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On June 9, the United Nations Security Council voted to approve sanctions that target Iran's defense and nuclear industry. But the Security Council resolution does not list defensive weapons, such as air defense systems, as part of the UN ban on Tehran.Specifically, the sanctions do not block Iran's efforts to acquire the S-300PMU1 air defense system from Russia. "This resolution will put in place the toughest sanctions ever faced by the Iranian government, and it sends an unmistakable message about the international community's commitment to stopping the spread of nuclear weapons," U.S. President Barack Obama said. Officials said UN members...

Japan’s government may have lost a prime minister, but it has gained a stellar reputation for political theater. “Someone had to lose face,” says a veteran U.S. analyst of Japan’s defense programs. “The prime minister had to go against the popular [desire to get the Marines out of Okinawa]. He went with the U.S., [in a reversal of a campaign promise] and then he had to resign.” Part of the reason for Yukio Hatoyama’s about-face was his realization that the U.S. military is building up an air-launched missile defense capability in Okinawa with the introduction of additional F-22s and F-15s...

The United Arab Emirates plans to host a four-day parley that would focus on air and missile defense. The second annual conference, titled "Annual Air and Missile Defence Summit," was scheduled to begin on May 30 in Abu Dhabi and include senior U.S. and other military commanders. "With the Middle East region being key to the global security, this summit aims to bring together all the key players to discuss the roadmap towards an integrated air defence strategy." conference director Grace Chng said. Organizers said the conference would focus on technology, interconnectivity and interoperability between military and industry. They said...

By backpedaling on a campaign promise to move a U.S. Marine Corps airbase from Okinawa, Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama may have nonetheless secured additional airborne cruise missile and tactical ballistic missile defenses for Japan. China is seen as the cruise missile threat since it has developed a new, faster, long-range weapon that can be launched from its Su-27MKK strike fighter fleet. North Korea has the greater fear factor, however, because of its suspected nuclear ballistic missile capability and its government’s erratic behavior and apparent aggressions, such as the alleged sinking of a South Korea warship. Okinawa is already home...

Two key Russian parliament members said on Friday proposed UN sanctions on Iran would not affect Russia's controversial sale of S-300 missiles to Tehran, the Interfax news agency reported. The possible sanctions would not hurt "current contracts", said Mikhail Margelov, the head of the Foreign Affairs Committee at the Federation Council, the upper house of parliament: "As far as Russian economic interests are concerned, this draft does not deal a blow to current contracts existing between Russia and Iran," he told journalists. "We need to remember that Russia is a responsible seller of any of its products on external markets...

Turkey has been marketing its short-range air defense system to Arab League states. Turkey's military-owned Aselsan has been briefing Arab militaries on the company's Pedestal-Mounted Air Defense System (PMADS). The system, based on the U.S.-origin Stinger surface-to-air missile, was designed for very short-range air defense, particularly the protection of critical sites and military bases. "There is interest [in the system] within the region," an executive said. Aselsan displayed PMADS at Sofex-2010, which took place in Amman, Jordan on May 10-13. Executives said Jordan's military has been examining the feasibility of procuring the system, which could also fire French- and Russian-origin...

The United States will further evaluate whether to upgrade Taiwan's existing F-16 A/B fighters or make new sales of F-16 C/D fighters to Taiwan to help it maintain a viable air defense, a senior U.S. Air Force official said Thursday. Bruce Lemkin, deputy under secretary of the Air Force for international affairs, acknowledged that Taiwan's air defense capability will continue to decline in the coming years due to the aging of its F-16 A/B fleet and problems with maintaining its Indigenous Defense Fighters. However, further assessment as to how the situation can be improved is needed, whether by upgrading the...

Three years after the first foreign customer (Syria) received the Pantsir-S1 anti-aircraft systems, the Russian Air Force is getting some. The Russian Air Force recently received the S1E version, with an improved radar (36 kilometer range) and missile (more reliable). Curiously, the air force is using their first ten Pantsir-S1s to guard S-300 anti-aircraft missile bases located around Moscow. There was no explanation from the Russians as to why they felt a mobile, low level anti-aircraft system was needed to guard a larger, high altitude one. Perhaps additional protection against cruise missiles. The Russians aren't saying. These ten vehicles were...

The retiring general in charge of NORAD and the U.S. Northern Command said Thursday that he's leaving behind no unfinished business but has concerns about the nation's aging radar system and jet-fighter fleet. Air Force Gen. Gene Renuart ends his 39-year Air Force career July 1. Since March 2007, he has overseen the North American Aerospace Defense Command, a joint U.S.-Canadian command that monitors air and space threats to both nations, and the Northern Command, which oversees the U.S. military's homeland defense and supports civilian authorities. The nation's current radar system needs to be updated with an integrated system of...

Russia and Brazil are negotiating a deal for the delivery of unspecified air defense systems to the Latin American country, a Russian government official said on Friday. "We are considering any system in general terms," said Mikhail Dmitriyev, head of the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation. "We don't mind what they agree to buy. It could be Tor systems," he added. The Tor-M1, developed by the Russian company Almaz-Antei, is a low-to-medium-altitude, short-range surface-to-air missile system designed to intercept aircraft, cruise missiles, precision-guided munitions and unpiloted aerial vehicles. The talks are being held in the framework of the Russian-Brazilian joint...

Russia is lagging 25 to 30 years behind the United States in developing prospective air defense weapons because of a meltdown of its defense industries, a former Russian air force chief said Thursday. Retired Gen. Anatoly Kornukov said Russia has only a reduced capability to protect itself from an enemy attack — a statement that contrasted sharply with the government's claim that the nation's military are getting stronger following a post-Soviet decline. The Defense Ministry has boasted about developing new S-400 air defense missile systems and proudly displayed some of them in Sunday's massive Victory Day parade on Red Square....

The Russian air force took delivery of the first Pantsyr-S short-range air-defense systems in March. The Pantsyrs will gradually replace the old Tunguska antiaircraft weapons. The first 10 systems were released from KBP Instrument Design Bureau’s assembly site in Tula and transported to Alabino, near Moscow, and will be part of the Victory Day parade in Red Square on May 9. What’s unusual is that the first Pantsyr systems are being deployed to protect high-end surface-to-air missiles (SAMs) against aircraft, missiles and bombs. The Pantsyr battery will be deployed to the 606th air-defense regiment in Elektrostal, near Moscow, says Lt....

Raytheon's Standard Missile-6 begins sea-based flight testing this month, paving the way for initial operational capability (IOC) in 2011. "With its over-the-horizon protection, SM-6 increases the surface Navy's battlespace against air and cruise missile threats and offers protection for coalition forces ashore," said Frank Wyatt, Raytheon's vice president of Air and Missile Defense Systems product line. "These sea-based flight tests clear the way for Raytheon to deliver a critical capability to the warfighter by 2011." SM-6 takes full advantage of the legacy Standard Missile airframe and propulsion elements while incorporating advanced signal processing and guidance control capabilities of Raytheon's Advanced...

Raytheon Company's Standard Missile-6 begins sea-based flight testing this month, paving the way for initial operational capability (IOC) in 2011. "With its over-the-horizon protection, SM-6 increases the surface Navy's battlespace against air and cruise missile threats and offers protection for coalition forces ashore," said Frank Wyatt, Raytheon's vice president of Air and Missile Defense Systems product line. "These sea-based flight tests clear the way for Raytheon to deliver a critical capability to the warfighter by 2011." SM-6 takes full advantage of the legacy Standard Missile airframe and propulsion elements while incorporating advanced signal processing and guidance control capabilities of Raytheon's...

Iran on Tuesday launched production of an indigenous short-range air-defense artillery system, codenamed Mesbah, the Defense Ministry said. "The Mesbah (Lantern) 1 air-defense system is designed to counter air attacks, different types of airplanes, cruise missiles, helicopters and other air threats at low altitudes," Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi was quoted by the Fars news agency as saying. He said the new system features "high destruction power" with capacity to fire up to 4,000 rounds per minute, "rapid reaction against threats," and high accuracy and precision. He added that the Mesbah 1 was also capable of tracking and...

As Hezbollah builds up its rocket arsenal, Israel has asked Washington to help pay for more Iron Dome anti-missile batteries to shield the Jewish state. The Jerusalem Post reports that the Israeli Defense Ministry wants to buy more than a dozen batteries of the system designed to counter short-range missiles fired by the Iranian-backed Lebanese guerrillas and Palestinian Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip. The ministry had allocated $250 million for the development of the system, the bottom layer of a planned three-tier missile defense shield, and the purchase of two batteries. Each Iron Dome battery costs around $25 million,...

The S-400 started its way in 1999 as the S-300PMU3, developed by Almaz Science and Production Association. Russian defense officials claimed in 2006 the missile has been inducted in late 2006 and was due to become operational later in 2007. Suffering from teething problems, this milestone has been delayed three years, allowing designers to work on the 'baseline system', awaiting the completion of the full capability version, by early 2010. Russia plans to buy up to 200 launchers (each with four missiles) by 2015, and phase out the older S-300 and S-200 systems. This would mean deploying at least 18...

Iran, whose nuclear dispute with the West has raised the possibility of new regional conflict, has developed a short-range defense system to combat Cruise missiles, its defense minister was quoted as saying on Sunday. "A new short range anti-Cruise defense system with the capability to fire 4,000 rounds of bullets per minute has been produced at the defense ministry and soon will be inaugurated," Ahmad Vahidi said on semi-official Fars news agency. "We are at the design and production phase of various defense systems in the short, medium and long-range categories," he added, citing the Mersad air defense and Shahin...

The first-ever battery of US Patriot missiles to be deployed in Poland will arrive in late May, defence ministry spokesman Janusz Sejmej told AFP on Wednesday. "Following preparations and consultations, the first deployment of a battery of anti-missile Patriots will start around May 24 in Morag," Sejmej said. The Polish military base at Morag, in the Mazurian Lakes region, is some 250 kilometres (150 miles) north of Warsaw and just 60 kilometres (40 kilometres) from the border with Russia's Kaliningrad territory. Sejmej refused to say how long the deployment would last, but said it was "temporary". In February, Poland ratified...

Russian long range ballistic missiles for S-400 Triumph surface-to-air missile systems will go into serial production in the autumn, a leading missile manufacturer said on Friday. Earlier media reports said the S-400 missile system was incomplete as long range ballistic missiles, among others, had not been adopted for it. "On December 26, 2009 the preliminary tests were finished and the missile was put forward for state tests," Kommersant daily quoted the general director of Almaz-Antei, Igor Ashurbeili, as saying. "In the third quarter of 2010 we should finish them, along with combat duty launches, and then put it [the missile]...