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Taiwan declines to comment on report of new missile development 2012/04/10 20:09:24 Taipei, April 10 (CNA) Taiwan's defense ministry declined to comment Tuesday on a foreign report that it is planning to develop a new type of anti-ship missile. The Ministry of National Defense "would not comment" on such an issue, spokesman Maj. Gen. Luo Shou-he told CNA. Luo was asked to respond to a Defense News report that "Taiwan is planning to build an extended-range anti-ship missile." The weekly U.S. newspaper described the weapon as a possible variant of the locally developed Hsiung Feng (Brave Wind) III anti-ship missile....

IDF considering interceptors for sea-based gas platforms By YAAKOV KATZ Fearing missiles, Navy seeking budget for 4 new vessels to improve defense coverage of Mediterranean Sea; Israel concerned Hezbollah will try to attack platforms. The navy is particularly concerned about Syria’s recent purchase of the Russian Yakhont anti-ship missile, which could be transferred to Hezbollah and used to target the gas rigs. Syria already tested the Yakhont in recent maneuvers. The weapon is said to be a sophisticated missile with a range of about 300 km. Last February, the navy seized an Iranian arms ship whose cargo, Israel said, was...

Russia announced a new stealthy cruise missile for their heavy bombers and whatever emerges from the effort to develop something to compete with the American F-22 and F-35. The Russian announcement said little more, declaring that details of the new missile were classified. That was probably to avoid embarrassment, as the Russians have been having a hard time completing missile designs that were halted at the end of the Cold War (1991) because there was no more money. One of these missiles was the Kh-102, a stealthy development of the Cold War era Kh-55. The Kh-102 had been in development...

Saudi Storm Shadow Sale Confirmed By Jeffrey | 3 April 2012 | Thanks to Wikileaks (not work safe!), we now know that the UK did, in fact, sell the Storm Shadow cruise missile — an MTCR category I system if I’ve ever seen one — to Saudi Arabia. LtG Abdulrahman Al-Faisal, Commander of the Royal Saudi Air Force, confirmed the sale to US Assistant Secretary for Political-Military Affairs Andrew Shapiro in October 2009. Regular readers know that I have long believed that the UK sold the Storm Shadow cruise missile to Saudi Arabia, despite the fact that Storm Shadow ought...

Pentagon Undecided on Nuclear Warhead for New Cruise Missile WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Defense Department has yet to determine which nuclear warhead will be fielded on a weapon that replaces the 1980s-vintage Air Launched Cruise Missile, according to Pentagon and combatant command officials (see GSN, Feb. 24). Defense officials are “carrying out an Analysis of Alternatives to be completed this fall for an ALCM follow-on system,” John Harvey, a Pentagon nuclear force official, said last month. “Plans are to sustain the ALCM and the W-80 warhead, [the] ALCM warhead,” until the new missile, the Long-Range Stand-Off weapon, “can be fielded,”...

Russian Air Force Adopts New Cruise Missile A new cruise missile has entered service with the Russian Air Force’s strategic long-range arms division, Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov said on Tuesday. He did not provide any details, only saying it was an air-launched long range missile. AF chief Col Gen Alexander Zelin previously said the new cruise missile was developed by the Taktitcheskoye Raketnoye Vooruzhenie (Tactical Missile) defense corporation and that its specifications were secret. He said the new missiles would also be installed in fifth-generation fighters. Douglas Barrie, an air warfare analyst at the London-based International Institute of Strategic Studies,...

The control system for U.S. Navy Tomahawk cruise missiles is being upgraded by Lockheed Martin. The company, which didn't announce the monetary value of the modernization effort, said work will focus on the Tactical Tomahawk Weapons Control System, which allows the preparation, control and launch of the missiles. The TTWCS is one of three prime components of the Tomahawk system. "Lockheed Martin is a key industry partner and continues to make significant and positive impacts directly supporting the Tomahawk Weapons System and our fleet sailors," said Navy Capt. Joe Mauser, Tomahawk program manager. "Lockheed Martin remains committed to enhancing the...

Ballistic missiles: a unique instrument for Russia's long-range aviation Russia is developing the air force component of its strategic forces. The Air Force will receive modernized bomber aircraft with new armament. Modern missiles broaden the capabilities of long-range aviation by facilitating its use in various types of combat. From Bludgeon to Sward/Rapier In February 2012 the Russian Air Force received the first upgraded bomber plane Tu-22M3M. With the new armament and equipment these planes will become an important element of the combat power of the Russian military aviation of the 2020-30s. Along with the TU-22M planes Russia is upgrading its...

Turkish missiles over Brussels, Paris, Berlin, Rome (and others) The Ottoman siege of Vienna may have failed in 1683. But the Turks will soon be back at the gates (well, this time, the skies) of Europe. Much to the pride of millions of Turks, the state scientific research institute, TÃœBITAK, recently reported that its scientists this year would finish an all-Turkish missile with a range of 1,500 km, and, in 2014, another with a range of 2,500 km (no typo here). The head of TÃœBITAK said the order for the missile program had come from Prime Minister Recep Tayyip ErdoÄŸan....

U.S. To Sell Finland Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles For Its F-18s From the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA): Washington - WASHINGTON, Oct. 31, 2011 – The Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress Oct. 28 of a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Finland for 70 AGM-158 Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles and associated equipment, parts, training and logistical support for an estimated cost of $255 million. The Government of Finland has requested a sale of 70 AGM-158 Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles (JASSM), 2 test vehicles, support and test equipment, publications and technical documentation, personnel training and training equipment, U.S....

Russia’s Nuclear-Powered Attack Submarine Goes to Sea Trials Lajos F. Szaszdi October 19, 2011 It was reported early in October that Russia’s first fourth-generation nuclear-powered multipurpose attack submarine, the Severodvinsk, successfully conducted its first sea trials. In naval terms, a fourth-generation submarine belongs to the latest and most modern generation of submarines. The Severodvinsk is a Project 885 submarine of the Yásen’ (ash tree) class that has been described as “an undersea nuclear-powered guided-missile cruiser.” Plans are for six or seven Yásen’ class submarines to be built, with the second vessel, Kazan, currently under construction. The Severodvinsk has significant characteristics...

Virginia-Class Subs Could Bolster Cruise Missile Fleet, But Where's the Money? By David Axe The nuclear-powered submarine USS Florida was lying in wait, quietly submerged off the Libyan coast, when the order came from then-Secretary of Defense Robert Gates to launch its cruise missiles. It was the evening of March 19. Two days before, the U.N. Security Council had unanimously voted to approve Resolution 1973, authorizing a no-fly zone over Libya aimed at protecting civilians against the forces of Muammar Gaddafi's repressive regime. To clear the way for the no-fly zone, the U.S. Navy and Royal Navy prepared a barrage...

European consortium MBDA offers missiles to India for its Russian Sukhois NAPLES (Italy): European consortium MBDA has offered their 300 km-range Taurus stand-off missile system to the Indian Air Force (IAF) for its fighter jets such as the Su-30MKI. "We have received a Request for Information (RFI) from the IAF for a stand-off long range missile from the IAF and we have offered the Taurus missiles as we feel that it meets all the desired requirements," Anders Axebark, the business development manager for the missile systems told a group of Indian journalists here. The Taurus air-to-ground missiles are manufactured by...

Chasing Norway’s New Stealth Cruise Missile By Andrew Tarantola on September 27, 2011 at 7:20 am This is the Naval Strike Missile, Kongsberg’s latest and greatest cruise missile, as it skims over the Pacific Ocean before tearing into its target on the far side of an island. The testing for this next-generation anti-ship missile took place off Point Mugu, California, in June of this year. According to Konsgberg, the NSM had only 1.5 seconds to acquire and positively ID the ship as its target before striking. The state-of-the-art missile weighs about 400kg and has a range of 100 nautical miles,...

Russia to refit nuclear missile cruisers - media The Admiral Nakhimov nuclear missile cruisers © RIA Novosti. Oleg Lastochkin The Russian Defense Ministry is planning to refit three mothballed nuclear-powered Kirov-class missile cruisers in a major boost for the Russian Navy's combat strength, Izvestia newspaper said on Wednesday. The Admiral Nakhimov, Admiral Lazarev and Admiral Ushakov nuclear missile cruisers were built in the Soviet era but have been decommissioned and laid up in dock for over a decade. The only active Kirov class cruiser is the Pyotr Veliky, the flagship of Russia's Northern Fleet. Izvestia cited a source in the...

DSEi: Turkish cruise missile design breaks cover By Craig Hoyle Turkey has performed a successful first flight test with an indigenously-developed cruise missile design, which the nation hopes could eventually be integrated with its future fleet of Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighters. Developed by the Defence Industries Research and Development Institute, or Tubitak Sage, the modular stand-off missile (SOM) design was released by a McDonnell Douglas F-4E 2020 strike aircraft on 9 August. "The missile hit its target with a high accuracy by covering a distance of over 100nm [185km]," Tubitak Sage said. The institute is displaying a full-scale...

Iran shows off new cruise missile By NASSER KARIMI, Associated Press – 7 hours ago TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran's president claimed on Tuesday the country's military can cripple enemies on their own ground as Tehran put a new Iranian-made cruise missile on display, the latest addition to the nation's growing arsenal. The state TV reported that the new missile, showcased at a ceremony in Tehran, is designed for sea-based targets, with a range of 124 miles (200 kilometers) and is capable of destroying a warship. The TV said it can travel at low altitudes and has a lighter weight...

Russian company unveils 'bomb in a box' cruise missile system A Russian company has unveiled a unique "Pandora's Box'"cruise missile system which is deployed and can be fired from a standard 40-foot shipping container, from ships, rail cars or even off the back of a truck. Morinformsystem-Agat JSC is marketing the system as a take-anywhere weapon able to destroy ships and attack land targets with the Novator Klub-K 3M-54TE missile, one of the deadliest cruise missiles in existence. "We call it Pandora's box," said a company representative at MAKS air show, where the weapon made its first appearance. The Club...

Supersonic Cruise Missile in Development South Korea is developing a supersonic cruise missile that can be used to attack aircraft carriers, Aegis ships and up-to-date destroyers. "Think tanks like the Agency for Defense Development have been developing a supersonic anti-ship cruise missile for some years now. They're expected to complete development in three to four years at the earliest," a government source said Tuesday. The missile under development is modeled after Russia's powerful Yakhont missile, which is 8.9 m long and weighs 3 tons, but will be smaller, the source added. It will be able to reach speeds of up...

Navy Commemorates 2,000th Tomahawk Shot 8/3/2011 The Navy is scheduled to hold a commemorative ceremony aboard the guided missile destroyer USS Barry (DDG 52) for the 2,000th Tomahawk cruise missile combat launch Aug. 5 at Naval Station Norfolk, Va. The event will recognize the USS Barry crewmembers for their role in launching the milestone missile March 19, against an air defense target in Libya, during Operation Odyssey Dawn. “It was a great feeling to have taken part in the 2,000th missile launch,” said Fire Controlman 3rd Class (SW) Luizous Houser, aboard USS Barry (DDG 52). “There were a lot of...

Taiwan 'tests sub-launched missile' (AFP) – 4 hours ago TAIPEI — Taiwan has testfired for the first time a locally developed submarine-launched missile designed to counter the threat of China's fast-expanding navy, a report Thursday. An unknown number of Hsiung Feng II (Brave Wind II) ship-to-ship missiles, developed by the military-run Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology, were launched during a drill late last month, the Liberty Times said. The drill was part of the navy's five-year project to enhance the capabilities of two Dutch-built Sword Dragon class submarines acquired in the late 1980s, it said, citing an unnamed military...

Taiwan supersonic missile test flops (AFP) – 2 hours ago TAIPEI — Taiwan's defence ministry on Tuesday confirmed reports that a new supersonic anti-ship missile had missed its target during a routine naval drill, in the latest in a series of setbacks. Analysts say the Hsiung Feng (Brave Wind) III missile, designed to cruise at a maximum speed of Mach 2.0, or twice the speed of sound, and with a range of up to 130 kilometres (80 miles), is difficult to defend against. But the defence ministry said the weapon, the island's first locally developed supersonic anti-ship missile, had failed...

New British missile three times as fast as current weapons Travelling at three times the speed of sound and skimming the sea at wave top enemy sailors will have just three seconds to react before they are hit by the latest British-designed missile. By Thomas Harding, Defence Correspondent in Paris 7:00AM BST 21 Jun 2011 The Perseus missile will be the most sophisticated weapon in its class travelling at Mach 3 or 2,000 miles an hour, three times the speed of existing weapons. In midflight it can deploy a further two baby missiles that can help it straddle a ship...

AIRSHOW - France eyes sea-launched cruise missiles 1:00am IST By John Irish LE BOURGET, France (Reuters) - The French navy will join the United States and Britain in using ship-based cruise missiles by 2015 after delivery of its first batch from European missile maker MBDA, a company executive said on Monday. Until now, the Tomahawk missile has been the main one of its type launched from navy vessels and submarines, but MBDA has been working on developing a version for the French navy since 2006. Speaking on the sidelines of the Paris Air Show, Lionel Mazenq, a systems engineer for...

Turkey develops domestic missile, rocket Sunday, June 19, 2011 ÜMİT ENGİNSOY ANKARA - Hürriyet Daily News Two Turkish state-run defense companies have reported major progress in what analysts view as crucial locally designed and developed missile and rocket programs. Earlier in June, Tübitak Sage, the missile specialist operating under the state’s Scientific and Technical Research Council of Turkey, or TÜBİTAK, exhibited the country’s first domestic cruise missile during an air show in İzmir marking the 100th anniversary of the Turkish Air Force’s foundation. The missile, which has a range of 180 kilometers, was designed and developed by Turkish engineers, including...

Storm Shadow, Saudi & the MTCR By Jeffrey | 31 May 2011 When France sold the Storm Shadow/SCALP cruise missile to the UAE (under the name Black Shaheen) in the 1990s, the United States strongly objected that the sale violated the voluntary guidelines under the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR). France sold the missile anyway, but the US successfully pushed to tighten up MTCR guidelines in 2002 to prevent further transfers like this. So, when news leaked last year that the UK would sell the same missile to Saudi Arabia, I expected a hue and cry. Instead, nothing but crickets....

West to have 80,000 cruise missiles by 2020 - interview Russian military experts forecast that Western nations will have 80,000 cruise missile by 2020, a deputy commander of the Russian General Staff said on Saturday. "We expect Western countries to have at least 80,000 cruise missiles by 2020, including about 2,000 of them nuclear-powered," Gen. Igor Sheremet said in an interview with the Ekho Moskvy radio station. He added these missiles are clearly not simply designed for drilling or intimidation purposes. "They can deliver disarming or even 'decapitation' strikes," Sheremet said. Hence, he said, the plans to develop Russia's air...

South Korea to invite bids for F-15K cruise missile By Greg Waldron South Korea is to invite bids for a new stealth cruise missile to equip its Boeing F-15K Slam Eagle, following technical glitches implementing Lockheed Martin's AGM-158 Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM). A source at the nation's Defense Acquisition Program Administration confirms that bidding for the missile will open in June. He would not divulge details about how many missiles South Korea intends to acquire, or the specific technical difficulties South Korea encountered trying to implement JASSM. Possible bidders in the South Korean competition could include Europe's MBDA with...

Taiwan deploys supersonic anti-ship missiles (AFP) – 5 hours ago TAIPEI — Taiwan has deployed a new supersonic missile on its warships in the latest response to China's rapid naval expansion, a lawmaker said Sunday. Military authorities are also mulling deploying the Hsiung Feng III -- the first locally developed supersonic anti-ship missile -- on mobile launchers, Lin Yu-fang, of the Kuomintang party, said in a statement quoting Vice Admiral Lee Hao. "Several types of warships have been armed with Hsiung Feng IIIs (Brave Wind)," the statement said. It was not clear how many missiles will be produced, but according...

Pakistan Tests Ra’ad (HATF VIII) Air-Launched Cruise Missile Pakistan conducted a successful flight test of the indigenously developed Ra’ad Air Launched Cruise Missile (ALCM) also designated Hatf-VIII. According to the announcement made by Pakistan’s defense department, the missile test was conducted yesterday (April 29, 2011) as part of the continuous process of improving the technical parameters of the weapon system. Raad has a range of over 350 km; it is designed to deliver nuclear and has sufficient attack precision (reportedly 3 m’ CEP) to effective deliver conventional warheads, when employed against hardened aircraft shelters at air bases, enemy command-and-control centers...

Antiship Missiles Threaten Status Quo Apr 6, 2011 By Andy Nativi Genoa The debate over China’s new DF-21D antiship ballistic missile and the impact it could have on sea power in the region is reviving concerns over the threat antiship missiles pose—a threat that had faded with the end of the Cold War. Since the fall of the Soviet Union, Western naval strategists have seen little need to continue developing ship-killing missiles. The trend has been to retrofit weapons in service with advanced features. With few instances of antiship missiles being used against naval targets, many commands viewed the threat...

Tucson-made Tomahawk missiles rack up kills, bills Posted Mar 27, 2011, 12:08 pm Sharon Weinberger Center for Public Integrity In the opening days of the assault on Libya, the United States and the United Kingdom launched a barrage of at least 161 Tomahawk cruise missiles to flatten Moammar Gadhafi’s air defenses and pave the way for coalition aircraft. In fiscal terms, at a time when Congress is fighting over every dollar, the cruise missile show of military might was an expenditure of nearly a quarter of a billion dollars. Each missile cost $1.41 million. Raytheon Corp. is the manufacturer of...

Tracking Libya, with eye on fighters Indian forces in market to buy weapons in use New Delhi, March 23: India’s armed forces are closely monitoring the war in Libya despite New Delhi’s reservations against the “Allied” intervention because they are in the market to buy the weapons being used to bomb the North African country. “We learnt from Iraq and Afghanistan also and we are watching what’s going on — it’s part of our job. This is what globalisation means,” a senior air force officer said, during a discussion here. “Many of the (weapons) platforms that are in the operations...

Pak test fires nuclear-capable Hatf-7 cruise missile Pakistan test fired nuclear-capable Hatf-7 cruise missile with a range of 600 km that can hit targets in India. The test of the indigenously-developed missile was “part of a process of validating the system,” said a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations. The statement did not mention where the test was conducted. The successful test of Hatf-7 or Babur cruise missile was witnessed by Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Chairman Gen Khalid Shamim Wynne, who said the launch would “go a long way in consolidating Pakistan’s strategic deterrence capability and further strengthening...

New Ship-Launched Cruise Missiles Ready for Deployment A Korean-made ship-to-ground cruise missile dubbed Cheonryong with a range of more than 500 km is about to be deployed on warships including a 4,500-ton KDX destroyer in the West Sea, sources say. This is going to be the first deployment of a homegrown ship-launched cruise missile. Ship-to-ground missiles have a wider and more flexible potential range than ground-launched ones. The Cheonryong is capable of hitting North Korean surface-to-ship missile bases on the west coast from the East Sea as well as the West Sea. It can eventually be launched even from a...

Turkish F-4E carrying AGM-142 Popeye missiles By Will Horton Our correspondent Tolga Ozbek spotted in the new Turkish air force calendar this rare image (scanned, below) of one of the air force's McDonnell Douglas F-4E Phantoms (they call the upgraded model the F-4E 2020 Terminator, defence editor Craig Hoyle says) carrying two Rafael AGM-142 Popeye air-to-surface missiles.

Taiwan confirms mass producing cruise missiles (AFP) – 9 hours ago TAIPEI — Taiwan has confirmed for the first time that it is mass-producing cruise missiles, despite fast warming ties with China. "Mass production of indigenous weapons like the ones under the codenames of 'Chichun' (Lance Hawk) and 'Chuifeng' (Chasing Wind) is very smooth," Deputy Defence Minister Chao Shih-chang told parliament Wednesday. "The problems with key parts and components that had previously stalled the manufacturing have been tackled," he said in reply to queries raised by legislator Lin Yu-fang. The Chichun project refers to the Hsiungfeng 2E cruise missile, Taiwan's...

MBDA Delivers 600th TAURUS KEPD 350 to German Luftwaffe An Eurofighter of the Luftwaffe equipped with Taurus missiles. 18:51 GMT, December 6, 2010 TAURUS System GmbH (TSG), a subsidiary of LFK-Lenkflugkörpersysteme GmbH (MBDA Deutschland) and Saab Dynamics, has delivered the 600th missile to the German Federal Office of Defence Technology and Procurement (BWB). The delivery of the 600th missile marks the successful conclusion of the series order. “The TAURUS order was of decisive importance to our organisation. This contract played a major role in the positive development of MBDA Deutschland. My special thanks go to our customers who supported our...

First Evaluation Firing of an ASMPA by a Mirage 2000N (Source: French Ministry of Defence; issued Nov. 25, 2010) (Issued in French only; unofficial translation by defense-aerospace.com) The first evaluation firing of the new weapon system formed by the Mirage 2000N and the ASMPA enhanced stand-off missile took place on Tuesday, Nov. 23. This test was code-named Topaze. The aircraft’s crew, comprising a pilot and a navigator from the 3/4 “Limousin” fighter squadron, flew a long mission (about 5 hours) during which it flew at different flight profiles: high altitude, several in-flight refuellings from a C135 tanker belonging to the...

New Chinese LACM Unveiled Nov 15, 2010 By Robert Wall wall@aviationweek.com ZHUHAI, CHINA The China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp. (Casic) has unveiled a new air-launched, land-attack cruise missile. The weapon, first shown here at Airshow China, is the latest member of the C-802 missile family. The CM-802AKG, as the new weapon is designated, also has longer range than the air-launched version of the anti-ship C-802A, a company official says. The CM-802AKG range exceeds 200 km, whereas the C-802A has a range of around 180 km. The missile weighs less than 700 kg and is equipped with a multipurpose warhead...

Newest Naval Missiles Reaching Operator Hands By Robert Wall Le Bourget, France As development wraps up on a range of naval missile systems, designers are turning their attention to new applications and upgrades. But scarce funding is hampering several near-term ambitions. The conundrum affects several manufacturers. MBDA’s Exocet Block 3 anti-ship missile is now operational with the French and Italian navies, while Kongsberg is readying the first shipments of the stealthy Naval Strike Missile (NSM) and the Saab/Diehl BGT Defense team isset to hand over the first RBS-15 Mk. 3 anti-ship and land-attack missiles. Garnering export orders is another priority...

Lockheed Tapped for New Anti-Ship Missile By Jim Wolf November 10, 2010 WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Lockheed Martin Corp is to develop within 2 1/2 years a new long-range anti-ship missile, the Defense Department said on Wednesday. The work falls under a $157.7 million contract from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, or DARPA, which has been responsible for some of the Pentagon's biggest technology breakthroughs, including the Internet's precursor. The goal is to develop rapidly and demonstrate a ship-launched weapon that can knock out other ships "at significant stand-off ranges," an item in the Pentagon's daily contract digest said, without...

How serious is the P800 Yakhont threat? Does it have a destabilizing effect on the Middle East? The expected arrival of the P800 Yakhont supersonic anti-ship missile in Syria is considered the first serious attempt by Syria to directly challenge the Israel Navy since the 1973 war, when the Israeli Navy sunk five Syrian vessels in the first missile-boat engagement known as the ‘Battle of Latakia’. Four decades later, the P800 Yakhont is far superior than the Styx missiles that failed to protect the Syrian Navy in 1973. Much like the Russian-Indian Brahmos, the earlier Moskit and Supersonic Alpha, Yakhont...

Russia to honor deal to sell P-800 anti-ship missiles to Syria Russia will honor the contract to sell the P-800 Yakhont supersonic anti-ship cruise missiles to Syria, Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov said. "It is the 2007 contract. The issue of selling the missiles to Syria was raised during the talks with U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates... Undoubtedly, it [the contract] would be fulfilled by the Russian side," the Russian minister said. Israeli media said in late August that the country was working to thwart Syria's plans to get the highly accurate missiles, which Israel considers a threat to its...

Moscow: Sale to Syria of advanced cruise missile will not change military balance in region MOSCOW — The Kremlin has approved the sale of an anti-ship missile to the Syrian Navy and defended its decision after concerns raised by Israel. Officials said the missile, identified as P-800, was deemed a defensive weapon that would not change the military balance in the Middle East. "I would like to stress that the Russian Federation is committed to all agreements previously signed between Russia and Syria," Russian presidential aide Sergei Prikhodko said. Prikhodko said the P-800 sale was approved by the Kremlin based...

Keeping Yakhont Out Of Iran September 7, 2010: Israel is trying to persuade Russia not to sell their 3M55 anti-ship missile to Syria. Israel, and many Western nations, fear that sales to Syria will actually be sales to Iran, which is under an arms embargo and cannot buy the 3M55 itself. The missile is particularly dangerous to any warship, mainly because of its size and high speed. Syria has been on the Iranian payroll for decades. Also known as Yakhont, Oniks and P-800, the 3M55 missile was further developed by India to produce the BrahMos. But the Russians used the...

A former B-2 stealth bomber engineer was found guilty on Monday of selling sensitive military technology to China, the United States Justice Department said in a statement. Noshir Gowadia, 66, was convicted of five offences following trial in a federal court in Hawaii. Gowadia had been accused of passing on design information which would allow cruise missiles to avoid infra-red detection. (Snip) "Mr Gowadia provided some of our country's most sensitive weapons-related designs to the Chinese government for money,"

South Korea has developed a long-range cruise missile capable of striking nuclear sites and military targets in North Korea, news reports said Saturday. The Hyunmu-3C missile has a range of 930 miles (1,500 kilometres), the Chosun Ilbo newspaper reported, citing the August edition of its sister magazine Monthly Chosun. The new missile, if confirmed, would be the longest-range weapon in South Korea's arsenal. Missile-range limits have been agreed upon under an accord with the United States, which has cited concerns over a possible regional arms race. The surface-to-surface missile will be deployed along the border with North Korea beginning this...

South Korea Develops Cruise Missile That Can Fly 1,500 Kilometres South Korea Develops Cruise Missile That Can Fly 1,500 Kilometres SEOUL, July 17 (Bernama) -- South Korea has developed an indigenous cruise missile with a range of up to 1,500 kilometers and plans to deploy it along the border with North Korea later this year, a defence official, quoted by Yonhap news agency, said on Saturday. The previous version of the Hyunmoo missile had a range of only 1,000km. Under an agreement with the United States, South Korea is allowed to extend the range of its cruise missiles without restriction...

The guided-missile destroyer USS Sterett (DDG 104) successfully launched two Tomahawk missiles during a weeklong weapons training exercise in the Pacific Ocean June 21-25. "The missile launch was a success," said Pablo Dasalla, lead platform test coordinator, who was on board to observe the launch. According to Dasalla, the planning required to launch a Tomahawk missile takes three to four months to coordinate. The coordination involves mission planning, approval from different organizations, scheduling of range time and fulfilling requirements prior to the missile launch. The ship's crew has been preparing for the past four months to maintain its mission readiness...