2012-07-12 xinhua

Le vice-président de la Commission militaire centrale de Chine, Xu Caihou, s'est entretenu mercredi à Minsk avec le chef de l'armée biélorusse au sujet de la coopération entre les armées des deux pays.

Lors de son entretien avec le ministre biélorusse de la Défense Youri Zhadobin, le responsable militaire chinois a indiqué que la Chine et la Biélorussie avaient toujours entretenu une profonde amitié, et que leurs relations s'étaient toujours développées avec stabilité.

Ces dernières années, les relations bilatérales ont atteint leur plein developpement, entrant dans une phase de véritable coopération stratégique, a-t-il fait remarquer. En outre, la confiance politique mutuelle n'a cessé de s'approfondir, la coopération économique et commerciale s'est avérée fructeuse, et les échanges culturels se sont multipliés d'année en année, a-t-il ajouté.

La coordination étroite que les deux parties ont su entretenir dans les affaires internationales a permis aux deux pays de sauvegarder leurs intérêts communs et d'apporter une contribution positive à la promotion de la sécurité et de la stabilité dans la région et dans le monde, s'est félicité Xu Caihou.

Il a souligné que les relations interarmées s'étaient également renforcées ces dernières années, en particulier en matière d'entraînement et de formation.

La Chine a toujours considéré la Biélorussie comme un ami sincère et un partenaire fiable, et est déterminée à travailler avec elle pour continuer à approfondir la confiance stratégique mutuelle et à renforcer leur coopération, a affirmé le haut gradé chinois.

M. Zhadobin a déclaré partager le point de vue de son interlocuteur, indiquant que la coopération billatérale s'était avérée aussi pragmatique que fructueuse dans différents secteurs, dont celui de la défense.

La Biélorussie et la Chine ont maintenu une étroite coordination dans les affaires régionales et internationales d'importance, et ont su se soutenir mutuellement sur les questions touchant à leurs intérêts fondamentaux, a-t-il relevé.

Il a ajouté que la Biélorussie souhaitait travailler de concert avec la Chine pour faire franchir une nouvelle étape aux relations entre les deux pays et entre les deux armées.

Mercredi toujours, Xu Caihou a rencontré le président biélorusse Alexander Lukashenko.

A cette occasion, M. Lukashenko a déclaré que son pays adhérerait toujours au principe politique d'une seule Chine.

Le président biélorusse a également loué le soutien que la Chine avait toujours accordé au développement de son pays et de ses forces armées.

TCHOLPON-ATA, 11 juillet - RIA Novosti

Le Kirghizstan entend augmenter le loyer de trois des quatre bases militaires russes déployées sur son territoire à partir de 2014, a annoncé mercredi à Tcholpon-Ata, une station balnéaire de la province d'Issyk Koul, le ministre kirghiz de la Défense Taalaïbek Omouraliev.

"Nous avons l'intention de proposer à la Russie de payer davantage pour ses bases après l'expiration du bail en 2014, en fonction du taux d'inflation", a indiqué le ministre.

Il s'agit d'un centre d'essai de matériels sous-marins de Karakol (situé au bord du lac d'Issyk Koul), du centre de liaison de la Marine russe de Kara-Balta (58 km à l'ouest de Bichkek) et du laboratoire radio-sismologique de Maïli-Suu (région de Djalalabad, sud).

En mars dernier, le ministère russe de la Défense a remboursé une dette de 15,5 millions de dollars au Kirghizstan pour l'exploitation de sites militaires, selon le service de presse du ministère kirghiz de la Défense.

Les autorités kirghizes ont annoncé à maintes reprises leur intention d'augmenter le loyer des sites militaires russes basés sur son territoire.

La décision d'augmenter le loyer ne concerne pas la base aérienne de Kant située près de Bichkek, qui fonctionne pour le compte de l'Organisation du Traité de sécurité collective (OTSC: Arménie, Biélorussie, Kazakhstan, Kirghizstan, Ouzbékistan, Russie et Tadjikistan), selon lui. "Le Kirghizstan paie lui-même les charges locatives, il s'agit d'une somme de plus de 300 millions de soms (près de 5,2 M EUR) par an", a ajouté le ministre.

En vertu des accords signés dans le cadre de l'OTSC, le Kirghizstan ne peut pas prélever de loyer sur des sites militaires utilisés par cette organisation que certains analystes qualifient d'"OTAN russe".

FARNBOROUGH, July 11 (RIA Novosti)

Russia and Italy are to jointly build and modernize maritime patrol aircraft, after signing a cooperation agreement at the Farnborough Air Show in Britain.

The deal was signed by Alexander Mikheyev, deputy chief of Russian arms corporation Rosoboronexport  and the heads of Finmeccanica’s Selex, Galileo, and Selex Elsag companies.

The new plane will be developed on the basis of Russian-made unspecified aircraft, but fitted with Italian-made navigation, communications and IFF systems and weapons, including lightweight torpedoes from WASS, a Finmeccanica group company.

“This is an agreement on the promotion of products for third countries. Italian equipment will be installed on Russian-made patrol and special-purpose aircraft,” Mikheyev said.

“It took three years to prepare the agreement. We hope that this product will be adapted to enterprises affiliated with the Rostekhnologii state corporation,” he said, adding that the document also envisions future upgrades of aircraft earlier supplied to foreign customers.

It may take up to two years to decide which aircraft could be used as a base platform for the new patrol plane, Mikheyev said.

Finmeccanica hopes to strike a deal to modernize Russia’s Beriev Be-200 amphibian aircraft, Selex Galileo’s Executive Director Fabrizio Giuliani said.

“If we get the chance, it would be a unique aircraft. We are discussing modern navigation equipment in the plane,” he said.

The Italians are carrying out market research to study demand for the aircraft, he said.

“We hope that in ten years this sector will be one of the fastest developing in aviation. Today it’s hard to gauge the market for these aircraft, but I think there are great possibilities,” he added.

Mikheyev said most of the aircraft would remain in its original specification. “We are just talking about navigation systems,” he said.

The Be-200 is the world’s only production jet-powered amphibian aircraft. The main variant is a firefighting air-tanker aircraft, which can also be adapted for passenger or cargo transport, or search and rescue operations.

11 July 2012 by Craig Hoyle - FG

Farnborough - The Irkut-built Yakovlev Yak-130 trainer almost failed to get off the ground for its Farnborough debut because of a misunderstanding with air traffic authorities, vice-president Konstantin Popovich has revealed.

During a media presentation intended to highlight the capabilities of the advanced jet and combat trainer, he said one of the type's innovative design features had caused more than a bit of confusion.

"We had problems on the first day at the show. We were told that we couldn't take off because our air intakes were closed," said Popovich, who is also head of the Yakovlev engineering centre.

Irkut officials had to swiftly explain that the Yak-130 is equipped with fly-by-wire system-controlled engine-intake blanking doors, which are intended to prevent the aircraft's engines from sustaining foreign object damage when operating on unprepared runways or grass strips.

While conceding that this is perhaps a "peculiar feature", Popovich said the company was surprised by the concerned reaction. "The tower still asked if we were sure the aircraft can take off like this," he added.

TCHOLPON-ATA (Kirghizstan), 11 juillet - RIA Novosti

L'armée russe sera dotée, d'ici fin de l'année, d'un cinquième régiment équipé du système de missiles sol-air S-400, a annoncé mercredi à RIA Novosti le chef-adjoint de l'Armée de l'air, le général Pavel Kouratchenko.

"L'industrie a confirmé qu'elle était prête à livrer, d'ici fin de l'année, un cinquième lot de missiles S-400 destiné à équiper un régiment", a indiqué le général.

Actuellement, l'armée russe dispose de quatre régiments de S-400 dont deux sont déployés aux environs de Moscou, un au sein de la flotte de la mer Baltique et le quatrième à Nakhodka (Extrême-Orient).

July 10, 2012 by Craig Hoyle – FG

London - Russia's RAC MiG will mark the 35th anniversary of the then Mikoyan MiG-29 fighter's first flight in early October, but with the company actively pursuing fresh orders for its latest-generation versions of the design, the event will not be a nostalgic one.

The MiG-29's success since entering service with the Russian air force in 1983 is underscored by its widespread use today. Almost 800 of the lightweight combat aircraft remain in the inventories of 24 nations in Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Middle East, according to Flightglobal's MiliCAS database. It ranked fifth in our World Air Forces directory's top 10 combat aircraft types for 2011-12 and accounted for 5% of the global fleet.

And deliveries are continuing, with roughly 75 more on order under three recently-signed deals. These include 53 carrier-based MiG-29K fighters and two-seat KUB-model trainers to be delivered to the Indian and Russian navies, and a second batch of air force examples currently being fielded by Myanmar.

Under a recent effort to extend the product's sales life, RAC MiG is now drawing down deliveries of its "classic" aircraft and is instead offering potential buyers variants from a so-called "unified" range of MiG-29s. In addition to the carrier-based versions, this family also includes the single-seat MiG-29M and two-seat M2 as well as the thrust-vectoring MiG-35, which was unsuccessfully pitched for the Indian air force's medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) contest.

Despite the age of the MiG-29's basic design, the unified aircraft differs significantly from its predecessors, with more powerful engines, an increased combat load, additional fuel, fly-by-wire controls and open architecture avionics. Also with improved defensive aids equipment, the new models offer a service life of up to 6,000 flight hours and have a claimed 2.5 times reduction in per-hour operating costs versus legacy examples.

The aircraft received two major boosts since last year. First, the Indian defence ministry signed an order for 29 MiG-29K/KUBs as a follow-on from its receipt of 16 of the type between 2009 and 2011. Then, in February 2012, Moscow approved a major deal for the Russian navy, which is scheduled to take delivery of 20 deck-based fighters and four two-seat MiG-29KUB trainers between next year and 2015. The service will employ them from its current lone carrier, the Admiral Kuznetsov, which is currently used to operate Sukhoi Su-33 naval fighters.

Although the number of nations with aircraft carriers is small and represents only a limited market, "it is possible that there will be new orders for these multi-role fighters, which feature outstanding performance and cost ratio", says RAC MiG general director Sergei Korotkov.

"The production, sale and improvement of the unified aircraft family are the major programmes of our company over the mid-term prospect," he says. "We see several niches in which our products are in demand. It is primarily a niche of multi-role fighters in the light/middle class, where we are represented by the unified family of MiG-29K/KUB and MiG-29M/M2. By efficiency, they are not inferior to other modern fighters of the '4++' generation."

With India and Russia having already ordered carrier-borne fighters under the unified model, the market response to land-based types has also been encouraging. "The first demonstration of the serial MiG-29M2 took place at the arms exhibition in Kazakhstan in the beginning of May 2012 and we received positive feedback from the experts. There is great interest in the market for the aircraft, supported by detailed negotiations and contracts," Korotkov says.

"The second niche is the upgraded lightweight fighters which combine the classic MiG-29 version with new avionics," he says. One example of such activity is the MiG-29SMT modernisation package acquired by the Russian air force and other nations. "The most advanced is the MiG-29UPG, implemented in India in collaboration with local industry," he adds.

"Finally, we continue supplying earlier versions of the MiG-29, which attract some customers by the performance/price ratio." Myanmar's follow-on order for the type is one example of such business.

As with many contemporary manufactures, RAC MiG is not content with merely selling aircraft to export nations and is increasingly looking to ink deals related to the through-life support of its products. "In the structure of our incomes, after-sales service is taking a growing position," Korotkov says. "In some countries, we are shifting previously supplied MiG-29s to on-condition maintenance."

Such enhancements in support, combined with separate modernisation efforts being pursued by some users, mean that many MiG-29s will remain in use for years to come. A Polish upgrade contracted earlier this year should, for example, enable half of the nation's current 32 aircraft - 13 A-model interceptors and three UB trainers - to remain in use until at least 2030.

Despite the disappointment of seeing its design eliminated from the Indian air force's MMRCA contest before New Delhi selected the Dassault Rafale as the lowest-priced compliant bidder, RAC MiG remains confident of selling the MiG-35 as a further development of its unified aircraft family.

Noting that it offers users "fifth-generation" capabilities such as a Phazotron Zhuk-AE active electronically scanned array radar, advanced optronics equipment and further enhancements in self-defence systems, Korotkov says: "We believe that this fighter is sure to find its customers."

Another of the company's products that has yet to win an order is the MiG-AT advanced jet trainer, first flown in prototype form in 1996.

"The development of technical facilities for pilot training is one of the most promising directions of the MiG Corporation," Korotkov says, pointing to its work in developing a claimed unique simulator with a motion system to train pilots for operations from the deck of an aircraft carrier. "The MiG-AT at the time was developed as a component of the pilot training system. We have got a lot of experience, which I believe will be in demand. The MiG-AT also found application in some tentative programmes."

While it will not be bringing any of its aircraft to the show this year, Farnborough remains an important event for RAC MiG. "We will present information on the entire product line, including new planes and upgrade programmes of previously-supplied aircraft," its senior executive says. "We have also planned a series of meetings with partners and customers."

MOSCOW, July 10 (RIA Novosti)

A Russian naval task force will perform combat training missions in the Atlantic, the Mediterranean and the Black Sea, the Defense Ministry said on Tuesday.

The task force comprises warships from Russia’s Northern, Baltic and Black Sea Fleets, a ministry official told RIA Novosti.

“The ships are headed toward the northern Atlantic,” he said.

The task force is comprised of the Admiral Chabanenko Udaloy II class destroyer, the Alexander Otrakovsky, Georgy Pobedonosets and Kondopoga large amphibious assault ships, as well as the Nikolai Chiker and Sergei Osipov support vessels.

The force will be joined in the northern Atlantic by a group of Baltic Fleet ships, including the Yaroslav Mudry frigate and the Lena tanker, he added.

MOSCOW, July 10 (RIA Novosti)

The Russian Ground Forces expect to receive an advanced grenade launcher soon, force chief commander Col. Gen. Vladimir Chirkin said on Tuesday.

The Grok grenade launcher/flamethrower is currently in development at the Bazalt defense firm.

Grok features include higher accuracy, a longer range and it weighs only a quarter that of the RPG-7V standard-issue grenade launcher.

It also costs less than antitank rocket systems and is just as effective even at a long range.

MOSCOW, July 10 (RIA Novosti)

The chief of Russia's Armed Forces General Staff, Gen. Nikolai Makarov, will arrive on Tuesday to the United States on a three-day working visit focusing on U.S. missile defense plans, the Russian Defense Ministry said.

“Gen. Nikolai Makarov will pay a working visit to the United States on July 10-13,” a spokesman for the Defense Ministry said on Monday.

“He will hold talks with U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Martin E. Dempsey,” the official said. “The talks will focus on the discussion of the U.S. missile defense plans.”

Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov said on July 6 that Gen. Makarov would “make yet another attempt to explain [Russia’s] stance on missile defense at least at a chief of staff level."

He warned that Russia would not ignore the deployment of the elements of the U.S. missile defense in Europe and would respond adequately to any threats to its security.

Russia has retained staunch opposition to the planned deployment of U.S. missile defense systems near its borders, claiming they would be a security threat. NATO and the United States insist that the shield would defend NATO members against missiles from North Korea and Iran and would not be directed at Russia.

Moscow insists it should receive legal guarantees from Washington that its European missile defense shield will not target Russia's strategic nuclear forces.

The agenda of the talks between Makarov and his U.S. counterpart will also include the discussion of bilateral military cooperation, and joint assessment of regional and global security.

July 9, 2012 defpro.com

Kaliningrad, RF | The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine and the Ministry of Defense of Russian Federation have agreed on liquidation of Russian indeptedness for use of the NITKA (Crimea) test range.

This decision was taken by Ukrainian and Russian Defense Ministers during the bilateral meeting within the 62nd Session of the CIS Council of Defense Ministers in Kaliningrad.

The defense ministers of Ukraine and Russia Dmytro Salamatin and Anatoliy Serdyukov have discussed a number of issues related to preparing and holding in Ukraine a session of the Subcommittee for Security of the Ukrainian-Russian Intergovernmental Commission to be held at the end of July.

Besides, they have considered the issues concerning bilateral defense cooperation. They have taken some decisions on disposal of ammunition and repair of Russian ships by the Ukrainian defense enterprises, etc.

9 July 2012 airforce-technology.com

Russia is preparing to test the first flying prototype of the Ilyushin Il-76MD-90A transport aircraft, Aviastar aircraft plant general director Sergei Dementyev has announced.

Dementyev told RIA Novosti: "The first one can only partly be called a plane - it is a testbed we sent to TsAGI (the central aerodynamics institute) in Moscow last year. Today, we completed the second.

"In addition we have also started building three production-standard aircraft. Assembly of the first of these three production planes will start in August."

The plant expects to build around 16 aircraft per year by 2016, with total production expected to reach to 190 aircraft, including potential exports to China, India and Israel.

The Russian Ministry of Defence has already placed orders, which is yet to be signed, with the plant to supply 90 of the modernised transport aircraft as part of its rearmament plan.

Chief designer Sergei Urasov has stated that the aircraft is completely new and different from its early version, on the basis of its systems.

Powered by a PS-90A turbofan in place of the older D-30 engine, the aircraft features new cockpit avionics and provides increased speed, range, and cargo capacity of up to 60t with spacing for a smaller flight crew.

Also known as the Il-476, the Il-76MD-90A aircraft is capable of landing on rough strips and is in use with many air forces worldwide for conducting missions such as air landing and paradropping of personnel, military equipment as well as different goods.

During the 1970s and 1980s, hundreds of early model Il-76s were produced by the Soviet Union at its Tashkent factory in Uzbekistan.

MOSCOW, July 6 (RIA Novosti)

Moscow hopes to conclude an agreement with Tajikistan in October on the prolongation of the Russian military base’s presence in the Central Asian state, Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov said on Friday.

The Russian military base in Tajikistan was opened in 2004 and is the largest Russia’s base for ground forces abroad with up to 7,000 military servicemen stationed there. The base’s presence in Tajikistan expires in 2014, according to existing agreements.

“I hope that in October our Tajik colleagues will be ready to sign documents. I believe that the financial terms for the lease of the base will remain unchanged,” Serdyukov told journalists.

Under the current agreements Russia does not pay Tajikistan for its military base, but renders the country military and technical assistance. However, this form of assistance is not officially stated as a form of the payment.

05 July, 2012, RT.com

A new multi-billion dollar agency will develop cutting-edge Russian weapons, after the Russian Duma overwhelmingly voted to establish the Future Research Fund (FPI).

The FPI's budget has not been finalized, but media speculation has predicted that it could be given more than $100 billion between now and 2020, though the funding is expected to be ramped up in steps.

“After 20 years of stagnation it will be hard to catch up with the West’s weapons development the ordinary way,” Vice Premier Dmitry Rogozin told the deputies ahead of the vote.

“We need a radical organization ready to take risks and work in the most promising areas. A real predator.”

The final vote tally was 425 for, 25 against.

Rogozin claims the agency can begin working within months, and will initially employ a staff of no more than 150.

He promised that key research would initially be decided by need, and that his team would initially concentrate on “automating systems” and “hypersonic technologies.”

When FPI was first mooted, its obvious comparison was with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) set up by the United States in 1958. With a budget of over $3 billion, it controls tight teams of scientists working on research that provides spectacular results (GPS and stealth planes) and embarrassing results (spy telepathy and halfnium bombs).

It is currently working on a thought-controlled prosthetic arm, an exoskeleton and a flying armored car.

Proposed by President Vladimir Putin, whose United Russia party enjoys a majority in the Duma, the FPI law was expected to be rubber stamped without a hitch.

Still, some voiced concern.

Communist Vladimir Fedotkin noted that “in the past 20 years we have seen a lot of funds, and every time the money has simply been stolen.”

Andrey Rudenko, from moderate opposition party Fair Russia, expressed fears about voting for an “opaque” organization, whose budget, scope and structure have not been made clear even to the lawmakers themselves.

In response, Rogozin promised that FPI would face strict internal audits, and appealed to the parliamentarians’ sense of patriotism.

Rogozin, who is the mastermind behind FPI and is expected to take charge of the new organization, is a divisive figure in Russian politics.

A journalist by education, he was widely known as a firebrand nationalist, who was once barred from running in an election for his xenophobic views. Since then, he has made a stunning political comeback, first serving as Russia’s prickly ambassador to NATO, before becoming one of the country’s most influential politicians.

He has previously been outspoken in his criticism of Russia buying high-tech weaponry from abroad.