ULAN-UDE, Russia, Aug. 22 (UPI)

Russian Helicopters reports production of the 750th Mi-8AMT Hip aircraft, which will enter service with the Russian military.

The Mi-8AMT combat transport has the export designation of Mi-171.

The milestone was achieved by Russian Helicopters' Ulan-Ude Aviation Plant.

"It is symbolic that this 'landmark' helicopter should be delivered to the Defense Ministry," UUAP Managing Director Leonid Belykh said. "We have enjoyed a fruitful relationship with the ministry for many years, and are continuing to develop this partnership."

The original version of the Mi-8 was introduced into service in 1977.

The AMT variant features gear such as a spotlight with infrared filter, a FLIR radar system and additional fuel tanks for increased range.

"Helicopters of the Mi-8/17 series enjoy global renown and are in constant demand, and for many years have set the standard for medium-class helicopters," Russian Helicopters said.

"The first Mi-8AMT (Mi-171) was produced in 1991. Since then, its construction and equipment have undergone continuous updating and new versions have been developed, strengthening the position of this Russian best-seller on the global market."

A new variant, the multi-role Mi-171A2, is under development. Russian Helicopters said it expects the aircraft will receive certification by the end of next year, with deliveries to customers starting in 2015.

23 August 2013 Ministry of Defence and Defence Infrastructure Organisation

Elaine West has become the first woman to be promoted to Air Vice-Marshal within the RAF.

August 22, 2013 By : Defence News

A top US Air Force general has said Washington is preparing to station military aircraft in India as part of its "Asia pivot" policy, and the city it is looking at to base its assets in is Kerala capital Thiruvananthapuram.

An Indian defence ministry source said: “We have never discussed any such proposal.”

Defence minister A.K. Antony is from Kerala, where the Opposition Left is mobilising protests against the state government.

The disclosure by the American general, who was part of the policy group on Indo-US military relations, has the potential to stir up trouble for the Manmohan Singh government in the run-up to elections. In Kerala, the Left is particularly strong.

CPM general secretary Prakash Karat, informed of the US general’s statement, said: “That seems to be the expectation of the Pentagon. It would stem from the Indo-US military framework agreement signed in 2006. It is up to the UPA government to clarify if such base facilities will be allowed.”

The chief of the Pacific air forces under the US military’s Pacific Command, General Herbert “Hawk” Carlisle, has visited Thiruvananthapuram. As a lieutenant general before he took over his current command, he had led the US delegation at an executive steering group meeting of the Indian and US air forces.

“So, as I envision it, as I talk about expanded engagement, a lot of our rebalance is a rotational presence through the Pacific. And obviously we’ll maintain our capability in Northeast Asia. In a lot of ways we’ll increasingly move south and west with the rotational presence. Darwin, Tindal, (Pilbara), Changi East in Singapore, Korat in Thailand, Trivandrum in India.… The most capable platforms will be rotated into the Asia-Pacific,” the general was quoted by Foreign Policy and other magazines as telling journalists at a breakfast meeting.

Carlisle said the US was not setting up new bases in the Asia-Pacific but would continuously “rotate” its military assets in a revival of a “Checkered Flag” policy from the years of the Cold War.

He said that during the Cold War, the US rotated all its military units from the Continental US (Conus) to Europe. That would now be done for the Asia-Pacific.

Indian Air Chief Marshal N.A.K. Browne, who visited the US last month, met Carlisle.

Talking of that meeting, the US general said the Indian Air Force was trying to learn to set up a military space command. Carlisle said he had apologised for cancelling a Red Flag exercise, to which the Indian Air Force had been invited, because of budget cuts.

“The relationship’s great with the Indian Air Force. I think Air Chief Marshal Browne and I are good friends. We’ve known each other for a while,” Carlisle said.

“We talked about a variety of things. One of them was, again, an apology on our part for cancelling Red Flag. We did make a commitment to have Red Flag next year about this time and they are going to participate, so that was a positive in that respect.”

He added: “We talked about other engagement opportunities. Their C-17 (strategic air-lifter) — he was here picking up a C-17 out of Long Beach, their second one. He actually flew the C-17 back here to Washington DC through Colorado. So we talked about the C-17.

“One of the discussions was doing some exchanges with their C-17 folks and ours. The other things that he talked about were the Indian Air Force — the Indian military is trying to develop a space command.”

Browne was also in Colorado Springs to visit the US Air Force Space Command. “So we talked about our potential to show them how we do it, some of the education that’s available, some of the organisational things, some of the things we learned as we stood up a space command a long time ago,” the general said.

August 22, 2013. by David Pugliese - Defence Watch

This is from the U.S. Navy:

WASHINGTON (NNS) — Upon the recommendation of the Chief of Naval Operations, the Secretary of the Navy has approved the initial step to reduce, eliminate or consolidate a net of 35 Navy flag officer positions in the ranks of rear admiral (lower half) (O-7), rear admiral (O-8), and vice admiral (O-9) Navy officials announced Aug. 20.

“We had to make tough choices but it was the right thing to do – the plan is in line with Congressional mandates, OSD guidance, and our changing fiscal environment,” said Vice Chief of Naval Operations, Adm. Mark E. Ferguson.

Flag officer end strength adjustments are already underway using a phased approach and will be completed by fiscal year 2017. This will result in a flag officer end strength of 151 Navy specific billets while meeting the existing minimum requirement for 61 Navy flag officers to fill joint billets.

“This plan postures the Navy to absorb future reductions in headquarters and staff due to sequestration. In fact, we plan to submit the elimination of an additional six flag billets with the FY15 defense budget,” said Ferguson. “This reflects our commitment to working more efficiently and cost-effectively in this resource constrained environment without putting our warfighting capabilities at risk.”

Specific billets affected by this plan are:

SECNAV BILLETS

Executive Director, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Acquisition and Procurement), Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Research, Development, and Acquisition), Washington, D.C. Reduce pay grade of position from rear admiral (lower half) to captain.

OFFICE OF THE CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS BILLETS

Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Fleet Readiness and Logistics, N4, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Washington, D.C. Reduce pay grade of position from vice admiral to rear admiral.

Director, Energy and Environmental Readiness Division, N45, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Washington, D.C. Reduce pay grade of position from rear admiral to rear admiral (lower half).

Director, Operations Division, Office of Budget, Office of the Assistant SECNAV for Financial Management and Comptroller/Director, Operations Division, Fiscal Management Division, N821, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Washington, D.C. Reduce pay grade of position from rear admiral (lower half) to captain.

Director, Fleet Readiness Division, N43, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Washington, D.C. Reduce pay grade of position from rear admiral (lower half) to captain.

Director, Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance Capabilities, N2/N6F2, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Washington, D.C. Reduce pay grade of position from rear admiral (lower half) to captain.

Deputy Director, Expeditionary Warfare Division, N95B, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Washington, D.C. Reduce pay grade of position from rear admiral (lower half) to captain.

Deputy Director, Surface Warfare Division, N96B, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Washington, D.C. Reduce pay grade of position from rear admiral (lower half) to captain.

Deputy Director, Submarine Warfare Division, N97B, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Washington, D.C. Reduce pay grade of position from rear admiral (lower half) to captain.

Deputy Director, Air Warfare Division, N98B, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Washington, D.C. Reduce pay grade of position from rear admiral (lower half) to captain.

Director, Total Force Programming and Manpower Management Division, N12, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Washington, D.C. Merge position with Director, Military Personnel Plans and Policy Division, N13, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Washington, D.C. The pay grade of the combined position will be rear admiral.

Director, Decision Superiority, N2/N6F4, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Washington, D.C. Reduce pay grade of position from rear admiral (lower half) to captain.

Deputy Program Manager, Director for Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance, Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command, San Diego, Calif. Reduce pay grade of position from rear admiral (lower half) to captain.

Merge Commander, Naval Service Training Command, Great Lakes, Ill. and Chief Operating Officer, N7, Naval Education and Training Command, Norfolk, Va. The pay grade of the combined position will be rear admiral (lower half).

FLEET BILLETS

Director, Maritime Headquarters, Fleet Forces Command, Norfolk, Va. Reduce pay grade of position from rear admiral to rear admiral (lower half).

Commander, Navy Expeditionary Combat Command, Virginia Beach, Va. Reduce pay grade of position from rear admiral to rear admiral (lower half).

Commander, Patrol and Reconnaissance 5th/7th Fleet, Atsugi, Japan. Reduce pay grade of position from rear admiral (lower half) to captain.

Deputy Commander, Naval Special Warfare Command, Virginia Beach, Va. Reduce pay grade of position from rear admiral (lower half) to captain.

Deputy Commander, Fleet Cyber Command/ Deputy Commander, 10th Fleet, Fort Meade, Md. Reduce pay grade of position from rear admiral (lower half) to captain.

Merge Commander, Office of Naval Intelligence, Washington, D.C. and Director, National Maritime Intelligence Integration Office, Washington, D.C. The pay grade of the combined position remains rear admiral.

Commander, Submarine Group 2, Groton, Conn. will be eliminated. The position pay grade is rear admiral (lower half).

Commander, Expeditionary Strike Group 5, Manama, Bahrain has been disestablished. This position had been filled by a flag officer Individual Augmentee from the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Washington, D.C. The associated responsibility of Commander, Task Force 51/59, Manama, Bahrain was turned over to Marine Corps Forces, Central Command.

ACQUISITION FLAGS

Deputy Commander for Ship Design, Integration and Engineering, SEA-05, Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C. Reduce pay grade of position from rear admiral to rear admiral (lower half).

Deputy Commander for Undersea Warfare, SEA-07, Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C. Merge position with Program Executive Officer for Submarines, Washington, D.C. The pay grade of the combined position is rear admiral (lower half).

Assistant Commander for Logistics and Industrial Operations (AIR-6.0) Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md. Merge with Commander, Fleet Readiness Centers, Patuxent River, Md. The pay grade of the combined position is rear admiral (lower half).

Commander, Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command Space Field Activity, Washington, D.C. Merge with Program Executive Officer for Command, Control, Communications and Intelligence, Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command, San Diego, Calif. The pay grade of the combined position is rear admiral (lower half).

Deputy Commander for Surface Warfare, SEA-21, Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C. Merge with Program Executive Officer for Ships, Washington, D.C. The pay grade of the combined position is rear admiral (lower half).

Commander, Naval Air Warfare Center, Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, Md. Merge with Assistant Commander for Research and Engineering, Naval Air Systems Command (AIR-4.0), Patuxent River, Md. The pay grade of the combined position is rear admiral (lower half).

Commander, Naval Surface Warfare Center, Washington, D.C. Merge with Commander, Naval Undersea Warfare Center, Washington, D.C. The pay grade of the combined position is rear admiral (lower half).

Deputy Commander, Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command, San Diego, Calif. Reduce pay grade of position from rear admiral (lower half) to captain.

Vice Commander, Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C. Reduce pay grade of position from rear admiral (lower half) to captain.

Vice Commander, Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md. Reduce pay grade of position from rear admiral (lower half) to captain.

OTHER FLAGS

Commandant of the Medical Education Training Campus/Director of Medical Education and Training (M7) BUMED Training Campus, Fort Sam Houston, Texas. Reduce pay grade of position from rear admiral to rear admiral (lower half).

Commander, Navy Region Midwest, Great Lakes, Ill. duties will be merged with Commander, Navy Region Northwest, Bangor, Wash. The pay grade of the combined position is rear admiral (lower half).

Chief of Staff, Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, Washington, D.C. Reduce pay grade of position from rear admiral (lower half) to captain.

Director, Navy Medicine Research, M2, Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, Washington, D.C. Reduce pay grade of position from rear admiral (lower half) to captain.

United States Pacific Command/United States Pacific Fleet Surgeon, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Reduce pay grade of position from rear admiral (lower half) to captain assigned to U.S. Pacific Fleet.

23/08/2013 Sources : EMA

Point sur les opérations de la force Serval depuis le jeudi 15 août 18h00 jusqu’au jeudi 22 août, 18h00.

Au cours de ces derniers jours, les opérations aériennes se sont poursuivies avec une soixantaine de sorties dont la moitié consacrées aux opérations de reconnaissance ou d’appui au sol.  Une dizaine de sorties ont été dédiées aux missions de ravitaillement, une dizaine d’autres ont été consacrées à des missions de renseignement et une dizaine consacrées à des missions de transport.

Au sol, la force Serval poursuit les opérations autour de la boucle du Niger et dans le Nord du pays.

Le 21 août, la force Serval a achevé l’opération Centaure, débutée le 21 juillet. Conduite avec près de 800 militaires français, une centaine de véhicules, les hélicoptères du GAM et l’appui des Rafale en provenance du Tchad, Centaure avait pour but de dissuader toute tentative de déstabilisation du processus électoral dans le Nord du Pays entre Kidal, Tessalit et Aghuelok. Placée en soutien de la Mission des Nations Unies au Mali (MINUSMA), elle-même en appui des forces armées maliennes, la force Serval a effectué des patrouilles dans les villes, fouillé des habitations, des camps et des grottes réputées ou susceptibles d’être ou d’abriter des caches d’armes. Près de 4 000 cartouches de tous calibres, des obus de mortiers, des roquettes, de l’explosif et du matériel de guerre ont ainsi pu être saisies. Parallèlement, la force Serval a participé à l’organisation logistique des deux tours de scrutins en soutenant l’installation des bureaux de vote (appui au transport du matériel électoral) et en assurant la sécurisation des bureaux de vote (vérification de non-pollution par moyen cynotechnique). Les élections se sont déroulées sans entrave.

Le 18 août, la force Serval a déployé un système radar GIRAFFE sur la plateforme opérationnelle désert de Gao. Le rétablissement sécuritaire de la zone ayant entraîné un accroissement de l’activité aérienne civile (ONU) et militaire dans la zone, ce système va permettre d’élargir les capacités actuelles de surveillance de l’espace aérien et d’accroitre la coordination des vols de l’ensemble des moyens aéronautiques de la force.

Enfin, sur le plan du soutien au développement, la brigade Serval a distribué du matériel informatique aux radios communautaires de Gao. Ces équipements informatiques serviront à la production de programmes culturels et d’information. Elle a par ailleurs livré un cinquième puits dans un hameau en périphérie de la ville, qui était l’un des plus  mal desservi en eau potable.

Environ 3200 militaires français sont actuellement présents sur le sol malien et poursuivent leurs missions de sécurisation visant à affaiblir durablement les groupes terroristes ainsi qu’à poursuivre le transfert progressif de la zone aux contingents relevant de la MINUSMA.

August 23, 2013: Strategy Page

It was recently revealed that for the past 17 years (until 2012) there had been a secret operation to deal with the nuclear material scattered around the Soviet era Semipalatinsk nuclear research and testing facility in Kazakhstan. Semipalatinsk was not included in the places that needed nuclear weapons grade radioactive material removed to keep it out of circulation. Soviet nuclear weapons officials had insisted that the nuclear material at Semipalatinsk had already been taken care of. American nuclear researchers aiding the official nuclear disarmament operation stumbled upon the Kazakhstan facility in the 1990s and found that it still contained lots of nuclear material, and that this was apparently not generally known because the abandoned facility was overrun by illegal scrap collectors. Semipalatinsk consisted of many kilometers of tunnels where underground nuclear tests, or other nuclear research was conducted. The tunnels were largely sealed along with other places containing bits of nuclear material. But the area had been discovered by poor Kazakhs who had, since the early 1990s been scouring the place for scrap metal or anything else that could be sold. The scavengers didn’t know about buried nuclear material, but their excavations and dismantling activities were bringing them closer to such dangerous stuff. The Kazakhstan government was not aware of the danger and had not bothered to try and keep the scavengers out. In order to keep this a secret, and to get the nuclear material removed or permanently sealed, a secret deal was made with the Kazakh government and in 17 years of largely clandestine work the deed was done. All this cost $150 million, paid for by the United States.

Kazakhstan had earlier, with the help of the United States, already completed the official removal of 13 tons of weapons grade uranium and plutonium (enough to make nearly 800 nuclear bombs) to a secure storage site (and eventual conversion into fuel for nuclear power plants). All this was accomplished by a post-Cold War agreement between the United States and Russia to account for all Soviet nuclear weapons, and dismantle most of them. The U.S. provided funding and technical assistance, but the hard work was carried out by Russian experts and diplomats. Semipalatinsk was not included because the Soviet bureaucracy thought it didn’t count even though there turned out to be some 200 kg (440 pounds) of plutonium in some of the 131 tunnels and 13 test shafts where 456 nuclear tests had taken place over four decades. The last test was in 1989 and the site was officially closed in 1991. Many of those tests were not successful, leaving behind buried plutonium. The Soviet engineers believed that whatever plutonium there remained at Semipalatinsk was so hard to get at that it was not worth mentioning. Later visits by American scientists found this was not true. There was a lot of plutonium and other nuclear material that was easily extracted. Most of the loose nuclear material was at the Degelen Mountain part of the 18,000 square kilometer Semipalatinsk complex.

Belarus, Kazakhstan and Ukraine inherited nuclear weapons when the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991 (and everyone agreed that whatever Soviet assets were on the territory of the 14 new nations created from parts of the Soviet Union, were the property of the new country.) Russia, with the financial and diplomatic help of Western nations, bought and dismantled the nukes owned by those three nations.

Meanwhile, the Russians had other, uniquely Russian, problems, like the Kazakhstan site that was recently revealed. They had a lot (tons) of other highly radioactive material in circulation, much of it in powder form, and largely used for medical and industrial purposes. Particularly worrisome are the hundreds of Radiothermal Generators (RTGs) Russia set up in remote parts of the country during the Soviet era. The RTGs were similar to the power supplies found on some space satellites, using radioactive material to generate heat, and thus electricity, for radio beacons and signal repeaters in remote areas. In the early 1990s, the Russians weren't even sure where some of these RTGs were, and there were cases of civilians finding them, cracking them open and being injured, or killed, from the radiation. The Russians noted that there have been many attempts to steal radioactive material in Russia, but none, so far as is known, have succeeded. All of the RTGs were eventually found and destroyed. The Kazakhstan site was similar in that a lot of the radioactive material was deadly but not suitable for nuclear weapons. Terrorists could use this stuff for dirty bombs and the radioactive debris was spread all over the Kazakhstan site. That’s why the cleanup had to be secret, lest terrorists find out about it and offer large cash payments for whoever could sneak such dirty bomb material out of the site. That never happened. The Kazakhstan site also contained enough nuclear material for a dozen or more nuclear bombs, although this stuff was spread over a large area.

There was one last problem. Russian officials admitted that, during the 1990s, 5-10 pounds of enriched uranium and several ounces of weapons grade of plutonium had been stolen from their nuclear power facilities. What the Russians did not mention (perhaps because the Russian nuclear bureaucracy had never kept a record of it) was the stray material in places like the Kazakhstan site. Some of the officially missing radioactive material was later discovered, in small quantities, in Western Europe, Turkey and Russia as the thieves sought to sell it. The amount the Russians admit to losing is not enough to make a bomb, and much of the missing stuff could be accounting and handling errors (both common in the Russian bureaucracy.)

In the last two decades, the only radioactive material smuggled out of Russia was small quantities, and usually low-level stuff unsuitable for a bomb. Most Russian nukes have been disassembled and their nuclear material turned into power-plant fuel. The remaining nukes are under very tight security and most of their nuclear scientists were given financial and career incentives (paid for by the U.S.) to leave nuclear weapons work behind. Nevertheless, for two decades, breathless new stories of Russian "loose nukes" were a media staple on slow news days.

HANOI, Vietnam, Aug. 23 (UPI)

Russia's Admiralty Shipyard in St. Petersburg said it will float out the third of six Project 636 Varshavyanka-class submarines being built for Vietnam's navy by the end of the month, RIA Novosti reported.

The Varshavyanka class, with more advanced stealth technology and an extended combat range, is an improvement on its predecessor, the Kilo class of submarines, RIA Novosti said.

The U.S. Navy calls the diesel-electric subs black-holes because their technology makes them nearly undetectable when submerged.

Vietnam will use the 3,100-ton submarines primarily for anti-shipping and anti-submarine missions in relatively shallow waters.

RIA Novosti said Vietnam ordered the six submarines in 2009 to counter China's increasing naval influence in the region. The contract, worth around $2 billion, includes training of Vietnamese crews in Russia.

A Vietnamese crew has been training since April in the first of the submarines, the Novorossiisk, that completed its 100-day sea trials last month and is expected to be delivered in November, Admiralty Shipyards said.

Admiralty will float out Vietnam's fourth Varshavyanka-class vessel in November, with delivery of the last vessel to Vietnam scheduled for 2016.

A report by Naval-Technology in August last year said the Varshavyanka-class vessels have a range of 400 miles using electronic propulsion and can patrol for 45 days.

The submarines carry a crew of 52 and feature 533mm torpedo tubes and Kalibr 3M54 (NATO SS-N-27 Sizzler) cruise missiles, developed by Russia's Novator Design Bureau.

Top speed is 20 knots and diving depth is about 985 feet.

The shipyard also said the first of another six being built for Russia's Black Sea Fleet would be floated out in November.

Construction of the first Varshavyanka-class sub for the Black Sea Fleet, a vessel named the Novorossiisk, began in 2010 and was completed ahead of schedule, the shipbuilder said.

Admiralty Shipyard also constructed India's ill-fated Sindhurakshak submarine that was destroyed by an explosion this month.

The vessel is the seventh and last of the 10 Kilo-class diesel-electric submarines the Indian navy acquired from Moscow between 1986 and 2000.

Admiralty built the Sindhurakshak in 1997 and the Russian Severodvinsk Zvezdochka shipyard in Severodvinsk recently completed a 2 1/2-year, $80 million modernization of the vessel.

Sindhurakshakat had arrived at Mumbai Naval Docks on April 29 but sank after a massive explosion Aug. 14 that killed 18 seamen.

August 21, 2013 defense-unmanned.com

(Source: U.S Department of Defense; issued August 21, 2013)

Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., San Diego, Calif., is being awarded a $27,599,424 modification to a previously awarded cost-plus-fixed-fee contract (N00019-12-C-0117) to exercise an option for additional operations and maintenance services in support of the Broad Area Maritime Surveillance Demonstrator Unmanned Aircraft System.

Work will be performed in Patuxent River, Md. (70 percent), and outside continental United States (30 percent), and is expected to be completed in May 2014. Fiscal 2013 operations and maintenance, Navy contract funds in the amount of $27,599,424 will be obligated at the time of award, all of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year.

The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.

23/08/2013 Sources : EMA

Le 18 août 2013, la force Serval a déployé un radar GIRAFFE sur l’aéroport de Gao. Il permet d’optimiser et de coordonner tous les mouvements aériens, civils et militaires, dans un cylindre de 7 850 km2.

L’aéroport de Gao accueille chaque jour de multiples aéronefs militaires ou civils. Pour gérer ce trafic, la France a décidé de déployer un radar mobile en appui des forces maliennes et de la MINUSMA. Il vient en complément de la vigie mobile déjà déployée par l’Aviation Légère de l’Armée de Terre, un système permettant d’assurer les services de la circulation aérienne sur l’aéroport international de Gao.

Le système radar GIRAFFE, nommé ainsi par ressemblance à son homonyme animal, fonctionne 24 heures sur 24 grâce à l’intervention de 15 militaires de l’armée de l’air. Il permet de visualiser l’activité tridimensionnelle dans un cône de 100 kilomètres de diamètre autour de Gao et jusqu’à 20000 mètres de hauteur. Il permet ainsi de détecter une présence, de déterminer une position sur le terrain, une distance ou l’altitude d’éléments volants, de créer des couloirs d’interdiction de vol et d’établir " une situation aérienne ".

Cette situation est transmise à la chaine de commandement de l’armée de l’air (CAOC à N’Djamena et JFAC à Lyon) ainsi qu’à la brigade Serval. elles permettent de gérer les modules  qui pourraient intervenir dans l’espace aérien (avions militaires et civils, hélicoptères, obus) et procéder à une identification.

Le GIRAFFE permet en outre de mettre à la disposition des équipages des données météorologiques indispensables à l’aviation : températures, pression, visibilité, plafond.

20 August 2013 by defenceWeb

Angola will hold its first defence exhibition, the International Fair of the Defence and Security Industry (FIDES), in November as it attempts to build up a local defence industry and reduce dependence on foreign imports.

Angola’s defence minister Candido Pereira dos Santos van Dunem said that FIDES would “identify opportunities to establish public-private partnerships,” and “stimulate investment in the defence and security industry.”

FIDES will be held from November 10 to 13 at the International Luanda Fair (FIL) venue. It will be “a platform for boosting economic cooperation ties between Angola and other countries,” van Dunem said.

Some 70 companies from five invited countries – Portugal, Germany, Italy, Spin and Israel – are expected to exhibit, although the fair could see up to 100 exhibitors from 27 countries.

FIDES was officially launched in the capital Luanda on Friday by van Dunem, under the banner ‘Peace, Security and Development’. The minister said he wants Angola to reduce its dependence on defence imports and create jobs at home.

August 22nd, 2013 defencetalk.com  ( RIA Novosti)

India’s Defense Ministry has signed a contract with Bharat Dynamics Limited for delivery of T-90 tank missiles manufactured under Russian license to the Indian army, The Hindu daily newspaper reported Tuesday.

Under the contract, estimated at $470 million, the deliveries of the Invar missiles, to be put on T-90 tanks, are to be completed within the next five years.

Invar is a laser-guided antitank missile with a range of five kilometers (three miles) and capability of penetrating explosive reactive armor.

Bharat Dynamics has been manufacturing the missiles in collaboration with Russia’s state arms exporter, Rosoboronexport, the newspaper said.

According to media reports, India is planning to procure 25,000 Invar missiles for its T-90 tanks, including 10,000 to be bought directly from Russia and 15,000 to be manufactured domestically under Russian license.