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India deepens defense ties with Israel to tackle threat of terror By YAAKOV KATZ Amid Israeli efforts to bolster military ties and export military hardware, the Indian Chief of Staff Gen. Deepak Kapoor arrived in Israel on Saturday for talks with IDF Chief of General Staff Lt.-Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi. Kapoor will hold talks with Ashkenazi as well as other senior Israeli officials, including Defense Minister Ehud Barak. He will visit Yad Vashem in Jerusalem during his four-day visit, as well as the IDF's Southern Command. Israel and India enjoy close defense ties and Israel last year overtook Russia as the...

China air force much improved though still lagging Christopher Bodeen, Associated Press Writer – Thu Nov 5, 12:21 pm ET BEIJING – China's rapidly modernizing air force is planning a display of its new military might for its 60th anniversary, showcasing a wide-ranging technical upgrade that has boosted its capabilities, though it still lags far behind its main rival, the United States. The People's Liberation Army Air Force is marking the occasion this Sunday with an aerial show and skydiving exhibition, using some of the state-of-the-art combat aircraft that have replaced hundreds of antiquated MIG fighters. While only about 20...

In Russia, the fifty man crew for the first Yasen (Graney) class SSGN (nuclear powered cruise missile sub) arrived at the Sevmash shipyards where their boat is being built. The crew was put together four years ago, and has been training ever since. The crew will continue training, increasingly on the first boat of the class (the Severodvinsk), which will be launched in a few months and enter service within two years. Last July, construction began on a second Yasen class SSGN. Russia plans to complete six boats of this class within the next six years. Construction of the first...

Russian President Dmitri Medvedev criticised on Monday the pace of military-industrial modernisation, saying it is affecting the quality of Russian weapons and harming national prestige. "Considerable funds have been invested over the past few years to develop the military-industrial complex. So far the results are mediocre," Medvedev said on Russian television. "Unfortunately we carry on filling in holes and the objectives for technological modernisation have not been achieved," the Russian president added. "The quality of military production for the Russian army and foreign exports is causing justified concern from clients," added Industry Minister Viktor Khristenko, speaking at a meeting on...

Israel is hoping to order two modern German-made warships without paying for them, daily Hannoversche Allgemeine Zeitung reported on Friday. Sources within the German government told the paper that Israel wants the Berlin to finance the MEKO corvettes, a sum that would reportedly reach hundreds of millions of euros. The paper reported that the government has not yet reacted to Israel’s request. But “influential politicians from northern Germany,” where the shipbuilding industry is suffering from the global economic downturn, are apparently supportive in the interest of keeping German shipyards in business.

<p>The Navy's need for speed is being answered by a pair of warships that have reached freeway speeds during testing at sea.</p> <p>Independence, a 418-foot warship built in Alabama, boasts a top speed in excess of 45 knots, or about 52 mph, and sustained 44 knots for four hours during builder trials that wrapped up this month off the Gulf Coast. The 378-foot Freedom, a ship built in Wisconsin by a competing defense contractor, has put up similar numbers.</p>

A military delegation from Iraq will visit Moscow in the near future to discuss the purchase of Russian weaponry, an Iraqi parliament member has said. "A large delegation from the Iraqi Defense Ministry will travel soon to Moscow for talks on arms purchases [from Russia]," Abbas al-Bayati said in an interview with the Al Iraqiya television. According to the Iraqi MP, Baghdad is seeking to sign arms contracts with Russia, Germany, France, Serbia and the United States by the end of 2011 "to complete the creation of Iraqi Armed Forces and security forces." Al-Bayati said the Iraqi leadership is interested...

Algeria cancels weapons deal over Israeli parts Algerian newspaper quotes senior source as saying air force called off major weapons deal with France when manufacturers failed to guarantee equipment does not include components made in Israel Doron Peskin Published: 10.12.09, 12:17 An Algerian newspaper claimed that the North African nation's air force cancelled a major weapons deal with France after the French manufacturers were unwilling to guarantee that the equipment to be provided does not include any components made in Israel. The el-Khabar newspaper quoted a senior Algerian source as saying the deal would not be executed due to the...

Russia has told the developers of the new Bulava SLBM (Sea Launched Ballistic Missile) that they have until the end of the year to make the missile work. Otherwise, the project will be cancelled, heads will roll (OK, people will be fired) and the older R-29RM Sineva SLBM will replace the Bulava. It's already been suggested that the 40 ton R-29RM be used in the new Borei SSBNs. Sineva is the last liquid fuel Russian SLBM in service, and is used in the current Delta class SSBNs. Liquid fuel missiles are more complex than solid fuel missiles, even though they...

<p>Upgraded missiles will feature prominently in China's military parade on Thursday which celebrates 60 years of Communist Party rule, the Xinhua news agency said, citing a commander of the service that controls nuclear weapons.</p> <p>Foreign observers will be watching to see what weapons the People's Liberation Army shows off.</p>

The Pentagon has brought forward to December 2009 the target-date for producing the first 15-ton super bunker-buster bomb (GBU-57A/B) Massive Ordinance Penetrator, which can reach a depth of 60.09 meters underground before exploding. DEBKAfile's military sources report that top defense agencies and air force units were also working against the clock to adapt the bay of a B2a Stealth bomber for carrying and delivering the bomb. The Pentagon has ordered the number of bombs rolling off the production line increased from four to ten - a rush job triggered in May by the discovery that Iran was hiding a second...

The history of warfare and the history of disease are unquestionably interwoven. Throughout the history of warfare, disease and non-battle injury have accounted for more deaths and loss of combat capability than from actual battle in war itself. The most striking example is the great influenza pandemic during World War I that killed 20 million people or more worldwide in 1918.1 Although this was a naturally occurring event, what if a country could create a biological agent that could yield the same catastrophic loss of life on the enemy? That, in essence, is the potential effect of applying genetic engineering2...

TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran test-fired missiles on Sunday to show it was prepared to head off any military threat, four days before the Islamic Republic is due to hold rare talks with world powers worried about its nuclear ambitions. The missile maneuvers coincide with escalating tension in Iran's nuclear row with the West, after last week's disclosure by Tehran that it is building a second uranium enrichment plant. News of the nuclear facility south of Iran added a sense of urgency to a crucial meeting in Geneva on Thursday between Iranian officials and representatives of six major powers, including the...

In a move intended to boost its surface warfare capabilities, the Pakistani navy has taken delivery of its first F-22p class frigate. The frigate is the first of three Sword/F-22P-class vessels that Pakistan has ordered from China under a $750 million deal. Christened PNS Zulfiqar, the new frigate was received by Pakistani naval officials at Karachi port after first taking part in naval exercises in the Arabian Sea under the watchful gaze of Rear Adm. Asif Sandila, commander of the Pakistan fleet, local media reported. Armed with ship-to-ship and ship-to-air missiles, the PNS Zulfiqar was constructed at Shanghai's Hudong Zhonghua...

Russia said on Saturday it had started talks with France for an unprecedented deal to buy a new helicopter-carrying assault warship from NATO-member France. The Russian government daily Rossiiskaya Gazeta reported last month that the ship, which can carry 16 heavy helicopters, 470 airborne troops and other gear, costs 700 million euros (995 million dollars).

Row over Tory plans to axe £30bn defence projects Michael Evans, Francis Elliott and Philip Webster Three of Britain’s biggest defence projects with a combined value of nearly £30billion could face the axe if the Conservatives win the general election next year. George Osborne, the Shadow Chancellor, said in a speech on the economy that he would hold a Budget within weeks of a victory. Afterwards, he was asked to identify specific savings that an incoming Conservative government might make. In comments that surprised and dismayed his own colleagues, he cited the £20billion Eurofighter/Typhoon project, the £4billion project to build...

An impression of how a controversial future giant aircraft carrier would look in its home base has been unveiled today by the Royal Navy.The computer-generated image has been created to give an impression of the scale of the next generation of warships which are due to enter service in 2015.It shows one of the carriers alongside at Portsmouth Naval Base, Hampshire, where it would take up three jetties.     Ministry of Defence computer generated image of how a controversial future giant aircraft carrier would look in its home base was unveiled today by the Royal Navy. It shows one...

Stealthy Italian submarine will train with U.S. Navy The ITS Scire is paying a visit to Mayport to take part in a Joint Task Force Exercise. By Timothy J. Gibbons From its high-tech fuel cell engine to its automated torpedo loading system, the ITS Scire proudly shows off the advanced technology crammed into its narrow body. But being on the crew of a cutting-edge fighting vessel doesn't mean one has to ignore the comforts of life - which perhaps is why cans of extra virgin olive oil manage to find a corner amid the fearsome torpedoes. From the espresso machine...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A Senate panel urged the Air Force on Thursday to start developing an export model of its F-22 Raptor, the most advanced U.S. fighter jet, even as it voted to end U.S. purchases. Japan, Israel and Australia have shown interest in buying the supersonic, radar-evading F-22 Raptor, designed to destroy enemy air defenses in the first days of any conflict and clear the way for other missions.

In less than one year, China and India will celebrate six decades of bilateral relations capped by festivities in their respective country. This period, however, has been marked by a border war in 1962 that precipitated a long phase of antagonism and hostility between the two sides. Yet, there were several positive trends in their bilateral relations since the late 1980s that buoy the decline in mutual trust: regular high level political interactions; increasing bilateral trade that may reach $60 billion in 2010; boundary demarcation talks since 2003; and joint military exercises, which included two ‘anti terror’ exercises in 2007...

‘Somebody in the state dept is bent on arming Pakistan’ Josy Joseph / DNA Islamabad’s illegal modification of Harpoon missiles for attack against land targets in India is symbolic of Pakistan military’s obsession with India. But Indian military sources say, the worse is the continuing American military assistance to Pakistan in the name of terrorism that in reality is arming its military for a conventional war against India. “It is a matter of finer nuance (if Harpoon has been modified). But what we are worried about, and what we have been repeatedly telling the Americans, is that all the systems...

Russia set to modernize Libya's Soviet-era tanks MOSCOW, August 17 (RIA Novosti) - Russia and Libya have signed a contract to overhaul at least 145 T-72 Russian-made battle tanks in service with the Libyan Army, a senior government official said on Monday. Moscow and Tripoli have been involved in talks on the modernization of the T-72 tanks since 2006 as part of renewed efforts to revive bilateral military-technical cooperation. "Work has been conducted in the Libyan direction, and we have already made headway after signing a number of contracts with the country over the past year, including on the modernization...

Pakistan close to 7,000-km ICBM Shafqat Ali Islamabad Aug. 13: Pakistan has started preparing an intercontinental missile with a range of 7,000 km, defence sources said. "The aim is to increase our defence capabilities. The work on the project has started. It will soon be test-fired", the sources said, adding, "The intercontinental missile has a range of 7,000 km and is capable of hitting targets falling within its range. The missile can contain nuclear as well as traditional warheads," the source said. He said the missile will be a significant milestone for the defence of the country. On Wednesday, Air...

Pakistan close to 7,000-km ICBM Shafqat Ali Islamabad Aug. 13: Pakistan has started preparing an intercontinental missile with a range of 7,000 km, defence sources said. "The aim is to increase our defence capabilities. The work on the project has started. It will soon be test-fired", the sources said, adding, "The intercontinental missile has a range of 7,000 km and is capable of hitting targets falling within its range. The missile can contain nuclear as well as traditional warheads," the source said. He said the missile will be a significant milestone for the defence of the country. On Wednesday, Air...

Cape Town - Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe is stockpiling arms and ammunition and preparing for war, the Democratic Alliance warned on Thursday.... ..."Mugabe is [also] talking to Venezuela, Cuba and Korea to fund a war-chest in preparation for the referendum and election, following the implementation of the global political agreement (GPA) brokered by former president Thabo Mbeki on behalf of SADC."... ...James said Mugabe and his Zanu-PF party appeared to be "mobilising for war against their own citizens"....

Russia is working on a series of spyplanes that would be undetectable by air defence systems, the chief of Russia's air force said Wednesday. "A special role in the air force's future strategy is set for a dramatically new class of spy planes -- high-flying stratosphere aircraft able to monitor a war zone without entering the defended air space," General Alexander Zelin was quoted as saying by the RIA Novosti news agency. Russia currently relies on the Su-24MR and MIG-25RB intelligence airplanes, Zelin said, adding that the airforce had "a sufficient number of them." However, modern warfare required a higher...

MOSCOW, August 6 (RIA Novosti) - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said at a press conference the country plans to buy weapons and Russian tanks over a possible increase in U.S. military personnel in neighboring Colombia. Chavez urged U.S. President Barack Obama not to increase the country's military contingent at bases in Colombia and said the move could lead to a war in the region. "These bases [in Colombia] could become the beginning of a war in South America," Chavez said. The United States and Colombia are currently holding talks which could see a boost in U.S. troop numbers at Colombian...

President Hugo Chavez said Venezuela would purchase dozens of Russian tanks, in a move signaling growing military ties between the two countries that have frequently clashed with Washington. "It will be a major arms agreement to increase our defense capability," the Venezuelan leader told reporters, noting that he hoped to ink other agreements on agriculture, oil and mining during his visit to Moscow in mid-September. Between 2005 and 2007, Moscow and Caracas signed 12 arms deals worth a total 4.4 billion dollars. Venezuela has acquired 24 Sukhoi fighter planes, 50 combat helicopters and 100,000 Kalashnikov assault rifles. In 2008, it...

A major new report from the US recommends that Taiwan develop its defense industry and be prepared to fight alone if China launches an all-out attack. Released this week in Washington by the Taiwan Policy Working Group, Deter, Defend, Repel and Partner: A Defense Strategy for Taiwan says that Taipei should be ready to respond to an “array of threats and military contingencies” including intimidating live-fire exercises, a blockade, seizure of an outlying island or a full-scale invasion. The report stresses that even though cross-strait tensions have been significantly reduced under the administration of President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英�), the Republic...

Russia Increasing Surface Warship Fleet Aug 4, 2009 By Maxim Pyadushkin St. Petersburg, Russia The Russian navy plans to boost rearmament efforts by acquiring new classes of surface ships. The service is due to receive more than 40% of the defense budget this year, according to government officials, though most of the money will be spent on nuclear submarines. At the International Maritime Defense Show (IMDS) here, June 24-28, navy commander Adm. Vladimir Vysotsky said the service is increasing the construction of new classes of warships. The first results of these efforts will be seen at the next IMDS in...

The Israel Air Force has purchased a new and advanced JDAM smart bomb with a laser-targeting system that will improve the IAF's ability to accurately hit fast-moving targets. According to an Israeli Defense Ministry official, the order was placed earlier this summer for over 100 LJDAM (Laser Joint Direct Attack Munition) kits

The US Defense Department on Monday said it wants to speed up production plans for an enormous "bunker buster" bomb amid concern over underground nuclear sites in Iran and North Korea.

BATH, Maine (AP) - In a solemn ceremony punctuated by talk of courage, service and sacrifice, the mother of a Marine corporal on Saturday christened a warship honoring her son, who died after covering an exploding grenade to protect his comrades in Iraq. After composing herself and taking a deep breath, Deb Dunham smashed a bottle of champagne over the bow of the 510-foot warship Jason Dunham, then held the bottle aloft before a cheering crowd of more than 1,500 people. She was joined by the Marines who served with her son, by her husband, Dan Dunham, and their daughter...

Soviet warship turns into India's white elephant by Pratap Chakravarty Sat Aug 1, 3:34 am ET NEW DELHI (AFP) – When Russia gave India a retired Soviet aircraft carrier five years ago, New Delhi was delighted -- little realising the vessel would turn into a costly white elephant. Russia, India's longtime weapons supplier, said in 2004 it would give the country the 44,570-tonne "Admiral Gorshkov" as a gift, provided Delhi paid a Russian shipyard 974 million dollars to refurbish the carrier. Since then, the price has skyrocketed for fixing up the 27-year-old ship, which was decommissioned after the collapse of...

July 29, 2009: Saudi Arabia has ordered another three Airbus A330 tankers, for aerial refueling and carrying cargo. The Airbus MRTT is based on the twin engine Airbus 330-300, which normally sells for $160 million each. The 233 ton MRTT carries 111 tons of fuel, plus 43 tons of cargo (26 pallets).

India plans to build 100 warships By James Lamont in New Delhi and Varun Sood in Mumbai Published: July 31 2009 03:00 India has plans to add almost 100 warships to its navy over the next decade as it seeks to modernise its armed forces, and develop its low-cost shipbuilding capabilities. Captain Alok Bhatnagar, director of naval plans at India's ministry of defence, said yesterday that 32 warships and submarines were under construction in the country's shipyards. Work on 75 more ships, including aircraft carriers, destroyers, frigates and amphibious vessels, would begin over 10 years. New Delhi is sensitive to...

FIRST F 22-P SHIP Delivered to Pakistan Navy Thursday, July 30, 2009 at 3:26 pm ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, First F-22P Frigate constructed for Pakistan Navy at Hudong Zhonghua Shipyard in Shanghai, China was delivered to Pakistan Navy on 30 July 2009. The delivery ceremony was followed by Commissioning of the ship, in which Pakistani flag was hoisted on the ship with band playing Pakistani National Anthem. The ceremonies were attended by distinguished guests from Chinese Navy, Chinese Govt Authorities and senior officers of Pakistan Navy. Chief guest for the ceremony, Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral Noman Bashir NI(M) while addressing...

An intensifying arms race looms over Latin America because of copycat weapons buying triggered by recent military buildups in some countries and reactions of their neighbors, defense analysts said Wednesday. Heavy arms shopping by Venezuela, even before the war of words erupted over the June 28 Honduras coup and U.S. military facilities in Colombia, has followed bickering over cross-border arms trade, including Chilean military exports to Ecuador and other neighbors. As rearmament gathers pace, the continent's own defense industry has seen its markets challenged by overseas suppliers, especially China and Russia. Latin arms suppliers include Brazil's Embraer and Chile's Enaer....

Long voyage ahead for India's new nuclear sub By Pratap Chakravarty (AFP) – 13 hours ago NEW DELHI — India joined an elite club of six nations last week with the launch of its own nuclear-powered submarine, but experts say it could be years before the prototype is transformed into a strategic asset. INS Arihant (Destroyer of Enemies) begins trials this week with its builders slating 2015 as the date for the commissioning of the 6,000-tonne vessel with a 85-megawatt nuclear reactor. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh described Sunday's launch as a "historic milestone," and experts here agreed that the Arihant...

Lockheed Martin has unveiled the first naval variant for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter programme in a roll-out ceremony at its final assembly plant in Fort Worth, Texas. '"It's an honour and a privilege and it is a great day", says Adm Gary Roughhead, chief of naval operations. The US Navy plans to operate 260 F-35C carrier variants among the 2,443 aircraft in the current US programme. "This airplane will top anything that comes it's way," Roughead adds. The first prototype CV model to roll off the production line - CF-1 - follows the debut of a conventional variant for...

(English-language translation) The government of Venezuela will purchase tanks from Russia to double its fleet and strengthen its armed forces. [Venezuelan] President Hugo Chávez made the announcement amid growing tensions with Colombia over its military agreement with the United States, which would allow troops from that country to operate from Colombian bases. "We are going to bring several new tank battalions in order to double the armored force we presently have....I am not going to pay attention to what the neighbors say, or up north, forget the Yankees," said Chávez in "Hello, Theoretical President", the new version of his Sunday...

N-submarine to give India crucial third leg of nuke triad Rajat Pandit, TNN 27 July 2009, 12:55am IST VISAKHAPATNAM: There’s still a long way to go for INS Arihant to become fully-operational. “Each and every system has to be tested and flushed clean. It will take four sets of flushing and a year before the miniature 80 MW nuclear reactor, and its containment vessel fitted in the submarine’s hull, attains criticality,” said a senior officer connected with the ATV (advanced technology vessel) project. Moreover, at present, it will be armed with only the 700-km range two-stage K-15 SLBMs (submarine-launched ballistic...

The head of the institute developing a sea-based version of Russia's newest strategic missile has quit following repeated failures of the weapon in testing, officials said Wednesday. Yury Solomonov, head of the Moscow Institute of Thermal Technology, was the most senior official to date to take responsibility for the string of failures of the Bulava intercontinental ballistic missile, currently in development. "After the latest unsuccessful launch of the Bulava rocket, Yury Solomonov has submitted a resignation letter," Interfax-AVN, a news agency specializing in military affairs, quoted a source in the country's space industry as saying. The source said his resignation...

Georgia's president is expected to ask U.S. Vice President Joe Biden for advanced weaponry and U.S. observers to monitor a cease-fire along the boundaries of two Moscow-backed breakaway regions. Biden is on a four-day trip to Ukraine and Georgia. The two former Soviet states fear U.S. isolation after President Barack Obama visited Moscow earlier this month to reset ties with Russia. Biden has said that the Western-leaning democracies won't be sacrificed to appease Moscow. Ukraine and Georgia want to join NATO, a move Biden supports.

Libya eyes a new arsenal TRIPOLI, Libya, July 22 (UPI) -- The Libyan coast guard is now operating Croatian-built patrol boats in the western Mediterranean as Russia and Western governments elbow each other for substantial orders for new equipment to update Col. Moammar Gadhafi's armed forces. The 120-foot PV30-LS fast patrol craft were built by the Zagreb-based Adria-Mar Shipbuilding yards at Kali and Bakar Bay. Deliveries began in August 2006, and the Croatian company was reported to be discussing further orders, including a modified design known as OPB31 to meet a Libyan requirement for more coastal patrol vessels. The PV30-LS...

ashington, D.C. (AHN) - Defense Sec. Robert Gates on Monday said he was increasing the size of the U.S. Army by 22,000 soldiers over the next three years to help U.S. forces in Afghanistan and Iraq, wars he described as "faster-paced against an even more adaptive enemy."In a press conference, Gates said he will add to the active-duty end strength of the Army from the current authoroized end-strength of 547,000, to a temporary 569,000. "These additional forces will be used to ensure that our deploying units are properly manned, and not to create new combat formations," he said. The increase...

Middle East navies eye new submarines TEHRAN, July 17 (UPI) -- Submarine warfare seems to be in vogue in the Middle East these days, with Israel leading the way. Iran, Algeria and Egypt are also planning to acquire new submarines that could operate in the Indian Ocean, the Arabian Sea, the Red Sea and the Mediterranean. Israel's surprise deployment of one of its German-built Dolphin boats, the 1,500-ton Leviathan, in the Red Sea in late June underscored the regional trend. The Type-800 boat's highly visible transit from the Mediterranean through the Suez Canal to the Red Sea was widely seen...

The Israel Air Force will review the possibility of purchasing the advanced American F-22 fifth-generation stealth fighter jet if a congressional ban is lifted, enabling it to be sold abroad, defense officials told The Jerusalem Post on Thursday. Referring to recent reports in the US that Congress had asked the Air Force to submit a report on the possibility of exporting the jet to Japan, Israel and other allies, a senior defense official said if this happened, "we will have to consider the option." "This is an advanced fighter jet of superior capabilities," the Defense Ministry official said. "It will...

Defence ministry said on Thursday the missile blew up in mid-flight, following a similar failed test in December. The missile, which can carry nuclear warheads, veered off course after the first stage of the rocket malfunctioned, said the ministry, quoted by the Ria Novosti agency. It was launched by Russia's Dmitri Donskoi submarine in the White Sea on Wednesday. "A committee of inquiry has been set up to determine the causes" of the incident, the defence ministry's press service added. Several such tests have already ended in failure, including one in December 2008 launched by the same submarine in the...

Exclusive: PM’s wife to launch INS Arihant, India’s first nuclear submarine Sandeep Unnithan New Delhi, July 16, 2009 Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s wife Gursharan Kaur is to crack the auspicious coconut marking the historic launch of India’s first nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine at the naval dockyard, Visakhapatnam on July 26. The launch, which naval tradition demands always be performed by a lady, is also the tenth anniversary of the conclusion of the Kargil War. After spending over a decade cloaked under an obscure project name, the Advanced Technology Vessel (ATV) India’s first nuclear submarine finally gets a name: Arihant (destroyer...