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Fighters, radar, marine patrols top Asia's military wish-list (Reuters) - Singapore hosted military brass from across Asia this week at the region's biggest arms and aerospace bazaar, almost 70 years to the day since it fell to Japanese forces sweeping across Southeast Asia during World War Two. Japan has since become allied with most other Asian nations. It is now China which is the behemoth others are eyeing with unease. And bigger defense budgets, means sales of fighters, weapons and other tools of death and destruction are higher than ever before. At the Singapore Airshow, salesmen in business suits escorted...

Fighter deals intensify global aerial arms race * Lockheed buoyed by Japan, Dassault by India * Boeing, partners in Eurofighter also looking for wins * Opportunities eyed elsewhere in Asia, Middle East * Hunger for deals comes as Western defense budgets trimmed By Rhys Jones and Tim Hepher Feb 3 (Reuters) - Big decisions on warplane purchases by Japan and India have intensified competition in the multi-billion-dollar global market, with Western defense firms scrambling for orders in Asia and the Middle East as their home-country budgets shrivel. Growing international unease over China's military build-up and ongoing tensions between Iran and...

How China is advancing its military reach As the US shifts its focus to Asia, Alexander Neill, head of the Asia Security Programme at the Royal United Services Institute, sets out the Chinese military advances challenging the regional balance. At the Pentagon recently, US President Barack Obama announced deep cuts to the US military and set out a shift in attention towards the Asia-Pacific region, in a thinly-veiled message to China. Despite a narrative of peaceful intent, China's leaders have struggled to reassure the US over the direction of the People's Liberation Army (PLA). Both countries admit that their military...

Tiny Singapore to spend $23 bln on defence by 2015-Jane's SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Tiny Singapore, with a population of 5.2 million and a land area half the size of Greater London, is likely to spend $23 billion on purchases of patrol aircraft, helicopters and other military equipment by 2015, according to a new report by IHS Jane's. The Southeast Asian city-state, flanked by Indonesia and Malaysia, sits on one of the busiest sea lanes in the world and lists piracy as one of the main security threats in the region. IHS Jane's said while ties with China were cordial and...

Brazil boosts naval power to protect oil bonanza SAO PAULO — As it bids for great power status, Brazil is boosting its naval power in the South Atlantic with an ambitious submarine program to protect its huge deep-water oil reserves and project its growing influence. The emerging powerhouse already boasts Latin America's largest navy, but its aging fleet, including the Sao Paulo aircraft carrier -- formerly the French Navy's Foch -- nine British-built frigates and five coastal diesel-electric submarines, is in urgent need of modernization. "The fleet is currently inadequate to carry out its assigned missions" in the South Atlantic,...

Egypt Eyes New Arms Suppliers Written by Arieh O’Sullivan Published Tuesday, September 27, 2011 With U.S. military aid threatened, Cairo looks to put eggs elsewhere The new Egyptian regime in Cairo is beefing up its defense procurement ties with Europe and elsewhere after years of nearly total dependency on the U.S. for its weaponry and aircraft. The Egyptian Air Force this week took delivery of its first Airbus Military C295 transport aircraft, one of three ordered from the European aircraft manufacturer. Cairo has also reportedly decided to purchase naval vessels and unmanned aerial aircraft from Turkey in the wake of...

Taiwan wins in war simulation: report COMPUTER SCENARIO:：A military spokesman said it had no comment on a ‘China Times’ report on the Han Kuang exercises that said Taiwan’s forces defeated the Chinese By Rich Chang / Staff Reporter Tue, Aug 02, 2011 - Page 2 The latest computerized scenario carried out by the military showed that in a war with China, Taiwan’s military was able to defeat enemy forces after they landed and tried to occupy the country, a local newspaper said yesterday. The Chinese-language China Times reported that the Han Kuang 27 computerized war games held from July 18...

Franco-Brazilian Arms Deal Reflects Brazilian Aspirations by Amiel Ungar Brazil and France have inked a deal valued at $4.25 billion under which the French will supply Brazil with 4 regular submarines and one nuclear powered submarine. This submarine purchase continues Brazil's military shopping spree that includes Russian-made helicopters and air defense systems. Under Brazil's previous president, Lula da Silva, Brazilian defense spending increased by 50% in 2010. It was already $28 billion in 2008. Part of the purchase is facilitated by the rise of commodity prices as Brazil is the kingpin for soybeans. Brazil is also one of the BRIC...

Saudi plans to lift arms purchases from US to $90 bln 06 Jul 2011 16:20 Source: reuters // Reuters * Extra $30 bln will be used to upgrade the Saudi navy * Riyadh jostling with Iran for influence in the Gulf By Amena Bakr RIYADH, July 6 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia plans to raise its arms purchases from the United States to $90 billion from the $60 billion announced last year, as the kingdom seeks to upgrade it navy, diplomats in the Gulf said this week. Last year, U.S. officials said Riyadh planned to buy $60 billion worth of military...

PLA and U.S. Arms Racing in the Western Pacific by Richard Fisher, Jr. Published on June 29th, 2011 Introduction On 18 May 2011, during his recent visit to Washington, D.C., General Chen Bingde, current Chief of the General Staff Department of the Central Military Commission (CMC) of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), complained that China’s growing economic and military strength had, "unfortunately aroused unfounded suspicion and exaggeration of China's defense and military development.” General Chen further noted that this, "not only distorts China's strategic intention, and tarnishes our international image, but also pollutes the political environment for Sino-U.S. relations." Chen...

China Needles, India Responds Security | South Asia | India June 18, 2011 By Nitin Gokhale The latest transport aircraft purchase by India is just a first step in a transformation of its military. It’s China that has it worried. This month, India’s Cabinet Committee on Security approved the purchase of 10 C-17 Globemaster III heavy-lift transport aircraft from the United States for use by the Indian Air Force, in a deal worth $4.1 billion. The contract, which has an offset obligation of about $1 billion, is the highest single value military contract that New Delhi has entered into with...

Miffed Russia upsets India June 02, 2011 8:50:05 AM PNS/PTI | New Delhi/Moscow Longstanding defence and strategic relations between India and Russia are under strain with Moscow calling off a scheduled joint naval exercise at short notice in an apparent move to express its displeasure over New Delhi exploring global markets for weapons procurement. The Russian decision has been slammed by country defence experts and the media while the Indian Navy is also unhappy with the development. The incident took place late in April when five Indian Navy warships sailed for waters off Vladivostok for the joint naval exercise. The...

Gilani’s Beijing visit to herald ‘Look China’ era By: Salim Bokhari | Published: May 16, 2011 LAHORE - Pakistan and China would be entering a historic phase of bilateral relations when the leaderships of both the countries would meet in Beijing to restructure their mutual bonds that have withstood all the tests of time. The new chapter is being added to further cement existing excellent ties, the focus of which would be to ensure mutual defence against all forms of foreign aggression. This may be remembered that bilateral relations between Islamabad and Beijing have had many peaks but no troughs,...

U.S. Industry Loses Big in India: Is ITAR to Blame? (Source: National Defense Industry Association blog; posted April 28, 2011) Defense contractors and industry experts are trying to come to grips with India’s decision to exclude The Boeing Co. and Lockheed Martin Corp. from its $11 billion competition for a new fighter jet. No specific rationale has yet been given by the Indian government for its determination to jettison Boeing's F/A-18, Lockheed F-16 and Saab’s Gripen fighters, and proceed with a head-to-head contest only between two European offers — the Eurofighter and the Dassault Rafale. “Companies are very concerned about...

After more than a decade of renovation, China's first aircraft carrier – a remodeled 67,500-ton Admiral Kuznetsov-class Soviet carrier bought at auction in 1998 – is preparing to set to sail. The official Xinhua News Agency posted 20 high-resolution pictures with accompanying captions that suggest the carrier will undergo sea tests this year. One said: “Huge warship on the verge of setting out, fulfilling China’s 70-year aircraft carrier dreams.” Another said: “From the pictures we can see that this project is entering its final stage.” Yet, another noted that with the exception of its radar system, construction on the ship’s...

China’s Military Gets Expeditionary Uncategorized | China April 15, 2011 By Gabe Collins The PLA's expeditionary capabilities will grow significantly in coming years. What are the greater implications? This is the fifth entry in our series on understanding Asia-Pacific sea power. China’s military is in the nascent stages of becoming an expeditionary force. The country’s anti-piracy deployment to the Gulf of Aden and the use of naval and air assets to support the evacuation of Chinese citizens from Libya in February and March 2011 have shown real capability in this arena. What is an expeditionary power? The US Department of...

70-year dream of aircraft carrier close to reality Minnie Chan and Julian Ryall in Tokyo Apr 7, 2011 Twenty high-resolution pictures of China's first aircraft carrier, the 67,500-tonne Varyag, appeared on the Xinhua website yesterday, with captions saying the vessel was almost finished and expected to sail this year. It was the first time official state media reported on the nation's first aircraft carrier project as well as indicating its construction progress at a shipyard in Dalian , Liaoning . The Xinhua report came as Japan's National Institute for Defence Studies released its annual strategic review, which said the influence...

Sizing Up China's Military Capabilities Apr 4, 2011 By Richard D. Fisher, Jr., Bill Sweetman Washington, Washington It is no secret that long-term U.S. Air Force and Navy planning is focused on China. This alone is straining U.S.-China relations, as well as triggering U.S. domestic criticism from those who regard war with China as inconceivable, and an internal squabble between China-focused planners and “boot-centric” Army and Marine Corps leaders. The U.S. focus on China—and from all outward signs, China’s military focus on the U.S.—has been driven by several factors since the mid-1990s. China’s rapid economic and technological progress gives it...

Chávez’s purchase of $15 billion in weapons causes concern in Latin America BY ANTONIO MARIA DELGADO With the acquisition of hundreds of tanks, helicopters and bulletproof vehicles as well as submarines and missile networks, Venezuela is arming itself at a speed unprecedented in the history of the South American country. Experts consulted by El Nuevo Herald have said that Hugo Chávez’s has created unrest in the region with purchases to expand its military that total more than $15 billion. The analysts warned that the purchases are made in an improvised fashion, following a “dubious” process with no bidding or prior...

New Russian Army weaponry 'inferior' to NATO's, overpriced T-90 © RIA Novosti. The most advanced weapon systems manufactured for Russia's ground forces are below NATO and even Chinese standards and are expensive, GF chief Col. Gen. Alexander Postnikov said on Tuesday. "The weapon models that are manufactured by our industry, including armor, artillery and small arms and light weapons, fail to meet the standards that exist in NATO and even China," he said at a session of the Defense and Security Committee of the upper house of the Russian parliament. He said that Russia's most advanced tank, the T-90, is...

India becomes world's largest arms importer, seeking to counter China By Ravi Nessman (CP) NEW DELHI — In its race to join the club of international powers, India has reached another milestone — it's now the world's largest weapons importer. A Swedish think-tank that monitors global arms sales said Monday that India's weapons imports had overtaken China's, as the South Asian country pushes ahead with plans to modernize its military, counter Beijing's influence and gain international clout. "India has ambitions to become first a continental and (then) a regional power," said Rahul Bedi, a South Asia analyst with London-based Jane's...

Government Report: 50% of Brazil’s Military Equipment Is Obsolete BRASILIA – Half of the Brazilian armed forces’ military equipment is obsolete and in no condition to be used in combat, according to a government report obtained and published on Sunday by the daily Folha de Sao Paulo. The document, which according to the newspaper was prepared by the Defense Ministry, also criticizes the strong concentration of troops and bases in the prosperous southeastern part of the country, something that “reveals the fragility of the armed forces” and the scarce presence of the military in other regions of the country. The...

Arms Race Sparked by China? Simon Roughneen, March 13, 2011 China's announcement of a 12.7 percent hike in military spending for 2011 could add impetus to a preexisting arms-buying spree in Southeast Asia, after a year in which Beijing's growing assertiveness over disputes such as the South China Sea alarmed a number of countries in the region. Overall, military or defense spending has increased by 50 percent in Southeast Asia since 2000, according to data compiled by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). After a partly conciliatory meeting between Hu Jintao and U.S. President Barack Obama in Washington, D.C....

China challenges US predominance in Asia-Pacific (AP) – 3 hours ago WASHINGTON (AP) — When China launched threatening war games off Taiwan 15 years ago on the eve of an election on the self-governing island, the U.S. deployed two aircraft carriers, and China quickly backed down. Things don't seem so one-sided any more. China's military has been on a spending spree at a time that the debt-ridden U.S. government is looking to cut defense costs. On Friday, China announced a 12.7 percent hike for this year, the latest in a string of double-digit increases. That trend has triggered worries in...

Special report: Weapons and the art of diplomacy (Reuters) - When Lockheed Martin wanted to sell C-130 military transport planes to the government of Chad in early 2007, the U.S. embassy in N'Djamena was ready to lend a hand. Nevermind that, by the embassy's own reckoning, the Chadian government probably could not afford the planes, was dishonest about their purpose and planned to use the aircraft to crush a pro-democracy rebellion. "Our conclusion is that, like it or not, our interests line up in favor of allowing the sale in some form to go forward," the then-ambassador wrote to the...

Asia's New Arms Race As China grows wealthier and builds up its military, other nations in the region are taking note—and amassing weapons of their own. At Mazagon Dock near the southern tip of Mumbai, hidden behind high concrete walls, hundreds of Indian workers are putting the finishing touches on the hulls of two 217-foot Scorpène-class attack submarines, the first of six slated to be built over the next few years. Nearby, workers are adding to India's fleet of stealth frigates and guided-missile destroyers. One big reason India is beefing up its arsenal: China. "It goes without saying that India...

Turning a New Leaf in Relations: Russia’s Renewed Arms Sale to China Publication: China Brief Volume: 11 Issue: 2January 28, 2011 By: Stephen Blank Tensions in the arms sales relationship between Russia and China have been visibly on the rise in recent years. Yet, in November 2010, Moscow and Beijing announced a large new package of arms sales that appear to have turned a new leaf in this relationship. Much of the tension stemmed from the Chinese defense industry's practice of reverse engineering Russian weapons technology, indigenizing it and then reselling it in third party markets in competition with Moscow....

Brazil Re-evaluates Purchase of Warships and Aircraft Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff is re-evaluating a six billion dollar plan to purchase eleven warships, as part of her plan to slash government spending, the Folha de Sao Pablo reported. Rousseff is also looking in to the plan her predecessor and mentor Lula da Silva had to buy at least 36 fighter planes, because she is concerned that the expense would use up government funds, when money should be spent elsewhere. The plan included the purchase of eleven patrol ships, to guard oil reserves off the coast of Brazil, some of which is...

China’s Rise = Remilitarizing Japan? East Asia | Security | Japan January 21, 2011 By John Hemmings Last year was a bad one for China’s soft power. Will Japan’s response prompt a dangerous spiral of arms spending—and spark conflict? Saying publicly for the first time what they’ve thought privately for years, Japanese defence planners in December announced a new defence posture that fingered China’s military rise as justification for a new, more proactive approach, including a refocusing of forces from Japan’s north to its southernmost islands. Unfortunately, China’s response was as predictable as it was unhelpful: it issued a blunt...

India makes ready to match PLA firepower January 25, 2011 4:23:03 PM Rahul Datta | New Delhi In an effort to meet the challenge of growing military might of China, the Government has given the nod to some key projects, including creation of a new artillery division, a special forces unit and purchase of three aircraft for long-range reconnaissance. The raising of a new artillery division (each division has more than 200 long-range guns) will be completed by the end of 2011 while the special forces unit, also to be raised and trained in the same time span, will aim...

PLA drive targets Taiwan: US study ‘PUNITIVE STRIKE’:Dan Blumenthal says China’s strategy would be a quick strike against Taiwan and US bases, under the assumption that the US would not risk nuclear escalation By William Lowther / Staff Reporter in WASHINGTON A major new analysis concludes that China’s military modernization program has focused on building capabilities to coerce Taiwan into unification. The analysis also says the program is aimed at establishing air supremacy over Taiwan and interdicting and destroying US surface ships entering the region. Written by Dan Blumenthal, director of Asian studies at the American Enterprise Institute and published...

Is the U.S. Recycling Saudi Petrodollars into Weapons Sales? By: Chris Pocock January 10, 2011 AIN Defense Blog I have long suspected that the main U.S. purpose in supplying huge arms packages to Gulf countries is to recycle petrodollars. Uncle Sam pays heavily for its reliance on imported oil, but offers in return a shopping list of shiny new weaponry from the U.S. defense industry. Like kids in a candy store, the Arabs take up these offers, although with not enough thought given to how they might absorb and operate the kit. Some evidence to back my theory is available...

Iraq to buy $26 billion worth of armaments from United States Iraq will buy armaments worth $13 billion from the United States by 2013 and will spend another $13 bn on weapons later, a Baghdad newspaper reported citing an Iraqi Defense Ministry spokesman. Al Ittihad quoted Major General Mohammed Al Askari as saying that Iraq has already concluded a contract worth more than $13 bn with the United States. The money will be used to buy aircraft, helicopters, tanks, other armored vehicles, warships and missiles, to enter service with the Iraqi defense and interior ministries. ABU DHABI, January 9 (RIA...

Delhi seeks Indian Ocean supremacy with warship research AFP (1 hour ago) Today NEW DELHI: India launched a new naval research centre for warships on Tuesday, part of efforts by the South Asian giant to build its sea defences and counter the perceived threat of China in the Indian Ocean. Defence Minister A.K. Antony laid the foundation stone for the National Institute for Research and Development in Shipbuilding (NIRDESH) in the southern state of Kerala, which will be built at a cost of six billion rupees (133 million dollars). The facility, which will be up and running in two years,...

China may overestimate strength - Australian leak (Reuters) - China is hiding the extent of its military build-up, spending double what it declared in 2006, but may overestimate its might and escalate minor events into conflict and destabilise the region, according to a leaked Australian intelligence briefing. A strategic assessment by Canberra's intelligence agencies found China's military spending for 2006 was $70 billion, double the amount announced by Beijing, according to U.S. documents provided by WikiLeaks to the Sydney Morning Herald. China was building a military capability well beyond its priorities of self-defence and Taiwan, said Australia's Office of National...

EU may lift arms sanctions against China by 2011: Report London, Dec 30, (PTI): European Union may lift its arms embargo clamped on China in 1989 in the wake of Tiananmen Square crackdown, by early 2011, providing a big boost to the Chinese military which is currently embarked on producing 5th generation fighters and long-range cruise missiles. The lifting of the embargo on transfer of all lethal weapon technology "could happen very soon", French daily Le Figaro reported quoting sources close to the EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton. The paper said the issue was raised at the last EU...

A special report on China's place in the world The fourth modernisation China is becoming a military force to reckon with in the western Pacific. How should America respond? Dec 2nd 2010 | from PRINT EDITION THIRTY-FIVE years ago Deng Xiaoping accused the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) of “bloating, laxity, conceit, extravagance and inertia”. Even so, three years later, when he set about modernising China, he put the PLA last in the queue, behind farming, industry and science. And when the commander of the navy in 1982 laid out his plans for China to become a world sea power, he...

Russian Air Force to procure 1,500 new aircraft by 2020 Su-27 fighter jets © RIA Novosti. Anton Denisov The Russian Air Force will procure over 1,500 new aircraft and significantly increase the number of high-precision weapons in its arsenal by 2020, a deputy Air Force commander said on Wednesday. "Overall, we are planning to acquire and modernize about 2,000 aircraft and helicopters by 2020...including more than 1,500 new aircraft and about 400 modernized," Lt. Gen. Igor Sadofyev told reporters in Moscow. According to the general, in 2011 the Air Force plans to adopt Su-27SM, Su-30M2 and Su-35S multirole fighters, Su-34...

After Indo-US defence deals, Pak on shopping spree in Chinese arms store Agencies Posted: Nov 18, 2010 at 1405 hrs Beijing Pakistan has stepped up its defence cooperation with China with the most recent purchase being Chinese air-to-air SD-10 missiles and avionics to arm its 250 JF-17 Thunder fighter fleet. The country\'s air force chief, Air Chief Marshal Rao Qamar Suleman confirmed the deal amid signs that the French had spurned the offer to equip them, reportedly under pressure from India. "Islamabad is seeking to deepen military cooperation with Beijing," Rao Qamar Suleman, chief of the Pakistani Air Force told...

Australia could be a martyr, says Brigadier General John Frewen Michael Sainsbury, China correspondent AUSTRALIA runs the risk of "martyrdom" in the case of any China-US conflict. ONE of Australia's most senior military officers has warned that the appearance of the first Chinese aircraft carrier within the next five years poses the "greatest risk" to regional harmony. He adds that Australia runs the risk of "martyrdom" in the case of any China-US conflict. The warnings come amid unease across Asia about China's growing military power - particularly the rapidly expanding People's Liberation Navy - and its new-found aggression in territorial...

'Weapons of War' Germany Considers Loosening Arms Export Controls REUTERS "Eurofighter," "Leopard," Submarine Class 214: Germany is the third largest weapons exporter in the world, despite restrictive guidelines. Now the federal government wants to make arms sales abroad even easier to make up for defense budget cuts at home. It all started with the French. Years ago, the Defense Ministry in Paris presented an official plan promoting arms exports. The German response? Self-imposed limits. Arms exports should be "restrictive," according to the "Federal Arms Exports Guidelines" from the year 2000. The situation hasn't changed much since. In a recent issue...

Combat aircraft top international arms sales: think tank By Igor Gedilaghine (AFP) – 3 hours ago STOCKHOLM — Combat planes account for one third of all global arms transfers, with the United States topping the list of sellers and India, the United Arab Emirates and Israel the biggest buyers, according to the SIPRI think tank. In a report published Wednesday, just a week before China opens its massive airshow in Zhuhai, the independent Swedish institute cautioned that increased sales of combat aircraft could have a destabilising effect in many parts of the world. Between 2005 and 2009, according to the...

Russia's new frigates to become one of world's best ships 02.11.2010 First frigate of the new type was launched at the Northern Shipyard in St. Petersburg. The flagship of project 22350 Admiral Gorshkov has been built over a record short period of time - five years. By 2020, it is planned to launch five frigates of the project, whereas the need of the navy makes up 20-30 vessels. The frigate of the project will make the basic class of oceanic zone surface vessels of the Russian Navy in the 21st century. The vessel is capable of executing tasks in both...

The ChiPak Threat Sandeep Unnithan October 23, 2010 Updated 00:00 IST A detailed study carried out by the Indian Air Force was submitted to the Ministry of Defence (MoD) specifying two contingencies. The first, a full scale war against Pakistan while adopting a dissuasive posture against China. For this, a force of 44 squadrons is required. The second contingency sees a simultaneous conflict with China and Pakistan with the capability to hold Pakistan and defend China, requires a force of 55 combat squadrons." This stark assessment comes from the MoD's Eleventh Plan, 2007-2012. This secret document, a five-year acquisition roadmap...

U.K. Eyes Stronger Relationship With France Oct 26, 2010 By Robert Wall, Michael A. Taverna London, Paris Britain is increasingly looking to France to help sustain its ability to remain a player on the global stage in the face of big spending cuts emerging from the newly unveiled Strategic Defense and Security Review (SDSR). Having historically bet heavily on its relationship with Washington, London now sees Paris as an additional critical pillar of support in the operational and defense industrial realm. The U.K. says it will “intensify” its security and defense links with France, noting that “our armed forces are...

Indian arms race offers prizes for presidential visits Tuesday, 26 Oct, 2010 NEW DELHI: Arms-hungry India is expected to hand out a raft of military deals worth billions of dollars during an upcoming rush of presidential visits from the United States, France and Russia. The biggest-ticket item is the scheduled signing of an estimated 30 billion-dollar stealth fighter co-production agreement when Russian President Dmitry Medvedev visits in late December. Medvedev’s trip will follow those of President Barack Obama and President Nicolas Sarkozy, both of whom will be pushing existing US and French tenders for lucrative military contracts. Fuelling India’s drive...

Outrage Over Swedish Arms Sales to Saudis (Source: TheLocal.se; published: Oct. 11, 2010) Following a report at the weekend that Saab has once again signed a deal to sell equipment to Saudi Arabia, politicians on the left have called for an overhaul of Sweden’s weapons export laws. “We’re talking about one of the world’s worst dictatorships. We can’t send weapons to dictatorships that should be buying food instead,” Green Party defence policy spokesperson Peter Rådberg told the TT news agency on Monday. The comments come after a report published in Jane’s Defence Weekly, one of the world’s foremost publications on...

Denel Dynamics punting Umkhonto to Vietnam Written by Leon Engelbrecht Thursday, 07 October 2010 06:23 Denel Dynamics is bidding for a naval air defence contract in Vietnam and is offering the South-east Asian nation its Umkhonto short-range air defence missile as fitted on the South African Navy's frigate fleet and six Finnish warships. Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe, currently in Hanoi, overnight said “Denel Dynamics has submitted a bid for a contract to supply its surface-to-air missile system to the Vietnamese Navy. We believe that the South African system is superior to other systems and that a successful bid would open...

PLA Makes Big Investments In Artillery By Richard D. Fisher, Jr. Alexandria, Va. The International Institute for Strategic StudiesÂ’ Military Balance 2010 report places China third in the number of artillery systems it fields, after Russia and North Korea. But China doubtless exceeds both in resource commitment and breadth of artillery investments. Credited with an estimated 17,700-plus towed, self-propelled and rocket systems, the PeopleÂ’s Liberation Army (PLA) has at least 56 artillery systems in use, development or available for export. The U.S. Army and Marine Corps, by contrast, have 8,137-plus artillery pieces of roughly 10 types. China has had a...

Russia should help India in developing n-triad: expert Vinay Shukla Moscow, Oct 5 (PTI) Ahead of Defence Minister Anatoly Serdyukov''s New Delhi visit, a top defence expert has said Russia should help India in developing its "wholesome" nuclear triad to further advance bilateral defence cooperation. "In my view, Russia must help India in the development of its wholesome nuclear triad, so that it has naval, air and land platforms for its nuclear delivery systems," Ruslan Pukhov, Director of the Moscow-based Centre for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies (CAST) said. Pukhov is also a member of Public Advisory Board of the...