Oct 16, 2012 Spacewar.com (AFP)

Damascus  - Warplanes unleashed a wave of air raids on rebel belts in Syria's north Tuesday even as the UN appealed for a nationwide ceasefire during the upcoming Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha.

International peace envoy Lakhdar Brahimi issued the call for a truce as he travelled to Cairo as part of a regional tour to thrash out a possible solution to the conflict.

The morning air strikes around Maaret al-Numan were termed by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights as the "most violent" since insurgents captured the strategic town last week.

The warplanes dropped bombs in a bid to break a rebel blockade of a highway, which is preventing army reinforcements from reaching second city Aleppo, theatre of intense fighting for the past three months, the group said.

"The bombing is targeting the villages of Hish, Maarshamsha, Maarshamrin, Talmans and Deir al-Gharbi in the vicinity of Maaret al-Numan," the Observatory said, adding rebels were responding with anti-aircraft fire.

Maaret al-Numan is strategically located in the northwest on the highway linking Damascus to Aleppo.

As it attempts to subdue the insurgency in the north, the army is also engaged in an attempt to put down rebels at Eastern Ghuta, in the countryside outside Damascus.

Brahimi, the UN-Arab League envoy for Syria, has called for a ceasefire during the upcoming Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha, as the revolt is now in its 20th month with a death toll of more than 33,000.

Brahimi made his call as he shuttled between Syria's neighbours, which have been bitterly divided by the conflict along the confessional lines that have traditionally riven the Islamic world.

He was in Shiite-majority Iraq after talks in Shiite-ruled Iran, closest ally of the minority Alawite-dominated regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Last week, Brahimi visited Saudi Arabia and Turkey, the two Sunni-led states which have been the greatest champions of the Syrian opposition. And on Tuesday he was in Cairo where he was to meet Arab League chief Nabil al-Arabi.

"Brahimi has appealed to the Iranian authorities to assist in achieving a ceasefire in Syria during the forthcoming Eid al-Adha, one of the holiest holidays celebrated by the Muslims around the world," a statement from the envoy said.

Eid al-Adha, which falls at the end of October, marks the climax of the annual hajj pilgrimage.

"He reiterated the call by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon for a ceasefire and a halt to the flow of arms to both sides. A ceasefire, he said, would help create an environment that would allow a political process to develop."

Iran proposed to Brahimi a political transition supervised by Assad, Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdolahian said, an idea unlikely to be acceptable to the opposition.

-- US call as Turkey-Syria tensions soar --

Tensions between Syria and Turkey have soared as Ankara and Damascus banned flights between the two countries after Ankara confiscated a cargo of radar equipment from a Syrian flight from Moscow last week.

On Monday, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan reiterated that the cargo contained "war equipment."

"There is no point in diverting and saying it is radar equipment. Radar equipment functions as war equipment anyway," he said.

Ties between the two nations have deteriorated since rebels seized large swathes of territory along the long Syria-Turkey border.

On October 3, five Turkish civilians were killed by cross-border fire against the rebels that Syria charges are receiving arms from Gulf Arab states through Turkey.

The United States on Monday called on all Syria's neighbours to keep a careful watch over their airspace.

"Certainly we support the decision that Turkey has made in light of the apparent violation of their airspace by this aircraft," State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said.

"We are encouraging all of Syria's neighbours to be vigilant with regard to how their airspace is used, particularly now that we have this concrete example."

Meanwhile the European Union imposed a new package of unilateral sanctions on Damascus on Monday, its 19th since the conflict erupted in March 2011.

But Western and European leaders are still facing an uphill task in getting Russia and China, key allies of Assad, on board. The two have repeatedly blocked action at the UN Security Council against the Assad regime.

British Foreign Secretary William Hague said on Monday: "I can't say that we made any progress."

Inside Syria fighting raged with at least 151 people killed on Monday, including 78 civilians.

16.10.2012, La Voix de la Russie

Le général en retraite de l'armée syrienne Akil Hachem, qui a pris le côté des rebelles, a indiqué que les capacités de défense la défense antiaérienne de la Syrie sont grandement exagérées.

Selon Hachem, il aurait fallu très peu de forces militaires pour pouvoir créer une zone d'exclusion aérienne dans le Nord de la Syrie. « Un porte-avions américain avec 80-85 chasseurs modernes à son bord et la base aérienne turque d'Incirlik seraient suffisants pour accomplir cette mission», a expliqué le général, qualifiant le régime syrien et son armée de «tigre de papier».

Le général a rappelé qu’il a participé à trois guerres contre Israël, et que l'armée de l'air syrienne, tout comme les forces de la défense antiaérienne n'ont rien pu faire contre les manœuvres de l'armée de l'air israélienne.

Oct 15, 2012 Spacewar.com  (AFP)

Washington - The United States on Monday called on all Syria's neighbors to keep a careful watch over their airspace, after Turkey said it had intercepted a Syrian plane from Russia carrying military equipment.

"Certainly we support the decision that Turkey has made in light of the apparent violation of their airspace by this aircraft," State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland told reporters.

"We are encouraging all of Syria's neighbors to be vigilant with regard to how their airspace is used, particularly now that we have this concrete example."

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan reiterated Monday that the cargo Ankara confiscated from the intercepted Syrian passenger jet contained weapons, shrugging off Russian claims that the plane carried legal radar equipment.

"It is beyond any doubt that the cargo is war equipment," Erdogan told reporters in Ankara.

The Syrian Air plane traveling en route from Moscow to Damascus was forced by Turkish jets to land in Ankara last Wednesday, reportedly upon intelligence that the civilian plane carried military cargo.

After grounding the plane for nine hours, Ankara announced it seized "objectionable" cargo aboard the plane, triggering a furious reaction from Damascus and its main ally, Moscow.

Nuland stressed however that Turkey was "open to granting humanitarian exceptions" as the conflict in Syria to topple autocratic leader President Bashar al-Assad enters its 20th month, having claimed some 33,000 lives.

Ankara recently "granted approval for an Armenian flight... to overfly Turkey on the condition that it would land and be inspected. It was. It was confirmed to be humanitarian supplies, and they were allowed to go on to Syria," Nuland said.

"So the Turks, from our perspective, are taking a measured and appropriate posture with regard to these things."

October 16, 2012 Yair Barzilai, IDF

Head of the IAF: "The Air Defense Command of the Israel Air Force is the most advanced in its reputation, technology and experience worldwide"

On October 14th, Brig. Gen. Shahar Shohat was appointed the new head of the Israeli Air Force (IAF) Air Defense command in a ceremony at the Palmachim base, just south of Rishon Letzion. Brig. Gen. Shohat is replacing Brig. Gen Doron Gavish, who is leaving the army for civilian life after a 30 year term at the Israel Air Force, three of which he spent as head of the Air Defense command.

"In the last years, the Air Defense Command had a fostered a change, even a revolution, in its way it is operated and deployed. A procedure we called 'designing the future’," said Brig. Gen. Gavish at the ceremony, " On the symbolic date, 11.1.11, we embarked on our new mission, with the reformation of our systems and our strategies, and changed our name from Anti Aircraft to Air Defense Command."

The Air Defense Command was established during the 1948 War of Independence, as part of the Artillery Corps, and moved under the jurisdiction of the IAF during the Suez Canal Crisis in 1956. By 1971, the command had been completely merged with the IAF. The defining moment of the Command came during the Yom Kippur War, when 46 Egyptian planes and 7 Syrian planes were taken down, creating a significant air advantage for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).

Last year, in an effort to emphasize the unit’s new responsibilities, whose focus has shifted from the threat of enemy planes to that of rockets and missiles, the Command changed its name from Anti – Aircraft to Air Defense Command. Both Commander of the IAF, Maj. Gen. Amir Eshel, and Incoming head of Air Defense Command, Brig. Gen, Shohat, emphasized the delicate situation in the region.

"The Middle East is in the midst of a storm, the spectrum of threats is large and its complexities ever increasing," warned head of the IAF, Maj. Gen. Amir Eshel. "The combination between ideological terror organizations, and new regimes [getting hold of] advanced weaponry, an inheritance of militaries [of sovereign states], creates a platform of wild, uncalculated belligerence, without any restraint within our boundaries. [This behavior] threatens our country and our way of life."

Brig. Gen. Shohat also spoke of the situation saying, "The state of Israel is confronted with significant political, security, and social challenges. It seems as if we are at the beginning of a winter, in both senses, more than we are in the beginning of a spring," said Brig. Gen. Shohat.

"The command finds itself at the beginning of a strategic change - receiving unique missions of national importance, operating new technologically advanced systems, and a thorough restructuring," Brig. Gen. Shohat explained.

While the Air Defense operates five different systems, the three most prominent ones are the MIM Patriot 104, the Arrow Missile Defense, and the Iron Dome. The patriot system was first used during the Gulf War in response to the Iraqi – operated Scud missiles, and during the Second Lebanon War, defense of the Northern Israeli cities, defending from the Hezbollah operated Katyusha missiles.

The newly developed Arrow Missile System, soon reaching its third generation, is the world’s first national missile defense system, capable of defending all of Israel from long-range ballistic missiles. The system plays a strategic role in countering long-range threats like those from Iran.

In recent years, constant rocket attacks from Gaza have been launched at Israeli cities, and prompted the development of the Iron Dome system – a system aimed at intercepting short-range rockets and artillery shells. The Iron Dome, one of the world’s most advanced rocket defense systems, is an Israeli invention, backed by U.S. support.

"[ the Iron Dome] withstood the test of time, taking down 109 rockets and providing an effective protection for the citizens of southern Israel - an operational success on an international scale," noted outgoing commander Brig. Gen. Doron Gavish, emphasizing the importance of the cooperation between the U.S. Air Force and the IAF.

"We have moved from a tactical command to a strategic command with multi-layered capabilities," concluded Maj. Gen. Eshel , "the Air Defense command of the Israel Air Force is the most advanced command , in its reputation, technology and experience worldwide."

October 16, 2012 By Dr. Gabi Siboni and Sami Kronenfeld / Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) - INSS Insight No. 375

Broad interstate cooperation needed to counter Iranian cyber activity

The recent statement by US Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta about the need to confront Iranian cyber warfare waged against American targets highlights developments of the last two years regarding Iran's extended activity to construct defensive and offensive cyber capabilities. Apparently underway is a large cyber campaign by Iran, both to attack various targets in retaliation for the sanctions imposed against it and to repel the cyber attacks directed at it.

Iran is working to develop and implement a strategy to operate in cyberspace. The approach by Supreme Leader Khamenei to opportunities and risks inherent in cyberspace, reflected in his March 2012 announcement on the establishment of the Supreme Cyber Council, shows how central the issue is in Iran. Defensively, Iran is working to realize two main goals: first, to create a "technological envelope" that will protect critical infrastructures and sensitive information against cyberspace attacks such as the Stuxnet virus, which damaged the Iranian uranium enrichment program, and second, to stop and foil cyberspace activity by opposition elements and opponents to the regime, for whom cyberspace is a key platform for communicating, distributing information, and organizing anti-regime activities. The Iranian program to create a separate, independent communications network is particularly important in this context.

Offensively, the cyberspace strategy is part of the doctrine of asymmetrical warfare, a central principle in the Iranian concept of the use of force. Cyberspace warfare, like other classical asymmetrical tactics such as terrorism and guerilla warfare, is viewed by Iran as an effective tool to inflict serious damage on an enemy with military and technological superiority. In a case of escalation between Iran and the West, Iran will likely aim to launch a cyber attack against critical infrastructures in the United States and its allies, including energy infrastructures, financial institutions, transportation systems, and others. In order to realize the goals of its strategy, Iran has allocated about $1 billion to develop and acquire technology and recruit and train experts. The country has an extensive network of educational and academic research institutions dealing with information technology, computer engineering, electronic engineering, and math. In addition, the government operates its own institute – the Iran Telecommunications Research Center, the research and professional branch of the Information and Communications Ministry. The institute trains and operates advanced research teams in various fields, including information security. Another government body is the Technology Cooperation Officer, which belongs to the president’s bureau, and initiates information technology research projects. This body has been identified by the European Union and others in the West as involved in the Iranian nuclear program.

The Iranian cyberspace system comprises a large number of cyber organizations, formally related to various establishment institutions and involved in numerous fields. One central organization with a primarily defensive orientation is the Cyber Defense Command, operating under Iran’s Passive Defensive Organization, affiliated with the General Staff of the Armed Forces. Alongside military personnel, this cyberspace organization includes representatives of government ministries, such as the ministries of communications, defense, intelligence, and industry, and its main goal is to develop a defensive doctrine against cyberspace threats. Another cyberspace body of a defensive nature is the MAHER Information Security Center, operating under the aegis of the communications and information technology ministry. The center is in charge of operating rapid response teams in case of emergencies and cyber attacks. Iran also has a Committee for Identifying Unauthorized Sites and FETA, the police cyberspace unit, which in addition to dealing with internet crime also monitors and controls Iranian internet usage, with emphasis on internet cafés throughout the country that allow relatively anonymous web surfing.

The picture is less clear regarding Iran’s offensive cyberspace capabilities. Clearly the capabilities of the Revolutionary Guards make Iran one of the most advanced nations in the field of cyberspace warfare, with capabilities, inter alia, to install malicious code in counterfeit computer software, develop capabilities to block computer communications networks, develop viruses and tools for penetrating computers to gather intelligence, and develop tools with delayed action mechanisms or mechanisms connected to control servers. There is also evidence of links between the Revolutionary Guards and hacker groups in Iran and abroad that operate against the enemies of the regime at home and around the world. The use of outsourcing allows the Revolutionary Guards and Iran to maintain distance and deniability about Iran’s involvement in cyberspace warfare and

cyber crime. A prominent hacker group linked to the Revolutionary Guards is the Ashiyane Digital Security Team, whose members are motivated by an ideology supporting the Iranian regime and the Islamic Revolution and who target the enemies of the regime for attack. The Basij, subordinate to the Revolutionary Guards, also became active in cyberspace when in 2010 established the Basij Cyberspace Council. The activities of the Basij focus primarily on creating pro-Iranian propaganda in cyberspace, and the organization works on developing more advanced cyberspace capabilities and using Revolutionary Guards cyberspace operatives to train hackers in high offensive capabilities.

Iran is already active offensively, as evidenced by several events in recent years. In 2011 there were two attacks on companies providing security permissions; most prominent was the attack from June to August 2011 on DigiNotar in the Netherlands, whose databases – the major source of SSL permissions in Holland – were attacked. During those months, certificates for authenticating websites, including the certificate authenticating the google.com domain, were stolen; the latter item allowed attackers to pose as Google and redirect Gmail servers. In fact, the attack allowed Iran to penetrate more than 300,000 computers, primarily in Iran, and seems to have been designed to monitor users at home for internal security purposes.

In September 2012, a number of financial institutions in the United States came under attack, including sites belonging to the Bank of America, Morgan Chase, and CitiGroup. According to American analysts, the most destructive attack occurred in August 2012 on the computers of the Saudi Arabian oil company Aramco and the Qatari gas company RasGas. The attack was carried out by means of a computer virus called Shamoo, which spread through company servers and destroyed information stored in them. A group called the Cutting Sword of Justice took responsibility for the attack and claimed it was aimed at the main source of income of Saudi Arabia, which was accused of committing crimes in Syria and Bahrain.

The development of Iran’s cyberspace capabilities and the most recent attacks should concern the United States as well as Israel. The success of the attack on Aramco computers is of concern because the standard defensive systems proved insufficient against the focused and anonymous attacks. It is therefore necessary to develop tools that can deal with such threats. One of the directions being developed involves identification, blocking, and neutralization of unusual behavior in computers under attack. Such tools could neutralize threats even after the malicious code managed to penetrate the targeted computer. The attack on Aramco was designed more to destroy information indiscriminately in tens of thousands of company computers and less (if at all) to gather intelligence. If intelligence gathering in cyberspace can be considered legitimate in some cases, a large scale attack such as the one by Iran against a civilian target marks a transition by Iran to retaliatory action. Secretary Panetta’s recent statement on the need to close accounts with those responsible for this attack demonstrates this, but what ultimately counts is the test of action and not of words.

The focus of Iran’s cyberspace activity directed against Israel and other countries in the West requires appropriate defensive arrangements, beginning with an up-to-date doctrine of cyberspace defense. The attackers’ sophistication requires intelligence-based defenses as well as the generic ones. In light of developments in Iran, the State of Israel must place the issue of Iranian cyberspace activity among its highest intelligence priorities, in order to identify advance preparations and foil attacks before they are underway. Similar to the Iranian nuclear program, the challenge is not Israel's alone, rather that of many other states in the West as well as the Gulf states. It is therefore necessary to initiate broad interstate cooperation to gather intelligence and foil Iranian cyber activity.

(Dr. Gabi Siboni is the head of the Cyber Warfare Program at INSS. Sami Kronenfeld is an intern in the program. This essay is shortened version of a forthcoming article on Iran’s cyberspace capabilities, to be published in the December issue of Military and Strategic Affairs.)

Oct. 15, 2012 – Defense News (AFP)

WASHINGTON — The majority of weapons secretly shipped to Syria at the behest of Saudi Arabia and Qatar go to hardline Islamic rebel groups rather than more secular organizations favored by the West, The New York Times reported Oct. 15.

Citing unnamed officials, the newspaper said this was the conclusion reached in classified reports presented to President Barack Obama and other senior officials.

This situation has prompted officials to voice frustration over the fact that there is no central clearinghouse for the shipments and no effective way of vetting the groups that receive them, the report said.

Because of this, Central Intelligence Agency Director David Petraeus traveled secretly to Turkey last month in a bid to steer the supply effort, the report said.

The CIA has not commented on the trip.

Petraeus’s goal was to oversee the process of “vetting, and then shaping, an opposition that the U.S. thinks it can work with,” the paper quoted an unnamed Middle Eastern diplomat as saying.

The CIA has also sent officers to Turkey to help direct the aid, but the agency lacks good intelligence about the many rebel figures and factions operating in Syria, The Times noted.

MOSCOU, 15 octobre - RIA Novosti

Le président russe Vladimir Poutine rencontrera mercredi 17 octobre le vice-commandant suprême des forces armées des Emirats arabes unis, le prince héritier d'Abou Dhabi, Cheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, rapporte lundi le service de presse du Kremlin.

"Les interlocuteurs évoqueraient l'ensemble des questions relatives à la coopération entre la Russie et les EAU, notamment dans les domaines économique et commercial, qu'il s'agisse des investissements, de l'énergie ou du matériel militaire", lit-on dans le communiqué.

Par ailleurs, l'entretien porterait également sur les problèmes du maintien de la stabilité et de la sécurité dans la région, selon le document.

TEL AVIV, Israel, Oct. 15 (UPI)

Israel Aerospace Industries and Elbit Systems have unveiled the upgraded Shoval unmanned aerial vehicle for maritime surveillance and the Flying Elephant, which can carry a payload of 1 ton of supplies for frontline combat troops.

These UAVs, along with an upgraded version of the giant Eitan, or Steadfast, surveillance UAV also built by IAI that was launched Aug. 14, underline Israel's growing strength in the unmanned aircraft field amid advances in Iran's drive to develop robotic forces.

An Israeli air force F-16I shot down an Iranian-built Hezbollah UAV Oct. 6 over the Negev Desert near the Dimona nuclear reactor after it penetrated 25 miles inside the Jewish state.

The incident jolted Israel and was widely seen as a warning from Iran, via Hezbollah, that it has the technological and operational capabilities to threaten the Jewish state.

Israeli concerns were heightened after Iran's air defense commander, Big. Gen. Farzad Esmaili, announced the development of a new long-range bomb-carrying drone, the Hazem, Sunday.

He didn't specify whether the UAV can reach Israel.

The first long-range UAV built by Iran, the Karrar, or Striker, unveiled in August 2010, can supposedly carry four cruise missiles, two 250-pound bombs or one 500-pound precision-guided munition.

It has a reported range of 620 miles -- not enough to target the Jewish state.

The Shoval was rolled out by state-owned IAI Sunday while the prototype of the Flying Elephant, considered a technological breakthrough for supplying ground forces in the battlefield, was first shown a few days earlier in central Israel by Elbit Systems.

The new and improved version of the Shoval carries four surveillance cameras instead of one.

That makes it a key development in Israel's unfolding plans to protect its rich, and highly strategic, natural gas fields in the eastern Mediterranean that will make the state self-sufficient in energy for decades to come.

The production platforms and other infrastructure are seen as key targets for Iranian missiles or suicide attacks by Hezbollah, Iran's prize proxy based in Lebanon, within easy strike range of the gas fields.

This comes hard on the heels of IAI's recent relaunch of the Israeli air force's most advanced UAV, the Heron TP, known as the Eitan, capable of reaching Iran and staying in the air for 35 hours.

The Eitan program was grounded for seven months after one of the 5-ton drones, the largest UAV in the air force inventory, crashed during a flight testing new payloads in late January.

Much has been made of the Eitan's ability to reach Iran, although the Israelis have divulged almost nothing about what its missions might be over the Islamic Republic beyond surveillance.

That in itself is a major achievement. The Eitan would be able to widen Israel's surveillance capabilities, which currently are provided by the Ofek series of spy satellites concentrated on Iran's nuclear program.

The latest, Ofek 9, was launched June 22, 2010, from Palmachim air force base south of Tel Aviv. Like its predecessors, Ofek 9 was built by IAI, with Elbit Systems' El-Op division providing the optical payload.

However, the $5 million state-of-the-art Eitan, as the long arm of the Israeli air force, is widely believed to have been used in early 2011 to carry out missile attacks on convoys carrying Iranian arms across Sudan bound for the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip.

Israel is a world leader in developing advanced UAV, along with the United States, and is now the largest exporter of unmanned systems.

The Globes business daily observed that "the air force has been expanding its UAV fleet and missions for years, which now carry out a quarter of all missions -- a proportion that's likely to grow."

Eitan became operational with the air force in 2010 and three squadrons are now reported to be equipped with it.

The Flying Elephant's still under development. The system, silent and guided by a GPS system, is due to be operational within 4-5 years.

"Logistics UAVs are intended as a response to the rising threat faced by pilots ferrying and parachuting supplies to combat troops as well as a response to the difficulty in opening ground routes for trucks carrying supplies to the forces in the field," Globes reported.

The EL/M-2258 ALPHA radar from IAI Elta.

Photo IAI Elta Systems

October 14, 2012 by Tamir Eshel - defense-update.com

The Israel navy has awarded IAI Elta a first contract for the development and integration of the Advanced Lightweight Phased Array (ALPHA) Naval Radar on the Hetz Class Saar 4.5 Missile Boats. The contract is the first step in the next, long anticipated upgrading of the SAAR 4.5 ‘Hetz’ class missile boats, operational with the Israel Navy since the 1980s. These missile boats currently operate with several mission specific radars, including the IAI/Elta EL/M-2221 naval fire control radar, an area search radar and the Automatic Missile Detection Radar (AMDR), supporting the Barak 1 close-in weapon system.

The EL/M-2258 Software Defined Radar will replace all those radars with a single system, more reliable, flexible and agile. This S-band radar utilizes solid-state, electronically scanned radar array rotating over 360 degrees. The radar employs advanced beam forming techniques for multipath suppression and Electronic Counter-Countermeasures (ECCM). It is designed to detect targets with low Radar Cross Section (RCS) even in highly cluttered conditions. The system will improve the naval theater situation awareness picture and support on board weapon systems are designed to operate under tough environmental conditions and against challenging targets expected in the existing and future naval arena.

The new radar employs modern phased array technology, utilizing the same solid-state Transmit/Receive (T/R) modules derived from Elta’s larger EL/M-2248 MF-STAR radars. The company has already delivered the first MF-STAR radar for installation on three new Project 15A guided missile destroyers of the Indian Navy. A smaller version of the MF-STAR is also in production for the Israeli Navy, destined to modernize the three Saar V corvettes of the Israel Navy, as part of their upgrade that will include the installation of barak 8 air and missiles defense weapon system.

As its bigger brother, the Alpha is also designed for operation in open sea and littorals. Unlike the MF-STAR that weighs several tons, the ALPHA weighs only 1.2 tons, and its mast mounted segment weighs only 700 kg with the remaining 500 kg stored below deck. Its compact dimensions enable the ALPHA to be installed on small corvette size vessels. The system uses two-dimensional electronic beam steering, providing instantaneous multi-beam emission supporting simultaneous multi-mission functionality. The system provides high resolution maritime surface surveillance and tracking, 3D long-range air surveillance and tracking, 3D medium range automatic threat alert (supporting self-defense anti-missile systems) performed within the area scan. It also provides target classification of surface and airborne targets (including helicopters), gunnery control and splash spotting for fire correction. The radar provides supports very high tracking update rate and accuracy for priority targets.

Israel’s Navy Saar 4.5 Class Missile Boats currently operate the EL/M 2221 fire control radar also developed and produced by Elta Systems. Photo: Ori Shifrin, IDF.

October 15, 2012 defpro.com

Making it the Only Weapon in the World with 3 Calibers: 5.56mm, 9mm, and 5.45mm

Ramat Ha'Sharon, Israel | Israel Weapon Industries (IWI) is a leader in the production of combat-proven small arms for Governmental and Military entities as well as law enforcement agencies around the world. Continuously developing new capabilities, attributes, configurations, and applications, the company introduces its new conversion kit for the X95 assault rifle for 5.45mm-caliber ammunition - making it the only weapon in the world with 3 calibers: 5.56mm, 9mm, and 5.45mm. The weapons will be exhibited at Interpolitex in Moscow, October 23-26, RPC FORT stand and ExpoDefensa in Colombia, October 31-November 2, Hall 6, STAND 113 (TYSA S.A).

The new conversion kit was developed for the very successful X95 - which can be used as an Assault Rifle, Carbine, or Submachine Gun (SMG) with an effective range of 150m for 9mm caliber configuration. It enables the X95 to be operated worldwide, due to its compatibility with both western and eastern ammunition, thus saving training time, spare parts, and overall costs. The new kit has already been armament and operationally tested in extreme conditions including dust, water, heat, and cold (- 60?C) - as well as for shooting accuracy - passing all tests with remarkable success.

Designed for Military, Law Enforcement, and Special Forces, the X95 was developed in close cooperation with elite units, and was tailored to their specific requirements. Incorporating advanced technology enabling the conversion between calibers within minutes, Special Ops can use the same weapon platform for a wide array of scenarios. The kit can include a silencer for all calibers, distinguishing the X95 as the ideal weapon for Special Forces dealing with complex situations.

With an outstanding effective range of 500 meters, the X95 was created to deal with modern terror threats, as well as urban and open area combat - all in one mission. Exceptionally reliable in even the harshest weather conditions, the X95 complies with the most stringent NATO standards for small arms, including environmental standards. Combat-proven by many police and armed forces around the world, it is the standard Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Assault Rifle.

According to Uri Amit, IWI's CEO, "We developed the kit in response to requests we received from our customers for a 5.45mm ammunition weapon so that they could use the ammunition in their inventories. This enables considerable savings by allowing our customers to change the rifle barrel according to the ammunition on hand, as well as matching the weapon to the evolving operational scenarios. IWI works closely with its worldwide customer base, providing solutions that are designed to meet their specific needs." He goes on to say, "The X95 is one of the most popular weapons of its category in the world - a success based on its exceptional effectiveness and reliability. We continue to develop a range of new configurations and applications in order to ensure its effectiveness in the widest possible range of situations and field requirements."

October 15, 2012. David Pugliese Defence Watch

News release from CAE:

MONTREAL, QUEBEC–(Marketwire – Oct. 15, 2012) – (NYSE:CAE)(TSX:CAE) – CAE today announced that it has won a series of military contracts valued at approximately C$200 million, the majority of which involves long-term, recurring training services. They include a contract from the United States Navy to develop a KC-130J full-mission simulator for the Kuwait Air Force under a foreign military sale program and the United States Air Force exercising the option for the third-year of KC-135 tanker aircrew training services in addition to contract modifications to perform a range of KC-135 simulator upgrades. CAE has also signed long-term training services contracts with an Asian military customer.

“We are pleased to welcome the Kuwait Air Force to the long list of customers who have selected CAE as their provider of C-130 training systems and services,” said Gene Colabatistto, Group President, Military Products, Training and Services, CAE. “The Middle East and Asia are markets that are increasingly offering a solid pipeline of opportunities, and we are seeing some good potential for upgrade business as defence forces look to leverage simulation-based training for more of their training requirements. Global militaries continue to believe in the fundamental value of simulation-based training, and CAE is well-positioned around the world to deliver a range of solutions designed to enhance efficiency and save money while helping to maintain readiness.”

US Navy/Kuwait Air Force

CAE has won a United States Navy contract to design and manufacture a KC-130J full-mission simulator for the Kuwait Air Force. The contract was awarded to CAE USA under the United States foreign military sale (FMS) program. Under terms of the contract, CAE USA will design and manufacture a KC-130J full-mission simulator that will be delivered in 2015 to Al Mubarak Air Base near Kuwait International Airport. The simulator will feature the CAE True electric motion system, CAE Medallion-6000 image generator, and common database (CDB) architecture, which enables real-time mission training and rehearsal capabilities. The KC-130J full-mission simulator will be certified by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) to Level D, the highest qualification for flight simulators.

“This KC-130J full-mission simulator will support initial, recurrent and mission training in-country for Kuwaiti KC-130J aircrews, and importantly, enable the Kuwait Air Force to focus their fleet of KC-130J aircraft on operational requirements,” said John Lenyo, President and General Manager, CAE USA. “Because of the enhanced fidelity and capability of simulation-based training, militaries are increasing the amount of synthetic training as part of the overall training curriculum and Kuwait’s KC-130J training program is a perfect example.”

US Air Force KC-135 Aircrew Training System

The U.S. Air Force has exercised the option for the third year of aircrew training services provided by CAE USA as the prime contractor on the KC-135 ATS program. CAE USA will continue to provide classroom and simulator instruction as well as upgrades, maintenance, and support of all KC-135 aircrew training devices. In addition, CAE has been awarded a contract modification to support the training system updates resulting from the Block 45 upgrade being done on the KC-135 aircraft program, as well as additional contract modifications to perform a range of upgrades to the KC-135 operational flight trainers. As part of upgrades to KC-135 training systems, CAE will incorporate CAE Flightscape’s Insight software as part of the KC-135 Training Data Acquisition, Analysis and Playback System (TDAAPS). CAE Flightscape’s latest data recording, animation and replay technology will help improve the training of KC-135 aircrews by providing brief-debrief and evidence-based training technology to deliver a practical, real world context for simulator-based training sessions.

Asian military customer

CAE has signed contracts to provide helicopter and fixed-wing aircraft training over the next twenty-five years for an undisclosed Asian military customer.

LUXEMBOURG, 15 octobre - RIA Novosti

Les informations sur l'utilisation de bombes à sous-munitions russes en Syrie ne peuvent pas être confirmées, a déclaré lundi à Luxembourg le ministre russe des Affaires étrangères Sergueï Lavrov.

"Ce n'est pas confirmé. A présent, il y a beaucoup d'armes [au Proche-Orient], elles sont livrées en grandes quantités à la Syrie et à d'autres pays de la région", a fait savoir le chef de la diplomatie russe aux journalistes.

"La géographie de l'internationalisation de ce conflit est suffisamment vaste et les armes y sont présentes en abondance", a poursuivi M.Lavrov avant d'ajouter qu'il était difficile d'établir qui y livrait des armements et des munitions, d'où elles provenaient et comment elles étaient livrées.

Ces propos du chef de la diplomatie russe font suite à la récente déclaration de l'organisation humanitaire américaine Human Rights Watch, selon laquelle les troupes gouvernementales syriennes utiliseraient des bombes à sous-munitions de fabrication soviétique contre la population.