Free Republic

For the second straight year, President Obama is seeking to decrease funding to joint U.S.-Israel missile defense programs. Tucked within Obama’s 2013 budget proposal is a request to reduce the amount of money Israel receives for its critical missile defense systems by $6.3 million relative to the 2012 budget proposal. Among these defense systems are Arrow and David’s Sling, both of which are jointly operated with the U.S. Publicly, the president has referred to himself as a stalwart champion of the U.S.-Israel military alliance. But administration efforts to reduce the amount of missile defense aid that Israel receives appear to...

Help if you can. A retired USAF friend took this photo this earlier this morning from Gulfport, MS (at the Armed Forces Retirement Home) and has been trying to find more info. He has called many sources, but has been unable to confirm a launch or ??? If you also saw it, please post anything you may know so I can give him an answer.

...President Barack Obama's administration recently threatened to veto the defense budget, citing "serious concerns" over provisions that limit the U.S. missile defense know-how that the White House is permitted to share with Moscow... the Obama administration may simply be willing to hand over this information and, in doing so, weaken U.S. national security...the House of Representatives passed the defense bill. It included the provision that the president's team finds so offensive: Section 1228 requires that no funds can be used to provide the Russian Federation with sensitive U.S. missile defense technology... The Senate debate over New START raised questions about...

As expected yesterday, when the US went out full bore with a Japan approach of McCollum-like strategy of leaving Iran no option but to keep escalating until finally the US has enough public support grounds for a response, in under 24 hours Iran has launched a second missile, this time not a medium-range SAM to a long-range shore-to-sea missile. Needless to say, the US 5th Navy is watching these quite welcome developments with great interest. From Reuters: "Iran said on Monday it had successfully test fired a long-range missile during its naval exercise in the Gulf, flexing its military...

Iran's navy said Sunday it test-fired an advanced surface-to-air missile during a drill in international waters near the strategic Strait of Hormuz, the passageway for one-sixth of the world's oil supply. Iran's state TV said the missile, named Mehrab, or Altar, is designed to evade radar and was developed by Iranian scientists. The report said the missile was tested Sunday but provided no further details. A leading Iranian lawmaker said the sea maneuvers serve as practice for closing the Strait of Hormuz if the West blocks Iran's oil sales. After top Iranian officials made the same threat a week ago,...

MOSCOW -- A ballistic missile that is to be a cornerstone of Russia's nuclear arsenal has completed its rocky test program and will be commissioned by the military, President Dmitry Medvedev announced Tuesday during a meeting with military officers. The Bulava ICBM, intended to arm a new generation of nuclear submarines, is a three-stage missile that can carry up to 10 individually targeted warheads at a range of 8,000 kilometers (5,000 miles).

During campaign season, it never hurts for a presidential candidate facing a frustrated public to display toughness and resolve in the face of an old and familiar adversary. And it also doesn't hurt to throw in some shock-and-awe--say, an intercontinental ballistic missile nicknamed "Satan." This appears to at least partly explain why on Monday Russia announced that it had successfully tested a short-range interceptor missile; part of its ongoing effort to develop a domestic missile defense shield according to Russia's RIA News Agency. (The Russian Defense Ministry has provided a video of the missile's launch on its website.) Russia also...

The forthcoming launch of an advanced Indian missile has elicited a rebuke of India by the Chinese Communist Party daily. The Indian press fussed about an editorial in the Chinese Communist Party organ, the People's Daily, that expressed concern over the forthcoming February launch of India's new Agni-V missile. This missile with a 6000 km range has MIRV capability, meaning that it can carry multiple warheads. According to the Chinese daily, the launch reflected India's engagement in balance of power politics as well as Indian aspiration to strengthen its military and acquire a military clout commensurate with its status as...

N.Korea 'Helped Syria Build Missile Factory' Syria built a secret missile assembly line with the help of North Korea and Iran, German daily Die Welt claimed last Friday. The daily said North Korea provided the technology to manufacture maraging steel, which is a restricted material under the Nuclear Suppliers Group and the Missile Technology Control Regime. It can be used for missile skins and centrifuges critical in uranium enrichment. Citing unspecified "Western security sources," the daily also claimed Syria is attempting to provide militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon with M-600 missiles with range of 250-300 km after reinforcing their warheads...

HONOLULU (AP) — The Army on Thursday conducted its first flight test of a new weapon capable of traveling five times the speed of sound. The Army launched the Advanced Hypersonic Weapon from the military's Pacific Missile Range Facility on Kauai at about 1:30 a.m. The weapon's "glide vehicle" reached Kwajalein Atoll — some 2,300 miles away — in less than half an hour, said Lt. Col. Melinda Morgan, a Pentagon spokeswoman. Earlier this year, the Congressional Research Service said in a report the Advanced Hypersonic Weapon is part of the military's program to develop "prompt global strike" weapons that...

The Holy See is the oldest continuing international organization in the world. Its Secretary of State office was established in 1486, and that is also when its first permanent representatives were established in Venice, Spain, the Holy Roman Empire, and France. Today, the Holy See maintains diplomatic relations with 176 states. It is also the only Permanent Observer State at the United Nations, and it participates in various internationals conventions and agreements. While it is officially neutral, it is not silent.The Holy SeeÂ’s diplomatic prowess was tested severely during the twentieth century. Nevertheless, it played a crucial role in maintaining...

Report: Israel improving nuclear abilities The Guardian quotes report claiming Israel extending Jericho III missile's range, developing ICBM capabilities, expanding nuclear-tipped cruise missile enabled submarine fleet Ynet Israel is extending its Jericho III missile's range, developing intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) capabilities and expanding its nuclear-tipped cruise missile enabled submarine fleet, The Guardian, quoting an independent committee report, said Monday. According to the British newspaper, the report was prepared for the Trident Commission, an independent cross-party initiative set up by the British American Security Information Council (BASIC). "In the case of Israel, the size of its nuclear-tipped cruise missile enabled submarine...

BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Russia has denied news reports that the emergency relief center it is creating in Serbia will be used to spy on neighboring Romania, where U.S. anti-ballistic missile interceptors are likely to be installed. Those reports began two years ago when Russian President Dmitry Medvedev announced that Serbia and Russia had agreed to create the joint "emergency response center" at the airport in Nis, central Serbia. But during a ceremony opening it on Monday, Sergey Shoigu, Russia's minister for emergency situations, said the speculation that Russia is creating a military installation in Serbia is "a pure fabrication."...

Missile info leak suspected in MHI cyber-attacks The Yomiuri Shimbun Information on a domestically developed air-to-ship missile may have been leaked in cyber-attacks on Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd., according to sources close to the case. The information on the Type 80 missile is suspected to have been leaked in one of the about 300,000 illegal accesses to the server installed at MHI's Nagoya Guidance and Propulsion Systems Works in Komaki, Aichi Prefecture, the sources said. The nation's largest comprehensive heavy machinery maker, however, denied any information had been compromised. "We haven't yet confirmed any data leak on our products and...

IRGC Unveils Latest Supersonic Anti-Ship Missile TEHRAN (FNA)- The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy displayed its latest supersonic anti-ship ballistic missile during the annual military parades in Southern Tehran on Thursday. The smart missile, named "Persian Gulf", traverses at supersonic speed and destroys targets 300km in distance. Military experts said that 'Persian Gulf' is deemed as a step ahead in the IRGC Navy missile capability not just because of its higher velocity, but because the IRGC Navy missiles mainly belonged to the cruise class, "while Persian Gulf is a ballistic missile which flies vertically after being launched from a...

S.Korea to deploy Israeli missiles at border island-media 06 Sep 2011 10:24 SEOUL, Sep 6 (Reuters) - South Korea has agreed to purchase precision-guided missiles from an Israeli company as part of efforts to increase security near a tense border with North Korea off the west coast, South Korean media reported on Tuesday. Yonhap news agency quoted a military source as saying Seoul had recently agreed to buy Spike NLOS missiles, and that they should be deployed late next year. About 50 missiles will be placed on Baengnyeong and Yeonpyeong islands in the Yellow Sea, the source added. Four South...

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...

<p>Add the Telegraph to the list of media organizations snapping unnecessarily bad (inappropriate?) pictures of Michele Bachmann.</p> <p>Michele Bachmann, Iowa born and the favorite to win the Straw Poll, arrived half an hour late for her slot and then spoke for just over two minutes, saying that Iowans were "going to send the signal" to the rest of America just as they had in 2008. "This is where Barack Obama got his start. This is where he's going to come to his end, in Iowa."</p>

TOKYO (AP) — North Korea is developing a new mid-range ballistic missile that could reach as far as the U.S. territory of Guam, Japan's Defense Ministry said in an annual report released Tuesday. Japan is also concerned with China's increasing naval activity in the waters surrounding its shores .. The North Korean missile called the Musudan is based on Russian technology acquired in the 1990s and is designed for launch from mobile platforms, the ministry said in its 2011 white paper. Tuesday's report was the first time Japan has officially mentioned the missile by name.

India Successfully Test Fires Quick-response Missile 7/21/2011 10:15 AM ET (RTTNews) - India has successfully test-fired a quick-response, short-range missile. The first test-firing of indigenous single-stage missile "Prahaar" at 8:20 am on Thursday has been a success, Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) spokesperson Ravi Gupta told reporters. It "fills the vital gap between multi-barrel rockets and medium range ballistic missiles," he added. Having a range of 150 kilometers, the 7.8 meters long modern weapon is comparable to ATACMS missile of the United States, according to him. DRDO chief VK Saraswat, who witnessed the launch operations at a defense base...

BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — Romanian authorities said Monday they had found dozens of small, old rocket warheads stolen from a train carrying military equipment from Romania to Bulgaria stashed near a railway station in a village north of Bucharest. Authorities promised that the 64 warheads posed no danger to the public but offered varying explanations why. The Romanian national police said there was no risk because they were not attached to rockets. Spokesman Florin Hulea declined to provide further details. Two daily newspapers cited officials close to the investigation as saying the warheads did not contain explosives. The papers, Evenimentul...

Foreign Secretary William Hague has said Iran has been testing missiles capable of carrying a nuclear warhead. He told Parliament the covert ballistic missile tests and rocket launches contravened a UN resolution. The Iranians openly test-fired 14 surface-to-surface missiles with a range of 2,000km (1,250 miles) on Tuesday as part of a 10-day programme of military exercises. Its Foreign Ministry said none of these missiles had had nuclear capability. But Britain believes Iran has also conducted at least three secret tests of medium-range ballistic missiles since October.

Count the Czech Republic out of any American missile-defense system in Europe. The Czechs formally withdrew from the missile-defense partnership with the US, prompting one lawmaker in Prague to complain that “the current administration doesn’t take the Czech Republic seriously.” They see the Obama administration as more concerned with appeasing Russia

China, Iran Deny N.Korean Missile Link China and Iran are dismissing a report that says North Korea is still selling ballistic missile technology. The foreign ministries from both countries on Tuesday rejected the allegations made in a United Nations panel's report. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu told reporters China's own expert never signed-off on the panel's report, and said it has yet to be adopted by the UN Security Council. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast also rejected the report's, which says Iran bought North Korean nuclear technology. He said Iran does not need technological help from other countries....

200 North Korean Engineers Reportedly in Iran By Chris Green [2011-05-16 14:40 ] North Korea has more than 200 engineers working in Iran on nuclear programs and missile development, according to a report in a Japanese newspaper. Citing a source, the article in today’s Mainichi Shimbun claims, “The more than 200 engineers are divided between 12 locations including Natanz, where there are uranium enrichment facilities.” “They carry passports in other names so as not to reveal their immigration records or movements,” it adds. The newspaper alleges that since the export of weapons became more difficult in the face of UN...

JERUSALEM – An anti-tank missile fired from the Gaza Strip struck a school bus in southern Israel Thursday, wounding two people, one of them critically, and prompting fierce Israeli retaliation that killed five Palestinians. Israel unleashed airstrikes and tank fire against Hamas targets across the border. It was the heaviest assault on the coastal territory since a broad military offensive two years ago. Besides the dead, more than 30 Palestinians were wounded, said Palestinian health official Adham Abu Salmiya. He said one of the dead was a 50-year-old civilian who was sitting outside his home when he was struck by...

Second missile test misses mark; MND vows to investigate By Rich Chang / Staff Reporter Thu, Mar 24, 2011 - Page 3 Mechanical problems and human error were behind another less-than-stellar air defense missile test on Monday, on the heels of an equally unsatisfactory major missile exercise earlier this year. Minister of National Defense Kao Hua-chu (高�柱) said mechanical problem and operational shortcomings were responsible for the poor performance of Monday’s missile tests, adding that the military would continue to investigate the causes of the malfunctions. Missile performance is “unstable,” Kao told reporters in the legislature yesterday. The missile exercise...

"Trophy" system is activated for the first time during an IDF operation; force identifies and kills the Gazan gunman. A special missile defense system deployed in IDF armored units stopped an anti-tank missile fired by terrorists near the Gaza security fence, the first time the system has been used during an IDF operation. The IDF Spokesperson's office reported that the “Windbreaker” system managed to identify and disable the missile, and that no damage was caused to the tank or its crew. Shortly thereafter, IDF troops identified an armed man in their proximity and opened fire, killing the gunman at the...

Those wascally Chinese missiles just keep showing up. Here we have a screen cap from the 1983 feature film "Blue Thunder," in which we discover evidence that the Chinese who (according to numerous Internet experts and many "military" friends-of-friends-of-friends) launched a missile off of the Los Angeles coast last November DID THE SAME THING 27 YEARS AGO!!! During the filing of a major Hollywood film! Approximately the same local time and general location within Los Angeles and taking very much the same trajectory. And just look at that missile plume! It's most definitely a missile. Oh wait a second...

S. Korean newspaper,The Chosun Daily, reported yesterday that S. Korean Army fieled 500km range(500kg warhead) ballistic missile in 2009. Agency for Defense Development,a government agency, started the development in 2007 and the Army filded them in late 2009. this mobile-launcher type missile has about 950 submunitions inside warhead. its shape and size is similiar to Russian SS-21. S. Korean Army has domestically developed Hyunmoo-1(ballistic, 180km range), Hyunmoo-2A(ballistic, 300km), Hyunmoo-2B(ballistic,500km ), Hyunmoo-3A(cruise, 500km), Hyunmoo-3B(cruise, 1,000km), Hyunmoo-3C(cruise, 1,500km). also has imported ATACMS(180km,300km) S. Korean Navy has 500km range cruise misssiles, too. this missile is naval version of Hyunmoo-3A that launches from KVLS(Korean...

18 Feb, 2011, 02.47PM IST,PTI China claims developing new missile by 2015 BEIJING: China is developing a new type of conventional missile with a range of 4000 km which could engage targets in land, sea, air, space and tackle cybernetic attacks "greatly enhancing" the capability of the Chinese military, official media here reported today. China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation ( CASIC )), the nation's largest missile weaponry manufacturer, is set "to complete research, production and delivery of this new generation of missile by 2015," state run 'Global Times' said. The new missile would be part of a network forming...

Reports are swirling around that the People’s Liberation Army Navy has successfully tested Submarine Launched Ballistic Missiles. If so, this achievement would represent an important advance in China’s strategic capabilities. Norman Polmar, the respected naval and intelligence author. mentioned this at a presentation Wednesday evening while discussing his new book, Project Azorian. Since then, we’ve been trying to get more details. Polmar says in an email that the missile test submarine is a Soviet-built Project 629/Golf diesel-electric submarine. The only public mention of this so far (in English) comes in a South Korean newspaper, the Chosun Ibo. This is what...

Russia is introducing a fourth generation automated control systems for its Strategic Missile Forces (RVSN) with triple-redundant communication links, a media report said. Izvestia newspaper quoting SMF Commander Lt. Gen. Sergei Karakayev said, the new automated control systems are based on digital alert transmission systems. "The RSVN is currently introducing fourth generation automated control systems. Each system will have guaranteed triple communications redundancy," he was quoted as saying. The strategic nuclear launch systems are ageing hence the importance of command and control links, he added. The Strategic Missile Forces reportedly have a total of 538 ICBMs, including 306 SS-25 Sickle...

BIG AND SPOOKY: The largest rocket ever launched from the west coast of the USA blasted off from California's Vandenberg Air Force Base on Jan. 20th at 1:10 pm PST. "The 23 story-high Delta IV Heavy rocket used three boosters, which produced more than two millions pounds of thrust to carry its payload into orbit," says photographer Anthony Galvan III, who recorded the launch on Figueroa Mountain some 40 miles from the Air Force base: The massive rocket's "spooky" payload was a top-secret spy satellite belonging to the US National Reconaissance Office. Any doubts about the covert nature of the...

Taiwan is considering new missile tests after a series of failures in a drill this week earned the top brass rare criticism from an irate President Ma Ying-jeou, media and an official said Thursday. Six out of the 19 missiles missed their targets or failed to explode during a live-fire manoeuvre Tuesday, prompting Ma to publicly tell the military that he was "not very satisfied", urging it to practice some more. Although the military insisted the result was acceptable, it now plans to re-test three types of missile that failed during the drill, the Liberty Times said, without citing its...

The United Launch Alliance successfully blasted off the largest ever rocket from the West Coast Thursday evening. At 1:10 p.m. PST, private rocket group the United Launch Alliance successfully launched a The 235-foot-tall Delta IV Heavy rocket -- one of a class of "heavy-lift" rockets designed to carry massive payloads such as satellites. It marked the largest rocket ever to lift off from the West Coast.

South Korea seeks longer-range missiles - report Wed Jan 19, 2011 9:25am GMT SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea is seeking clearance from the United States to make its own ballistic missile capable of hitting all of rival North Korea, the South's Yonhap news agency quoted a government official as saying on Wednesday. Seoul wants to a revise a pact it agreed with Washington in 2001 which limits its production of ballistic missiles to a range of up to 300 km and a payload of up to 500 kg, the report said. "South Korea and the U.S. have been engaged in...

Video News Report from KIII TV of another mystery missile. http://beforeitsnews.com/story/340/311/VIDEO:_Missile_seen_off_Texas_coast_-_1-2-2011.html

One of the head designers of the Patriot missile has died in Florida. He was 91. The son of Zdzislaw Starostecki (z-GEE'-slav Star-o-STE'-key) said his father died in Sarasota on Dec. 31. Andrew Starostecki says his father fought for his native country of Poland during World War II and moved to the United States in 1952.... ...In the early 1980s, Starostecki led a group designing the radar and warheads for the Patriot missile system. The surface-to-air missiles were first used during Operation Desert Storm in 1991. The system has since been sold to American allies around the world. Poland's president...

New START’s counting rules and apparent lapses will permit increases in Russian strategic force levels above the 1,700–2,200 deployed warhead limit of the Moscow Treaty. .. In addition Russia could deploy strategic nuclear systems that were limited or prohibited under START I, but appear not to be limited whatsoever under New START. ... One of the biggest of these lapses is the bomber weapon counting rule. It is much more permissive than under the Moscow Treaty. The most serious threat to missile defense in the New START Treaty is contained in the power given to the Treaty compliance forum, the...

Documents from the State Department published by WikiLeaks show that the Obama administration surrendered the missile shield previously planned by the Bush administration to Europe because of Russian demands, not because of any supposed intel reports. The original missile defense scheme was devised by the Bush administration, which persuaded Poland and the Czech Republic to authorize missile defense systems (ten unarmed interceptors and a radar) to be deployed on their soil.  In April 2008, Bush outmaneuvered Vladimir Putin by obtaining an endorsement of this scheme from all NATO allies before the Russian leader reached Bucharest for the NATO-Russia summit. Russia...

N.Korea Deploys More Missiles Along West Coast North Korea has had extra surface-to-ship and surface-to-air missiles ready near the western coast since early this week in response to a South Korean artillery drill on Yeonpyeong Island, which took place on Monday. "The North has deployed more SA-2 surface-to-air missiles and Silkworm surface-to-ship missiles at Cape Deungsan on the western coast," in addition to multiple rocket launchers and coastal artillery, a South Korean government source said Tuesday. "It seemed ready to launch some of the surface-to-ship missiles, so our naval ships moved out of range." The surface-to-ship missiles have a range...

Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi revealed on Tuesday that an anti-tank missile was fired more than two weeks ago at an Israeli tank on the Gaza border and penetrated its outer shell. "On December 6, a Kornet rocket was fired for the first time and hit an IDF tank and penetrated its outer shell," Ashkenazi told the Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, saying that the Kornet missile penetrated the tank exterior shell but failed to detonate inside it.- Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi revealed on Tuesday that an anti-tank missile was fired more...

ROK Army Guided Missile CommandLocation Patch photo by Wind Valley from http://bemil.chosun.com Hyunmoo III-C Length: 6m Diameter: 53~60cm Weight: 1.5ton Range: 1,500km Speed: > Mach 1 Warhead: 500lbs CEP: 2m The Army has been fielded 1,500km range Cruise Missile since this summer.It's mobile launcher type CM. Hyunmoo III-A(500km), Hyunmoo III-B(1,000km) and Hyunmoo III-c(1,500km) are classified missiles. no pictures, no videos.the developer,Agency for Defense Development, are now working on naval variant of if. this naval variant will be launched from indigenous KVLS or Korean Vertical Launching System.GMC also participated in recent live fire drill.

Russia's state arms procurement program through 2020 provides for the development of a new heavy ballistic missile, a leading missile designer said on Monday. The final decision should be made in 2012-13 by the expert community, not solely the Defense Ministry, said Yury Solomonov of the Moscow Institute of Thermal Technology (MITT), the developer of the troubled Bulava submarine-launched ballistic missile. "This matter is beyond the Defense Ministry's competence. It is a matter of state importance," he said. "Heavy ICBM" refers to a class of missiles with a heavy throw weight between five and nine metric tons and a length...

Maj. Gen. Gadi Eisenkot, commander of Israel's northern front, has dropped a bombshell by disclosing that the anti-missile systems the defense industry has developed are intended to protect the country's military installations, not its cities and civilian population. "The residents of Israel shouldn't be under the illusion that someone will open an umbrella over the heads" in the event of a massive missile and rocket attack by Israel's enemies, he declared in a speech Sunday at the University of Haifa.

World Net Daily fabricates a "Missile" Contrail tale I've been following the California contrail saga closely since the original video was captured in early November. I was never fully satisfied with any of the explanations, so I tracked down the two known first hand eyewitnesses and spoke to them about what they actually witnessed. As a result of these interviews, I contacted World Net Daily (because they were still writing about the subject a month later, from the bias that the contrail was indeed a missile, and I had written for them once before) and asked them if they would...

On Monday evening, November 8, a helicopter-borne Los Angeles news crew shot stunning footage of what appeared to be a missile rising out of the Pacific about 35 miles west of the city. In the days since, competing theories have crowded the Internet as to what that news crew actually recorded. In a quick survey, nearly half of the technical experts with whom I corresponded were inclined to believe the jet contrail theory given tepid blessing by the Pentagon. My own research into the destruction of TWA Flight 800 off the coast of Long Island in July 1996, however, has...

The Department of Defense is slamming the door on questions about the mysterious contrail filmed Nov. 8 by a KCBS television crew near Los Angeles after questions were raised about a warning from the National Geo-Spatial Intelligence Agency that there could be missiles fired in that area at that time.

officials suspected Yemen had stocks of shoulder-fired missiles, a major concern if they fell in the wrong hands, while the Yemeni leader sought to use new-found leverage for US aid, secret memos said. Although Yemen's Defense Ministry insisted it had no such cache of the weapons, an informant told US diplomats that the government agency in fact "does indeed have MANPADS, but would never speak of them because they are considered a state secret." The embassy cable marked "secret" and dated August 4, 2009 also said that while Yemen "realizes their MANPADS are of little military value, they consider them...