April 04, 2011 by Ajai Shukla BUSINESS STANDARD

Bangalore - With the Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) entering service with Indian Air Force squadrons, the designers of this indigenous fighter have explained why they believe this will be the world’s premier light fighter. The Tejas Mark-II, to be developed by 2014 and roll off production lines by 2018, will perform 40 per cent better than the current fighter. After which would come the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft, the AMCA, which the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) says will be a “fifth-generation plus” fighter, more formidable than anything flying today. In an exclusive interview with Business Standard, P Subramanyam, director of the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA), which is developing the LCA and the AMCA, responded to IAF criticism that the Tejas was not yet a world-class fighter. He said the Tejas Mark-I, still being flight-tested, had been flown to just 85 per cent of its full capability. The Tejas Mark-II -- in which a more powerful GE-414 engine will replace the current GE-404 engine -- would perform another 15 per cent better. “The Tejas Mark-I will expand its performance envelope to its full capability by end-2012. And, a major performance boost will come from the Tejas Mark-II’s new GE-414 engine, for which we have signed a $700-million (Rs 3,135 crore) contract to build here in India. The Mark-II will outperform the Mark-I by about 15 per cent in the key aspects of take-off run, rate of climb, acceleration, and turn rate. Most of this would come from the higher thrust of the GE-414 engine. Another two-three per cent benefit would come from better aerodynamics… since we will re-engineer the fighter to accommodate the new engine. That overall 35-40 per cent improvement would make the LCA the world’s premier light fighter,” says Subramanyam.

2011-04-02 (China Military News cited from China.org.cn) by admin China Military Power Mashup

China issued its seventh white paper on National Defense [full text] on Thursday. It did not include information on China's new aircraft carrier, as had been widely anticipated, but there was plenty of other detailed information to enhance military transparency and refute recent misunderstandings, distortions and worries about China's national defense strategy. A common worry last year was whether China had changed its defensive military posture and was becoming more assertive as its comprehensive power increased. The new white paper gives a clear answer: China pursues a national defense policy that is defensive in nature. This approach is based on China's analysis and judgment of the international security situation. The white paper concludes that the world remains peaceful and stable on the whole, though international military competition has intensified and the security situation in the Asia-Pacific is becoming more complex. China is still in a period of important strategic development opportunities, and its overall security environment remains favorable. And it is the security environment that determines China's national defense policy. Neglecting China's assessment of the overall international security situation will lead to misunderstanding the nature of China's national defense policy.

April 2, 2011 The Express Tribune

MULTAN: Pakistan army conducted successful war exercises in the Khudai range near Muzzafargarh. Large scale use of tanks, artilleries and other weapons was made in the exercises. At the occasion, Corps Commander Multan Lieutenant General Shafqat Ahmad said the army was required to remain alert to face challenges at the country’s eastern border, and to operate against terrorism. He said the armed forces of Pakistan were capable enough to guard the country’s frontiers. Ahmad also visited the semi-desert Khudai Ranges near Muzzaffargarh and witnessed exercises conducted by armour, infantry and artillery troops. The corps commander also reiterated that Multan troops played a significant role in “Operation Labbaik”, which ensured appropriate rescue and rehabilitation of displaced persons from Southern Punjab. “Along with these activities, troops are also engaged in their training activities without compromising professional standards, which is the hallmark of Pakistan Army,” the corps commander added.

2011-04-02 (China Military News cited from and aviationweek.com written by Bill Sweetman, Richard D. Fisher, Jr.)

U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates says it has the "potential to do for America's military deterrent power . . . what AirLand Battle did" in the 20th century. The chief of naval operations sees it as paradigm-shifting. "I don't want to be over the top," Navy Adm. Gary Roughhead said at an Aviation Week conference in February, "but it's pretty ground-breaking." What has these men seemingly so excited? The answer: The nascent AirSea Battle concept now being hammered out by Air Force, Navy and other defense officials inside the Pentagon and elsewhere. But while this high-profile joint battle plan may be the vanguard of U.S. operations for this century, questions linger over whether it is even keeping up with the threats known and otherwise.

BEIJING, April 1 (UPI)

China's military is working with civilian aviation companies to provide integrated support for army aviation equipment. The General Staff Headquarters of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, the Army Aviation Department and the Aviation Industry Corporation of China signed an "Agreement on Military and Civilian Integrated Support for New Army Aviation Equipment" in Beijing Thursday. According to Aviation Department Director Zhang Ming, the agreement commits the PLA to adopting a military-civilian integrated support mode for army aviation equipment maintenance, Jiefangjun Bao reported Friday. The agreement states that the jointly developed military and civilian integrated support system will be dominated by the PLA and supported by national defense industrial sectors and relevant civilian aviation manufacturing facilities.

Source Defensetech.org

New Delhi, Apr 1 (PTI) IBN Live

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.After certain representations were made to the Ministry that the aircraft were being sold to India at comparatively higher price, the deal was put on hold and it would be come up before the CCS only after the US government answers Indian government's queries, the sources said.The aircraft is being purchased through Foreign Military Sales (FMS) route by India under which the sale agreement is signed between the two governments.The defence ministry had already approved funds for procuring the aircraft in the last fiscal, they said.The US Congress had notified the sale of the C-17s to India at USD 5.8 billion representing the highest possible estimate for the deal which includes all potential services offered.India is planning to procure the aircraft for augmenting its fleet of Ilyushin-76 aircraft and Antonov-32 transport aircraft from the US.The negotiations between India and the US for the deal were completed in February this year.After finalising the initial deal for ten aircraft, the Indian Air Force (IAF) is also planning to place orders for additional six aircraft.Till date, the biggest defence deal between the two sides is for the procurement of eight P-8I maritime surveillance aircraft for the Indian Navy at USD 2.1 billion.Since 2005, the US companies have bagged defence deals worth around USD four billion and are participating in all the major tenders issued by Indian armed forces for defence purchase.

The P-8I is a variant of the P-8A Poseidon Boeing is building for the U.S. Navy. Here, the fourth flight-test Poseidon is shown during a ribbon cutting ceremony on Nov. 11, 2010 for Boeing's P-8 plant, near Boeing Field, in Seattle. (Joshua Trujillo/seattlepi.com)

April 1, 2011 by Aubrey Cohen - seattlepi.com

The Indian government has approved the purchase of four more Boeing P-8I maritime patrol aircraft, Dow Jones reported Friday. The four P-8Is come on top of the eight India ordered in 2009, for delivery between 2013 and 2015, and would be delivered after 2015, Boeing Military Aircraft President Chris Chadwick told Dow Jones. Boeing builds the 737-based P-8 in Renton and Seattle. The P-8I is a variant of the P-8A Poseidon Boeing is building for the U.S. Navy. Chadwick told Dow Jones that Boeing has offered a P-8I derivative in response to India’s initial request for information for six medium multi-role reconnaissance aircraft and expects India to sign a final agreement to buy 10 C-17 Globemaster III airlifters in the next few months.

photo agustawestland.com

April 1, 2011: STRATEGY PAGE

For the first time since 1970, the New Zealand Air Force is receiving some new aircraft. Not warplanes, the new arrivals are a pair of A109LUHs (Light Utility Helicopter). Four years ago, the air force ordered five of these, and one simulator. This equipment will be used as pilot trainers, to provide crews for the eight larger, ten ton, NH90 choppers. The smaller A109 is a 3.1 ton helicopter that can operate with one or two pilots, and carry up to eight passengers. Maximum endurance is 3.5 hours and it is equipped with a rescue lift that can bring up two people at a time, or 270 kg (594 pounds). In addition to its training duties, the A109s will also be used as a light transport. The A109 is similar to the U.S. UH-1, but is of more modern (ten years after the UH-1) design.

March 31, 2011 defpro.com

The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) opened its recently upgraded ship's bridge simulator training facility at HMAS Watson in Sydney on 25th March 2011. Featuring a host of new full mission and desktop simulators from Kongsberg Maritime, the new facility represents one of the most advanced naval training centres in the world and will be used by RAN cadets to learn to pilot the next generation of warships, alongside a wide range of critical training applications, including anti-piracy.

Mar 30, 2011 DEFENSE STUDIES

Turkey Targets Indonesia for Sale and Joint Production of Armored Vehicles, Wireless Devices and Rockets

Eyeing to expand in new markets, Turkish defense industry focuses on Indonesia and Malaysia. FNSS, a producer largely owned by Turkish company Nurol, is to sell armored vehicles worth between $300 million and $400 million to the Indonesian Army initially as part of a broader industry relation. The military electronics firm Aselsan also is planned to cooperate with the Asian country on wireless devices and other electronic equipment. In an effort to cement its position as a major exporter of armored vehicles and other defense equipment, Turkey has chosen the southeastern Asian nations of Indonesia and Malaysia as two key target countries. Shortly before a planned visit by President Abdullah Gül to Indonesia in early April, senior Turkish procurement officials in mid-March secured a number of defense industry deals, for which official cooperation agreements are scheduled to be signed during the visit. “Indonesia and Malaysia are two countries with which we really want and hope to greatly boost our defense industry relations,” said a senior procurement official.

source www.nasaspaceflight.com

2011-03-31 (China Military News cited from Xinhua)

The Chinese government advocates the peaceful use of outer space, and opposes any weaponisation of outer space and any arms race in outer space, China's Xinhua news agency said citing a white paper report on the country's national defence. "China believes that the best way for the international community to prevent any weaponisation of or arms race in outer space is to negotiate and conclude a relevant international legally-binding instrument," says the white paper, issued by the Information Office of the State Council Thursday. According to the document, in February 2008, China and Russia jointly submitted to the Conference on Disarmament (CD) a draft Treaty on the Prevention of the Placement of Weapons in Outer Space and the Threat or Use of Force against Outer Space Objects (PPWT). In August 2009, China and Russia jointly submitted their working paper responding to the questions and comments raised by the CD members on the draft treaty. China is looking forward to starting negotiations on the draft treaty at the earliest possible date, in order to conclude a new outer space treaty, says the white paper.

2011-03-31 xinhua - CRIonline

La Chine a publié jeudi un livre blanc sur la défense nationale, visant à renforcer sa transparence militaire et à promouvoir la confiance mondiale, dans son engagement au développement pacifique. Selon le livre, le 7e du genre publié par le gouvernement chinois depuis 1998, la Chine ne prétendra jamais à l'hégémonie, ni n'adoptera cette position dans le développement militaire que ce soit aujourd'hui ou dans l'avenir et quel que soit le niveau de développement de son économie. Ce document donne un aperçu général sur la défense nationale de la Chine, allant de l'environnement sécuritaire, de la politique sur la défense nationale, aux dépenses militaires et au contrôle des armements. En matière d'environnement sécuritaire, le livre blanc indique que le monde reste pacifique et stable dans l'ensemble, mais que la situation sécuritaire internationale est devenue plus complexe et que la course aux armements demeure acharnée. En même temps, la Chine est confrontée à des défis sécuritaires plus divers et complexes, précise le livre blanc.

La Chine mène une politique de défense nationale de nature défensive. Une telle approche est déterminée par la voie de développement de la Chine, ses objectifs fondamentaux, sa politique extérieure et ses traditions historique et culturelle. Les objectifs et les tâches de la défense nationale de la Chine dans la nouvelle ère consistent à sauvegarder la souveraineté nationale, la sécurité et les intérêts du développement national, à maintenir l'harmonie et la stabilité sociales, à accélérer la modernisation de la défense nationale et des forces armées, et à maintenir la paix et la stabilité mondiales, poursuit le livre blanc. Le livre blanc passe en revue la modernisation de l'Armée populaire de Libération (APL, armée chinoise), avant d'arriver à la conclusion que l'APL est devenue une force militaire puissante dotée d'une gamme de services et d'armes. En outre, celle-ci fait actuellement des progrès en matière d'informatisation.

L'APL a établi une stratégie de développement en trois étapes et adopté une approche qui envisage la mécanisation comme fondement et l'informatisation comme objectif. L'augmentation des dépenses militaires de la Chine reste à un niveau raisonnable et approprié, selon le texte. Celles-ci comprennent principalement les dépenses pour le personnel, l'entraînement et la maintenance, ainsi que l'achat d'équipements, comptant chacun pour approximativement un tiers du total. Selon le livre blanc, l'augmentation des dépenses militaires au cours des deux dernières années est attribuée à l'amélioration des conditions de soutien des troupes et l'accomplissement de missions militaires diverses, allant des secours suite aux séismes aux opérations d'escorte dans le Golfe d'Aden et dans les zones maritimes au large de la Somalie. La Chine a modérément augmenté ses dépenses pour l'achat d'armes et d'équipements de haute technologie et les installations de soutien.

Le livre blanc fait état également du renforcement de la confiance militaire, considérée comme un moyen efficace de maintenir la sécurité et le développement du pays, ainsi que la paix et la stabilité régionales. La Chine s'efforce de promouvoir l'établissement de mécanismes équitables, efficaces et mutuellement bénéfiques pour le développement de la confiance militaire, à travers des consultations et dialogues stratégiques, des mesures de renforcement de la confiance dans les zones frontalières, des dialogues et la coopération en matière de sécurité maritime, et la coopération dans le domaine de la sécurité régionale et des échanges militaires avec d'autres pays.

La Chine attache de l'importance et participe activement aux efforts internationaux en matière de contrôle et de non-prolifération des armes, ainsi que de désarmement, indique le livre blanc. Le pays soutient la réalisation complète de la mission dans ce domaine de l'Organisation des Nations unies et d'autres organisations internationales et mécanismes multilatéraux concernées. Les systèmes multilatéraux de contrôle de non-prolifération des armes et de désarmement doivent être consolidés et renforcés ; les intérêts de sécurité légitimes et raisonnables de tous les pays doivent être respectés et pris en compte, et l'équilibre stratégique et la stabilité internationale doivent être maintenus, rappelle le texte.

Le livre blanc évoque également le déploiement des forces armées chinoises, la modernisation de la défense nationale, la construction des forces de réserves , le système judiciaire militaire, ainsi que les sciences, les technologies et l'industrie pour la défense nationale.

2011-03-30 (China Military News cited from thedailystar.net and written by Barrister Harun Ur Rashid)

China's military budget will rise 12.7% in 2011 to about $91.5 billion, a parliamentary spokesman said on March 4, resuming a long string of double-digit annual increases after an unexpected slowdown in 2010. Li Zhaoxing, the spokesman, justified the increase, saying that the military was a defensive force in China and "will not pose a threat to any country." Mr. Li announced the increase as China's 3000-delegate National People's Congress opened its annual session on March 5. He said that the extra money would be spent on new weaponry and on pay increases. The world's largest army, with 2.3 million soldiers (US army has 1.6 million), and China's navy and air force have been rapidly modernising their arsenals. The Pentagon says that the Chinese navy could deploy its first aircraft carrier this year.