August 04, 2014 by Rostec


The sixth generation media system Shans created according to software defined radio technology will be presented at the international Days of Innovation of the Russian Defense Ministry exhibition. The Shans is a part of the automated control system of tactical level for the Army, which development is now being finalized by the United Instrument Corporation specialists.

“The design covers all current needs of the Russian Army, as well as its further needs,” said the CEO of UIC Alexander Yakunin. “The Shans is one of the first sixth generation systems. The software defined radio technology provides the possibility of a continuous updating of the system, and its configuration for different tasks and uses for multiple purposes. The Shans system radio stations in themselves are able to prevent the interferences thanks to the adaptation by frequency mode.”

The system includes three types of radio stations: those that can be moved with military vehicles, handhelds and portables. The basic station (transported on vehicles) can be installed in military and tracked vehicles and it is the basis for a network creation. The radio station provides compatibility both with old and modern equipment.
 

The design covers all current needs of the Russian Army, as well as its further needs

ALEXANDER YAKUNIN, CEO OF UI

Open hardware and software architecture allows including of an additional equipment, such as remote controls and exterior units: antenna filters and amplifiers. Therefore, the functionality and efficiency of the system can be increased several times.

The communication system allows the transmission of voice, text and video messages, as well as digital data. Each subscriber has access to the Internet and the built-in GPS/GLONASS navigation systems. The Shans may also interact with the Air Force and the Navy through a wide range of radio stations. The products range can be used offline as independent radio stations.

The Shans provides protection against interferences and espionage in difficult working conditions. It can withstand temperatures between – 40^o C and + 55^o C. The design includes high-performance electromagnetic compatibility, which excludes the interferences caused by neighboring devices. This is especially important because the Shans belongs to a large and complex automated control system.

The Days of Innovation of the Russian Defense Ministry exhibition is a special event to present ideas and promising designs of UIC and the Russian industry in general. It will take place from 4 to 5 August 2014 at the site of Alabino village in the Moscow Region. In addition to the UIC,other Rostec enterprises and holdings will present their designs.

India canceled the purchase of 12 AgustaWestland VVIP helicopters and has put other deals with parent company Finmeccanica on hold. (AgustaWestland)

Aug. 6, 2014 - By VIVEK RAGHUVANSHI – Defense news

NEW DELHI — India’s new government has halted defense deals with Finmeccanica while the federal anti-fraud agency looks into alleged corruption in the Navy’s 2010 purchase of 12 VVIP AgustaWestland helicopters.

Sources in the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said an internal circular issued by the Department of Defence Production had instructions to put a hold on purchases from the Italian company and its subsidiaries.

Among the subsidiaries that may be affected are Selex, which is supplying the Air Surveillance Radar for India’s under-development aircraft carrier, and Whitehead Alenia Sistemi Subacquel (WASS), which is supplying the Navy with 98 Black Shark heavyweight torpedoes and upgrading A244 lightweight torpedoes.

Neither Finmeccanica nor the MoD would comment on the circular.

The move is somewhat unexpected. When the new government of Prime Minister Narendera Modi came to power in May, it signaled that such holds would be rare.

“A new government has come with a fresh mind and as a fresh chapter for India’s policy,” Minister of State for Defence Rao Inderjit Singh said earlier this year. “If a person or a company has been found guilty, they should be punished as strongly as possible. But before guilt is established, if a contract is canceled, it is unfair. A review is needed.”

And in early June, when the three chiefs of the Indian defense forces had their first meeting with Modi and Defence Minister Arun Jaitley, they said such holds had harmed India’s defense readiness.

“The putting-on-hold of defense projects of Finmeccanica and its subsidiaries is a complete change of face of the new government, which had promised before the elections to push India’s defense preparedness,” Indian defense analyst Nitin Mehta said. “So far, the new government has not announced any substantive measures which will hasten stalled defense projects. In fact, the defense budget for 2014-15 proposed by the new government is too meager to meet the long-term defense needs of the defense forces,” Mehta said.

The Black Shark torpedoes are to arm the six French-designed Scorpene submarines being built at India’s Mazagon Docks in Mumbai.

“They were hoping that the new government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi would clear the purchase of Black Shark heavyweight torpedoes for the Scorpene submarines,” an Indian Navy official said.

The subs are due for delivery in 2016, nearly four years behind schedule. The subs will operate without torpedoes if the project is put on hold, the official said.

The upgrades to the A244 torpedoes are part of a series that include getting a new, longer-range fire control system, increasing their speed, and improving their target detection and acoustic counter-countermeasures.

Between 2005 and 2009, the United Progressive Alliance government barred Singapore Technologies Kinetics, Israel Military Industries, Zurich-based Rheinmetall Air Defense, Russia-based Corporation Defense, and Denel of South Africa from doing business in India for ten years.

This caused shortages of ammunition and slowed the purchase of howitzers. The blacklist halted a $300 million contract, signed with IMI in 2009, to build ordnance factories in the state of Bihar to manufacture ammunition for Bofors 155mm guns.

The tender for wheeled 155mm/52-caliber artillery was canceled by the blacklisting of Rheinmetall, which was vying with Konstrukta of Slovakia for the job.

The 2005 blacklisting of Denel for alleged bribery and kickbacks led to the cancellation of the tender for the purchase of 155mm/52-caliber towed guns, which Denel was expected to win

08 August 2014 by defenceWeb

The Nigerian Air Force has taken delivery of three King Air light transport aircraft and has reportedly ordered 40 new helicopters as it continues its expansion.

The three King Air 350is were seen transiting the Canary Islands during their delivery flight on July 30. The aircraft were acquired “in line with the transformation agenda of the Commander-in-Chief (C-in-C) of the Armed Forces [of the] Federal Republic of Nigeria, Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan,” the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) said in a statement.

The aircraft were handed over to the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Adesola Amosu, by Scott Plumb, the Vice President Sales, Middle East, Textron Aviation Austria, at the 209 Executive Airlift Group’s Hangar at Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport in Abuja.

Amosu stated that the acquisition of the King Airs will go a long way in boosting the airlift capacity of the NAF. “It will also go down memory lane that the entire aircraft in the NAF inventory were all reactivated under the present administration.” Amosu said that additional platforms were expected in the future.

“We are happy with the operations branch of the Service, our training is going on well and it will continue so. We need to be ready for training and retraining with a desire to appropriately sustain the system,” he added.

Regarding training, the Nigerian Air Force Institute of Technology (NAFIT) has apparently developed a light trainer aircraft called Farawa 2. NAFIT chief Air Vice Marshal Toni Adokwu this week made the revelation during a graduation ceremony at the institute, reports the Daily Trust.

“Currently, the NAF is faced with the challenge of high unserviceablility status of its primary trainer aircraft, the Air Beetle aircraft, which is equally a light trainer aircraft. Some of the problems associated with the aircraft include the high engine temperature and uncomfortable seats for instructors and student pilots. We believe the design and construction of this new trainer aircraft would address some of the challenges and ultimately address the issue of aircraft unserviceability,” Adokwu said.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian government has apparently ordered 40 helicopters for attack and transport duties from the United States and Russia. This Day said the helicopters could start arriving as early as this month and the remainder could arrive by the end of the year.

"The arrival of the weaponry before the end of the year will be a game changer as it will help to ensure successful execution of the counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency operations, especially against the Boko Haram terrorists,” This Day quoted a source in the Presidency as saying.

It was earlier reported that Nigeria is receiving two helicopter gunships, most likely Mi-35s. The Nigerian Budget Office this year allocated funds for six Mi-35M helicopters.

Aug 7, 2014 ASDNews Source : General Dynamics Corporation

The nation's newest and most advanced nuclear-powered attack submarine, North Dakota (SSN-784), returned to the General Dynamics Electric Boat shipyard Tuesday following the successful completion of its first voyage in open seas, called alpha sea trials. North Dakota is the 11th ship of the Virginia Class, the most capable class of attack submarines ever built. Electric Boat is a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD).

North Dakota's alpha sea trials included a range of submarine and propulsion-plant operations, submerging for the first time, and high-speed runs on and below the surface to demonstrate that the ship's propulsion plant is fully mission-capable.

Read more

Aug 7, 2014 ASDNews Source : The Boeing Company

The 15th P-8A Poseidon built by Boeing [NYSE: BA] arrives at Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Fla., where it will help expand the U.S. Navy’s long-range maritime patrol capabilities.

The aircraft, delivered on schedule July 31st, joined the other Poseidon aircraft being used to train Navy crews in preparation for deployment.

The delivery follows Patrol Squadron (VP) 16’s recent return home from the P-8A’s first operational deployment. The ‘War Eagles’ of VP-16 were deployed for seven months, operating out of Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Japan. They were recently replaced by the ‘Mad Foxes’ of Patrol Squadron (VP) 5.

Boeing is currently on contract to build and support 53 P-8A aircraft. The Navy plans to purchase 117 P-8As, which are based on the Next-Generation Boeing 737-800 platform. The versatile multi-mission aircraft provides anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities and will replace the Navy P-3 fleet.

A Maltese AW139 twin-engine helicopter in flight. Photo AgustaWestland - A Finmeccanica Company.

8 August 2014 army-technology.com

AgustaWestland has handed over the first AW139 medium-sized twin-engine helicopter to the Armed Forces of Malta (AFM).

The helicopter was delivered under a contract secured by the company in July 2013, and is scheduled to be primarily used in support of maritime border control missions.

A part of Malta's plan to strengthen the AFM's operational capabilities, the contract also included an option for two more aircraft, an integrated logistic support (ILS) package and training of ten pilots, including four students and 20 technicians.

The helicopter is equipped with an advanced maritime patrol and search and rescue (SAR) mission equipment package, including a high-definition forward-looking infrared (FLIR) system, search / weather radar, cabin mission console and a searchlight and satellite communication system.

Additional equipment includes a four-axis autopilot with SAR modes, naval transponder and external rescue hoist, as well as a four-bag floatation system.

Powered by two Pratt & Whitney PT6C turboshaft engines, the AW139 is a 15-seat medium-sized twin-engine helicopter, designed to conduct law enforcement / emergency medical service, executive transport, and maritime and offshore oil operations in hot and high conditions.

The helicopter can fly at a speed of 165k, and features a low acoustic signature, integrated mission avionics and a full-ice protection system to complete missions in demanding environments.

In addition to Malta, the helicopter is also operated in Italy, Spain, Estonia, Japan, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, the UK and the US, among others.

The AFM placed an order for the second helicopter in April, with the delivery scheduled to take place in December.

8 August 2014 army-technology.com

The Russian Ministry of Defence (MoD) is planning to acquire Ratnik, a locally manufactured future high-tech soldier system, in October.

Russian Ground Forces military and scientific department head Aleksander Romanyuta was quoted by RIA Novosti as saying: "Ratnik is currently undergoing its final tests and we hope that ... all the components will be purchased in series and supplied to the troops.

"If any deficiencies are found, they will be eliminated during the first year of exploitation."

Tochmash head Dmitry Semizorov told the news agency that the MoD plans to acquire up to 50,000 Ratnik sets every year, enabling the industry to provide the army with 70% of the new equipment.

Tochmash has also started production a new combat gear, which is scheduled to replace Ratnik in the future, Semizorov added.

Developed as part of the soldier military equipment (BES) programme, the Ratnik infantry soldier kit comprises more than 40 components, including firearms, body armour and optic, communication and navigation devices, life support and power supply systems, as well as knee and elbow pads.

Available in summer and winter variants, the lightweight gear can be used by regular infantry, rocket launcher operators, machine gunners and drivers and scouts, and is claimed to provide protection against environmental threats from weapons of mass destruction and non-lethal weapons.

The system has been successfully tested by the Russian Army, but its induction has been postponed due to problems in the fine-tuning of its light weapons, likely to be the new Kalashnikov AK-12 assault rifle, RIA Novosti reported.

Multiple soldier equipment programmes are currently underway in several countries worldwide, including the US' Land Warrior, Germany's Infanterist der Zukunft (IdZ), and the UK's future infantry soldier technology (FIST).

Other countries developing such systems include Spain with Combatiente Futuro (ComFut), Sweden's IMESS and France's Fantassin à Équipement et Liaisons Intégré (FELIN).

07.08.2014 Romandie.com (AWP)

Berlin (awp/afp) - Le groupe allemand de défense et automobile Rheinmetall a revu en baisse jeudi ses prévisions de résultats pour cette année, prenant acte du blocage par Berlin d'un gros contrat avec la Russie.

Le chiffre d'affaires des activités défense s'établira aux alentours de 2,3 milliards d'euros, a prévenu Rheinmetall dans un communiqué, au lieu des 2,5 à 2,6 milliards d'euros escomptés jusqu'ici.

Le bénéfice d'exploitation de la division ressortira entre 65 et 75 millions d'euros, contre une précédente fourchette de 85 à 95 millions d'euros.

En début de semaine le ministre allemand de l'Economie Sigmar Gabriel a retiré à Rheinmetall l'autorisation de vendre à la Russie un centre d'entraînement et de formation militaire, évalué par la presse allemande à 100 millions d'euros.

"Rheinmetall travaille intensément à limiter au maximum le dommage financier, en mettant à profit toutes les possibilités juridiques à sa disposition", précise le communiqué. Rheinmetall pourrait notamment réclamer à Berlin une indemnisation pour le préjudice subi.

Le groupe a également ajusté à la baisse ses prévisions dans son autre grand secteur d'activité et plus grosse source de revenus, les équipements automobiles, du fait de l'apport d'un pan de ses activités à une coentreprise avec un partenaire chinois.

Le chiffre d'affaires du groupe dans son ensemble est désormais attendu entre 4,6 et 4,7 milliards d'euros, et non plus entre 4,8 et 4,9 milliards, et la fourchette de prévision du bénéfice d'exploitation a été abaissée à 200 à 220 millions d'euros (contre 230 à 250 millions).

Au premier semestre, Rheinmetall a dégagé un chiffre d'affaires de 2,13 milliards d'euros et un bénéfice d'exploitation de 30 millions d'euros, selon des chiffres publiés jeudi.

17 juillet, 2014 Frédéric Lert (FOB)

Les Marines l’appellent le UHAC, pour Ultra Heavy-lift Amphibious Connector. C’est la dernière idée en date dans la longue quête pour trouver le véhicule idéal pour faire la jonction entre le navire d’assaut et les plages de l’état voyou qui aurait mérité une bonne correction. Le DUKW, camion GMC amphibie de la seconde guerre mondiale, ferait figure de jouet en comparaison du monstre qui se prépare dans les ateliers de l’Empire.

Un prototype à échelle ½  de l’UHAC a été engagé la semaine dernière à Hawaï pendant l’exercice RIMPAC 2014. L’engin a participé à des mises à terre depuis le navire de débarquement USS Rushmore vers les plages d’entrainement de l’US Marines Corps à Oahu (Hawaï).

L’UHAC a été proposé initialement par le chantier naval hawaïen Navatek sous l’égide du Marine Corps Warfighting Lab. Un premier véhicule à l’échelle 1/20, puis un second au ¼ ont permis de tester le concept. Un financement de l’Office of Naval Research a ensuite permis la fabrication de cette troisième itération à échelle réduite. Quand il aura atteint sa taille adulte, l’UHAC devra être capable d’emporter simultanément trois ou quatre véhicules blindés. C’est trois fois plus que les LCAC sur coussin d’air actuellement utilisés, avec une mobilité supérieur à terre et notamment la capacité de franchir des obstacles verticaux. La botte secrète du véhicule tient dans son système de propulsion : les plaques fixées à la chenille enveloppante se déploient et servent à la propulsion dans l’eau, à la manière des antiques roues à aube. Une fois à terre, elles viennent se plaquer les unes aux autres, formant un support stable au véhicule qui avance alors sur des échasses… Une belle image valant mieux qu’un long discours confus, on peut voir l’engin dans ses œuvres ici.

S’il devait un jour entrer en service, l’engin serait bien entendu blindé et hérissé de mitrailleuses.

06 August 2014 by defenceWeb

While nearly 50 African heads of state convene in Washington DC, one of Africa’s biggest defence contractors is making a pitch to let Africa have more advanced defence and security equipment and training.

This week, at the kickoff of the first US-Africa Leaders Summit, President Obama is hearing from young people, women, civil society leaders, change agents, stakeholders, heads of state - and South Africa’s Paramount Group.

For Ivor Ichikowitz, Executive Chairman of aerospace and defence company Paramount Group, the message is simple: Give Africa a chance to defend itself. He says he is attending the summit in Washington to make the case to the Obama administration that African countries should be encouraged to build up their own intelligence services, militaries, and national police to combat the continent’s rogues, insurgents, and fanatics.

The West, according to the South African defence entrepreneur, discourages governments from creating their own security infrastructures. And that’s a problem, in the age of Boko Haram and al Shabaab, he said. “The message from the U.S. and other countries is: ‘We will give you aid if you don’t use budgets to create armies and intelligence services.’”

To illustrate this point, Ichikowitz talks about a recent conversation he had with an African head of state that is currently involved in resisting insurgencies. “I have met with the president and he told me that he has no capacity to be able to afford the solutions they require because of limitations imposed by the international community on how they use their budget,” Ichikowitz said.

According to Ichikowitz, the International Monetary Fund told the head of state that it could not use money provided by the fund for its budget for advanced military equipment. “As a result, the government involved is forced to be reliant on the charity of Western powers, they are forced to be reliant on third parties to resolve a domestic problem,” he said.

Ichikowitz acknowledged in the interview that the African continent is awash in weapons, particularly small arms. “The Cold War resulted in the introduction of millions of small arms into the continent over the years,” he said. “A lot of this equipment has fallen into the hands of thugs, of fundamentalist organizations. As a result there is a formidable threat to almost every single African democracy. Unfortunately, the West has not necessarily given African governments the capability to create sophisticated, world-class capabilities to counter these threats.”

It’s also worth noting that the United States military has long-standing partnerships with many African militaries. But those partnerships often do not allow these states to acquire advanced technologies.

This is where Paramount believes it can step in, if given the chance. It makes a full range of armoured vehicles and also produces surveillance drones with the kind of sensors that can sniff out wireless communications from a discreet geographic area. Paramount also upgrades the electronics and avionics systems for Soviet-era helicopters, many of which are still used by African militaries.

Ichikowitz stressed that his company will not do business with any country that is under a United Nations embargo, is at war with its neighbours or opposes other sovereign democratic governments. Furthermore South Africa, through the National Conventional Arms Control Committee (NCACC) has some of the most stringent arms export regulations in the world to govern every single piece of defence equipment that is exported from the country.

Ichikowitz said he believes it’s time to arm countries like Mali, Kenya, Nigeria, and Uganda with the kinds of unmanned aerial vehicles, surveillance systems and weaponry that will give them an edge against the insurgencies and rogues that threaten their survival.

“Today in Africa this is about outlaws versus governments,” he said. “It’s time to trust the governments and give them the capability to defend their democracies.”

“In order to avoid the perpetuation of violence and conflict in Africa, African governments need to be allowed to create deterrence and the way to create deterrence is by encouraging and facilitating the creation of a strong domestic defence capability.”

MOSCOU, 6 août - RIA Novosti

Les entreprises russes de l'industrie spatiale et de la défense veulent acheter des composants électroniques en Chine, les contrats pouvant atteindre plusieurs milliards de dollars, annonce mercredi le journal Izvestia se référant à une source proche de l'Agence fédérale spatiale russe (Roskosmos).

"Lors des 24-30 mois prochains, tant que notre industrie n'aura pas appris à fabriquer les composants électroniques pour l'industrie spatiale et la Défense, nous en achèterons en Chine pour plusieurs milliards de dollars", a indiqué l'interlocuteur du journal.

"Nous sommes en coopération avec la China Aerospace Science & Industry Corporation (CASIC). Les instituts de recherche qui en font partie nous ont déjà proposé plusieurs dizaines de composants qui sont soit une alternative directe, soit une version légèrement modifiée des composants que nous ne pourrons plus acheter suite aux sanctions imposées par les Etats-Unis", a indiqué l'interlocuteur du journal.

Le journal précise qu'actuellement, l'industrie spatiale et le complexe militaro-industriel russes n'utilisent pas de composants électroniques chinois.

04 août 2014 Par Julien Bergounhoux - Usinenouvelle.com

Les progrès des technologies radars à basses fréquences risquent à court terme de fortement diminuer l'utilité des technologies de furtivité très coûteuses dont sont équipés les chasseurs de pointe des armées américaines.

Le développement de nouveaux radars par les armées russes et chinoises risque de remettre en cause la furtivité tant vantée (et particulièrement coûteuse) des F-22 Raptor et F-35 Lighting II américains. Ces deux chasseurs sont conçus de manière à être pratiquement invisibles aux radars de ciblage utilisant des hautes fréquences (sur les plages de fréquences Ku, X, C et partiellement S), mais ils ne sont pas optimisés pour échapper aux radars à basses fréquences (par exemple les longueurs d'ondes L, UHF ou VHF). [...]

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05.08.2014 Par Antakolskaia N. - La Voix de la Russie

La Chine prépare une riposte sérieuse aux plans des Etats-Unis de créer un système stratégique de défense antimissile pour l’Asie. C’est ainsi que le chef du Centre russe des études politiques et sociales Vladimir Evséev a commenté l’élaboration par la Chine du missile balistique intercontinental de troisième génération DF-41.

L’expert pronostique de même l’étude par la Chine des technologies des missiles balistiques embarqués par les sous-marins comme réaction à une activité sans précédent de la République de Corée dans ce domaine.

« La Chine est en train de créer des missiles à têtes multiples, mais aussi des moyens capables de franchir le système de défense antimissile, analogues aux russes. Cela aura un effet sérieux. Si la Chine parvient à réaliser ce dont dispose la Russie, en ce cas il sera extrêmement difficile d’intercepter sa fusée-porteuse sur sa trajectoire hors de l’atmosphère comme dans celle-ci jusqu’à l’altitude de 60 km. Après il reste très peu de temps de vol. De ce point de vue, la Chine est en mesure d’augmenter l’efficacité de franchissement du système de défense antimissile des Etats-Unis. Cela constitue une riposte aux plans nord-américains de mettre en place un système stratégique de défense antimissile, dont les composantes sont déployées dans l’Alaska et en Californie, et qui engage aussi le Japon et la Corée du Sud. »

Aujourd’hui l’Asie est entraînée dans une nouvelle spire de la course aux missiles. Or l’initiative n’y appartient pas à la Chine, mais à la Corée du Sud, estime Vladimir Evséev. L’expert a rappelé que la république de Corée se dote de son propre système de défense antimissile, est capable de fabriquer des missiles d’une portée de 800 km pouvant porter des ogives nucléaires. De plus, la Corée du Sud n’est nullement limitée en matière de création des missiles de croisière à bord des avions et des drones lourds :

« A présent la percée la plus significative dans la sphère des technologies des missiles est réalisée précisément par la République de Corée. La Chine va y réagir de quelque façon. Si l’on parle de la rivalité entre les Etats-Unis et la Chine, elle a un caractère quand même plus équilibré et n’est pas marquée par de percées aussi manifestes. Pour la Chine maîtriser les technologies de missiles embarqués par les sous-marins revêt une importance de principe. La Chine a des problèmes pour les missiles, mais aussi pour le fonctionnement des sous-marins nucléaires, notamment, concernant la navigation. Un progrès dans ce domaine augmentera les possibilités de la Chine et lui permettra de riposter réellement. »

Chaque nouvelle démarche dans le domaine des missiles concernant les Etats-Unis et la Chine suscite une réaction de part et d’autre. De surcroît, toujours plus de pays d’Asie se trouvent entraînés dans cette course aux missiles. A part les deux Etats coréens, il y a l’Inde et le Pakistan qui ne cessent de perfectionner les caractéristiques de leurs missiles balistiques. L’Asie est devenue le leader mondial incontestable dans ce domaine, ce qui accroît les risques d’emploi des missiles.