The Merkava Mark IV tank (Photo RP Defense)

8/3/2012 Arie Egozi - israeldefense.com

Israel is conducting preliminary contacts for the sale of the Merkava Mark IV to several foreign militaries

Israel is conducting preliminary contacts with several countries over the Merkava Mark IV tank due to renewed global interest.

Such contacts occurred several years ago with the government of Colombia, but have yet to culminate in a deal. Colombia is concerned about Venezuela’s armament under the rule of President Hugo Chavez, who has increased the military procurement budget. In the past, Colombia has procured Kfir combat aircraft from Israel, ground and naval systems, and may soon procure UAVs as well.

According to reports in Colombia, the government and military initially examined the procurement of the Indian Arjun tank, but quickly learned that its capabilities were limited.

Developed within the framework of a multi-year project, India encountered difficulties producing the Arjun and at one point turned to Israel to help solve the problems.

Produced by the IDF in cooperation with some of the leading defense industries, the IDF produced the Merkava for its own use. The meetings with the Colombians discussed the potential procurement of 25 to 40 tanks. The cost of the Merkava tank has never been published, but experts estimate it is approximately six million dollars.

Israel has already exported technologies developed for various models of the Merkava tanks, primarily as part of programs for upgrading old tanks, such as the Turkish military’s M-60 tank upgrade project, which was carried out by Israel Military Industries (IMI). However, the tank has not been exported in whole so far, and now, several countries are interested in the system.

Even though several Merkava tanks were damaged during the Second Lebanon War, experts agree that it is still the most advanced tank of its kind, which possesses excellent mobility, an advanced and stabilized fire system, and most importantly, a high level of protection.

10/03/2012 Bahrain News Agency

Manama, March 10 (BNA)—The Royal Bahraini Air Force (RBAF) will carry out a joint air exercise from April 8 to 18 with an unprecedented participation of 22 warplanes from brotherly and friendly countries.

RBAF held a final meeting to assess preparations for the "Main Connection 2012" air drill which was attended by representatives from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Oman, Kuwait, Jordan, Egypt, Turkey, Pakistan, the USA and Bahrain.

The exercise is part of RBAF training plans held jointly with brotherly and friendly countries within the framework of defence cooperation to maintain security and stability of the Arabian Gulf region. The drill is considered one of the most important exercises which Bahrain has been committed to for over 20 years.

Iron Dome (Photo IDF)

11/3/2012 Arie Egozi - IsraelDefense

The system’s high rate of interception will aid in marketing it to foreign clients that will soon be examining the system for procurement

Software improvements and the maturity of operational doctrine enabled the Iron Dome to intercept 27 out of 30 rockets (90% success rate) that threatened Israel’s population centers.

Over the weekend, defense establishment sources stated, "the software improvements are an ongoing process and when met with the operational doctrine, results are immediately achieved."

The system’s high rate of interception may increase interest from abroad. Representatives of several foreign militaries have already inspected the system in the past few months, and several more visits are expected in the near future.

Rocket and mortar fire is of great concern for US troops stationed in Afghanistan. In order to deal with such a threat, US forces are presently operating Phalanx rapid-fire cannons – a conversion of a system originally intended for combat vessels. This system’s efficiency is limited, and due to its features, its fire might result in harm inflicted to the force utilizing it.

One of the accomplishments of the Iron Dome system is its radar produced by Elta, a subsidiary of Israel Aerospace Industries. The radar system can distinguish between rockets that will threaten an inhabited area and rockets that will fall in an open area, making every interceptor launched count. In addition, because of this radar, it is impossible for the enemy to “exhaust” the interceptor with rocket barrages.

While some people still object to the Iron Dome (mainly those who supported the laser-based Nautilus interception system), one source said, “Had we gone for such a solution, we would still be without a working system. It’ll take the laser several good years until it’s able to reach even a small percentage of the interceptions carried out by the Iron Dome system.”

2012-03-10 farsnews.com

TEHRAN (FNA)- The Iranian Defense Ministry plans to increase exports of arms and military equipment to friendly and neighboring countries in the next Iranian year (starts on March 20), a senior Iranian Defense Ministry official announced on Saturday.

Speaking to FNA, Iranian Deputy Defense Minister General Majid Bokayee stated that his ministry has initiated massive plans to promote arms exports.

"The issue of (arms) exports is one of the fundamental issues considered by the Iranian Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics, and great efforts have been made to increase military exports remarkably in the next year (March 2012-March 2013)," Bokayee underscored.

He pointed to the visit to Iran by Lebanese Defense Minister Fayez Ghosn and Iran's pledge to equip the Lebanese Army, and further added, "We will naturally have massive relations with the friendly and neighboring countries regarding arms exports."

During a meeting with Ghosn in Tehran in February, Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi underlined Tehran's determination to provide all-out support for Lebanon against the foreign countries and terrorists' threats, and also stressed that the Lebanese Army should be reinvigorated to the same end.

"Strengthening the Lebanese Army is one of the strategic policies of the Islamic Republic of Iran and Lebanon should have a powerful Army to defend its interests in the region," Vahidi reiterated.

In July 2010, a senior Iranian military expert said that the country is exporting arms and military equipment to 40 world states at present.

"Despite 30-year-long sanctions against the defense industries, the Islamic Republic is currently exporting military equipment to 40 countries," General Yadollah Javani told FNA at the time.

Iran has also taken wide strides in designing and manufacturing different types of light, semi-heavy and heavy weapons, military tools and equipment. Tehran launched an arms development program during the 1980-88 Iraqi imposed war on Iran to compensate for a US weapons embargo. Since 1992, Iran has produced its own tanks, armored personnel carriers, missiles and fighter planes.

Yet, Iranian officials have always stressed that the country's military and arms programs serve defensive purposes and should not be perceived as a threat to any other country.

8 mars 2012 Par Georges Malbrunot – LeFigaro.fr

La frégate de défense aérienne, Chevalier Paul, qui fut active contre les troupes du colonel Khadafi en Libye, a effectué le mois dernier une mission au large des cotes syriennes en Méditerranée.

Le Chevalier Paul a fait une brève escale à Beyrouth pour s’approvisionner en carburant. « Nous ne sommes pas les seuls sur zone », confiait alors un jeune officier, laissant entendre que d’autres navires ont patrouillé ces dernières semaines en Méditerranée face à la Syrie, où le régime de Bachar el-Assad réprime depuis un an un large mouvement de contestation. Le navire français est rentré à Toulon il y a une dizaine de jours.

"Sa présence en Méditerranée orientale n'a rien d'exceptionnel, nous a déclaré le Colonel Thierry Burkhard, porte-parole du ministère de la Défense. Nous avons en permanence un bâtiment qui croise dans cette zone du globe".

De type Horizon, la frégate Chevalier Paul est équipée d’un système de missiles surface-air, qui a encore fait ses preuves l’an dernier contre les partisans du colonel Khadafi.

Massive ordnance penetrator

09 March, 2012, RT.com

The US may use a 13,600-kilogram bunker-buster bomb that is currently being developed for a strike on countries like Iran. The “great weapon” is designed to knock out underground nuclear facilities and would supersede Israeli force if used in Iran.

“It has great capability now and we are continuing to make it better. It is part of our arsenal and it will be a potential if we need it in that kind of scenario,” said Lt. Gen. Carlisle at a US defense conference on Thursday.

The weapon, known as “the massive ordnance penetrator”, is capable of smashing through 65 meters of reinforced concrete before detonating its target.

The Pentagon has already begun work on an array of military options if the heavy sanctions currently imposed on Iran fail to curb its alleged atomic weapons program. US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta told US publication The National Journal that such plans had been in the pipeline “for a long time.”

Panetta went on to say that if a strike was made on Iran’s atomic weapons facilities then the US was better equipped to do it than Israel.

“If they decided to do it there’s no question that it would have an impact, but I think it’s also clear that if the United States did it we would have a hell of a bigger impact,” said Panetta.

Although the Obama administration has emphasized that it prefers diplomatic and economic sanctions to pressure Iran into curtailing its military activities, Panetta and Obama have said that “no options are off the table.”

“As the president himself has said, I don’t believe they’ve made a final decision here,” stressed Panetta, saying that he was confident that the US was “weighing all of the ramifications of how best to deal with Iran.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu came to Washington for talks last week with a view to ratcheting up pressure on the US for a military strike on Iran’s facilities. The two countries are seemingly at odds with US General Martin Dempsey calling for moderation over Iran earning him the label of “servant of Iran”.

Peaceful policy skin deep

Following Israeli PM Netanyahu’s meeting with Obama, Israel’s Maariv newspaper reported that the US had offered to exchange highly-advanced weaponry in return for Israel postponing an attack on Iran.

The report cited unnamed diplomats and intelligence sources and said Israel had been offered the latest models of bunker-busting bombs and aerial tankers to give Israel the edge in the conflict. In return Israel would put its supposed attack plans on the back-burner until 2013.

The White House has denied that any such agreement had been reached during the Israeli PM’s visit.

Contrary to popular belief, the Israeli armed forces may not have the equipment to successfully outgun Iran. It has much smaller stocks of bunker-buster missiles and out of date refueling planes, therefore it may have to lobby for US military aid if it is to be successful in a potential conflict.

photo IAF

Mar. 9, 2012 by Arie Egozi – Flight Global

Tel Aviv - The Israeli air force and navy have decided to prolong the service life of their Israel Aerospace Industries Westwind 1124 maritime patrol aircraft.

Operated by the air force on behalf of the navy, the "Shahaf" is an 1124 business jet equipped with advanced sensors, mostly supplied by IAI's Elta Systems subsidiary. The aircraft's main sensor is a high-power maritime surveillance radar.

IAI Heron unmanned air systems have been operating in parallel with the 1124 fleet for the last several years, as the air force previously intended to phase out the manned aircraft when the UAS is able to perform the mission fully.

Recently, the navy and air force decided to prolong use of the Shahaf by performing fuselage and wing treatments and by upgrading the aircraft's sensors.

One source says the decision was made due to the speed of the 1124 and the effectiveness of its radar.

"In the current situation in the Mediterranean, we need special capabilities. One is getting fast to a certain spot," the source says. Israel is currently using its manned and unmanned aircraft to protect large undersea gas reserves that have been discovered off its coast.

photo Saab group

9/3/2012 Casafree.com

La Turquie a lancé un projet de produire ses propres avions de combat d'ici 2023, a rapporté vendredi le journal local Today's Zaman citant des sources de l'industrie de la défense.

Le projet, bénéficiant d'un budget de 20 millions de dollars en vue de développer les études de conception des avions de combat, se trouve actuellement dans la phase initiale.

Des plans à long terme pour le projet ont été élaborés la semaine dernière en vue de respecter les engagements pris l'année dernière lors d'une réunion du Comité exécutif de l'industrie de la défense, selon le journal.

Des experts entreprennent des études de faisabilité, des examens sur les coûts de production des premiers avions de combat fabriqués sur place, la technologie à utiliser, le développement du marché de la défense international et les défis du développement d'un nouvel avion militaire en partant de rien.

Saab, un groupe suédois de l'aérospatiale et de la défense de renommée mondiale, également fabriquant d'avions de combat JAS 39 largement utilisés, aidera la Turquie dans son projet lors de la phase de conception, a révélé le journal.

La Turquie envisage d'acquérir 100 avions de chasse américains F-35 pour un montant de 16 milliards de dollars, dont les deux premiers ont déjà été commandés. Pourtant, le Pentagone a refusé de lui donner le code source du logiciel de cet appareil, ce qui a contribué à la décision d'Ankara de produire ses propres avions de chasse.

Actuellement, un petit nombre de pays, dont les Etats-Unis, la Russie, la Chine, la Grande-Bretagne, la France et l'Allemagne, produisent des avions militaires.

photo Marine Nationale

09.03.2012 par Guillaume Belan (FOB)

La mission Jeanne d’Arc, qui a quitté Toulon le 5 mars dernier, s’approche des côtes libanaises et profitera de son escale pour mener un exercice interarmées avec les forces armées libanaises (FAL) du 13 au 17 mars. Cet exercice amphibie baptisé “Cèdre bleu” simulera un débarquement d’une force terrestre depuis le BPC Dixmude, qui grâce à ses engins de débarquement, dont les deux flambants neufs EDAR (engin de débarquement amphibie rapide, photo/crédits Marine Nationale), déploiera sur les plages libanaises la force française.

L’exercice se déroulera sur les plages de Jounieh, à 20 km au nord de Beyrouth : 70 soldats libanais, dont une section mécanisée et trois hélicoptères Bell UH-1, et autant de français seront engagés dans la manœuvre bilatérale, dont une une section mécanisée sur VAB.

“L’intégration entres les deux forces sera très poussée, jusqu’au plus bas niveau entre forces française et libanaise” précisait hier le colonel  Burkhard, porte-parole de l’état-major des armées.

Pour mémoire, 250 militaires de la 9e brigade d’infanterie de marine (9e BIMa, photo/ crédits ECPAD) et de l’aviation légère de l’armée de Terre (deux hélicoptères d’attaques Gazelle, deux de transport Pumas) sont embarqués aux côtés des officiers-élèves de l’école navale à bord du BPC, avec une cinquantaine de véhicules, dont des chars AMX10RC.

Cet exercice intervient à un moment où Paris se pose des questions sur son engagement dans la FINUL (Force intérimaire des Nations unies au Liban). Bien qu’officiellement aucune décision sur une réduction du dispositif français (près de 1500 soldats depuis 2006), ne sera prise avant les résultats de la revue stratégique, attendue à l’été, des fuites dans la presse libanaise évoquent depuis quelques mois une réduction de plusieurs centaines de soldats français. Déjà, les italiens, qui assurent le commandement de la FINUL, ont pris une décision en ce sens. Les soldats des nations unies, dont des français, sont régulièrement pris pour cible (engins explosifs artisanaux), dans une région, au sud du fleuve Litani, qui est contrôlée par le puissant Hezbollah, soutenue par l’Iran.

09 March 2012 Flight Global

Boeing has received a previously announced contract worth $11.4 billion to supply Saudi Arabia with 84 F-15SA Strike Eagle fighters, the US military announced on 8 March.

"This particular undefinitsed contract action covers development efforts for the new aircraft and retrofit as well as procurement of the 84 new production aircraft," the announcement reads. "Work is expected to be completed October 2020."

The sale was finalised last December when the Saudis signed a letter of offer and acceptance for a package of 84 new jets, upgrades to 70 older F-15S fighters, and associated weapons systems and sensors.

The F-15SA is one of the most advanced variants of the Eagle ever built. The aircraft are equipped with a Raytheon APG-63(V)3 active electronically scanned array radar and twin General Electric F110 GE-129 turbofans among a host other advanced hardware.

The F-15SA is also the first version of the Eagle with a fly-by-wire flight control system.

08 March, 2012, RT.com

The US has proposed that Israel withhold from waging an assault on Iran till the next presidential term in America in exchange for most advanced weaponry, reports Israeli Maariv newspaper.

The proposal was made during the visit of Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu to Washington, the newspaper says, citing unnamed diplomats and intelligence sources.

It adds the Americans have offered Tel Aviv the latest versions of bunker-busting bombs and aerial tankers to gain tactical advantage over Iran. This would imply Israel’s shelving of plans to attack Iran, evidently until America gets a new president in 2013.

The US diplomats allegedly believe such step would enlarge the “opportunity window” for Israel to try to solve the issue of controversial Iranian nuclear program diplomatically.

Speaking to the Israeli prime minister in the Oval Office on Monday, President Obama once again reaffirmed his personal "unprecedented commitment" to Israel's security.

The newspaper does not report on whether PM Netanyahu agreed to accept the proposal.

On Wednesday Netanyahu told Fox News Channel he actually does not think a war with Iran is inevitable.

"The paradox is that if they actually believe that they are going to face the military option, then you probably will not need the military option," Netanyahu said.

The sides also discussed new steps to be taken to isolate the Islamic Republic internationally even further.

At a media briefing in the White House Obama told journalists that America will apply more pressure on Iran despite the fact that “we provide a door for the Iranian regime to walk through," Obama said.

Israel has been stressing for years that the real aim of the Iranian nuclear program is not peaceful energy, but the creation of an atomic bomb, and furthermore, the destruction of the Jewish state. Tehran has consistently denied such allegations, allowing the IAEA to inspect its nuclear facilities in an attempt to prove that its nuclear program is solely peaceful.

March 8, 2012 defpro.com (RIA Novosti)

MOSCOW | Russia's envoy to the UN has accused Libya of running a training center for Syrian rebels combating the "legal government" of President Bashar al-Assad.

"We are concerned by reports that in Libya, with the support of the authorities, there is a special training centre for the so-called Syrian revolutionaries," Vitaly Churkin told the UN Security Council on Wednesday, according to RIA Novosti.

Churkin said the rebels were sent to Syria to "attack the legal government."

"This is unacceptable," he said. "This activity is undermining stability in the Middle East."

More than 7,500 people have been killed since the uprising against President Assad began a year ago. The government blames the violence on "terrorists and armed gangs."

Russia is the biggest supplier of arms to Syria and has use of a naval base there. Russia and China vetoed a UN Security Council resolution on Syria last month, saying it was "unbalanced" and did not contain measures against armed opposition groups.

March 07, 2012 worldwide-defence

Latest Acquisition Augments Plasan's Suite of Survivability Solutions for the Tactical Wheeled Vehicle Market.

Kibbutz Sasa, Israel, March 7, 2012 - Plasan, a global leader in the development, design and manufacture of integrated survivability systems for the defense and homeland security market, today announced the acquisition of controlling interest in Artis LLC, a Virginia-based engineering company known for its Iron Curtain(TM) Active Protection System (APS).

Artis LLC’s unique engineering and design capabilities will enhance Plasan’s ability to provide the best possible survivability solution against current and future threats with their unique know-how and APS technology. Integration of Iron Curtain(TM) - the most advanced APS for protecting today’s tactical wheeled vehicles (TWV) - into Plasan’s lightweight armor and crew protection systems, will provide our customers with an optimized solution suite.

The incorporation of Artis LLC’s exceptional design and engineering skills into Plasan’s US-based subsidiary, Plasan North America, will open up new market opportunities and enhance Plasan’s ability to best support its customers’ challenging needs.

The Artis acquisition is the latest in a series of moves by Plasan to consolidate its position as the leading developer of survivability solutions for tactical wheeled vehicles used in the defence and homeland security markets. Plasan's recent efforts include Armoured Chariots LLC, a joint venture with TPI Composites Inc. of Scottsdale, Arizona to produce next-generation crew compartments for U.S. military vehicles at a facility in Warren, Rhode Island.