Russia’s state arms export monopoly has signed a $1 billion deal package with Angola to deliver military equipment, build an ammunition plant and provide maintenance services, Vedomosti business daily reported Wednesday.
Rosoboronexport will supply 18 Su-30K fighter jets to the southern African nation, the daily said, citing sources at the arms exports company and the Russian military.
The Su-30K fighters in question are a batch of aircraft that were initially supplied to India in the late 1990s, prior to Delhi receiving the more advanced multirole Su-30MKI variant. They were returned to Russia in 2007, Vedomosti said, and have since lain idle in a Belarusian repair plant.
Mike Kgobe, the CEO of Denel Aviation says the acceptance of the locally developed combat support helicopter marks the culmination of a 26 year partnership between the SAAF and Denel. “We took this proudly South African aircraft through all its stages – from design to manufacturing, upgrading and retrofitting – to the point where it will soon be deployed.
Denel will continue to be involved with the Rooivalk through on-going maintenance and repair services and providing the continued airworthiness engineering support to ensure the fleet of 11 helicopters remains mission ready.
Mr Kgobe says the Rooivalk project is indicative of the symbiotic relationship between Denel Aviation and the SAAF. “We are always ready to provide technical and ground support to ensure the operational readiness of the Air Force’s fleet.”
This relationship was strengthened last week with an agreement in which Denel Aviation will continue to deliver vital maintenance services to the SAAF, leading to continued airworthiness and the upkeep of air assets.
RAF jets successfully bombed a Libyan frigate in Tripoli harbour this week, along with various other key targets of forces loyal to Colonel Gaddafi.
In the early hours of Monday morning, RAF Tornado and Typhoon aircraft conducted precision strikes on an ammunition and vehicle depot, and a military communications facility, both near Zlitan.
An armed reconnaissance patrol over Brega, in the east of the country, identified and destroyed two armed pick-up trucks.
Ukrainian state company Ukrspetsexport signed a $100-million contract with the Ethiopian Defense Ministry on the delivery of over 200 T-72 tanks, UNIAN news agency reported on Thursday.
The deal is one of the largest contracts Ukrspetsexport has signed in the last 15 years.
Ukraine also expects to receive further orders for the repair and upkeep of the tanks.
The T-72, first produced in the USSR in the 1970's, was widely exported to many African, Asian and Middle Eastern states.
The Libyan capital Tripoli has been rocked by a series of large explosions overnight. It follows the use of British Army Apache helicopters, which went into action against Colonel Gadaffi’s forces for the first time at the weekend.
NATO says it was mainly targeting surface to air missile sites and command and control facilities. It claims there were several hits on armoured vehicles near Misrata and Brega.
Major General Nick Pope, the Chief of the Defence Staff's Strategic Communications Officer, said intelligence on the whereabouts of Gaddafi's forces was "improving in a very satisfactory manner, despite their efforts to conceal themselves."
China has agreed to provide Pakistan with 50 more fighter jets in a deal clinched during Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani's trip to Beijing, Pakistani defense officials said Friday.
Gilani's four-day visit highlighted Pakistan's warm ties with China at a time of heightened tensions with Washington over the killing of Osama bin Laden in a Pakistani town by American special forces.
Pakistan is seen as eager to show a demanding Washington that it has a strong diplomatic alternative in uncritical ally China.
RAF jets participated in a major NATO strike against Colonel Gaddafi's Navy last night as part of the UK's ongoing support to the NATO-led Operation UNIFIED PROTECTOR, protecting Libyan civilians under threat of attack.
Yesterday's RAF strikes were mounted against the naval base at Al Khums, the nearest concentration of regime warships to the port of Misurata, which Colonel Gaddafi has repeatedly attempted to close to humanitarian shipping.
Major General John Lorimer, the Chief of the Defence Staff's Strategic Communications Officer, said:
Critical Solutions International (CSI) of Dallas, TX, in partnership with RSD, a division of DCD-DORBYL (Pty) Ltd. of Boksburg, South Africa, launched the Mountain Lion family of high mobility armored vehicles at the NDIA Special Operations Forces Industry Conference (SOFIC). On exhibit is the first prototype, an 8-seat medium-weight class vehicle.
"All Mountain Lion variants will combine and improve upon generations of combat-proven designs from our VMMD Husky currently deployed with US forces in Afghanistan and Iraq," said CSI President, Shon Craig. "The end result is a mobile, protective and versatile next-generation line of vehicles capable of operating in mountainous and rough terrain."
The Mountain Lion family of vehicles span the weight, protection and performance range from JLTV to MRAP, creating:
Experts are worried that at least part of Libya's massive inventory of man-portable surface-to-air missiles (SAMs) might fall into the hands of terrorists. Fighting between Muammar al-Qadhafi loyalists and rebels make it difficult to determine who is in control of this inventory.
Libya has more than 20,000 missile launchers in inventory. There are unconfirmed reports that some anti-aircraft weapons have already been funneled to North African militants. Chad claims a cache of Libya SAMs already have reached al-Qaeda's North African affiliate, al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb. Similar accounts have come from Algerian officials. These reports are unconfirmed.
Russian sources say Libya has between 600 and 1,500 1980s-vintage Russian-made portable SAMs. Some pictures from the frontlines show advanced Strelets vehicle-mounted launchers capable of firing new SA-24 Grinch missiles
The Azerbaijan Ministry of Defence Industries (MDI) has extended the Joint Production Agreement with Paramount Group, Africa's largest privately owned defence company, to produce 60 new mine protected vehicles in Baku. This expansion of the current production facility was announced at IDEF, Turkey’s international defence exhibition, and will comprise 30 Marauder and 30 Matador IED and mine-protected vehicles, with deliveries running through to late 2012.
The announcement follows Paramount Group’s recent successful establishment of a joint production facility and the production of an initial 30 vehicles (15 Matadors and 15 Marauders) to the Azerbaijan MDI, under a joint production agreement set up in 2009.
Commenting on the new order, the Honourable Minister of Defence Industry of Azerbaijan, Mr Yaver Jamalov, said: “Both Matador and Marauder are highly flexible and advanced IED-protected vehicles that ideally meet the requirements of our armed forces. We chose Paramount Group’s vehicles because they are the most technologically advanced on the market and are flexible enough to deal with a variety of situations.
India and South Africa on 14 April Thursday decided to hold joint Naval exercises. This was decided when Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and President Jacob Zuma met in China and discussed ways to boost overall ties.
In addition, the two leaders discussed bilateral defence issues. This was told by Secretary (Economic Relations) in the External Affairs Ministry Manbir Singh. “Talking about the defence ties, the two leaders felt that these could be further strengthened,” Manbir Singh said.
In this context, the leaders decided that the two countries would hold Naval exercises. Indian and South African navies have already held joint manoeuvres during IBSAMAR 2010. IBSAMAR II had 11 ships taking part from the navies of India, Brazil and South Africa. During IBSAMAR II, South Africa was the host country, India was the lead country and Brazil was the support country.
“It's a historic day,” says Anders Silwer, the Air Force Inspector, after participating in one of the first missions in support of UN Resolution 1973.
During the mission, which began at 15:55 on Friday from Sigonella air base in Sicily, included air refueling by a TP-84T [C-130 Hercules tanker—Ed.] at 10,000 feet. The two JAS 39s then flew on to enforce the No-Fly Zone around Tripoli.
“The air refueling went very well. It was completely undramatic,” says Anders Silwer, who was traveling in the mid-air refueling plane.
South Africa has exported millions of dollars' worth of arms to some of the world's most repressive regimes, a weekly newspaper said Sunday, citing a classified government weapons report.
Africa's largest arms exporter has sold weapons to five of the 10 least democratic states on the Economist Intelligence Unit's Democracy Index and 10 of the 25 worst performers on the Global Peace Index, which ranks nations by their peacefulness, according to The Sunday Independent.
The paper cites Algeria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Burundi, China, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Libya, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia and Yemen as countries with questionable democracy and human rights records that have received South African weapons.
NATO warplanes destroyed 11 regime tanks on the road to the eastern Libyan town of Ajdabiya and another 14 tanks near Misrata in the west on April 10, the operation's commander said.
"The situation in Ajdabiya, and Misratah in particular, is desperate for those Libyans who are being brutally shelled by the (Moammar Gadhafi) regime," said Lt. Gen. Charles Bouchard, the NATO operation's commander.
"To help protect these civilians we continue to strike these forces hard, with 11 tanks destroyed today as they approached Ajdabiya, and 14 tanks destroyed earlier this morning in the outskirts of Misrata," he said.
Elbit Systems Ltd. announced today that it was awarded a contract to supply self-propelled artillery and accompanying systems to an African country. The contract, valued at approximately $24 million, will be performed over the next two years. This is the first contract announcement regarding Soltam Systems Ltd. ("Soltam") since its recent acquisition by Elbit Systems.
The contract calls for the supply of a complete solution, including Soltam's ATMOS self-propelled artillery, command stations, observation and target acquisition systems, as well as fire control and command and control systems. In addition, Elbit Systems will manage the training and maintenance during the project's duration.
Bezalel Machlis, Elbit Systems' Executive Vice President and General Manager - Land and C4I Division, commented: "This new contract highlights the high synergetic value within our various land activities, allowing us to provide our customers with complete unique solutions, from artillery platforms, to target acquisition systems, through to advanced command and control solutions that connect all of the systems." Machlis added: "Our integrative solution, combining Soltam's artillery systems and our range of advanced electronic capabilities, provides a cutting-edge operational solution suitable for the growing trend of a transition to wheeled mobile platforms for artillery."
The biggest-ever Indo-US defence deal expected to be worth USD 4.1 billion for procuring 10 C-17 heavylift transport aircraft has been delayed over price issue.
The deal was earlier scheduled to be cleared by the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) in its meeting in March-end but now will be put up for clearance only after the US answers queries on whether India was being charged more price for the aircraft than other countries, Defence Ministry sources said here.
The per unit cost being charged from India by the US for the C-17 is USD 410 million whereas it is sold to Australia at a price of USD 300 million per aircraft.
The South African Air Force is the proud new owner of the upgraded Rooivalk combat support helicopter. Rooivalk Mark 1 is now ready for operational duties.
The helicopter, designed and manufactured in South Africa, was received by the Chief of the SA Air Force, Lt Gen Carlo Gagiano.
Denel CEO Talib Sadik says the handover is the culmination of 25 years of research, development and high-technology manufacturing.
It has been announced that RAF Tornado aircraft have destroyed three armoured vehicles in Misrata, and three further vehicles in Ajdabiya, following a missile strike.
The Chief of Defence Staff's Strategic Communication Officer Major General John Lorimer said:
"British Tornado GR4 Aircraft, on a mission over Libya yesterday afternoon in support of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973 took part in a co-ordinated missile strike against units of Colonel Gaddafi's Libyan Military.
The international coalition force is planning a ground operation in Libya that could start in late April, a high-ranking Russian intelligence service source said on Friday.
"Information coming via different channels shows that NATO countries, with the active participation of Britain and the United States, are developing a plan for a ground operation on Libyan territory," he said.
"From all indications, a ground operation will be launched if the alliance fails to force the Gaddafi regime to capitulate with air strikes and missile attacks."
al-Qaeda's offshoot in North Africa has snatched surface-to-air missiles from an arsenal in Libya during the civil strife there, Chad's president said in an interview to be published March 28.
Idriss Deby Itno did not say how many were stolen, but told the African weekly Jeune Afrique that he was "100 percent sure" of his assertion.
"The Islamists of al-Qaida took advantage of the pillaging of arsenals in the rebel zone to acquire arms, including surface-to-air missiles, which were then smuggled into their sanctuaries in Tenere," a desert region of the Sahara that stretches from northeast Niger to western Chad, Deby said in the interview.
