India successfully test-fires Nuclear-capable Agni-III missile

Source : irna

The test-fire conducted by Strategic Force Command (SFC) of the Army was totally successful. Data analyses showed the trial met all parametres,ˈ pti reported quoting Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) Spokesman Ravi Kumar Gupta. The indigenously developed surface-to-surface missile was flight-tested from a mobile launcher at launch complex-4 of the Integrated Test Range at about 1655 hrs. The entire launch operation of the missile, having a strike range of more than 3,000 km, was carried out by SFC with logistic support by DRDO. ˈIt was the second user trial in the Agni-III series carried out to establish the ˈrepeatabilityˈ of the missileˈs performance,ˈ a DRDO official said. Though the first developmental trial of Agni-III carried out on July 9, 2006 could not provide desired result, subsequent tests on April 12, 2007, May 7, 2008 and February 7, 2010 as well as the first user trial on September 21, 2012 from the same base were all successful. For data analysis, the entire trajectory of todayˈs trial was monitored through various telemetry stations, electro-optic systems and sophisticated radars located along the coast, and by naval ships anchored near the impact point, the sources said. The Agni-III missile is powered by a two-stage solid propellant system. With a length of 17 metres, the missileˈs diameter is 2 metres and launch weight is around 50 tonnes. It can carry warhead of 1.5 tonne which is protected by carbon all composite heat shield. The sleek missile, already inducted into the armed forces, is equipped with hybrid navigation, guidance and control systems along with advanced on-board computer. The electronic systems are hardened for higher vibration, thermal and acoustic effects, a DRDO scientist said. 

Russia to add 15 ICBMs to arsenal by 2013

Source : English.news.cn  

MOSCOW, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- Russia is to put into service 15 more inter-continental ballistic missiles (ICBM) by the end of this year, the commander of the strategic missile forces (RVSN) said Tuesday."Currently the Yars mobile missile systems are being attached to the divisions in Novosibirsk and Tomsk," Colonel General Sergei Karakayev told reporters on the RVSN Day in Russia.According to Karakayev, 15 fifth-generation Yars ICBMs will be put into service in these two locations by the end of 2013.In 2014, two more divisions will also be armed with Yars and 16 launches of the ICBMs will be conducted with various training, testing and commercial tasks, he said.According to the commander, the RVSN will be fully re-equipped with the most advanced Sarmat systems by 2018-2020. They will gradually replace the RS-20 Voyevoda ground-based missiles (or Satan in NATO classification), which have been on active duty since late 1980s.Karakayev said Russia needed at least 1,500 nuclear warheads for strategic containment.Russia, which now has about 400 ICBM launchers, plans to spend more than 46 billion rubles (1.4 billion U.S. dollars) on nuclear weapons building and maintenance during 2014-2016.

Russian Proton M Launches Military Satellite

Source : http://en.ria.ru/russia/20131112/184659492

MOSCOW, November 12 (RIA Novosti) – Russia’s Proton-M carrier rocket blasted off from the Baikonur space center in Kazakhstan carrying a military satellite early Tuesday, a spokesman for Russia’s aerospace defense troops said.The Raduga-1M satellite was expected to reach its orbit about nine hours after liftoff, Col. Dmitry Zenin said.Raduga-1M, codenamed Globus-1M, is a third-generation military communications satellite designed to ensure stable communications with mobile stations, including hard-to-reach mountainous regions.Proton rockets are to take two telecommunications satellites into orbit this year – the Inmarsat-5 F1 and Express-AM5. The launches are due to take place on December 8 and December 26, respectively

Japan military drills missiles on Pacific gateway

Source : http://m.indianexpress.com/news/japan-military-drills-missiles-on-pacific-gateway/1193532/

Japanese soldiers practised surface-to-ship missile drills on Monday on an island at the gateway to the Pacific, as part of a huge military exercise that has unsettled China.The practice in Okinawa was part of 18-day war games which Japan began earlier this month. They aim to strengthen its ability to protect remote territory, as a row with China over the sovereignty of some islands continues to rattle nerves.No missile was actually fired during today's drill, which was watched by members of the media -- including a large Chinese contingent, correspondents said -- and saw men in camouflage readying SSM1 missile batteries at Camp Naha on the main Okinawan island."Today's drill was aimed at training cooperation among our units," the commander of the fourth anti-warship missile regiment told reporters.Around 34,000 military personnel, six vessels and 360 aircraft are involved in the war games, which will also see the deployment of F-15 fighter jets and Patriot surface-to-air missile systems.The exercise comes amid growing nervousness in Japan and other parts of Asia over China's surging military might, which has seen it expand its naval reach into the Pacific Ocean.As well as its diplomatic fisticuffs with Tokyo, Beijing is also butting heads with a number of southeast Asian countries over its claims to virtually the whole of the South China Sea and the islands within it.Okinawa is a significant location for the anti-ship missiles because it sits on one side of the main navigable strait for Chinese vessels wanting to get into the Pacific Ocean.Tokyo has said the drill is not aimed at any specific nation, but Japanese leaders have openly expressed disquiet as China escalates its territorial claims.

Russian Navy Likely to Receive 2nd Borey Nuclear Sub by Year-End

Source : http://en.ria.ru/military_news

MOSCOW, November 9 (RIA Novosti) – A second Borey-class nuclear-powered submarine, the Alexander Nevsky, will most likely be delivered to the Russian Navy around the end of November or early December this year, Russia’s United Shipbuilding Corporation said Friday.“The Alexander Nevsky has completed state trials. It is currently undergoing some finishing works following recommendations by a state inspection commission,” the company said in a statement.“The signing of the acceptance act could take place sometime at the end of November or early December, followed by deployment at its home base,” the statement said.The state sea trials of the Alexander Nevsky were suspended in September following an unsuccessful launch of a Bulava submarine-launched ballistic missile from the submarine.Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu ordered to hold five additional launches of the troubled SLBM at the time.However, the trials of the submarine were resumed in October, and the vessel is expected to be put into service with the Navy even without additional Bulava testing.The first Borey-class submarine, the Yury Dolgoruky, was commissioned into the Northern Fleet in January.The Borei class is set to become the mainstay of the Russian Navy's strategic nuclear deterrent fleet, replacing the aging Project 941 (NATO Typhoon class) and Project 667 class (Delta-3 and Delta-4) boats.A total of eight Borey-class submarines are to be built for the Russian Navy by 2020.

Russia to deliver two more submarines to Vietnam

Source : http://vestnikkavkaza.net

Russia will deliver the two more Varshavyanka class diesel-electric submarines to Vietnam in 2014, RIA Novosti quotes a source in defense industry.The Varshavyanka-class (Project 636) is an improved version of the Kilo-class submarines and features advanced stealth technology, extended combat range and the ability to strike land, surface and underwater targets, RIA Novosti reports.Vietnam in 2009 ordered six of the Russian-made submarines -- dubbed “black holes in the ocean” by the US Navy because they are nearly undetectable when submerged, in a step seen as an effort to counterbalance China’s expanding maritime influence in the region, RIA Novosti informs.

Russian-Strategic-Bombers-Complete-South-American-Mission

Source : http://en.ria.ru/military_news

MOSCOW, November 5 (RIA Novosti) – Two Russian Tupolev Tu-160 Blackjack strategic bombers returned on Tuesday from a tour-of-duty in South America, where they carried out a series of patrols in line with a combat training program.During the mission, which started on October 28, the nuclear-capable bombers visited Venezuela and Nicaragua, and conducted a series of patrols over the Caribbean.“The bombers took off from Venezuela’s Maiquetia airfield and flew a distance of about 13,000 kilometers [8,000 miles], refueling from Ilyushin Il-98 air tankers over neutral waters in the Sea of Norway,” the Russian Defense Ministry said.The planes landed early on Tuesday at the Engels airbase in southwestern Russia, the ministry said.Russian strategic bombers conducted a similar mission in 2008. It was followed by a visit to Venezuela by a Russian naval task force that took part in joint exercises with the Venezuelan navy.The Tu-160 Blackjack is a supersonic, variable-geometry heavy bomber, designed to strike strategic targets with nuclear and conventional weapons deep in continental theaters of operation.

Russian Tu-160 Strategic Bombers Land in Venezuela

Source : Strategic-Culture.org

Two Russian Tupolev Tu-160 Blackjack strategic bombers on Monday flew from an airbase in southwestern Russia and landed in Venezuela, the Russian Defense Ministry said.

The nuclear-capable bombers, which took off from the Engels airbase in the Volga region, “flew over the Caribbean, the eastern Pacific and along the southwestern coast of the North American continent, and landed at Maiquetia airfield in Venezuela,” the ministry said in a statement.

According to the Russian ministry, the bombers covered a distance of more than 10,000 kilometers (over 6,200 miles) during a 13-hour non-stop flight. Two NATO F-16 fighter jets were scrambled from Bodo airbase to monitor their flight near the Norwegian airspace.

The ministry said the current mission was carried out “in line with the program of combat training.”

Russian strategic bombers conducted a similar mission in 2008. It was followed by a visit to Venezuela by a Russian naval task force, which took part in joint exercises with the Venezuelan navy.

The Tu-160 Blackjack is a supersonic, variable-geometry heavy bomber, designed to strike strategic targets with nuclear and conventional weapons deep in continental theatres of operation.

Egypt eyeing large-scale supplies of weaponry from Russia - newspaper

Source : ITAR-TASS

LONDON, October 27 (Itar-Tass) - Egyptian authorities are highly interested in large- scale purchases of weaponry from Russia in the wake of U.S. decision to suspend “the delivery of certain large-scale military systems” to Cairo, The Sunday Times said.

It indicated that the Egyptian military might want to get the Russian warplanes efficiently operating at low altitudes and top-notch antitank missiles. Also, they have interest in the modernization of Soviet-era tanks that are still found on the Egyptian Army’s inventory.

The newspaper recalls that the U.S. Administration froze at the beginning of this month the supplies of Apache strike helicopter, Harpoon anti-ship cruise missiles, F-16 fighter jets, and spare parts for tanks.

Simultaneously, Washington refused to remit $ 260 million in financial assistance to the Egyptian Armed Forces, the article says.

It quotes a respected Egyptian analyst, Moataz Bellah Abdel-Fattah as saying a vacuum has emerged in Egypt’s strategic policies and Russia has gotten an opportunity to fill it.

Egyptian Foreign Ministry spokesman Badr Abdel-Ati says at the same time that Cairo’s policy after June 30 consists in creating the relationships of equitable partnership, not in maintaining the inequitable relations of a donor and a recipient.

The Sunday Times notes along with it that Russia, too, has obvious interests in consolidating its positions on the Egyptian soil.

“The U.S. is in retreat all over the Middle East: Iraq, Syria, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt, and the Russians are stepping in and intend to stay,” the newspaper quoted a well- informed Israeli security source.

Japan To Deploy Anti-Ship Missiles On Okinawa’s Miyako Island

Source : StratRisks

Japan plans to deploy a surface-to-ship missile unit on Miyako Island in the country’s southern-most Okinawa prefecture for the first time next month.

Units equipped with Type 88 surface-to-ship missiles will be deployed on Miyako Island and in the southern part of Okinawa’s main island as part of an 18-day military drill starting on November 1 with about 34,000 personnel taking part, Japan’s Self-Defense Forces (SDF) said on Thursday.

This would put all waters between the islands within range of the guided anti-ship missiles, reports the NHK broadcaster.

Though Chinese naval vessels heading out to the Pacific Ocean often pass between Okinawa and Miyako Island, Japan’s Defense Ministry claims that the drill does not hypothesize any particular country as an enemy.

In addition to the missile deployment, a 100-member ground unit together with ships and helicopters will take part in the drill aimed at defending Japan’s remote islands.

Relations between Tokyo and Beijing remain strained ever since Japan nationalized the disputed Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea over which China has also staked its claims.

Turkish Military Claims Interception of Russian Spy Plane

Source : RIA Novosti

MOSCOW, October 24 (RIA Novosti) – Two Turkish fighter jets have been recently scrambled to intercept a Russian military plane in international airspace over the Black Sea in a rare air incident between the two countries, the Turkish military said.

The General Staff of the Turkish Armed Forces said in a statement on Wednesday that two F-16 jets were scrambled on Tuesday afternoon to prevent a potential violation of Turkish airspace after a Russian Ilyushin II-20 plane was detected flying in parallel to Turkish coast.

The Turkish aircraft monitored the Russian plane until it left the area heading to the Bulgarian border, the statement added.

It is not clear why the Russian plane approached the Turkish airspace as the Russian Defense Ministry has not yet commented on the incident.

The Ilyushin Il-20 (NATO designation Coot-A) is a Soviet-era reconnaissance aircraft designed to carry out a variety of electronic and communications intelligence missions.

Around 20 Il-20’s were reportedly built between 1969 and 1976, but their remaining number in service with the Russian Air Force is unknown.

Japan and Sweden reported in the past similar interceptions of Il-20 planes flying close to their airspace.

Pentagon Chief says budget cuts may sideline Navy aircraft carriers, prompt troop reduction - General

Source : KUNA

WASHINGTON, Aug 1 (KUNA) -- US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel warned that sweeping federal budget cuts may ground several Navy aircraft carriers and prompt a reduction of Army and Marine Corps forces by next year. Hagel told reporters late Wednesday that full result of the sweeping budget cuts over the next 10 years could leave the United States vulnerable to more technologically advanced enemies. Hagel outlined a series of worst-case scenarios - including potential pay and benefit reductions for active duty forces, civilian personnel and retirees - that would also impact the Navy, Marines and the Air Force if steps to are not taken. Hagel said the Pentagon could be forced to slash over USD 50 billion from next year's budget and USD 500 billion over the next 10 years as a result of automatic spending cuts passed by Congress. However, Hagel insisted that the department is not exaggerating the impact. "I know there's politics in all this," Hagel said. "But what we're trying to project here is not crying wolf or not trying to overstate or overhype. "This strategic choice would result in a force that would be technologically dominant, but would be much smaller and able to go fewer places and do fewer things, especially if crises occurred at the same time in different regions of the world," Hagel said. The active-duty Army could shrink to as low as 380,000 active-duty soldiers by 2017, as Hagel outlined a choice between cutting the size of the military or keeping its technological edge. Hagel said "everything is on the table." His comments came just as Congress prepares to head home for its summer recess after which lawmakers and the White House will again face key fiscal decisions on spending and federal borrowing. The Pentagon also is planning to slash spending voluntarily as it moves away from more than a decade of warfare in Iraq and Afghanistan and prepares to reorganize. (end) hy.asa KUNA 011012 Aug 13NNNN

Libyan army has taken delivery of 200 HMMWV Humvees from United States

Source : Army Recognition

Libyan Army has taken delivery of 200 High Mobility Multi-purpose Wheeled Vehicles, commonly known as Humvees, for use in border patrol and security duties, as the country continues to rebuild and strengthen the armed forces against the backdrop of growing insecurity and the proliferation of militias and transnational jihadist groups. (Source DefenceWeb)

Humvee HMMWV of United States Army

The delivery, which came as a donation from the US Army, also comes as the army struggles to secure the country's borders to prevent the free movement of arms dealers, terrorists and drug traffickers who took advantage of the security vacuum created by the fall of former ruler Colonel Muammar Gaddafi during the revolution in October 2011.

Libyan Army chiefs unveiled the armoured cars in Tripoli earlier this month, saying the country needs to boost its arsenal to improve the mobility of its border patrol units. The Humvees will be used by the Libyan Army border guards, according to the Libya Herald.

Last month, the Libyan Army ordered 300 BRDM and BVP-1 armoured vehicles from the Czech Republic and signed a deal for the refurbishment of a further 300 BDRM armoured personnel carriers already in service within the army.

Libya is pushing ahead with efforts to rebuild and re-equip its army with the help of international partners including France, Italy, Britain, the US, Czech Republic, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates, amongst others.

Internally, the army is battling various armed Islamist insurgent groups and former militias who refuse to give up the weapons they obtained while fighting in the revolution against Colonel Gaddafi in 2011.

Armenian Armed Forces violate ceasefire

Source :  Trend.Az

Last night and earlier today, the Armenian Armed Forces opened fire at the positions of Azerbaijani Armed Forces from the positions at nameless heights and near the villages of Tapgaragoyunlu of Goranboy region, Marzili, Yusijanly, Shikhlar villages of Agdam region, Chilyabyurt, Chayli of Tartar region and Garakhanbayli of Fizuli region, Azerbaijani Defense Ministry reported on Saturday.

The shooting was countered by return fire.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan.

Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 per cent of Azerbaijan since 1992, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co- chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Russia, France and the U.S. are currently holding peace negotiations.

Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council's four resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions.

Chinese Navy Ships Arrive in Russian Far East for Drills

Source : RIA Novosti

VLADIVOSTOK, July 5 (RIA Novosti) - Seven ships of the Chinese naval forces arrived in Russia’s Far Eastern port of Vladivostok on Friday to take part in large-scale Russian- Chinese exercises.

The Naval Interaction 2013 exercise will be held in the Sea of Japan between July 5 and 10 and involve about 20 Russian and Chinese warships and auxiliary vessels, as well as a dozen of aircraft.

At a welcome ceremony, Rear Adm. Leonid Sukhanov, deputy chief of the Russian Navy Main Staff, said it was the biggest Chinese naval task force ever to arrive at the main base of Russia’s Pacific Fleet.

“The Naval Interaction 2013 exercises are not directed against any third party and are not politically charged,” he said, adding that they should not be treated as a threat or warning to any country.

China’s Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Navy, Vice Adm. Ding Yiping, said the exercises are aimed at improving the two states’ anti-piracy cooperation.

US, Philippines conduct exercises

Source : Shanghai Daily

US and Philippine navy personnel yesterday prepare to launch an unmanned aerial vehicle from a speed boat off the naval base in Sangley point, Cavite City, west of Manila, as part of the Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training exercises. The six-day exercises, involving three US Navy vessels, are an annual event but this year they will be held off the west coast of the Philippines' main island of Luzon, close to China's Huangyan Island. Philippine Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin said yesterday that the Philippines was looking to give the United States greater access to its military bases, saying this was needed to respond to "China's threats."

Russia to Deliver 10 Helicopter Gunships to Iraq

Source :  RIA Novosti

MOSCOW, June 28 (RIA Novosti) - Russia will supply over 10 fully armed and equipped Mi- 28NE Night Hunter attack helicopters to Iraq under a multi-billion dollar agreement, a representative of Russia’s state arms exporter told RIA Novosti on Friday.

Russia and Iraq signed a $4.3 billion agreement on cooperation in the defense and technology sector in 2012, and this is the first time the number of Night Hunters under the contract has been disclosed.

Alexander Mikheyev, deputy general director at Russia’s state arms exporter Rosoboronexport, said that the helicopter contract also covers pilot and technical personnel training and the delivery of essential weapons systems.

This is the first contract with Iraq under the package agreement, he added.

The Age of Gloom? Implications for Key NATO Armies

Source : Atlantic Council

From Ben Barry, RUSI: [W]hilst the other two services can attack enemy land forces, only armies can defeat them. Land power secures ground and gives influence over populations in ways that air or sea power cannot. So armies that can root out enemies and achieve land control remain as valid a military and political tool as naval or air forces. . . .

While US, UK and French land forces are shrinking, all seek to retain a core combined arms combat capability and the robust culture and leadership essential to sustain fighting spirit. They plan to maintain the advances made in combined arms capability over the last decade, such as precision artillery, attack helicopters and air/land integration. And they are institutionalising the progress made in ISTAR, including the use of tactical surveillance drones and dedicated ISTAR formations such as the US Army Battlefield Surveillance Brigades, the French Intel Brigade and the new British ISTAR Brigade.

The US Army will retain three different types of Brigade Combat Teams (BCTs): heavy BCTs with tracked armoured vehicles; Stryker BCTs using Stryker wheeled armoured personnel carriers (APCs); and infantry BCTs, which will all retain their airborne and air assault divisions. And while there will be fewer BCTs, these will be larger, with a third manoeuvre battalion. The USMC amphibious capability, a mixture of light and medium capability, will also remain.

The French and British, meanwhile, have significantly reduced their operational ambitions, including the size of forces to be deployed overseas. The British Army, as a result, is undergoing its most radical re-organisation for fifty years, including a 20 per cent reduction in regular manpower. A ‘Reaction Force’ will have a division of three heavy armoured infantry brigades with a mixture of tanks and armoured infantry. The Air Assault Brigade will retain its mixture of parachute battalions and attack helicopters, although its ground element will shrink, as will the army’s contribution to the Royal Navy’s amphibious force. At the same time, a mixed regular-reserve ‘Adaptable Force’ division of infantry brigades will be able to generate up to two, largely regular, combined arms light brigades for an enduring stabilisation operation. Concurrently, the French government’s Livre Blanc sees the French Army reducing from eight to seven its all arms brigades (two heavy, three medium and two light), meaning that the British and French land components will be of roughly equivalent size, albeit with a different mix of brigade capabilities.

As well as airborne and amphibious ‘early entry’ formations, all three nations will also retain heavy armoured brigades. These will be capable of hard fighting against both conventional and ‘hybrid’ enemies, and of undertaking the toughest of peace-enforcement missions. The US and French forces will also retain substantial medium forces based on wheeled armour. The British will not have similar brigades, although the Adaptable Force will have some infantry in Foxhound light protected vehicles and ‘light cavalry’ in Jackal mine-protected scout vehicles.

All three countries also plan to modernise their aging armoured vehicle fleets. The US Marine Corps seeks new amphibious armoured vehicles and wheeled APCs. The US Army needs to modernise its Abrams tanks and Stryker APCs and replace M113 utility vehicles with an Armoured Multipurpose Vehicle. A new Ground Combat Vehicle (GCV) is to replace the Bradley fighting vehicles. At an estimated cost of $29 billion, the GCV is the largest and most expensive armoured-vehicle programme in NATO.

Future British capability depends on a £5 billion armoured-vehicle modernisation programme. As well as new armoured Scout and utility vehicles, the Warrior infantry fighting vehicle and Challenger tank are to be upgraded. The French are fielding the VBCI wheeled infantry fighting vehicle and developing new wheeled APCs and cavalry vehicles.

 

Defense Ministry Mulls An-26 Cargo Plane Replacement

Source : RIA

MOSCOW, June 24 (RIA Novosti) - The Russian Defense Ministry is considering two possible designs for a replacement for the obsolete Antonov An-26 military transport aircraft, a senior ministry official said on Monday.

The ministry is considering development of a light military transport plane based on the Antonov An-140 turboprop airliner made by Aviakor in Samara, or the rival Ilyushin Il- 112V transport aircraft to be made by the Voronezh aircraft plant (VASO), Deputy Defense Minister Yury Borisov said.

He offered no indication when a final choice will be made, only saying the ministry is currently comparing the planes’ specifications.

The An-26 is a twin-engined turboprop aircraft designed and produced in the USSR from 1969 to 1985.

The An-140-100 was developed by Russia's Antonov design bureau as a replacement for the An-24 and An-26 series aircraft. It can carry up to six metric tons of cargo to a range of over 2,000 kilometers, and can be used for patrol, military transport and special-ops missions.

US reveals details of top-secret Israeli missile base

Source : islamicinvitationturkey.com

The US has infuriated Israel by accidentally revealing the details of a top-secret military facility it planned to build for its Middle Eastern ally to house its Arrow 3 ballistic missiles. “If an enemy of Israel wanted to launch an attack against a facility, this would give him an easy how-to guide. This type of information is closely guarded and its release can jeopardize the entire facility,” said an Israeli military official who declined to be named because he wasn’t authorized to discuss the facility.

More than 1,000 pages of information about the project were made public when the US government published building tenders for the $25 million military installation this week, according to the Australian.

The document disclosed details from the engineering plans and the depth of the underground facility to its cooling and heating systems and building materials to be used.

The missile facility is to be built at Tel Shahar, a base between al- Quds (Jerusalem) and Ashdod whose location has never been officially confirmed.

Arrow 3, which is capable of intercepting missiles at a range of 2,500 kilometers and is being jointly developed by Israel Aerospace Industries and the US aerospace giant Boeing Co., is slated to become operational in 2015-16.

US Navy submarines to arrive in Philippines this weekend

Source : Globaltimes.cn

The US Navy submarine tender USFrank Cable (AS 40) and submarine USAsheville (SSN 758) will arrive in the Philippines this weekend for routine port calls, the US Embassy in Manila said Thursday.

USFrank Cable will arrive in Subic Bay, northern Philippines on Friday while USAsheville will come in Saturday. The crew of both USFrank Cable and USAsheville will refuel and receive supplies, according to a statement issued by the embassy.

Frank Cable has 1,500 crew members and serves as the US 7th Fleet's mobile repair and support platform. The ship is homeported in Guam. The Asheville is a Los Angeles-class submarine and homeported in San Diego, California.

The embassy also reported that Admiral Samuel J. Locklear III, Commander of the US Pacific Command, will visit Manila on June 6- 7 to discuss security matters with Philippine defense officials.

Admiral Locklear's visit follows his attendance at the Shangri- La Dialogue in Singapore, an annual security forum where he met with defense officials from Asia-Pacific countries.

Russia Receives Payment Under Iraqi Arms Deal

Source : Strategic-Culture.org

Russia has started fulfilling its recent arms exports contract with Iraq after receiving an advance payment from Baghdad, Russian Technologies (Rostech) CEO Sergei Chemezov said.

“The contract is being implemented, the production [of ordered equipment] has started,” Chemezov told RIA Novosti at the opening ceremony of a Russian grenade-launcher assembly facility in Jordan on Thursday.

Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki signed an arms package purchase agreement with Russia worth $4.2 billion during his visit to Moscow in October 2012.

Under the deal, Moscow is to supply 30 Mil Mi-28NE night/all-weather capable attack helicopters, and 50 Pantsyr-S1 gun-missile short-range air defense systems.

The deal was suspended by Iraqi authorities a few weeks after the signing over suspicions of corruption. The Iraqi Parliament initiated an investigation into several officials suspected of taking kickbacks.

However, Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari said in March 2013 that Iraq and Russia had initialed a revised deal and deliveries under the contract would start by summer.

The corruption investigation was closed shortly after but resumed in May. Iraqi officials said at the time the probe would not affect the Russian contract

Russia to Launch New Spy Satellite in June – Source

Source : RIA Novosti

MOSCOW, May 31 (RIA Novosti) – The Russian military will launch a new reconnaissance satellite from the Plesetsk space center in northern Russia on June 8, a space industry source said.

“A Russian military satellite will be launched on board a Soyuz-2.1b carrier rocket from the Plesetsk launch site on June 8,” the source, who asked to remain anonymous, told RIA Novosti on Thursday.

According to previous reports, the satellite is the second in the new Persona series of electro-optical reconnaissance satellites based on the Resurs DK remote sensing satellite.

The first Persona satellite (Kosmos 2441) was launched onto a sun synchronous orbit in July 2008 but reportedly malfunctioned in February 2009 due to failure in electronic components.

Russia operates a network of about 60-70 military reconnaissanc satellites, featuring updated imaging technology and an extended lifetime of up to seven years, according to open sources.

Jordan Opens Plant to Make Russian Grenade Launchers

Source : RIA Novosti

MOSCOW, May 30 (RIA Novosti) – A Jordanian-Russian joint venture to produce RPG-32 portable rocket-propelled grenade launchers was unveiled in Jordan on Thursday, the Russian manufacturer said.

King Abdullah II and Russian Technologies CEO Sergei Chemezov attended the factory’s inauguration.

“The RPG-32 is one of the most advanced weapon systems [in the world] capable of effectively engaging the majority of armored vehicles as well as other military targets,” Chemezov said at the opening ceremony.

The joint venture to manufacture RPG-32 Hashim launchers is located about 20 kilometers northeast of Jordan’s capital, Amman. It has been built and equipped by the Jordanian side, whereas Russia’s Rosoboronexport, part of Russian Technologies, is supplying components for the assembly of the grenade launchers and is overseeing the production process.

Russian Warplanes Go on 24-Hour Duty in Snap Alert Drill

Source : RIA Novosti

MOSCOW, May 28 (RIA Novosti) – MiG-31 Foxhound interceptors are going on round- the-clock duty in northern Russia as part of a snap combat readiness check of the nation's aerospace defense capabilities, the Defense Ministry said Tuesday.

The fighters, “in conjunction with A-50 airborne warning and control system aircraft, are performing continuous missions to protect the airspace, including from cruise missile strikes,” the ministry said in a statement. The aircraft are to be refueled while still in the air.

The three-day exercise, in which the fighters will fend off aerospace attacks, is part of a series of random checks of the Russian armed forces that began in February. It involves Air Force units from the Western Military District, General Staff chief Valery Gerasimov said during a teleconference, adding that the upcoming maneuver had been ordered by Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.

A total of 8,700 personnel, 185 warplanes and 240 armored vehicles are participating in the checks, overseen by Col. Gen. Vladimir Zarudnitsky. The checks include missile launches at the Ashuluk test range in Astrakhan, Zarudnitsky said.

In late February, a raft of random tests of military preparedness revealed a number of systemic shortcomings, in particular in the Central and Southern Military Districts, the Airborne Assault Forces and military air-transportation units.

Alert-duty officers in some units were slow to respond to orders via automated combat command and control systems, especially in the airborne forces and at the 201st Military Base in Tajikistan. Other problems included poor accuracy in firing, especially by tanks and infantry fighting vehicle crews.

The checks, which the Defense Ministry said are being carried out for the first time in the past 20 years, will now be conducted on a regular basis

China e-intrusion: Chinese hackers breach US missile defence

Source : India Today

Chinese hackers have compromised the designs for many of America's most sensitive advanced weapons systems, according to a media report citing a confidential report prepared for US defence officials.

Among more than two dozen major weapons systems whose designs were breached were programmes critical to US missile defences and combat aircraft and ships, the Washington Post reported citing a report by the Defence Science Board.

The electronic intrusions gave China access to advanced technology that could accelerate the development of its weapons systems and weaken the US military advantage in a future conflict, warned unnamed experts cited by the influential US daily.

Citing a confidential list of compromised weapons designs, the Post said some of the weapons form the backbone of the US defence department's regional missile defence for Asia, Europe and the Persian Gulf.

The designs included those for the advanced Patriot missile system, known as PAC-3; an army system for shooting down ballistic missiles, known as the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, or THAAD; and the Navy's Aegis ballistic-missile defence system, it said.

Also identified in the report are vital combat aircraft and ships, including the F/A-18 fighter jet, the V-22 Osprey, the Black Hawk helicopter and the navy's new Littoral Combat Ship, which is designed to patrol waters close to shore, the Post said.

Also on the list is the most expensive weapons system ever built - the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, which is on track to cost about $1.4 trillion. The 2007 hack of that project was reported previously.

However, the list did not describe the extent or timing of the penetrations, the Post said.

The report also listed broad technologies that have been compromised, such as drone video systems, nano-technology, tactical data links and electronic warfare systems - all areas where the US defence department and Chinese military are investing heavily, according to the Post.

US F-15 Jet Crashes off Japan's Okinawa

Source : Fars News Agency

Okinawa TEHRAN (FNA)- A US F-15 jet crashed off Japan's Okinawa prefecture Tuesday morning.

Meanwhile, Japan's 11th Region Coast Guard Headquarters said it was informed by the US Forces in Japan at around 9 am local time that an F-15 jet crashed 100 km East off Okinawa and the pilot escaped, Japan's Kyodo News reported.

As of now, Japan has dispatched patrol aircraft and vessels to the accident site.

Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga also said Japan has been informed about the incident and is gathering information on it.

The crashed fighter, along with other three F-15s, was on way to participate in training above Okinawa from the US Kadena airbase in the prefecture.

A US F-15 fighter crashed in 2006 and the pilot successfully escaped from the plane.

S-300 Air Defense Systems Deployed at Snap Alert Drills

Source : RIA Novosti

MOSCOW, May 28 (RIA Novosti) – Four regiments of S-300 air defense systems have been deployed at the Ashuluk firing range in southern Russia as part of another snap combat readiness check of the Russian armed forces, the Defense Ministry said.

The regiments were airlifted on Thursday by military transport planes to designated drop zones where they will carry out a variety of missions simulating the defense of the Russian airspace from massive attacks by “enemy” missiles and aircraft.

“The missions will be carried out in conditions of heavy electronic warfare to test the capabilities of the air defense units to the highest limit,” the ministry said.

A total of 8,700 personnel, 185 warplanes, and 240 armored vehicles are involved in the three-day exercise, overseen by Col. Gen. Vladimir Zarudnitsky, head of Russian General Staff’s Main Operations Directorate.

The surprise alert exercise, ordered by Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, is part of a series of random checks of the Russian Armed Forces which began in February.

The previous two checks revealed a number of systemic shortcomings, in particular in the Central and South Military Districts, the Airborne Assault Forces (VDV) and military transport aviation units.

Alert duty officers in some military units demonstrated a slow response to processing orders via automated combat command and control systems, especially in the airborne forces and at the 201st Military Base in Tajikistan.

Other problems included poor accuracy in firing, especially by tanks and infantry fighting vehicle crews.

The Defense Ministry said in February that random inspections will now be conducted on a regular basis to insure constant combat readiness of the armed forces.

India testfires supersonic BrahMos cruise missile

Source : Globaltimes.cn

India on Wednesday successfully testfired its supersonic BrahMos cruise missile from a warship off the coast of the western state of Goa, sources said.

"The missile, with a range of 290 kms, was testfired from the Indian Navy's Russian-built warship INS Tarkash and it successfully hit the target off the Goa coast," the sources said, adding the warship was commissioned in last November.

BrahMos is a joint venture between India's state-owned Defense Research and Development Organisation and Russia's NPO Mashinostroeyenia, which have together formed BrahMos Aerospace Private Limited.

Known as the world's fastest cruise missile which travels at speeds of Mach 2.8 to 3.0, BrahMos can be launched from submarines, ships, aircraft or land. While the land-launched and ship-launched versions of BrahMos are already in service and India is readying the air and the submarine-launched versions.

Russia to Scrap World’s Biggest Nuclear Subs

Source : RIA Novosti

MOSCOW, May 21 (RIA Novosti) - Russia will decommission and scrap two of the largest submarines in the world by 2018, a defense industry source told RIA Novosti on Tuesday.

The Severstal and the Arkhangelsk, both Project 841 (Typhoon-class) ballistic-missile submarines, based at Severodvinsk on the White Sea, will be withdrawn from the Navy by the end of this year and will begin to be dismantled.

“This process is to be completed before 2018- 2020 at the latest,” the source said, adding the boats are outdated and it is too costly to modernize them.

A third submarine of this class, the Dmitry Donskoy, has been modernized as a test platform for Russia's new Bulava submarine- launched ballistic missile, and will remain in service in that capacity for some time yet, the source said.

Six Typhoon-class submarines entered service with the Soviet Navy in the 1980s, and remain the largest submarines ever built. Three have already been scrapped.

The Typhoon class boats have a maximum displacement of 33,800 tons and were built to carry 20 SS-N-20 SLBMs, all of which have been retired.

They are to be replaced with new Borey-class strategic submarines, armed with Bulava missiles.

Peru Mulls Deals to Buy Russian Helicopters, Tanks - Rostec

Source : RIA Novosti

LIMA, May 18 (RIA Novosti) – Peru is interested in buying 700 Kamaz trucks and a new batch of Mi-8/17 helicopters from Russia, as well as testing the T-90S tank that is currently on display at a defense technology exhibition in Lima, the head of Russia’s delegation to the show said on Saturday.

“Russia is discussing the possibility with Peru of signing a contract for the delivery of Kamaz vehicles of various modifications,” said Sergei Goreslavsky, head of the delegation to SITDEF Peru 2013 of the Russian Technologies (Rostec) hi-tech state corporation that comprises state arms exporter Rosoboronexport, adding that the deal concerned about 700 vehicles. Kamaz trucks cost between $80,000 and $90,000 each.

Goreslavsky also said that Peru, which currently has about 100 Mi-8 helicopters in its arsenal, is planning to buy more of the aircraft “not only for the Defense Ministry, but also for dealing with the consequences of natural disasters.”

If the Kamaz and Mi-8 deals go ahead, Russia is prepared to set up centers for servicing the vehicles and aircraft, he added.

The Peruvian army may also buy about 100 tanks from Russia, Goreslavsky said. Earlier this week, Uralvagonzavod, the manufacturer of the T-90S tank, said it was prepared to leave behind the tank that is currently on show at the defense expo in Lima – which runs through Sunday – in order for Peru to test it. Under the tank deal, Peruvian tank operators would undergo training in Russian military academies.

Rosoboronexport sold $14.5 billion worth of weaponry to Latin American countries in the past 12 years, the company’s general director Anatoly Isaikin told the State Duma on Monday.

Aegis System Destroys Missile in Successful BMD Test

Source : Atlantic Council

The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) and U.S. Navy sailors aboard the USS LAKE ERIE (CG-70) successfully conducted a flight test today of the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) system, resulting in the intercept of a separating ballistic missile target over the Pacific Ocean by the Aegis BMD 4.0 Weapon System and a Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) Block IB missile.

At 5:25 p.m. (Hawaii Time, 11:25 p.m. EDT), May 15, a separating short-range ballistic missile target was launched from the Pacific Missile Range Facility, on Kauai, Hawaii. The target flew northwest towards a broad ocean area of the Pacific Ocean. Following target launch, the USS LAKE ERIE (CG-70) detected and tracked the missile with its onboard AN/SPY-1 radar. The ship, equipped with the second-generation Aegis BMD weapon system, developed a fire control solution and launched the SM-3 Block IB missile. The SM-3 maneuvered to a point in space based on guidance from Aegis BMD Weapons Systems and released its kinetic warhead. The kinetic warhead acquired the target reentry vehicle, diverted into its path, and, using only the force of a direct impact, engaged and destroyed the target. . . .

This test exercised the latest version of the second-generation Aegis BMD Weapon System and Standard Missile, providing capability for engagement of longer-range and more sophisticated ballistic missiles. . . .

FTM-19 is the 25th successful intercept in 31 flight test attempts for the Aegis BMD program since flight testing began in 2002. Across all Ballistic Missile Defense System programs, this is the 59th successful hit-to-kill intercept in 74 flight tests since 2001.

Aegis BMD is the naval component of the MDA’s Ballistic Missile Defense System. The Aegis BMD engagement capability defeats short- to intermediate-range, unitary and separating, midcourse-phase ballistic missile threats with the Standard Missile-3 (SM-3), as well as short- range ballistic missiles in the terminal phase with the SM-2 Block IV missile. The MDA and the U.S. Navy cooperatively manage the Aegis BMD program.

From USNI News: Aegis BMD – managed jointly by the Navy and MDA – is rapidly becoming a one of the U.S. Navy’s highest profile mission. Aegis was originally designed as an anti-air system for fleet protection from air threats. Since its 1980s introduction into the U.S. Navy, the system has been modified with additional processing power, improved software and new missiles evolved the system to target and destroy enemy missiles.

Aegis BMD system – on 26 U.S. Navy ships as of November – is a keystone of the Obama administration’s European Phased Adaptive Approach (EPAA) that put Aegis equipped U.S. Navy destroyers and cruisers in the Mediterranean and plan for land-based BMD batteries in Eastern Europe.

The BMD mission is also the key focus of the Navy’s next series of Flight III Arleigh Burke-class destroyers. (photo: Missile Defense Agency)

Russia delivers 12 Mi-17 helicopters to Afghan armed forces

Source : Khaama Press KP

Russian state arms exporter Rosoboronexport announced that Russia will deliver 12 Mil Mi-17V5 military transport helicopters to Afghanistan national army by the end of 2013.

The deliver of the helicopters to Afghan armed forces is part of the $367.5 million deal signed between Pentagon and Rosoboronexport in 2011, which included delivery of 21 Mi-17V5s.

US officials have also announced that the deal with the Rosoboronexport could worth up to $900 million which will also include spares and servicing.

Grigory Kozlov, director of Rosobornexport’s helicopter exports department quoted by Russia’s state news agency, Ria Novosti said, “The option agreement has been signed and the delivery will be completed by the end of this year.”

Kozlov said Pentagon has already started paying for the option deal as well as delivering US equipment to be installed on Russian helicopters specifically for Afghan missions.

According to Grigory Kozlov, additional Mi17 helicopters will be purchased for the Afghan national security forces despite opposition from a number of US lawmakers.

He said, “I think this issue (the additional purchase) will be decided by the end of May and we will enter a new round of talks on the delivery of helicopters on top of the current 21 plus 12 units.”

Russian-made helicopters have a long history in Afghanistan and is preferred better than the helicopters due to their low prices, durability and simplicity.

India inducts its first Boeing surveillance aircraft into Navy

Source : Globaltimes.cn

India has inducted its first Boeing surveillance aircraft for anti-submarine operations into its Navy, local media reported Thursday.

The induction of the first Poseidon-8I (P-8I) aircraft into the Indian Navy took place at INS Rajali in Arakkonam, some 80 km from the southern state of Tamil Nadu's capital Chennai Wednesday, The Times of India newspaper reported.

"The aircraft is to be used for broad-area maritime and anti- submarine operations. The aircraft is going to be a unique part in our anti-surface warfare, surveillance and intelligence capacities, " Vice Admiral B.K. Varma, the chief of staff of the eastern naval command, was quoted as saying.

Armed with anti-ship Harpoon missiles, Mark-54 anti-submarine torpedoes and Mark-82 depth bombs, the aircraft will guard the country's 5,422 km coastline, 1,197 islands and 2.01 million sq km of exclusive economic zones, the report said.

Russian defense minister visits military base in Abkhazia

Source : Vesti Kavkaza

Russian Defense Minister Army General Sergey Shoygu has visited the 7th Russian base in Gudaut (Abkhazia) and paid special attention to living conditions of soldiers and construction of parking for vehicles, ITAR-TASS reports.

The minister visited the Gudautsky Sanatorium and checked its readiness for the 2013 holiday season.

The Russian Ministry for Emergencies brought fire-fighting equipment and equipment for rescuers to Abkhazia

Russian Navy Gets Advanced Stealth Corvette

Source : RIA Novosti

KALININGRAD, May 16 (RIA Novosti) – Russia’s newest Baltic Fleet warship, the Project 20380 Boiky corvette, was handed over to the Navy on Thursday, a fleet spokesman said.

The 20380 class, designed by the Almaz naval design bureau and built at St. Petersburg's Severnaya Verf shipyard, is optimized for antisubmarine and surface warfare and support for land operations. The class incorporates stealth technology, which has considerably reduced its radar and infrared signatures.

The Boiky underwent a series of final tests at the beginning of this month, after completing sea trials.

On April 1, the Boiky was sprinkled with holy water in a Russian Orthodox Christian blessing ceremony. A priest blessed the corvette’s hull, weapons systems and superstructures, as well as the ship’s interior.

The 20380 class can be equipped with Kh-35 anti-ship missiles and 3M-54 Klub cruise missiles, Kashtan anti-aircraft gun/missile systems, a main 100-mm gun and two 30-mm close-range air defense guns, as well as torpedo tubes, according to naval- technology.com. It also has a hangar and deck for operating a Kamov Ka-27 antisubmarine warfare helicopter, and is fitted with a Vinyetka-EM towed-array sonar.

U.S. warship arrives in Israeli red sea port for visit

Source : Xinhua

JERUSALEM, May 14 (Xinhua) -- A U.S. Navy warship dropped anchor in the Gulf of Eilat in the early hours of Tuesday for a four-day visit to Israel, local media reported.

The USS Kearsarge, a Wasp-class amphibious assault ship, carries transport and attack helicopters, V-22 Osprey aircraft that take off and land vertically, as well as troops and marine landing craft.

This is the first visit of an American warship to the Red Sea port city in 14 years, said the U.S. military attache in Israel.

The visit was planned in advance and is not connected to tensions in the region, said an Israeli Defense Forces spokeswoman in Jerusalem.

"U.S. Navy ships and submarines visit Israeli ports as part of their routine operations. This is a scheduled port visit," the spokeswoman told Xinhua.

The Israeli Navy is hosting the Kearsarge's 4,000 sailors, who will be touring the country until their departure on Saturday, the Ha'aretz daily said. The navies of both countries periodically hold joint training maneuvers in the Mediterranean Sea and elsewhere.

The USS Kearsarge is part of an Expeditionary Strike Group based in Norfolk, Virginia and comprised of two guided-missile frigates, a fast-attack submarine, the USS Miami, a dock landing ship and a contingent of the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit. It carries out maritime security operations in the Gulf as well as humanitarian aid and disaster relief missions.

'Father' of Pakistan's Nukes Says N.Korea Is Ready to Attack

Source : The Chosun Ilbo

The colourful "father" of Pakistan's nuclear bomb, Abdul Qadeer Khan, has claimed North Korea may have perfected a nuclear weapon and long- range missile warheads, according to Al Jazeera English.

Khan, a gifted scientist but shady individual, is believed to have sold nuclear technology to North Korea.

"No doubt they are quite capable and they can do it," Khan told the channel. "They can even build an [intercontinental ballistic missile] if they want to."

Khan admitted the North's missile technology is "crude" and "not as sophisticated as the western countries have. But sometimes a crude system will also work. It is good enough to frighten other people."

Khan is revered as a national hero by some in Pakistan but spent years under house arrest for selling nuclear technology to North Korea, Libya and Iran.

But in the latest interview he claimed North Korea "got all their engineers and scientists trained in China and the Soviet Union in this field."

Turning to Irans suspected nuclear arms program, he called the allegations Western "propaganda," on a par with Iraq's non-existent weapons of mass destruction that duped a number of UN member states into backing the U.S. invasion in 2003.

Russia’s Mediterranean Task Force to Include Nuclear Subs – Navy Chief

Source : RIA Novosti

MOSCOW, May 12 (RIA Novosti) – Russia’s Mediterranean task force will comprise 5-6 warships and may be enlarged to include nuclear submarines, Navy Commander Adm. Viktor Chirkov said on Sunday.

“Overall, already from this year, we plan to have 5-6 warships and support vessels [in the Mediterranean Sea], which will be replaced on a rotating basis from each of the fleets – the Black Sea, Baltic, Northern and, in some cases, even the Pacific Fleet. Depending on the scope of assignments and their complexity, the number of warships in the task force may be increased,” Chirkov told RIA Novosti.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu earlier said a decision to deploy a permanent task force in the Mediterranean to defend Russia’s interests in the area had been made.

The Russian navy commander also said nuclear submarines could be deployed in the Mediterranean, if necessary.

“Possibly. In a perspective. They [submarines] were present there during the existence of the 5th squadron. There were both nuclear and diesel submarines there. Everything will depend on the situation,” he said.

The Soviet Union maintained its 5th Mediterranean Squadron in that sea from 1967 until 1992. It was formed to counter the US Navy 6th Fleet during the Cold War, and consisted of 30-50 warships and auxiliary vessels at different times.

Russia also plans to use its Mediterranean task force for missions in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, the country’s Navy chief said.

“No doubt, if necessary, when some tasks arise in other nearby regions, in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, the task force may be used,” Chirkov said.

Now the Russian Navy is training officers who will perform their duties at sea on a permanent basis, he said.

“These persons must be comprehensively trained to solve tasks not only in the Mediterranean but also in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans,” he said.

The headquarters of Russia’s Mediterranean taskforce will be set up already in the summer of 2013, he said.

“The headquarters will be established in the summer of this year and its officers will stay aboard one of the flagships in the Mediterranean Sea,” he said.

Fifth-Generation Jet Tests May Start in July - Air Force

Source : RIA Novosti

AKHTUBINSK (Astrakhan Region, south Russia), May 7 (RIA Novosti) - Tests of Russia’s fifth-generation T-50 fighter jets in the Chkalov state flight test center in Akhtubinsk, Astrakhan Region in south Russia may start in July, Air Force Commander Lt. Gen. Viktor Bondarev said.

“In two months,” he said Monday when asked when the center would start tests of such jets, adding that the first serial fifth-generation jet may be manufactured in 2014-2015.

United Aircraft Corporation President Mikhail Pogosyan said in April Russia will start state flight tests of the T-50 in 2014.

The fighter jets will enter service with the country’s armed forces in 2016, and not 2015 as was previously announced, President Vladimir Putin said at a live Q&A session with the Russian public in April.

The Defense Ministry had earlier said the jet would be ready in 2015

Russia plans to add 20 ships to its Black Sea Fleet

Source : Atlantic Council

From ITAR-TASS: The Russian Black Sea Fleet will be updated and improved to ensure the country's national security. Up to 20 new ships, submarines and boats will join it in the near future, Fleet Commander Vice-Admiral Alexander Fedotenkov said in connection with the 230th anniversary of the fleet to be marked on May 13. . . .

The latest guard ship Admiral Grigorovich of Project 11356 is expected to be launched in 2013 and placed in service in 2014. It will be the first in the series of six guard ships of the project with the Kalibr high-accuracy long-range missile system. The ships are named Admiral Essen, Admiral Makarov, Admiral Butakov, Admiral Istomin and Admiral Kornilov, the commander said.

The navy also expects to receive six new submarines of Project 636, the Varshavyanka class. The first three will be named Novorossiisk, Rostov-on-Don and Stary Oskol, the vice-admiral said, adding that seven more various-purpose naval boats and other ships would join the fleet.

In February 2012, Fedotenkov said six submarines of Project 636 would be accepted for service in the Black Sea Fleet by 2017. The first three will be received in 2014, one in 2015 and two in 2016 to form a full brigade of submarines. The ships were laid down at the Admiralteyskiye Verfi shipyard in St. Petersburg.

The Black Sea Fleet has two Alrosa submarines of Project 877V and a submarine of Project 641B. . . .

The air force of the Black Sea Fleet will also receive new aircraft, including Su-24M bombers. When Su-24Ms are received, the range of means of attack aircraft will enlarge. The capabilities of the air force will increase 2/5-3 times by 2020 as compared to 2012, he noted, adding that the anti-submarine, search and rescue and military transport aviation would also develop. (photo: RIA Novosti)

Germany proposes rapid-response EU military training corps

Source : Strategic-Culture.org

dpa) - European Union defence ministers expressed interest Tuesday in a German proposal for the bloc‘s rapid-response battlegroups to run military training missions such as those conducted in Mali and Somalia, a top EU diplomat said.

"The German proposal is informed by real-life concepts, because we see that we do a lot of training," said Maciej Popowski of the European External Action Service.

Battlegroups were launched in 2007 to provide a quick military EU intervention in crisis situations, but have never been deployed in practice, prompting a rethink about how they could be used.

"These battlegroups have established themselves," said German Defence Minister Thomas de Maiziere ahead of Tuesday‘s meeting with his EU counterparts. "They are a strong element of joint European security policy."

The fact that they had not yet been deployed did not speak against the concept, he said.

"We see now that there are many situations in which the EU is challenged in different ways, for example in the rapid provision of training," the minister added.

Such a training corps could be involved in "observation, advice or support missions," either under the EU umbrella or on behalf of the United Nataions, he said.

Popowski said the concept still had to be discussed with EU member states, adding, "It was very well received, in the sense that it would fit into a potential reflection on the adjustment of the battlegroup concept."

The training element would not be at the expense of other battlegroup tasks but to "enhance the potential field of application," the diplomat said.

General Patrick de Rousiers, the chairman of the EU Military Committee, said the German idea was one of several member state proposals on the future of the battlegroups.

"We have a whole package of elements that indicate that there is a willingness to look at other ways ... to cooperate together and transform together," de Rousiers said, stressing that it remained important that the EU could react quickly and provide military support.

EU leaders are to discuss the bloc‘s defence policy and military capabilities at their summit in December.

Three Russian Nuke Subs to Be Recommissioned in 2013

Source : RIA Novosti

MOSCOW, May 1 (RIA Novosti) – Three nuclear submarines of the Russian Navy currently under maintenance will be recommissioned by 2014, a Navy spokesman told journalists Tuesday.

The K-410 Smolensk cruise missile submarine, which is undergoing repairs since 2011, will resume its service in the Northern Fleet, the spokesman said.

The Pacific Fleet will be rejoined by the K-150 Tomsk cruise missile submarine, which was docked in 2010 due to problems with the cooling engine of its nuclear reactor; and the K-419 Kuzbass attack submarine, under repairs since 2010. The Kuzbass belongs to the same Akula II class as the ill-fated K-152 Nerpa, on which 20 people were killed during sea trials in 2008 due to malfunction of the fire suppression system

Israeli navy unveils fifth submarine in Germany

Source : Xinhua

JERUSALEM, April 29 (Xinhua) -- Israeli navy unveiled its fifth submarine in Kiel, Germany on Monday, the Israel Defense Force ( IDF) said.

Israeli and German officials gathered at the Kiel dockyards on Monday morning to inaugurate the Dolphin-class vessel, named INS Rahav, which is "considered one of the most advanced and cutting- edge in the world," according to a press release by the IDF.

The submersible will arrive in Israel later this year after all its operational systems are installed, said the IDF.

Israel's submarine flotilla is regarded as the Jewish state's vital long-range strategic arm, second only to the air force. The capabilities of the craft unveiled Monday were not detailed, but media reports have previously said that Israeli Dolphins are configured to carry nuclear-tipped cruise missiles.

The vessels are also reportedly used to transport Israeli special operation forces on missions far from the country's shores.

Britain may restore a permanent military presence in the Gulf

Source : Atlantic Council

From David Blair, Telegraph: The withdrawal of all British troops from Afghanistan next year will create a unique opportunity to reverse the "East of Suez" decision that formed a landmark in Britain's retreat from imperial power, the Royal United Services Institute will say in a paper to be published today. . . .

The think tank will say the Armed Forces are considering a partial reversal of the "East of Suez" decision. "The military intends to build up a strong shadow presence around the Gulf; not an evident imperial-style footprint, but a smart presence," writes Professor Michael Clarke, its director.

"This may not yet be declared government policy," he writes. "But the UK appears to be approaching a decision point where a significant strategic reorientation of its defence and security towards the Gulf is both plausible and logical."

Any new British presence would be focused on the United Arab Emirates, where the RAF is planning to use al-Minhad airbase, according to the think tank. The Royal Navy has always kept three minesweepers and at least one frigate or destroyer in the Gulf, supported by a small permanent staff in Bahrain. The paper suggests this flotilla could be reinforced.

The Army plans to use its links with Oman's armed forces to base troops in the country. This would allow the use of "thousands of square miles of challenging terrain ideally suited to the training of military units in the skills of desert warfare." (photo: Get

French jets take command of NATO Air Policing mission in the Baltic

Source : Atlantic Council

From Ministry of Defense of Lithuania: On April 26 four “Mirage F-1 CR” fighter-jets of the French Air Force will land in the Air Base of the Lithuanian Air Force in Šiauliai to take over NATO’s Air Policing mission in the Baltic States.

The French air capabilities are deployed to police the airspace above Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia from Mont De Marsan Air Base of the French Air Force. With this rotation France will take part with its air assets and personnel in the Baltic Air Policing mission for the fourth time.

The shifts in charge of air policing over the Baltic States will formally rotate on April with the mission being handed over from Denmark to France. (photo: Ministry of Defense of Lithuania)

U.S. Marine rapid response force deploying to Spain base

Source : StratRisks

The first of 500 Marines have begun deploying to Spain as part of a new rapid reaction force to respond to threats against U.S. citizens, government personnel or installations in Africa.

The new task force is based at Moron Air Base in southern Spain, which provides quick access especially to northern Africa, where security concerns have grown since the September 2012 attack on a U.S. government facility in Benghazi, Libya, a Pentagon official told CNN.

Deployment began Wednesday

When fully operational, the unit will be required to be airborne within six hours of receiving orders, providing the type of rapid response that the Pentagon says was not possible during the Benghazi attack. Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans died during the assault at the U.S. mission and CIA annex.

The Marine unit will have the job of providing protection for embassies and diplomatic compounds under attack or receiving threats; protecting U.S. citizens; rescuing downed pilots; and assisting other elements of the U.S. military in the event of a need to evacuate American citizens, the official said. He declined to be identified because much of the group’s work has not yet been publicly discussed by the Marine Corps.

Spain provided final approval for the unit’s presence Friday. The full 500-strong team, which is to be in place within 30 days, will include 225 Marines equipped for ground combat along with intelligence and communications specialists, plus another 225 personnel to man and maintain the six V-22 Osprey aircraft and two C-130 refueling aircraft that make up the aviation component of the unit.

The refueling aircraft will allow the Osprey to fly greater distances without landing.

The unit is equipped to go into areas under combat conditions, and can be deployed without the permission of a local government if ordered to do so, the official said. The Marines will be equipped with machines guns, mortars and grenade launchers. Having specific aircraft assigned to the team at all times is seen within the Marine Corps as a key assurance that they can get airborne in the time required.

As part of the Marine Corps’ efforts to beef up embassy security in particular, it also is adding 1,000 Marines to the embassy guard force, nearly doubling the size of the effort by increasing the size of individual embassy teams in high-threat areas, and establishing a special team of 100 Marines based in the United States that could quickly fly to an area to back up embassy guards if an embassy is under threat.

Russian T-50 Fighter Jet to Start State Flight Test in 2014

Source : RIA Novosti

MOSCOW, April 23 (RIA Novosti) – Russia will start state flight tests of its fifth-generation T- 50 fighter jet in 2014, United Aircraft Corporation's President Mikhail Pogosyan told reporters on Tuesday.

“In 2013 we are expected to wrap up its preliminary tests and start operational testing. In 2014, we are planning to start official state tests,” Pogosyan said on Tuesday, adding "the first stage of the state trials should be complete by 2015."

The test program involves six prototype airframes, including four flying, one static and one systems test airframe. Another flying prototype will join the tests this year, Pogosyan said. "Flight testing this year will go ahead with five aircraft," he said.

The T-50, also known as PAK-FA (future tactical fighter aircraft), first flew in January 2010 and was presented to the public at the Moscow Air Show in 2011.

The T-50, which will be the core of Russia's future fighter fleet, is a fifth-generation multirole fighter aircraft featuring elements of "stealth" technology," super- maneuverability, super-cruise capability (supersonic flight without use of afterburner), and an advanced avionics suite including an X-band active phased-array radar.

India will also buy a fighter aircraft based on the T-50, known as the FGFA (fifth-generation fighter aircraft).

United Aircraft Corporation is the state holding company uniting Russia's aircraft building industry including Sukhoi, a military and civil aircraft manufacturer.

Russian Warships Dock in Iran's Southern Port

Source : Fars News

TEHRAN (FNA)- A detachment of the Russian Pacific Fleet warships docked in Iran's Southern port city of Bandar Abbas, the Iranian army announced on Sunday.

The Iranian Army's public relations office announced that the Russian fleet, comprised of Admiral Panteleyev anti-submarine destroyer and two logistic warships of Peresvet and Admiral Novelskoy with a total number of 712 crews, has entered the Army's first naval zone in Bandar Abbas.

The Iranian army said that the visit is aimed at the consolidation of the relations between Iran and Russia and expansion of military interactions between the two countries in the field of naval security.

The Voice of Russia had earlier reported that the Russian warships have left Vladivostok to do combat duty in the world oceans, and that they would have a short stop in Bandar Abbas en route to their mission zone.

The Russian Ministry of Defense announced then that it has begun forming a separate Mediterranean squadron.

Qatar Strikes Deal To Buy Tanks, Artillery from Krauss-Maffei Wegmann

Source : defensenews.com

LONDON — Krauss-Maffei Wegmann has secured a 1.89 billion euro ($2.47 billion) deal with Qatar to supply artillery systems and main battle tanks, the German armaments maker announced April 18.

The deal involves delivery of 24 PzH 2000 155mm self-propelled artillery systems and 62 Leopard 2 main battle tanks along with associated training and other support items.

Purchase of the German systems is part of a wider modernization of the 8,500-strong Qatari army which could entail procurement of other equipment.

KMW said in a statement its vehicles would replace outdated artillery and tanks supplied by France and South Africa.

The decision to buy the German company’s equipment will be a setback for rival bidders for the contract, particularly Nexter of France who had offered the second hand Leclerc main battle tanks and other equipment in what is traditionally a market dominated by the French.

The armored vehicle purchases are part of what Defense News reported March 4 is at least a 20 billion euro equipment shopping list spread across Qatar’s army, navy and air force. Fast jets, helicopters, corvettes and missiles are on the procurement list as Qatar modernists its military capabilities in line with moves by the Gulf state to play a greater role in the region and beyond.

Russian lawmakers approve agreements on military bases in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan

Vesti Kavkaza

The State Duma today approved the agreements concerning Russian military bases in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.The Russian-Tajik agreement was signed on October 5 in Dushanbe and will expire in 49 years. The Russian-Kyrgyz agreement was signed in Bishkek on September 20 and will expire in 20 years.

£280 thousand worth of equipment stolen from UK military bases

Source : The Voice of Russia

Almost £280 thousand worth of equipment has been stolen from West Country military bases in the UK. Among the items that disappeared were four Land Rovers and copper piping altogether worth more than £100 thousand.

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The British Ministry of Defense reports that it is working hard on this issue.

"It is very surprising and very disappointing that military bases are losing equipment on this scale,” said MP Laurence Robertson.

In a span of 2 years there have been 97 separate incidents of items disappearing.

"I think people are going to be very disappointed at how few prosecutions have come about as a result of investigations into these thefts, and those responsible for security at these sites must do more to keep items safe in the first place and to bring those responsible for taking them to justice,” Mr. Robertson stated.

Voice of Russia, BBC

Russia to Base French-Made Assault Ships in Far East Ports

Source : http://RusNavy.com

Russia will base its French-made Mistral- class amphibious assault ships in the Far East ports of Vladivostok and Petropavlovsk- Kamchatsky when they enter service, a senior Defense Ministry official said in an interview.

Russia signed a 1.2-billion euro deal with a French shipyard in 2011 for two Mistral-class ships, the first of which is due for delivery in 2014 and the second in 2015.

“There are several options [for their location], but the choice fell on Vladivostok due to its existing transport infrastructure,” Roman Filimonov, head of the Defense Ministry’s construction department, told RIA Novosti.

“In future, we should create conditions for a short-term base equipped for storage replenishing, loading and unloading troops and crew rest in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky,” Filimonov said. Other possible bases for the ships are still being considered, he added. A navy spokesman told RIA Novosti in 2011 one of the ships could be based with Russia's Northern Fleet.

Filimonov said the necessary infrastructure for the two ships is due to be built in the Primorsky Krai by 2015. He also noted it is more convenient to dock the ships near major cities to provide housing for the crew and their families. The Mistral-class is capable of carrying 16 helicopters, four landing vessels, 70 armored vehicles, and 450 personnel

Russia, Armenia discuss military cooperation prospects

Source : Trend.Az

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu has negotiated with his Armenian counterpart Seyran Ohanyan in Moscow today, Mediamax reported referring to the Russian Defense Ministry.

The sides discussed the state and prospects of bilateral military and military-technical cooperation and exchanged views on a number of urgent issues related to ensuring security in the Caucasus. They also considered the areas of cooperation to maintain peace and stability in the region.

The positive dynamics in strengthening cooperation between the defense ministries of the two countries was stressed at the talks.

Abkhazia: Russian units hold military exercises against terrorists

Source : Vesti Kavkaza

Russian units stationed in Abkhazia started anti- terrorism exercises on Thursday. The manoeuvres will take place in mountains and forests and on the coast, the Russian Defense Ministry says.

"During the exercise, the participants must locate and destroy a conventional terrorist group, which landed on the coast of the Black Sea and is moving inland," RIA Novosti reports.

The Special Forces will practice organizing and conducting ambushes, raids on fire raiding and databases of members of illegal armed groups. The exercise, which will last until the end of the week, will involve up to 100 troops, military equipment and special weapons - sniper rifles, machine guns and other weapons.

Russia’s Mediterranean-Bound Warships Reach Indian Ocean

Source  :  Novosti

MOSCOW, April 6 (RIA Novosti) – Russia’s naval task force dispatched to the Mediterranean has passed the Strait of Malacca and entered the Indian Ocean, a Pacific Fleet spokesman told RIA Novosti on Saturday.

The task force comprises six vessels of the Pacific Fleet, including a destroyer carrying several helicopters, three amphibious warfare ships with marine detachments, a tanker and a tug.

The warships and the marines are doing daily drills during the trip, including artillery practices and searches for enemy submarines, the Pacific Fleet spokesman said.

The force, set to reach the Mediterranean by mid-May, will remain on permanent duty there to protect Russia’s interests in the region, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said earlier.

The Navy did not name any particular destinations for the Mediterranean task force, but Russia maintains a naval supply base in the city of Tartus in the war-torn Syria and has sent its warships there on several occasions since the outbreak of the Syrian conflict in March 2011, though never intervened.

Besieged Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, an ally of Moscow, was even alleged by Saudi media to be residing on a Russian warship for safety, though he denied the claim, also questioned by most experts.

The Mediterranean task force passed on Friday in the South China Sea another Pacific Fleet task force returning to its base from anti- piracy duty by East Africa’s shores, the fleet spokesman added.

U.S to open facilitates to ensure maritime boundary security in Georgia

Source  :  Trend.Az

U.S. will open several facilities in Georgia to ensure the safety of maritime boundaries.

The U.S. Embassy in Georgia told Trend on Monday that U.S. Ambassador Richard Norland will visit Batumi and Poti on April 1-3, where he will participate in several activities and meet with representatives of the local authorities.

According to the information, the ambassador will open the maritime operations control center in Supsa. The center is a unique facility in the Black Sea. Its purpose is to combat trafficking and crime through inter-ministerial cooperation.

The U.S. administration allocated $ 1.2 million to the project within the export and border security control program.

The opening of the marine operations center will strengthen the security of the Georgian borders as a transit country.

Norland will also visit a control group in a container customs control zone and deliver "Toyota Land Cruiser" car in Poti. Afterwards, he will open a facility to repair Coast Guard vessels. The U.S. allocated $6 million for its establishment.

The U.S. administration has allocated $ 12 million to strengthen the security of maritime boundaries and Georgian Coast Guard since 2006.

Four steps to improve missile defense cooperation btween the U.S. and Poland

Source  :  Atlantic Council

From Ian Brzezinski, New Atlanticist: For Poland, accepting US missile defense deployments has never been driven by fear of Iran; it is rooted in the desire for an American military presence that reinforces the credibility of NATO’s Article V security guarantee. Washington’s repeated delays of deploying missile defense systems to Poland are easily interpreted as an American assumption that Warsaw can be taken for granted and worse as a declining US commitment to Poland’s security. The latter has been reinforced by the Obama administration’s reduction of US forces in Europe and its so-called “pivot” to Asia. . . .

There are steps the US Government can take to mitigate the potentially negative effects its recent decision could have for US-Poland relations.

Accelerate the construction and stand-up of the planned missile defense interceptor site in Poland. Pouring concrete and deploying personnel early as well as conducting with Poland preparatory military exercises related to the base's operations would reinforce sense of inevitability now lacking in this dimension of US-Poland relationship. Change the name of EPAA. The world “adaptable” should be dropped. It communicates unnecessary flexibility, if not hesitancy and uncertainty, about these plans. The new name should connote inevitability and permanence. A better alternative would be the Tran-Atlantic Missile Defense System (TAM-D). US transatlantic missile defense plans should be more clearly linked to the increasingly pervasive and persistent dangers posed by the proliferation of ballistic missile technologies and WMD, rather than be justified primarily by the threats posed by Iran. Today, Poles and others ponder what will happen to these plans if Tehran clearly meets Western demands regarding its weapons programs. Indeed, it remains President Obama’s stated policy to rethink these plans in the event of that outcome. Washington needs to eliminate that ambiguity. Demonstrate more interest and support to Poland’s own air and missile defense plans. Currently, the Obama Administration has not embraced this Polish program with full enthusiasm. This is surprising as air and missile defense is an important NATO capability requirement, one whose relevance has been underscored by the Alliance’s recent deployments of PATRIOT batteries to Turkey to guard against Syrian attacks.

A stronger US endorsement of Polish missile defense plans would demonstrate that Washington takes Poland’s security perceptions seriously and that security relations with Central Europe is not a trade-off in the effort to build a partnership with Russia. More importantly, it would reaffirm that Washington envisions US-Poland missile defense cooperation as more than just the leveraging of Polish territory. It would signal determination to have air and missile defense become a shared capability and one that is a robust and unifying pillar of bilateral collaboration among two long-standing strategic allies.

Ian Brzezinski is a senior fellow in the Brent Scowcroft Center on International Security and is on the Council’s Strategic Advisors Group (SAG).

Russian Air Defense Force Starts Massive Drills

Source :  Strategic-Culture.org

More than 500 weapon systems, 50 aircraft and some 2,000 troops have been deployed in a large-scale air-defense exercise in eastern Russia, military officials said on Wednesday.

The exercise beginning on Wednesday in the Republic of Buryatia saw the use of S-300 surface-to-air missile systems, Osa, Buk, Strela and Shilka antiaircraft missiles, Igla man-portable SAM missiles, and Pantsir-S gun- missile systems, Eastern Military District press officer Lt. Col. Alexander Gordeyev said.

Gordeyev said the Pantsir-S systems were delivered to the district in late 2012.

The system combines a wheeled vehicle mounting a fire-control radar and electro-optical sensor, two 30-mm cannons and up to 12 57E6 short-range missiles. The Pantsir can engage targets at a range of 20 kilometers (12 miles) with missiles and at 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) with cannons.

The exercise is designed to test the readiness of the district’s air-defense forces and combat aviation to perform joint missions and rehearse a range of combat training tasks in modern warfare, Gordeyev said.

The exercise, under the command of Eastern Military District chief Adm. Konstantin Sidenko, will last through mid-April.

RIA Novosti

Russian Frigates to Get Advanced Missile Systems

Source  : Strategic Culture Foundation

Russia will install Kalibr (SS-N-27 Sizzler) missile systems on three of its Project 11356 frigates, the Baltic shipbuilding plant said on Monday.

The plant, affiliated with the United Shipbuilding Corporation, will manufacture the missile systems for the Yantar shipyard before the end of 2014.

“Under an existing contract, the Baltic plant will install Kalibr systems on the first troika of frigates,” the plant said, adding that the next three frigates are also expected to be equipped with Kalibr missiles.

The Kalibr is capable of effectively engaging aerial, submerged and coastal targets, and has a range of up to 185 miles.

The Project 11356 Krivak IV-class is a guided-missile frigate designed to counter surface ships, submarines and airborne targets.

Indian test of cruise missile fails

Source : Trend.Az

The test of an Indian-built nuclear-capable cruise missile failed Tuesday, defence officials said, dpa reported.

The missile with an estimated strike range of more than 1,000 kilometres deviated from its flight path and had to be terminated to ensure coastal security, Defence Research and Development Organization spokesman Ravi Kumar Gupta said.

He said the launch was successful through booster separation and wing deployment before it deviated from the flight plan.

It was launched from an island off the coast of the eastern state of Orissa

Defense Ministry in Talks to Buy Aerial Tankers Says UAC

Source : RIA Novosti

MOSCOW, March 12 (RIA Novosti) - Russia's United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) and the Defense Ministry are in talks over a deal for new Ilyushin Il-78 Midas aerial refueling tankers for the Russian Air Force, UAC said on Tuesday.

The aerospace holding declined to say when a deal might be signed or on what terms.

“Work is in progress to agree the terms...but until the contract is signed we are unable to make any comment,” a UAC press service representative told RIA Novosti, adding that the contract is part of the State Arms Procurement Program for the period to 2020.

Some media reports in mid-February claimed the parties were close to signing a deal for 31 new Il-78 tankers.

The ll-78 is a four-engine aerial refueling tanker based on the Il-76 heavy transport aircraft. A modernized version of the Il- 76MD-90A (also known as Il-476) will soon enter series production at the Ulyanovsk- based Aviastar-SP plant.

The new tankers would be based on the Il- 76MD-90A, which has a new wing, more efficient engines, higher payload and a new cockpit with a smalle flight crew than the old Il-76, which is no longer in production.

The Defense Ministry said last October it had signed a contract worth about 140 billion rubles ($4 billion) with UAC for the delivery of 39 Il-476 planes by 2020. Military Transport Aviation' commander Col. Gen. Vladimir Benediktov later said the service would in fact buy 48 of the planes by 2020.

The Russian Air Force operates 19 Il-78 tankers aircraft in the 203rd Guards Air Refueling Regiment, according to open sources.

Russian Navy Starts Forming Mediterranean Task Force

Source : RIA Novosti

MOSCOW, March 11 (RIA Novosti) – The Russian Navy has begun setting up a permanent task force to defend Russia’s interests in the Mediterranean, Navy Commander Adm. Viktor Chirkov said Monday.

“The defense minister has ordered us to form a task force that will operate in the Mediterranean Sea on a permanent basis,” Chirkov told reporters after a defense ministry meeting. “We have already started work on this task.”

The move comes at a time of increased international tension in the eastern Mediterranean due to the worsening civil war in Syria.

According to Chirkov, the issue has been discussed at the Navy's Main Headquarters, with the focus on logistics and training of commanding personnel.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said earlier on Monday that a decision to deploy a permanent naval task force in the Mediterranean had been made.

“I believe that we have the capability to form and maintain such a task force,” Shoigu said, citing the success of recent large-scale naval drills carried out by the Russian navy in the Mediterranean and Black seas.

The exercises involved warships from the Northern, Baltic, Black Sea and Pacific fleets, strategic bombers and naval infantry.

Neither Shoigu nor Chirkov mentioned a timeline for the deployment of the new task force, which would likely require significant effort to ensure efficient logistics and the proper maintenance of warships in the Mediterranean group.

Shoigu admitted Monday that the general state of affairs in the navy "could not be called satisfactory," particularly in terms of poor servicing and maintenance of vessels.

“A significant part of the fleet has to be operated with extended periods [of time] between repairs, while many ships and vessels have armaments and military equipment that can be used only with restrictions," Shoigu said.

A high-ranking defense ministry source told RIA Novosti in the beginning of March that a proposed Russian permanent naval task force in the Mediterranean Sea could consist of up to 10 combat and auxiliary ships from three of the existing fleets.

The task force may operate on a rotating basis and use ports in Cyprus, Montenegro, Greece and Syria as resupply points, the official added.

The Soviet Union maintained its 5th Mediterranean Squadron in that sea from 1967 until 1992. It was formed to counter the US Navy 6th Fleet during the Cold War, and consisted of 30-50 warships and auxiliary vessels at different times.

Updated with modified headline and Shoigu's assessment of the sta

Zionist Entity, Greece, US Start 2-Week ‘Noble Dina’ Naval Drills

Source : Al Manar

The Zionist, Greek and US warships has started a joint two-week ‘Noble Dina’ naval exercise as a part of the security cooperation between the Zionist navy and other naval forces.

Zionist media said the exercise includes “defending offshore natural gas platforms, as well as simulated air-to-air combat and anti-submarine warfare.”

US Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel recently reassured the Tel Avi regime that Washington would continue funding the Zionist costl missile system known as the Iron Dome, Press TV reported.

The Zionist authorities receive more than three billion dollars from th United States in direct foreign assistance every year.

Previously, the Zionist entity of occupation and the US carried ou exercises with Turkey. However, relations between Tel Aviv and Ankara soured after Turkey expelled the Zionist ambassador in 2011 and suspended military cooperation.

Turkey and Pakistan hold joint war games

Source : Vesti Kavkaza

Turkish and Pakistani Air Forces are holding joint war games, which will last until March 18, the Turkish General Staff says on its official website."The Indus Viper 2013 war games are being held by Turkish and Pakistani Air Forces on the Pakistani territory and will last until March 18," the statement reads.

Russia Vows to Keep Arms Deals With Caracas After Chavez Death

Source :  RIA Novosti

MOSCOW, March 6 (RIA Novosti) – Russia will continue military-technical cooperation with Venezuela regardless of who takes over power in the Latin American country after the death of its charismatic socialist leader Hugo Chavez, a Russian arms trade source said on Wednesday.

Chavez, 58, died on Tuesday following a two- year tough battle with cancer, leaving the country in a political turmoil.

“Whoever comes to power in Venezuela, our military-technical cooperation will continue because it is aimed primarily at safeguarding the national security of the country,” the source told RIA Novosti.

The official added that some defense contracts with Caracas include the construction of arms factories and servicing centers for military equipment, which helps the development of Venezuela’s economy in general.

“These areas, as a rule, are a priority for any government,” the source said.

Chavez had ambitious military plans, which he began implementing some time ago.

Between 2005 and 2007 Venezuela reached deals to buy $4-billion worth of arms from Russia, including Sukhoi fighter jets, combat helicopters, and over 100,000 light weapons, primarily the famous AK-103 assault rifles and a license to produce them in Venezuela.

Chavez's government also secured a $2.2-billion loan in 2010 to purchase a large batch of Russian weapons for its army, including 92 T-72M1M main battle tanks, about 240 BMP-3 infantry fighting vehicles and BTR-80 armored personnel carriers, and a variety of artillery systems.

The source said that Russian and Venezuelan officials met in Caracas earlier this year and reaffirmed their mutual desire to expand cooperation in a variety of areas, including military-technical, oil exploration and transportation.

According to Russian experts, Venezuela is expected to become the world’s second largest buyer of Russian weaponry after India by 20