DTN News - INDIA DEFENSE NEWS: India, US Set To Ink $1.4Bn Deal For 22 Apache Helicopters

DTN News - INDIA DEFENSE NEWS: India, US Set To Ink $1.4Bn Deal For 22 Apache Helicopters

Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources TOI
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - August 21, 2012: India is getting ready to order 22 heavy-duty Apache helicopters for around $1.4 billion, in what will be yet another big defence deal to be bagged by the US. 

The US has already made military sales worth over $8 billion to India over the last few years, despite it having lost out to France in the almost $20 billion MMRCA (medium multi-role combat aircraft) project to supply 126 fighters to IAF, which is in the final commercial negotiations stage. 

In the battle for the attack helicopters, Boeing's AH-64D Apache Longbow met all ASQRs (air staff qualitative requirements) during the extensive field trials conducted by the IAF, while the Russian Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant's Mi-28 Havoc failed to pass muster. 

"It's just a matter of time before the contract is inked for the Apaches after final commercial negotiations. Most of the hurdles have been cleared,'' a defence ministry official said. The US and Russia are also locked in battle to supply 15 heavy-lift helicopters to IAF, with the Boeing-manufactured Chinooks pitted against the Russian Mi-26 choppers. 

As first reported by TOI earlier, Indian armed forces are looking to induct as many as 900 helicopters in the coming decade, including 384 light-utility and observation, 90 naval multi-role, 65 light combat, 22 heavy-duty attack, 139 medium-lift and 15 heavy-lift, among others, many of them from abroad. 

The impending $1.4 billion contract for the 22 Apaches will also include the supply of 812 AGM-114L-3 Hellfire Longbow missiles, 542 AGM-114R-3 Hellfire-II missiles, 245 Stinger Block I-92H missiles and 12 AN/APG-78 fire-control radars, as per the Barack Obama administration's notification to the US Congress. 

Among the other military aviation deals already bagged by the US are the $4.1 billion contract for 10 C-17 Globemaster-III strategic airlift aircraft, $2.1 billion for eight P-8I maritime patrol aircraft and $962 million for six C-130J 'Super Hercules'' planes. Negotiations are now being finalized for acquiring six more C-130J as well as four more P-8I aircraft. 

US deputy secretary of defence Ashton B Carter, on his recent visit to India, had stressed that Washington wanted to be New Delhi's "highest quality and most trusted long-term supplier of technology''. India had emerged as the second-largest FMS (foreign military sales) customer of the US in 2011 with imports worth $4.5 billion, he added. 

*Link for This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources  TOI
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DTN News - ISRAELI DEFENSE NEWS: Israel Strike On Iran Would Be Disaster: Netanyahu's Ex-Deputy

DTN News - ISRAELI DEFENSE NEWS: Israel Strike On Iran Would Be Disaster: Netanyahu's Ex-Deputy

Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources Reuters
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - August 18, 2012:  A former deputy of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Friday a pre-emptive military strike against Iran over its nuclear program could embroil Israel in a "disastrous war".

Shaul Mofaz, a parliamentary opposition leader who quit Netanyahu's cabinet last month where he served as vice premier, said on Israeli television he thought Israel was "planning a hasty, irresponsible event".

The former general and defense minister said he thought Israel could not do anything to force a strategic change in Iran's nuclear program, which the West suspects is aimed at producing atomic weapons. Tehran says it is for peaceful purposes.

As a member of Netanyahu's security cabinet for two months, Mofaz was privy to deliberations on Iran's nuclear program.

He told Channel 2 television in a studio interview that any Israeli military action "can at the most delay it (Iran's program) by about a year, and it can bring upon us a disastrous war".

Naming both Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak, he said he was "very worried at what they are preparing". He added: "I hope very much we don't reach such a war because it would be a disaster."

Days after he quit the cabinet late in July in a dispute about military conscription policy, Mofaz, who heads the centrist Kadima party, cautioned he would not back any Israeli military "adventures".

His comments echoed those of other former Israeli security officials who have spoken against any unilateral attack on Iran's nuclear facilities, with some saying such an assault could spur Tehran to speed up uranium enrichment.

Some officials have also voiced concern that any strike could prompt Iran's proxies in the region, such as Hezbollah guerrillas in Lebanon, to launch rocket attacks on Israel.

Israel, widely believed to be the only atomic power in the Middle East, views Iran's nuclear program as an existential threat, citing threats made by leaders of the Islamist nation to destroy the Jewish state.

There has been an upsurge in rhetoric from Israeli politicians this month suggesting Israel might attack Iran's nuclear facilities ahead of U.S. presidential elections in November.

Netanyahu is frustrated that Western diplomacy to try to force Iran to rein in its program has so far proved fruitless. Reported intelligence leaks that Tehran has been accelerating rather than scaling back its program have added to tensions.

However senior Israeli officials have said that a final decision about whether to attack Iran has not yet been taken, with ministers disagreeing over the issue and the military hierarchy unhappy about the prospect of going it alone without full U.S. backing.

(Writing by Allyn Fisher-Ilan; Editing by Pravin Char)

*Link for This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources Reuters
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DTN News - CHINA DEFENSE NEWS: Female Pilots Trained For New J-10 Vigorous Dragon Fighter Jet In China

DTN News - CHINA DEFENSE NEWS: Female Pilots Trained For New J-10 Vigorous Dragon Fighter Jet In China

Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources Yuan Xiaowei / for China Daily
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - August 18, 2012: A group of Chinese female pilots have recently made their first solo flights in the J-10 combat aircraft, becoming the first female air force pilots capable of flying the multirole aircraft - the country's most advanced fighter jet.

The five female pilots completed solo flights and missions navigating the J-10 on July 29 and 30, the PLA Daily reported on Wednesday.

The flights took place in an airfield in North China, the paper said, without identifying the airfield's name.

J-10 is designed and produced by the Chengdu Aircraft Industry Corp.

The aircraft, called the "Vigorous Dragon" in the West, is a multirole combat aircraft capable of air-to-air combat and ground-attack missions.

The paper said the five women were among China's first group of 16 female fighter pilots. They have served in the air force's combat troops after graduating from flight colleges in 2009.

He Xiaoli, one of the five pilots, has participated in a fly-over of Tian'anmen Square during the National Day Parade in honor of the 60th anniversary of the People's Republic of China, the paper said.

Given the strict training and their diligence, the female pilots can do what men can, Wang Qin, one of the group's instructors, was quoted as saying.

China has trained nearly 500 female pilots since women were first permitted to enroll in flight schools in 1951, the paper said.

Those female pilots have completed various missions, ranging from flying transport planes, conducting air detection to fighting in military exercise or providing rescue and relief work in emergencies.

In 2005, China's air force began to recruit female combat pilots, following the global trend to enable women to enter military service in the air.

In addition to China, 15 other countries have female fighter pilots, including the United States, Britain, Germany, Spain, Israel and Pakistan.

The paper said China will further train female pilots to fly bombers, early-warning aircraft and tanker aircraft.

The special group has became a cradle of and talent pool for the astronaut corps, as Liu Yang, China's first woman in space, served as a female pilot in the air force before she was selected as an astronaut.

 

tanzongyang@chinadaily.com.cn

*Link for This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources Yuan Xiaowei / for China Daily
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DTN News - PAKISTAN DEFENSE NEWS: Pakistani Taliban Claim Responsibility For Brazen Kamra Air Base Attack

DTN News - PAKISTAN DEFENSE NEWS: Pakistani Taliban Claim Responsibility For Brazen Kamra Air Base Attack
*Eight militants killed in Kamra airbase attack: PAF officials - Dawn

Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources ANI
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - August 16, 2012: Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan has claimed responsibility of the attack on Pakistan Air Force's (PAF) Minhas airbase at Kamra.

"We have killed scores of security personnel. We are proud of this operation. Our leadership had decided to attack Kamra base a long time ago," The Dawn quoted Ehsan, as saying.

"Nine of our men entered the base, four from one side and five from the other... They got together and launched the operation," Ehsan said, adding that they have damaged three JF-17 thunder aircrafts.

Ehsan said the attack was a revenge for the deaths of Baitullah Mehsud and Osama Bin Laden, adding that they "will continue the attacks on the military installments until the establishment of Islamic rule in the country".

He also confirmed the death of all nine TTP men who attacked the base.

During the early hours of Thursday, heavily armed militants stormed the PAF Minhas airbase sparking an intense gun battle lasting almost five hours.

The militants were said to be armed with automatic weapons, grenades and suicide vests. Intense exchange of fire between militants and security forces ensued after the attackers infiltrated the base, located in Attock, Punjab.

One Pakistani soldier, Muhammad Asif, also lost his life in the attack, the officials added.

Kamra is located about 70 kms from the Pakistani capital Islamabad. The Minhas airbase is a heavily guarded compound with the Pakistan Air Force's Kamra Aeronautical Complex in its vicinity, where Pakistan assembles and overhauls JF-17 Thunder fighter jets in collaboration with China.

This is not the first time that Kamra has been the target of a militant attack. On Oct 23, 2009, a suicide bomber blew himself up at the entrance of the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex in Kamra. Two security officers and six other people were killed in the attack. (ANI)

*Link for This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources ANI
*Eight militants killed in Kamra airbase attack: PAF officials - Dawn
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DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: Boeing X-51A WaveRider Hypersonic Jet Crashes

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS:  Boeing X-51A WaveRider Hypersonic Jet Crashes

Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources Boeing
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - August 15, 2012: The Air Force confirms that a hypersonic jet called the X-51A WaveRider  crashed in the Pacific Ocean today after one of its control fins failed.  The unmanned aircraft was launched from an Air Force B-52 bomber over Point Mugu Naval Air Warfare Center at around 11:36 this morning, Pacific time.

At first, the launch looked good. The WaveRider separated from the B-52 as planned, and its booster rockets fired properly. Then, after about 16 seconds of flight, the control fin was  found to be faulty and the jet tumbled out of control.

“All our data showed we had created the right conditions for engine ignition and we were very hopeful to meet our test objectives,” said Charles Brink, the project manager, in a statement.  The failure, he said, was “unfortunate.”

Researchers are analyzing data from the failed test, after which the Air Force says it will release the results of the investigation. The X-51A has had two previous successful tests, including one two years ago during which it flew for more than three minutes at five times the speed of sound.

With this latest test, the Air Force had hoped the speed would increase to 4,600 mph, roughly six times the speed of sound.

The Air Force hasn’t disclosed the cost of the WaveRider program, but Globalsecurity.org, a website that tracks military spending, says the project has cost $250-300 million since it began in 2004.  After today’s test only one aircraft remains, and Air Force officials have not decided when or if it will fly.


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DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: Northrop Grumman, U.S. Navy Conduct First East Coast Flight of X-47B Autonomous Unmanned Aircraft

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: Northrop Grumman, U.S. Navy Conduct First East Coast Flight of X-47B Autonomous Unmanned Aircraft
*Flight Adds Momentum to Team's Preparations for Carrier Suitability Testing

Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources Northrop Grumman
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - July 31, 2012: The Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC)-built X-47B Unmanned Combat Air System (UCAS) demonstrator has successfully completed its historic first flight from Naval Air Station Patuxent (Pax) River.

The 36-minute flight – the first for the tailless, strike-fighter-sized aircraft since it was transported to the Navy base in June from Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. – was successfully completed on July 29 at 11:36 a.m. Eastern time. It marks the first time a tactical unmanned aircraft has been fully integrated into the air traffic patterns and the command and control structure of the Pax River flight test complex.

"This flight of the X-47B is the first time an autonomous, carrier-capable unmanned system has flown at Pax River," said Carl Johnson, vice president and Navy UCAS program manager for Northrop Grumman. "It's also a major milestone for the program as the Navy/Northrop Grumman team prepares the aircraft to enter carrier suitability testing this fall, the last major phase of testing before we begin carrier trials in 2013."

Northrop Grumman is the Navy's prime contractor for the Navy's UCAS Carrier Demonstration (UCAS-D) program. The company designed and built two X-47B demonstrator aircraft for the program, which is managed by Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR).

During the flight, which comprised two precision racetrack patterns over the Chesapeake Bay, the aircraft reached a maximum altitude of 7,500 feet and a maximum air speed of 180 knots.

"This flight makes two critical points for the Northrop Grumman/Navy Integrated Test Team," said Daryl Martis, Northrop Grumman's X-47B test director. "It validates the performance of the aircraft demonstrated during its initial flight testing at Edwards, and it proves that we've successfully implemented the command and control structure required to operate the X-47B safely from Pax River."

Martis reported that the flight reconfirmed the aircraft's aerodynamic performance, and the performance of its propulsion and flush air data systems. Mission operators also confirmed that the aircraft responded correctly to commands from its onboard guidance, navigation and control system.

The team of mission operators for the first Pax River flight included Lt. Cmdr. Brian Loustaunau, U.S. Navy, NAVAIR's lead flight test project officer on the UCAS-D program.

"It's very significant to have a Navy mission operator fully integrated into test operations during the X-47B's first flight at Pax River," said Loustaunau. "The team is performing well and looking forward to our next phase of testing."

During the flight, the aircraft communicated with a shore-based version of the aircraft carrier systems that will help guide the X-47B to precision landings on the carrier deck, which are located in the Navy UCAS Aviation/Ship Integration Facility at Pax River.

In 2013, the UCAS-D program plans to demonstrate the ability of the X-47B to safely operate from a Navy aircraft carrier, including launch, recovery, and air traffic control operations. Those trials will be followed by a demonstration of autonomous aerial refueling in 2014. The program also plans to mature technologies required for potential future Navy unmanned air system programs. For the latest X-47B news and information, please visitwww.as.northropgrumman.com/products/nucasx47b/.

Northrop Grumman's UCAS-D industry team includes GKN Aerospace, Lockheed Martin, Pratt & Whitney, Eaton, GE, Hamilton Sundstrand, Dell, Honeywell, Goodrich, Moog, Wind River, Parker Aerospace and Rockwell Collins.

Northrop Grumman is a leading global security company providing innovative systems, products and solutions in aerospace, electronics, information systems, and technical services to government and commercial customers worldwide. Please visit www.northropgrumman.com for more information.

CONTACT: Brooks McKinney, APR
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*Link for This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources Northrop Grumman
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DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: Japan Expert Panel To Assess Safety Of US Military Aircraft

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: Japan Expert Panel To Assess Safety Of US Military Aircraft

Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources RTT
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - July 26, 2012: Japan has set up a panel of experts to make its own assessment on the safety of the U.S. military's Osprey transport aircraft brought to the country on Monday.

Defense Minister Satoshi Morimoto presided over the first meeting of the panel, headed by Defense Ministry's Deputy Director-General for Policy Tetsuro Kuroe, on Wednesday.

Other members include a Self-Defense Force helicopter pilot, an aircraft accident investigator from the Transport Ministry, and an expert in aeronautical engineering. The team plans to visit the United States sometime over the next few weeks to interview U.S. military officials about the cause of the recent Osprey accidents and measures to prevent a recurrence. They will also observe emergency training for Osprey pilots.

A series of accidents involving Osprey, including one in Morocco in April and another in the U.S. state of Florida in June, has triggered concerns in Japan over the planned deployment of the aircraft at the U.S. Marine Corps Futenma air station in Okinawa prefecture.

Morimoto said he hoped the experts would carefully investigate the accidents and provide an objective view so that people's apprehension about the aircraft's safety could be removed, Japanese media reported.

A fleet of 12 MV-22 Ospreys arrived on Monday at the U.S. Marine Corps Iwakuni air station in Yamaguchi prefecture, despite objections from local residents.

The Marines plan to conduct test flights near the base next month and begin full operations of the aircraft at the Futenma air station in Ginown, Okinawa prefecture, in early October.

Officials of 14 prefectures hosting U.S. bases have asked the Foreign Ministry details on the training flights over Japan which is having about 50,000 American soldiers on its soil as part of a bilateral military pact.

by RTT Staff Writer

For comments and feedback: editorial@rttnews.com

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DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: Lockheed Martin Delivers Another Super Galaxy

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS:  Lockheed Martin Delivers Another Super Galaxy

Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources Lockheed Martin
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - July 26, 2012: Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] delivered the fifth production C-5M Super Galaxy to the Air Force, July 20, 2012, at Robins Air Force Base, Ga.

The Super Galaxy is the eight overall C-5M for the Air Force and will undergo internal paint restoration at Stewart Air National Guard Base, N.Y., before traveling to its permanent home at Dover Air Force Base, Del.

The Super Galaxy is America’s premier global direct delivery weapon system and the only strategic airlifter capable of linking the homeland directly to the warfighter in all theaters of combat without refueling.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that employs about 120,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The corporation's net sales for 2011 were $46.5 billion.

The C-5 is a large high-wing cargo aircraft. It has a distinctive high T-tail, 25 degree wing sweep, and four TF39 turbofan engines mounted on pylons beneath the wings. The C-5 is similar in layout to its smaller predecessor, the C-141 Starlifter. The C-5 has 12 internal wing tanks and is equipped for aerial refueling. It has both nose and aft doors for "drive-through" loading and unloading of cargo. The C-5 is also known as FRED (fucking, sometimes written as "fantastic", ridiculous, economic/environmental disaster) by its crews due to its maintenance/reliability issues and large consumption of fuel.

A total of 52 C-5s are contracted to be modernized, consisting of 49 B-, two C- and one A-model aircraft through the Reliability Enhancement and Re-Engining Program (RERP). Over 70 changes and upgrades are incorporated in the program, including the newer General Electric engines. Five C-5M Super Galaxies have been produced. The RERP upgrade program is to be completed in 2016.

The first C-5A was delivered to the USAF on 17 December 1969. Wings were built up in the early 1970s at Altus AFB, Oklahoma, Charleston AFB, Dover AFB, Delaware, and Travis AFB, California. The C-5's first mission was on 9 July 1970, in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War. C-5s were used to transport equipment and troops, including Army tanks and even some small aircraft, throughout the later years of the US action in Vietnam. In the final weeks of the war, prior to the Fall of Saigon, several C-5s were involved in evacuation efforts; during one such mission a C-5A crashed while transporting a large number of orphans.

C-5s have also been used to deliver support and reinforce various US allies over the years. During the Yom Kippur war in 1973, multiple C-5s and C-141 Starlifters delivered critical supplies of ammunition, replacement weaponry and other forms of aid to Israel, the US effort was named as Operation Nickel Grass. The C-5 Galaxy's performance in Israel was such that the Pentagon began to consider further purchases. The C-5 was regularly made available to support American allies, such as the British-led peacekeeper initiative in Zimbabwe in 1979.


*Link for This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources Lockheed Martin
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