Third Vietnamese submarine HQ-184 Hai Phong will be delivered in year-end (photo : Gomtin)

13.08.2014 Defense Studies

The third diesel-electric submarine (SSK) Project 636, built in St. Petersburg Admiralty Shipyards for Vietnamese Navy in late 2014 will be delivered at the point of bases in Cam Ranh Bay, according to Interfax-Military News Agency, citing a source in the Russian shipbuilding industry.

"Currently, the third boat export series is working out the program of ship crew practice customer. This - the second stage of the marine part of the training. The first successfully completed 1 to July 20 in the area of ​​the island of Hogland. During the first phase of the boat held submerged 57 hours, "- said the agency interlocutor.

According to him, 20 August boat will return to the factory, and then again after 10 days will be released into the sea. "In November, she will be transferred to the customer," - he said. The fourth boat series recently came to the factory sea trials.

According to the plan is the construction of the fifth and sixth corps. "Launching of the sixth boat series is scheduled for September next year," - said the agency interlocutor.

The first and second series of the Vietnamese boat HQ-182 "Hanoi" and HQ-183 "Ho Chi Minh City" in April became part of the 189th Brigade Navy submarine forces in Vietnam. Delivery to Kamran accomplished by the Dutch LASH.

Contract to supply Vietnam six diesel-electric submarines of Project 636 was signed in 2009 during the visit to Moscow by Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung. In addition to the construction of the submarines contract provides for the training of Vietnamese crews, as well as supply of necessary equipment and technical equipment.

Project 636 diesel-electric submarine is the third generation of submarines. These boats have a good modernization potential, allowing them to integrate new weapons, and in particular, anti-ship missile complex Club, significantly expanding the zone of destruction purposes. Due to the ultra-low noise in the West boats of this type are called "black hole".

(VPK)

An Air Force version of Akash nuclear-capable missile being launched. Photo DRDO

13 August 2014 airforce-technology.com

The Indian Air Force (IAF) has fired Akash nuclear capable supersonic missile from the launch complex III of Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur, Odhisa, India.

ITR director MVKV Prasad was quoted by Press Trust of India as saying that the exercise was carried out as part of a user trial by IAF, and was 'fully successful.'

However, The New Indian Express reported that domestically developed missile failed to destroy target contradicting the Defence Research and Development Organisation's claims that all mission parameters were met.

Akash was supposed to intercept the Italian Mirage aircraft during the test, which was aimed at validating the flight consistency and effectiveness of the missile.

An unnamed ITR source told the news agency that the missile failed to intercept the target due to the delay in take-off.

The source said: "There was a slight disturbance in simulation following a few seconds delay in take off for which the missile failed to hit the target."

The missile also failed to take-off as planned on several occasions in the past as the launcher failed to receive required command in time to fire the missile, according to the news agency.

Developed by DRDO and Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) as part of the integrated guided missile development programme (IGMDP), Akash missile is an all-weather surface-to-air missile system capable of engaging aerial threats up to a distance of 25km.

Equipped with a launcher, control centre, multi-function fire control radar and supporting ground equipment, the 5.78m-long missile can destroy manoeuvring targets such as unmanned aerial vehicles, fighter aircraft, cruise missiles, and other ballistic missiles launched from helicopters.

Capable of reaching speeds of 2.5 Mach, the missile has already entered into IAF's operational service, and is awaiting induction into the Indian Army.

14 août 2014 Romandie.com (AFP)

Séoul - La Corée du Nord a effectué jeudi un tir de trois projectiles de courte portée dans la mer, depuis ses côtes est, a annoncé le gouvernement sud-coréen peu après l'arrivée du pape François à Séoul.

La Corée du Nord a tiré trois projectiles de courte portée dans la mer de l'Est (ou mer du Japon, a déclaré un porte-parole du ministère sud-coréen de la Défense.

Arrivé dans la matinée à Séoul, non loin du 38e parallèle sur lequel a été tracée la frontière entre les deux Corée, le pape François doit lancer un message pour tenter d'aider à la réconciliation entre le sud capitaliste et le nord communiste.

Il célèbrera une messe pour la paix et la réconciliation sur la péninsule coréenne en la cathédrale de Myeong-dong à Séoul, le 18 août, au cinquième et dernier jour de sa visite en Corée du Sud.

Les autorités de Pyongyang, qui ont refusé que des catholiques nord-coréens viennent rencontrer le pape, garantissent en principe la liberté de culte, inscrite dans la Constitution.

Mais selon un récent rapport de la Commission de l'ONU sur la situation des droits de l'Homme dans l'Etat communiste, les chrétiens pratiquant leur foi en dehors des associations officielles s'exposent à des persécutions.

The amphibious ship Canterbury was part of New Zealand's Project Protector program. Two of the four inshore patrol vessels that are also part of the program could be replaced by a larger ship. (New Zealand Navy)

Aug. 12, 2014 - By NICK LEE-FRAMPTON – Defense News

WELLINGTON — New Zealand’s government is considering cutting half of the Royal New Zealand Navy’s inshore patrol vessel (IPV) fleet.

Two of the four 180-foot IPVs, commissioned in 2009, could be swapped for a larger ship, said Defence Minister Jonathan Coleman.

“Obviously, if we felt that what we had already was ideal we wouldn’t be looking at this potential change,” he said.

The four IPVs, ordered under the NZ $500 million (US $423 million) Project Protector contract, which included two 279-foot offshore patrol vessels (OPVs) and the 430-foot amphibious ship Canterbury, which participated in the recent Rim of the Pacific exercise, were ordered to help police, customs, fisheries and other government agencies protect New Zealand’s borders and exclusive economic zone.

However, staff shortages, particularly a chronic lack of technicians, have meant the Navy struggled to crew all the ships. The Navy has 2,059 regular personnel, down from 2,162 in 2010.

Business case documents, obtained under the Official Information Act by a New Zealand television channel, show two of the four patrol vessels would be sold and replaced by one longer-range ship, effectively a third OPV, in about five years.

Coleman says he will put the case to Cabinet next year if the government wins next month’s election.

August 13, 2014: Strategy Page

In northern Iraq the threat posed by ISIL (Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant) has led to over 2,000 Kurdish women volunteering for combat duty. Another 5,000 had volunteered for support work in the combat zone. This is nothing new for the Kurds, or many other peoples around the globe.

Throughout history women have often served in irregular combat organizations. In modern times, with the arrival of lightweight firearms, more women became capable of handling direct combat. This is because before modern firearms were developed in the 19th century lots of combat was dependent on muscle, which men have a lot more of.

Despite this inability to compete with men in the muscle department women often served as archers, using the small, shorter range short bow that did not require the big muscle of longer range bows. These women became accurate archers because in many cultures women used short bows to hunt small game near their camp or village. Men used more powerful bows for big game. But the short bow could kill a man, especially if he were not wearing a lot of armor. A skilled female archer could regularly get face shots, as they were accustomed to hitting small targets like rabbits and birds.

Despite being Sunni Moslem, the Kurds do not have a lot of restrictions on women. In fact, a lot of the clothing and behavior restrictions associated with Moslem women are, as many Islamic scholars will point out, based on cultural customs not religious scripture. In the Middle East for example, women in many ethnic groups, and of all faiths (including Christians) have ancient customs about women being well covered when in public and generally staying at home. The Kurds have little of that cultural baggage and they do have a tradition of women going to war, especially in self-defense militias. This was the case in Israel during the 1948 war and their Arab opponents were enraged (and humiliated) when they found that the “soldiers” who had just defeated in one encounter or another were female. ISIL will be similarly unamused when they get the same treatment from Kurdish women.

Russia, and other countries, discovered during World War II that women, in general, made better snipers. But that was something any student of archery through the ages could have told you. Since World War II warfare has come to depend more on brains more than muscle. This has made women competitive at more jobs in regular armies.

The IDF's Skylark mini-UAV is used broadly in support of ground forces in the latest Gaza operation. (Israel Defense Forces)

Aug. 12, 2014 - By BARBARA OPALL-ROME – Defense News

IAF Debuts Hermes 900; IDF Deploys 2 Skylarks With Each Brigade

KASTINA ARMY BASE, ISRAEL — Israeli military commanders are crediting unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) by Elbit Systems for delivering added operational value in recent combat in Gaza.

From the one-ton Hermes 900 debuted by the Israel Air Force (IAF) to the soldier-launched Skylarks supporting ground-force brigades, officers here say assets acquired from the Haifa, Israel-based firm boosted combat effectiveness of Operation Protective Edge.

While the Skylark mini-UAV has been operational here since 2008, Protective Edge marked the first time it was used in quantities for high-tempo support of ground forces, said Brig. Gen. Roy Riftin, IDF chief artillery officer.

“This was the first time we deployed it broadly,” Riftin said of the system, known here as SkyRider, operated by the Artillery Corps.

“Every brigade — even the reserves — got at least two air vehicles and flew them nonstop; at the same time,” he said.

In an Aug. 12 interview at a base in southern Israel, Riftin said some 18 systems flew hundreds of hours, generating intelligence and streaming target-acquisition data to myriad shooters on the ground.

“It was phenomenal; a real asset,” Riftin said.

“We stretched these systems to the edge of their capability,” he said of the 7.5 Skylark and its 1.1 kilogram payload.

“They created intel; helped close the loop with other shooters ... and served up targets of opportunity for Tammuz,” the officer said of the electro-optic, precision strike system built by Rafael and operated by IDF gunners.

At the opposite end of Elbit’s unmanned portfolio is Hermes 900, which the IAF fielded for the first time during the operation that began July 8 and has not yet officially concluded due to unresolved ceasefire negotiations.

Known here as Kochav (Star), Hermes 900 is the newest system to be integrated into the IAF’s unmanned force. With a maximum takeoff weight of 1.1 tons and payload capacity of some 300 kilograms, it’s double the size of Elbit’s Hermes 450S. The 900 model also carries nearly twice the weight and flies some 12 hours longer than its predecessor.

“The Kochav was introduced during the operation for unique missions that it could perform in a much better way than Hermes 450,” Capt. Grisha, an officer who managed the operational integration of Hermes 900.

In an account published on the IDF’s website, the officer said the Hermes 900 was still undergoing test flights and wasn’t planned for operational deployment until later next year.

“In addition to the aircraft itself, the cockpit and flight systems are much more advanced, which enables greater operational flexibility,” said the officer, whose surname was withheld from publication.

The IDF officer said that following conclusion of the still ongoing operation, Hermes 900 would resume operational integration and flight testing. “There’s still some significant milestones that need to be met,” he said.

Dalia Rosen, a spokeswoman for Elbit, declined comment on company systems deployed in the Protective Edge operation.

“It’s always preferable to hear what the customer has to say,” she said.

12 Aug 2014 By Ben Farmer, Defence Correspondent

British Chinook helicopters could soon join RAF transport planes and Tornado jets operating in Iraq as the UK rapidly escalates its aid mission

Britain is considering sending Chinook helicopters to Iraq to bolster an aid mission for thousands of desperate refugees fleeing Islamist extremists demanding they convert or die.

The heavy lift helicopters would join two RAF C130 Hercules planes already carrying out aid drops and Tornado jets on their way to the region, as Britain rapidly steps up efforts to save a quarter of a million people fleeing fighting in northern Iraq.

The proposal was being discussed in a meeting of Government’s COBR emergencies committee on Tuesday afternoon.

Read more

Aug. 12, 2014 - By BURAK EGE BEKDIL – Defense News

ANKARA, TURKEY — Turkey’s top procurement panel selected a local tractor and diesel engine manufacturer to design and develop an engine for the country’s first indigenous new generation main battle tank, the Altay.

The Defense Industry Executive Committee said that it decided to launch contract negotiations with Tumosan in connection with the engine program for the Altay.

Kurtulus Ogun, Tumosan’s general director, told reporters Aug. 12 that the contract involved development of a diesel engine and transmission system for the planned tank.

“This program will increase Turkey’s self-sufficiency in defense industry and end its dependency on foreign suppliers (of diesel engines),” he said.

Turkey’s procurement authorities are preparing to officially launch a multi-billion-dollar competition for an eventual batch of 1,000 Altays.

The race for the serial production will involve an initial batch of 250 tanks, followed by three additional orders each comprising 250 more tanks, officials said.

The Altay program has faced hurdles and delays, as the most problematic development feature concerned its engine. Turkey’s months-long negotiations with Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries for joint development and production of an engine for the Altay failed earlier this year.

TEWKSBURY, Mass., Aug. 12, 2014 /PRNewswire

Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) and the University of Massachusetts Lowell have announced an agreement to establish a joint research facility focused on the advancement of innovative technologies in a collaborative, state-of-the-art institute. Raytheon is committing $3 million with options to $5 million throughout the next 10 years for establishment of this research facility. 

The Raytheon-UMass Lowell Research Institute (RURI) will feature state-of-the-art laboratories and classrooms that will serve as a launchpad for collaboration and learning among UMass Lowell faculty and students and Raytheon employees to benefit both organizations in the pursuit of federal research funding. It will also provide UMass Lowell students with opportunities for research projects and employment opportunities at Raytheon.

"The creation of the RURI presents a tangible opportunity to advance the research and the learning of technologies under development for students and employees alike and will inspire future engineers and drive innovation," said Dan Crowley, president of Raytheon's Integrated Defense Systems business.

"We look forward to bringing the expertise of our top-notch faculty together with researchers from Raytheon. This new partnership is just one example of how UMass Lowell is leading the way in collaborating with industry to power innovation and the economy in Massachusetts and beyond," said UMass Lowell Chancellor Marty Meehan. "This institute will also provide our students with the kind of real-world experience that is one of the hallmarks of a UMass Lowell education."

"As a co-directed, co-located research environment, the RURI signifies a unique opportunity for Raytheon's university partnerships," said Mark E. Russell, Raytheon vice president of Engineering, Technology and Mission Assurance. "The RURI will serve as an extension of our current research capabilities and represents a resource across the Raytheon enterprise for the study of advanced materials and flexible circuit technologies, such as printable electronics and nanotechnology."

Initial research will focus on future technologies for radar and communication systems and could expand into other areas as needed. The institute will leverage UMass Lowell's strengths in printed electronics and nanotechnology that align with Raytheon's strategic technology needs including high-frequency printed conformal antennas, carbon-based transistors and photonic devices.

The RURI will be located in the Mark and Elisia Saab Emerging Technologies and Innovation Center, an $80 million, 84,000-square-foot research facility on the UMass Lowell campus that is home to cutting-edge research in a variety of science and engineering disciplines. The center – one of nine new buildings opened by the university since 2009 – was constructed to provide not only UMass Lowell faculty and students with the most advanced research facility of its kind north of Boston, but to also support collaboration with businesses from startups to world leaders like Raytheon.

The building's fourth floor will be specially equipped to house the institute, which will be co-directed by Dr. Christopher McCarroll of Raytheon and UMass Lowell Prof. Craig Armiento, Ph.D., a faculty member in electrical and computer engineering in the university's Francis College of Engineering.

About UMass Lowell
UMass Lowell is a national research university located on a high-energy campus in the heart of a global community. The university offers its 17,000 students bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees in business, engineering, education, fine arts, health, humanities, liberal arts, sciences and social sciences. UMass Lowell delivers high-quality educational programs, vigorous hands-on learning and personal attention from leading faculty and staff, all of which prepare graduates to be ready for work, for life and for all the world offers. www.uml.edu

About Raytheon
Raytheon Company, with 2013 sales of $24 billion and 63,000 employees worldwide, is a technology and innovation leader specializing in defense, security and civil markets throughout the world. With a history of innovation spanning 92 years, Raytheon provides state-of-the-art electronics, mission systems integration and other capabilities in the areas of sensing; effects; and command, control, communications and intelligence systems, as well as cyber security and a broad range of mission support services. Raytheon is headquartered in Waltham, Mass. For more about Raytheon, visit us at www.raytheon.com and follow us on Twitter @Raytheon.

Aug 12 by David Axe – War is boring

A taxonomy of armored vehicles, volume four — the tricked-out M-1

The U.S. occupation of Iraq is over. The Afghanistan war is winding down. Today America faces “emerging threats in an increasingly sophisticated technological environment,” according to Gen. John Campbell, the Army vice chief of staff.

For the U.S. ground combat branches that means a renewed emphasis on fast-moving armored warfare. The Army and Marines are dusting off heavy vehicles that played a minor role in Iraq and Afghanistan.

In this series, we spotlight some of the more obscure, weird and lamented armored behemoths. The battle wagons of a new era of warfare. The focus of this volume — the Army’s latest M-1 tank … with all the bells and whistles.

Read full article

U.S. Soldiers from 1st Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division travel in a Bradley Fighting Vehicles during Combined Resolve II on May 24, 2014. Photo James L. Brown U.S. Army

August 13, 2014 By Jon Harper Stars and Stripes

WASHINGTON — Approximately 600 soldiers from the Army’s 1st Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division will deploy to Poland and the Baltic States to help reassure European allies who feel threatened by Russian military moves, the Pentagon announced Wednesday.

The troops and their equipment — which include M-1 Abrams tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, and armored personnel carriers — will go to Europe in October for a three-month series of training exercises.

Read full article

13 août 2014 US Navy

13 août 2014 Romandie.com (AFP)

Beyrouth - Les jihadistes de l'Etat islamique (EI) ont mené mercredi une importante avancée dans la province syrienne d'Alep, chassant les rebelles de plusieurs villages à l'issue de combats qui ont fait 52 morts, rapporte l'Observatoire syrien des droits de l'Homme (OSDH).

Le groupe ultra radical a pris en moins de 24 heures huit localités et villages au nord de la ville d'Alep, non loin de la frontière turque, a indiqué l'OSDH, parmi lesquels le village d'Arshaf et la localité de Dabeq.

Au moins 40 combattants rebelles et 12 de l'EI ont été tués dans les combats, selon un nouveau bilan de l'Observatoire qui dispose d'un large réseau de sources civiles, médicales et militaires. Un précédent bilan faisait état de 39 morts au total.

D'après l'OSDH, les jihadistes ont fait prisonniers au moins 50 rebelles.

L'Etat islamique, qui contrôle en très grande partie l'est syrien et une partie du nord, avance rapidement vers l'ouest, indique le directeur de l'OSDH Rami Abdel Rahmane.

Les combats, qui durent depuis des mois, se sont intensifiés dans la nuit de mardi à mercredi après un assaut majeur de l'EI sur ces villages, d'après l'OSDH.

Dans cette zone, les bataillons islamistes avaient été lâchés par leur ex-allié, le Front al-Nosra, qui s'est retirée de la région fin juillet, toujours selon l'ONG. Les rebelles ont été affaiblis par ce retrait, affirme M. Abdel Rahmane.

Al-Nosra, la branche syrienne d'Al-Qaïda, était alliée aux rebelles aussi bien contre l'EI que contre les troupes du président Bachar al-Assad.

Mais ces dernières semaines, Al-Nosra a commencé à combattre les rebelles, rendant encore plus complexe le conflit syrien.

La prise des villages par l'EI lui permettra d'attaquer deux importants bastions de la rébellion, les villes de Marea et d'Aazaz, plus à l'ouest, ajoute l'OSDH.

Marea est un bastion du Front islamique, une coalition de groupes islamistes qui combat l'EI et le régime.

Aazaz, proche de la frontière turque et du poste-frontière de Bab al-Salama, vital pour la rébellion, pourrait constituer un atout pour l'EI qui veut étendre son califat proclamé début juin sur les territoires saisis en Irak et en Syrie.

Si l'EI prend Marea et Aazaz, elle coupera une des plus importantes routes d'approvisionnement pour les rebelles en provenance de la Turquie. C'est très grave, dit M. Abdel Rahmane.

Apparu en 2013 en Syrie, l'EI s'est attiré les foudres des rebelles syriens par ses violences contre les civils et les combattants rivaux et ses velléités hégémoniques, ce qui a déclenché une guerre sanglante entre les deux bords.

Sans issue en vue, la guerre en Syrie a fait plus de 170.000 morts, selon l'OSDH, et a forcé près de la moitié des habitants a fuir leur foyer, selon l'ONU.