds. EADS and Israel Aircraft Industry (IAI), have successfully completed the first flight of a MALE UAV System in France. The drone SIDM (Systeme Interimaire de Drone Male) flew from the Istres air base, the DGA (French armaments procurement agency) fly test centre with full communication package including satellite communication and line-of-sight data links. This flight, operated from the operational SIDM ground station, demonstrated the integrity of the UAV system, in particular the Automatic Take-Off and Landing (ATOL), satellite communication and the integral command and control functions. The Predator is a one ton aircraft that is 27 feet long with a wingspan of 49 feet. It has two hard points, which usually carry one (107 pound) Hellfire each. Each hard point can also carry a Stinger air-to-air missile. Max speed of the Predator is 215 kilometers an hour, max cruising speed is 160 kilometers an hour. Max altitude is 25,000 feet. Typical sorties are 12-20 hours each. Predator is being replaced by Sky Warrior, and was developed into a larger combat version, the Reaper. The MQ-9 Reaper is a 4.7 ton, 36 foot long aircraft with a 66 foot wingspan that looks like the MQ-1. It has six hard points, and can carry 1,500 pounds of weapons. These include Hellfire missiles (up to eight), two Sidewinder or two AMRAAM air-to-air missiles, two Maverick missiles, two 500 pound smart bombs (laser or GPS guided.) Max speed is 400 kilometers an hour, and max endurance is 15 hours. The Reaper is considered a combat aircraft, to replace F-16s or A-10s. The MQ-1C Sky Warrior weighs 1.5 tons, carries 300 pounds of sensors internally, and up to 500 pounds of sensors or weapons externally. It has an endurance of up to 36 hours and a top speed of 270 kilometers an hour. Sky Warrior has a wingspan 56 feet and is 28 feet long. The Sky Warrior can land and take off automatically, and carry four Hellfire missiles (compared to two on the Predator). France chose to develop their new UAV using an Israeli aircraft because the Israelis are pioneers in the field. The Predator owes much to earlier Israeli designs, and Israeli UAVs get lots of combat experience. SIDM finished its acceptance tests last Summer, and the last six months have been spent training operators and maintainers.

DTN News: Pakistan TODAY October 3, 2009 ~ Pakistani Taliban Chief May Be Dead Says US official

DTN News: Pakistan TODAY October 3, 2009 ~ Pakistani Taliban Chief May Be Dead Says US official

*Source: DTN News / Int'l Media (NSI News Source Info) WASHINGTON, USA - October 3, 2009: Newly anointed Pakistani Taliban chief Hakimullah Mehsud may have been killed recently during clashes with a rival faction, a senior US counter-terrorism official said on Saturday. "There's reason to believe that Hakimullah may have died recently -- perhaps as the result of factional in-fighting within the Pakistani Taliban," the official told AFP. US and Pakistani officials are reviewing information about the alleged incident and have yet to confirm the death. The Pentagon declined to comment. (Image: Pakistani Taliban chief may be dead: US official) If confirmed, the warlord's demise would be the latest setback to the Pakistani Taliban, which have carved out camps in the mountains of Pakistan's semi-autonomous tribal belt. "Of course, it would be a very good thing if Hakimullah were off the streets," noted the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the intelligence matter. "We're working hard -- as are the Pakistanis -- to determine what has happened to him." Washington says the militants are plotting attacks on the West and slipping over the border to target foreign troops in Afghanistan. Hakimullah, who is believed to be about 30, was tapped to lead the feared Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) after his predecessor, Baitullah Mehsud, was killed by a missile fired from a CIA-operated drone aircraft on August 5. Hakimullah's brother, Kalimullah Mehsud, was also killed on Monday in a battle in the lawless insurgent stronghold of North Waziristan, which borders Afghanistan, Pakistani security officials said. The young commander, who did not make media or public appearances since his appointment, has two surviving brothers. Pakistan's government blames the TTP -- formed by Baitullah Mehsud in late 2007 -- for most of about 270 attacks and suicide bombings that have killed more than 2,100 people across Pakistan in the past two years. Pakistani security forces earlier this year launched a fierce offensive to purge the northwest of Taliban fighters, and has already claimed success in the Swat valley and Bajaur. But unrest has rumbled on. Analysts say they will face a much tougher task in North and South Waziristan, which are teeming with both Pakistani Taliban and other Islamist militants who fled Afghanistan after the US-led invasion toppled the Taliban there in 2001. Meanwhile, Washington has stepped up missile attacks by US drone aircraft in the region.

DTN News: Indonesia TODAY October 3, 2009 ~ Indonesia Calls For Quake Help As Bodies Rot In Heat

DTN News: Indonesia TODAY October 3, 2009 ~ Indonesia Calls For Quake Help As Bodies Rot In Heat

*Source: DTN News / Int'l Media

(NSI News Source Info) PADANG, Indonesia - October 3, 2009: Quake-hit Indonesia appealed for foreign aid Friday as the stench of decomposing bodies hung over wrecked buildings where overwhelmed rescuers scrabbled for survivors. PADANG, INDONESIA - OCTOBER 02: Indonesian army personnel search for survivors at the Ambacang Hotel in the swimming pool area on October 2, 2009 in Padang, Indonesia. An earthquake of magnitude 7.6 struck at 5.16pm local time 85km under the sea north-west of Padang on September 30. According to reports officials have reported a death toll of 700 in the port city of Padang. However, that is expected to rise to over 1,000. In the city of Padang, which was devastated by Wednesday's 7.6-magnitude earthquake, emergency teams faced a third night of work to pull bodies from ruins that have claimed the lives of at least 1,100 people. "Our main problem is that there are a lot of victims still trapped in the rubble. We are struggling to pull them out," Indonesian Health Minister Siti Fadilah Supari told reporters. "We need help from foreign countries for evacuation efforts. We need them to provide skilled rescuers with equipment," she said, also appealing for medics to treat badly injured victims, many with broken bones. A spokeswoman for the United Nations' World Food Programme said it had not yet received an official request for aid from Indonesia but expected it "would come very shortly," with food and heavy lifting gear ready on standby. Homeless survivors in the coastal city had spent two nights sleeping out in the open and were hungry, frightened and falling victim to profiteers who had jacked up prices of water and other essentials. Related article: Aid efforts Several countries have pledged aid and sent emergency teams to the area, but efforts to organise a full-scale rescue operation were hampered by blocked roads, broken power lines, and patchy communication networks. The Red Cross in Geneva said aerial photos suggested the disaster zone extended much further than had previously been known, stretching far across West Sumatra, with some villages entirely destroyed. "The feedback is that Padang city and environs are bad, but once you go outside into the surrounding rural areas, the situation is very seriously grave," said Christine South of the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Society. "There was talk of complete devastation of some villages -- 100 percent devastation -- and 50 percent in others," she added. Rescuers labouring in the tropical heat in Padang said they lacked essential heavy machinery like cutting equipment and excavators. "We don't have proper equipment. We don't even have dogs," said Suryadi Soedarmo, a surgeon from an emergency ambulance service in the capital Jakarta who arrived with 10 experts trained to enter collapsed structures. The United Nations said that 1,100 people had died in the disaster. The government put the toll at 777 but has said it expects the figure to go much higher. According to Red Cross estimates, "thousands of people are still trapped under the rubble." One lucky survivor was 20-year-old Ratna Kurnia Sari, who was pulled limp and covered in dust from the ruins of a college after spending more than 40 hours buried beneath rubble. Another woman, 20-year-old Nopa Labianawho, remained pinned under a mountain of concrete there, shouting frantically to rescue workers and urging them to come to her aid. Almost all the buildings in Padang are damaged and roughly a quarter are ruined, presenting this city of one million people with a colossal rebuilding task. Like many of the collapsed structures, the stench of death hung over the Ambacang Hotel in central Padang as the bodies trapped inside began to decompose under the baking sun. Manager Sarana Aji said that only a few dozen people had emerged from the building where two events involving more than 100 people were under way when the quake reduced the concrete and steel structure to a heap. Planes laden with aid have started arriving, international organisations are on the ground and foreign governments including those of Australia, Japan, Switzerland and Germany have sent specialist rescue workers and cash. Facts: Earthquake pointers A Swiss team of about 120 rescue workers with a dozen much-needed sniffer dogs were seen beginning work. Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, whose government was criticised over its handling of the devastating 2004 tsunami, called for 10 million dollars in government aid to be distributed quickly. "The... fund has to flow quickly, no more bureaucracy for this. This is an emergency so speed is crucial," he was quoted as saying at the disaster area by Kompas news website. US President Barack Obama said he was "deeply moved" by the loss of life and suffering as Washington announced 300,000 dollars in immediate aid and set aside another three million dollars to help quake victims. The quake struck off Sumatra's west coast northwest of Padang, on a major faultline on the volatile "Ring of Fire" that scientists have long warned was a disaster waiting to happen.

DTN News: Philippines TODAY October 3, 2009 ~ Philippines On Full Typhoon Alert

DTN News: Philippines TODAY October 3, 2009 ~ Philippines On Full Typhoon Alert *Source: DTN News / Int'l Media (NSI News Source Info) MANILA, The Philippines - October 3, 2009: The Philippines went on high alert Thursday as a 'super typhoon' threatened to unleash more devastation for millions of people already struggling to recover from deadly floods that claimed 277 lives. Typhoon Parma was gaining strength as it churned towards the Southeast Asian nation and was expected to dump more heavy rain on areas still reeling from the weekend floods that forced nearly 700,000 people into evacuation camps. "We are dealing with a very strong typhoon, so we should be at the highest level of preparedness," weather bureau spokesman Nathaniel Santiago said, amid forecasts the typhoon would make landfall on Saturday. (Image: Philippines on full typhoon alert). "There is a possibility that this will become a super typhoon." The government defines a super typhoon as one with winds reaching 175-200 kilometres per hour (110-125 miles per hour) with the potential to cause heavy damage. While Parma is likely to bring less than half the rains of Saturday's tropical storm Ketsana, it was expected to compound flooding in Manila, parts of which remain submerged due to blocked drainage systems. Ketsana dumped the heaviest rains in four decades on Manila and in surrounding areas on Luzon island, triggering floods that swamped the national capital with up to six metres (20 feet) of water. Ketsana has left 277 dead so far in the Philippines, according to the government, and killed about 100 more after pounding Vietnam and Cambodia. The number of people known to have been affected by Ketsana in the Philippines rose to 2.5 million on Thursday, the government said in its latest update, up nearly 300,000 from Wednesday's estimate. Scene: flooded hospital The number of flood survivors staying in gymnasiums, schools and other makeshift evacuation camps also continued to balloon, with about 687,000 people staying in them, the government said. Those in the cramped, under-resourced evacuation centres were told to prepare for the new storm, with fresh rains certain to aggravate already squalid conditions. As Typhoon Parma approached, worried Manila residents who had returned to their homes after the floodwaters receded, and those whose houses were unaffected, were stocking up on food and emergency lights. Waitress Angel Francisco, 16, rushed back to check on her mother at their still-flooded home in suburban Pasig city. "There's a new typhoon according to the news and I am worried for my mother, she told AFP, as she hitched a ride with a delivery truck to try and evacuate her mother. Coast guard chief Admiral Wilfredo Tamayo said he had put his men on alert ahead of the typhoon. Already packing gusts of up to 185 kilometers per hour (115 miles per hour), Parma was last monitored at 650 kilometers (400 miles) east of Borongan town on the eastern island of Samar at dawn. Parma was moving on a west-northwest trajectory toward the northern part of Luzon island and would likely hit land Saturday. If the storm maintained its current trajectory, it would spare Manila although it may still change course and strike areas north of the capital, the weather bureau said. The lowest of a four-step storm signal was raised over the provinces of Camarines Sur, Camarines Norte and Catanduanes on Luzon's eastern coast, weather officials said, warning fishermen against venturing out to sea.

DTN News: Russia Tests Indian MiG-29KUB Fighter Jets On Board Its Aircraft Carrier

DTN News: Russia Tests Indian MiG-29KUB Fighter Jets On Board Its Aircraft Carrier

*Source: DTN News / Defense Media

(NSI News Source Info) NEW DELHI, India - October 3, 2009: Russia's MiG aircraft maker said on Tuesday it has successfully tested on board the Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier four MiG-29 carrier-based fighter jets due to be delivered to India. The new MiG-29K carrier-based fighter started its sea trials on Russia’s only aircraft carrier, Admiral Kuznetsov, on September 28-29. According to MiG, two aircraft – a MiG-29K single-seater and a two-seat MiG-29KUB - made several take-offs and landings from the carrier in the Barents Sea. Russia and India signed a contract on January 20, 2004, stipulating the supply of 12 single-seat MiG-29Ks and four two-seat MiG-29KUBs to India as part of a $1.5 billion deal to deliver the Admiral Gorshkov aircraft carrier, currently being retrofitted in Russia for the Indian navy. "During the tests on September 28-29, the MiG-29K and MiG-29KUB fighters conducted several take offs and landings on the deck of the [Admiral Kuznetsov] aircraft carrier in the Barents Sea," the company said in a statement. Admiral Kuznetsov is the only aircraft carrier in the Russian Navy. The two MiG-29Ks and two MiG-29KUBs were officially transferred to India earlier this year. They were inspected by Indian technical experts and used in a five-month flight training course for the Indian pilots. The aircrafts are expected to be delivered to India in mid-October. Meanwhile, Russia and India are still negotiating a new deal on the completion of the Admiral Gorshkov overhaul. Russia has pledged to finish the Admiral Gorshkov's overhaul as soon as possible and deliver it to India in 2012 if the additional $1.2 bln funding is provided by New Delhi. After modernization, the carrier will join the Indian Navy as INS Vikramaditya, and is expected to be seaworthy for 30 years.

MiG says that the tests mark the completion of development of the MiG-29K, which made its first flight in 2007. It is a “deeply modernized” version of the original Soviet-era MiG-29. It features an upgraded airframe with more composite material, digital fly-by-wire system, in-flight refueling capabilities and new avionics, including a full glass cockpit and Zhuk-ME slot array radar. The MiG-29K has reduced radar signature and a much larger combat load, including air-to-air and air-to-ground weapons. The MiG-29K has been developed for the Indian Navy, which has ordered 12 single-seat and 4 two-seat aircraft to be based on INS Vikramaditya, formerly the Russian Navy’s Admiral Gorshkov. Indian pilots have already trained on the MiG-29K, but all flights from the Kuznetsov were performed by Russian pilots. MiG representatives confirmed to Ares that the first fighters will be delivered to India by the end of the year, although the delayed Vikramaditya - being rebuilt with a full-length flight-deck, ski-jump ramp and arrester gear - is not expected to be ready before 2012.