DRDO Conducts Successful Test of Interceptor Missile

DRDO today conducted a successful test launch of the interceptor missile. DRDO’s Air Defence Missile AAD-05 has successfully hit the ballistic missile and destroyed it at a height of 15 kms off the Coast of Orissa near the Wheelers Island.

A modified Prithvi missile mimicking the ballistic missile was launched at 1010 hrs from ITR Chandipur. Radars located at different locations tracked the incoming ballistic missile. Interceptor missile was ready to take-off at Wheelers Island. Guidance computers continuously computed the trajectory of the ballistic missile and launched AAD-05 Interceptor Missile at a precisely calculated time.

With the target trajectory continuously updated by the radar, the onboard guidance computer guided the AAD-05 Interceptor Missile towards the target missile.

Russia Expects KA-226T to Win Indian Helicopter Tender

The results of the tender to supply the Indian Air Force and Army with 197 reconnaissance and surveillance helicopters are expected to be announced soon. All the test phases have been completed and the examination of bids is at final stage.

JSC Rosoboronexport is hoping that Russia’s Kamov Ka-226T multi-purpose helicopter will win. Its rival is Eurocopter AS550 C3 Fennec helicopter.

A distinct advantage of the Russian bid is its "cumulative" effect: the superior Ka-226T chopper is offered together with an offset program which is attractive for the Indian side.

Iran Test Fires New Radar-Evading Missile

Iran has test fired a new medium-range missile capable of avoiding radar detection, raising the stakes in its defiance of the West.

The launch was part of a 10-day military exercise being conducted in the Gulf near the Strait of Hormuz.

The drill is taking place as the country's relationship with the West is under increasing strain over its nuclear ambitions.

Neuron UCAV Demonstrator Unveiled

Neuron, the European Unmanned Combat Aircraft (UCAV) technology demonstrator, was presented on 19 January 2012 to government officials from the six participating countries (France, Sweden, Italy, Spain, Greece and Switzerland). This ceremony took place on the Istres facility of prime contractor Dassault Aviation, is south-eastern France

DGA, acting as the program’s Executive Agency representing all partners, awarded the Neuron prime contract to Dassault Aviation in February 2006. Thus, this presentation is the culmination of five years of design, development, manufacture, assembly and early static testing of the demonstrator. The engine tests began in December 2011 and will continue until the first flight in mid-2012.

Subsequently, flight tests will be carried out over two years in France, Sweden and Italy.

India Picks Rafale As MMRCA Winner

French firm Dassault Rafale has bagged India's biggest-ever military contract for supplying 126 combat aircraft for the Air Force, edging out European rival EADS in the deal that may be worth about ten billion dollars.

The French firm was declared as the lowest bidder, according to which it will get the contract under India's defence procurement procedure, sources said in New Delhi on Tuesday.

"The French firm Dassault Rafale has emerged as the L-1 (lowest bidder) and cheaper than its European rival EADS (maker of Eurofighter) in the tender and will be offered to supply the aircraft to the IAF," the source said.

Russian flat variable-geometry nozzle.

Russia started practical work on the thrust vector control from late 80's. Su-27s were widely used as flying labs for testing new aircraft and systems, The flying lab derived from the T10-26 was used to test the asymmetric swivelling nozzle. In 1990, the T10U-5 combat trainer left engine was fitted with a flat variable-geometry nozzle. The results of those and other tests have been used in designing new versions of the fighter and prospective combat aircraft.

The team was lead by Mikhail Pogosyan (General Director of Sukhoi Aviation)

Mikhail Pogosyan in the video say's huge technology advancement were made to develop a 5th generation aircraft, Not all the solutions were implemented on the flying laboratory which we flew with a flat nozzle, During the test we monitored the performance and manageability of the system.

“Sudarshan Shakti” aims to transform armed forces

President Pratibha Patil, Supreme Commander of the armed forces, on Monday witnessed one of the largest military exercises in recent times — “Sudarshan Shakti” — aimed at starting the transformation of the forces into a modern, lean, and agile fighting combination capable of leveraging new-age technologies.

The exercise, in the deserts near Barmer in Rajasthan, helmed by the Southern Army Command and the South Western Air Command, led by formations under the Bhopal-based 21 Corps, a strike Corps also known by the name Sudarshan Chakra Corps, looks to build synergy between the Army and the Air Force in a network-centric environment to help face challenges of the 21st Century – including having to fight in an environment dominated by the threat from nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons.

Donning military fatigues, Ms. Patil arrived on a T-90 battle tank much to the astonishment of onlookers, accompanied by Defence Minister A.K. Antony and Army Chief General V.K. Singh, hailed the exercises as a “landmark that would enhance our combat preparedness” and help the forces ward off threats to national security in the face of “multi-dimensional” challenges. “We need to accordingly equip ourselves with state-of-the-art weapons, and hone our skills through relentless training to deliver the required response to our adversaries, when the need arises,” she said.

Iran airs footage of US drone, protests violation

Iran made a formal protest on Thursday over a US drone entering "deep" into its eastern airspace last week, and aired footage of what appeared to be the downed aircraft on state television.

Swiss ambassador Livia Leu Agosti was summoned to the foreign ministry and told the incident suggests Washington has upped its "provocative and covert actions" against the Islamic regime, the state television website reported.

The Swiss embassy handles US interests in the absence of Iran-US diplomatic ties.
Iran "strongly protests the violation of an RQ-170 spy aircraft deep into its airspace," the report said, adding that Tehran asked for "an urgent response and compensation from the US government."

DRDO successfully conducts maiden flight of AEW&C

The DRDO has conducted the maiden flight of Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) system at a special facility in Brazil, taking a major step forward in the development of such system indigenously.

The first maiden flight of indigenously developed AEW&C took place yesterday at Sao Jose dos Campos in Brazil with about 1000 mission system components provided by Bangalore- based DRDO lab, the Centre for Airborne Systems (CABS), a DRDO spokesperson said here.

DRDO chief V K Saraswat, in his message after the successful first test-flight of the AEW&C, said, "The flight is a major milestone towards realising the dream of indigenous Airborne Early Warning and Control system, which will put India into a select club of countries."

India Launches New Generation Strategic Missile AGNI 4

India today successfully test-fired the most advanced long-range missile system Agni-4 today. The missile was launched from a Road Mobile System at 9.00 AM from Wheelers’ Island off the coast of Odisha.

The missile followed its trajectory, in a text book fashion, attained a height of about 900 kms and reached the pre-designated target in the international waters of Bay of Bengal.

All mission objectives were fully met. All the systems functioned perfectly till the end encountering the re-entry temperatures of more than 3000⁰C.

Israel holds major missile defence drill

Israel on Thursday completed a major civil defence drill in the Tel Aviv region aimed at simulating a response to conventional and non-conventional missile attacks, the military said.
The four-hour exercise began shortly after 10:00 am (0800 GMT) with the sounding of sirens for a full minute and a half throughout the region around the coastal city of Tel Aviv.

The rescue units of the police, the fire service, the Magen David Adom emergency services and the civil defence units all participated in the exercise, the Israeli military said.

"We are going to test all the possible scenarios, including attacks causing significant damage," civil defence official Colonel Adam Zussman told army radio ahead of the drill.

Russian Guns Bolster Afghan Artillery

Picatinny Arsenal is helping the Afghan National Army develop their indirect fire capability to bolster self-defense.

Picatinny, in conjunction with the Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan, will support the acquisition of 194 D30, 122mm Howitzers for the Afghan National Army.

In addition to supporting the acquisition of the howitzers, the Program Executive Office Ammunition, or PEO Ammo, has also helped establish a training and mentoring program at the Central Work Shop in Kabul, Afghanistan. At the CWS, mentors/instructors are teaching an Afghan work force how to properly overhaul, repair and maintain the weapons.

India Receives First Batch of Mi-17V-5 Helos

The first batch of Mi-17V-5 helicopters have been delivered to the Indian side under the contract signed by Rosoboronexport, JSC in December 2008 during the visit to India of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.

The helicopters are manufactured by Kazan Helicopters, a subsidiary of the Russian Helicopters holding company.

India is considered Russia’s a strategic partner in development and delivery of rotorcraft for defence purposes as well as state and private operators. Joint Russian-Indian projects to deliver new helicopters, spares, and aviation equipment are under way. As of 2011 the Indian Air Force operates over 200 Mi-8/17 type medium rotorcraft of Russian make.

Soldiers Survive IED Strike Thanks to Scimitar

Soldiers from 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards have survived a strike by a large improvised explosive device (IED) in Afghanistan while driving in their upgraded Scimitar Mk2 vehicle.

The three soldiers of the Welsh Cavalry were on a routine patrol in Nahr-e Saraj when their Scimitar Mk2 was engulfed in an explosion. All three soldiers walked away from the incident unharmed.

Vehicle commander Lieutenant Peter Gordon-Finlayson said the explosion stunned the crew for a few moments before their training took over, adding:

Rafale Reportedly Has Lower Costs, Indian Media Say

India on Friday opened the financial bids of the two fighters left in the fray for the world's biggest combat aircraft deal, but promptly declared it would take at least two-three weeks to declare the eventual winner since tons of data had to be computed.

For all its promises of "full transparency" in the medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) contract to acquire 126 fighters, likely to be the single biggest defence deal in the run-up to the 2014 polls with its overall value set to exceed $20 billion, the defence ministry refused to say anything concrete.

Sources, however, said the "unit flyaway cost" or "direct acquisition cost" of each Eurofighter Typhoon was "higher" than the French Rafale fighter, both of which fall in the $80-$110 million bracket, much costlier than the American, Russian and Swedish jets earlier eliminated after exhaustive technical evaluation by IAF pilots.

Army rolls out first Apache Block III aircraft

The first Apache Block III helicopter was delivered to the Army today during a ceremony at the Boeing plant here in which the aircraft was rolled out on stage under bright lights and a wisp of generated smoke.

Hundreds of industry, government and military officials attended the event in which two of the new AH-64 aircraft were actually delivered to the Army ahead of schedule. The first Block III helicopter was finished about a week early and the second about a month ahead of schedule, according to David Koopersmith, Boeing Attack Helicopter Programs vice president.

"It's an amazing game-changer," said Maj. Gen. Tim Crosby about the new Apache. Crosby, the Army's program executive officer for aviation, went on to say during a press conference that no other helicopter in the world could match the Apache Block III.

S. Korea Unveils Truck-mounted 105mm Gun

The first truck mounted 105-millimeter howitzer was revealed to the media for the first time on Sept. 22 at the Ministry of National Defense in Yongsan, Seoul.

The new weapon, developed by Samsung Techwin, the Samsung Group’s defense and precision machinery unit, was displayed at a weapon exhibition that was opened inside the ministry compound.

After being assigned as a project under Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration in 2009, Samsung Techwin begin making the new wheeled howitzer from 2010 in an effort to enhance combat capabilities with other widely used artilleries.

Afghan Air Force Nears 50% of Planned Size

Afghanistan’s military retains the vestiges of a modern air force, and its skilled and eager airmen have NATO trainers encouraged as they build up the force, the commander of NATO Air Training Command Afghanistan said today.

The Afghanistan air force has about 5,000 of its 8,000-member goal, and 66 of 145 aircraft NATO plans to provide it, U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Timothy Ray said during a meeting with reporters at the State Department’s Foreign Press Center here.

“Back in the 1970s and ’80s, they actually had a very modern air force,” Ray said. The force had mostly Russian-made aircraft, which were new then, but either were lost in later combat or weren’t maintained after the country fell to the Taliban, he said.

Germany Threatens to Halt Submarine Sale to Israel

The German government is threatening to halt the delivery of a submarine capable of firing nuclear warheads in protest of the Israeli government's recent decision to build new homes in the Arab part of Jerusalem. Earlier this year, SPIEGEL reported that Germany's subsidized submarine sales program is linked to World War II reparations.

Germany is threatening to stop the delivery of a "Dolphin" submarine to Israel in protest over the country's settlement policies. Government sources confirmed the development when asked by SPIEGEL following speculation last week in the Israeli media that Germany might halt the sale.

The move is in response to the recent decision by the Israeli government to approve the construction of 1,100 homes in Gilo, an Arab part of Jerusalem captured from Jordan in the 1967 Six Day War. The Israeli government considers the area to be a Jewish suburb, but the international community contests that description.

Pentagon Confirms F-35 Offer to India

The Pentagon’s Nov. 2 report to Congress of US-India Security Cooperation concludes with a paragraph which sums up the Pentagon’s position regarding the possible sale of F-35 Joint Strike Fighters to India, which has been widely reported but not previously confirmed. The paragraph follows:

Joint Strike Fighter and Potential Co-Development of Military Weapons Systems

The Department of Defense is continually looking for ways to expand defense cooperation with India. We are seeking opportunities for increased science and technology cooperation that may lead to co-development opportunities with India as a partner.