30th April 2008, 11:46 pm
Page last updated at 15:50 GMT, Wednesday, 30 April 2008 16:50 UK
BBC News
Nato has warned Russia that its recent troop build-up in Georgia’s two breakaway regions undermines its neighbour’s territorial integrity.
Russia’s moves in Abkhazia and South Ossetia were raising tensions in the area, a Nato spokesman said.
Moscow has accused Georgia of preparing to invade Abkhazia, and says it is also boosting Russian peacekeeping forces there and in South Ossetia.
Tbilisi has described the Russian move as “irresponsible”.
“The steps that have been taken [by Russia] and the rhetoric have increased tensions and undermined Georgia’s territorial integrity,” Nato spokesman James Appathurai said.
Continue reading ‘Russia warned over Georgia move’ »
30th April 2008, 02:17 am
Zee News
New Delhi, April 29: Amid a raging controversy over the possibility of an internal “sabotage” during the recent trials of indigenously developed main battle tank Arjun, the Centre on Tuesday said all shortcomings in the armament are being removed and there was no question of abandoning the project.
“Whatever shortcomings were there, they are being removed,” Minister of State for Defence Shri M M Pallam Raju told reporters here. He said the government did not have any proposal to abandon the project.
Continue reading ‘No plan to abandon Arjun project: Centre’ »
30th April 2008, 02:02 am
Tells 60 Minutes Israel’s Air Force Is Ready For Any Threat, Especially A Nuclear Iran
April 27, 2008
(CBS) If any country takes the words of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad more seriously than the United States, it is Israel. And that’s not surprising: Ahmadinejad has called for Israel to be wiped off the map, and Israeli intelligence estimates that Iran could be two years away from having a nuclear weapon.
Correspondent Bob Simon got a rare look inside the organization that may well be called upon to do something about it. The Israeli air force has over the last 60 years been the country’s most powerful protector.
It is also one of the most secretive organizations of its kind. So in return for access to its planes and personnel, 60 Minutes had to agree to rigorous censorship. We cannot identify the bases we visited, nor the young pilots we interviewed. In addition, the video 60 Minutes filmed inside their facilities had to be examined by military censors. If the Israelis blow their secrets, they insist, they’ll lose the next war.
Continue reading ‘Israel’s Air Force Chief: Iran Threat Real’ »
30th April 2008, 01:50 am
29 April 2008
Media Release
Austal
Austal has successfully launched its landmark 127 metre Littoral Combat Ship INDEPENDENCE (LCS 2) in what proved a momentous occasion for the company as it celebrates its 20th year.
Since its keel laying in January 2006, INDEPENDENCE has steadily progressed within Austal USA’s purpose built construction facility in Mobile, Alabama toward becoming a formidable warship. Today’s launch was a significant step along the way to achieving that goal.
The launch procedure involved coordination of all large shipping traffic in the Mobile River while INDEPENDENCE was rolled out of the construction hall on sixty-six 100 ton rail-trolleys onto a floating drydock.
Continue reading ‘Austal Launches Littoral Combat Ship INDEPENDENCE (LCS-2)’ »
29th April 2008, 10:56 pm
Highlighting reasons the U.S. Air Force selected the KC-45 Tanker as best for our men and women in uniform.
WASHINGTON, April 21 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — The U.S. Air Force found Northrop Grumman’s (NYSE: NOC) bid to build the next generation of aerial refueling tankers superior to Boeing’s in four of the five most important selection criteria. Despite this fact, the losing bidder wants the Government Accountability Office to overturn the Air Force decision to award the contract to Northrop Grumman. Starting today and regularly in the coming weeks, “Why We Won” will provide detailed examples of why Northrop Grumman was selected, drawing on facts listed in a redacted version of a protected Air Force selection document. We begin with Mission Capability, which includes the crucial function of aerial refueling.
Mission Capability
The Air Force found the Northrop Grumman KC-45 provides “Better fuel offloads at all distances from bases,” “Better air refueling efficiency,” “Better offload rate and receive rate,” and has “A greater boom envelope vs. Boeing.”
Continue reading ‘Northrop Grumman KC-45: Why We Won - Mission Capability’ »
29th April 2008, 01:58 am
Monday, April 28, 2008 14:12 [IST]
India Info Finance
New Delhi: US fighter jet producer Lockheed Martin today submitted its bid for Indian Air Force’s mega deal for induction of 126 medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA), claiming its F-16IN would exceed India’s expectations.
“The F-16IN is specifically tailored to meet IAF needs and is the most advanced multi-role combat aircraft in production anywhere in the world today. We have spent years assessing the needs of IAF and we believe it will not just meet but exceed Indian expectations,” Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company President Ralph D Heath told PTI here.
Continue reading ‘Lockheed Martin bids for $10 bn IAF fighter jet’ »
29th April 2008, 01:52 am
FIGHTERS
Outlook India
The race for India’s biggest ever global military tender worth over USD 10 billion for 126 fighters got underway today with six major aviation firms submitting their bids.
American firms Lockheed Martin with F-16 Fighting Falcon, Boeing with F-18 super hornets, Eurofighter, Dassault aviation Rafale, Russian Mig-35 and Swedish Gripen submitted their closed bids to the Defence Ministry today, a ministry official said.
Continue reading ‘Global tender for 126 fighters gets underway’ »
29th April 2008, 01:49 am
LSQ-MIRAGES
Outlook India
NEW DELHI, APR 28 (PTI)
As part of steps to keep the country’s air power capability at optimal level, India has signed a billion-Euro deal to upgrade its 51 Mirage Multi-Role Fighters.
Dassault, the French original equipment manufacturer, has agreed to upgrade the Indian Air Force’s Mirage 2000 fleet, Defence Minister A K Antony told Lok Sabha today.
Continue reading ‘India signs deal to upgrade 51 Mirage fighters’ »
29th April 2008, 01:04 am
Forecast International | Apr 25, 2008
Defence Talk
NEWTOWN, Conn: Overall defense spending has skyrocketed in recent years, both in dollar terms and relative to the size of the economy. The spending surge of the past few years can largely be attributed to soaring war costs, which have most recently run upwards of $15 billion per month.
While there is a common perception that the huge costs of defense spending should begin tapering off, the fact is that baseline budgets are still on the rise, with FY09’s $515 billion request for discretionary spending being the largest yet. In fact, when all defense-related costs are considered, the FY09 defense budget may represent close to 5 percent of GDP.
These are among the findings of a recent defense budget review by the Budget Forecasting team of Connecticut-based Forecast International, which is currently finalizing its FY09-FY14 budget projections. These projections are contained within the company’s U.S. Defense Budget Forecast Market Intelligence Service.
Continue reading ‘US FY09 DoD Budget Request for Defense Spending is Largest Ever’ »
29th April 2008, 12:37 am
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Published: 28 Apr 11:47 EDT (07:47 GMT) Print | Email
Defense News
OSLO - Aeronautics groups Lockheed Martin of the United States and Saab of Sweden on April 28 submitted tenders for a planned order by the Norwegian Air Force for 48 combat aircraft, the defense ministry said
The two companies presented their fighter jets, Lockheed Martin’s Joint Strike Fighter/F-35 and Saab’s JAS Gripen, at a public ceremony in Oslo, but neither disclosed a price for the order, estimated at several billion euros.
“With two impressive candidates remaining in the competition, I am convinced that we will get a good competition as we enter into the final leg of the race,” Defense Minister Anne-Grete Stroem-Erichsen said.
Continue reading ‘Lockheed, Saab Compete for Norway Fighter Order’ »