29th June 2008, 12:02 pm
Agence France-Presse | Jun 27, 2008
Defence Talk
WASHINGTON: The United States has removed its nuclear arsenal in Britain, ending its half-century deployment there and reducing its European nuclear deployment to six locations in five countries, a report said.
The withdrawal follows the removal of nuclear weapons from the Ramstein Air Base in Germany in 2005 and Greece in 2001, according to the The Federation of American Scientists (FAS) Strategic Security Blog, citing unidentified sources.
Continue reading ‘US withdraws nuclear bombs from Britain’ »
29th June 2008, 10:05 am
By ILYA KRAMNIK, UPI Outside View CommentatorPublished: June 23, 2008 at 11:24 AM
MOSCOW, June 23 (UPI) — Last year, the three nations with the world’s biggest military expenses were the United States — $547 billion, Britain — $59.7 billion, and the People’s Republic of China — $58.3 billion.
The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute — SIPRI — published these figures in its 2008 annual report. There are other estimates, but they are not radically different. Many research organizations and the media tend to base their comparison of countries’ military might on their defense budgets, although their estimates are often disputed, sometimes by the objects of their studies.
Although such comparisons are very relative, they are a point of departure for analyzing the military potentials of different countries. Reports of international institutions that study the strategy and national military potentials, such as the London-based International Institute of Strategic Studies — IISS — and the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, are considered the most accurate.
Only recently, the defense budget of the People’s Republic of China was a little over $20 billion. What stands behind its leap in military expenses? What war machine will it have in the future? Many countries, above all China’s next-door neighbors, are interested in answers to these questions.
The growing economy is the main catalyst of China’s boosting military potentials. Its industrialized export-oriented economy — China is increasingly becoming the world’s producer of absolutely everything — from man-made flowers to cars — requires adequate military protection.
Continue reading ‘Outside View: China’s weapons’ »
27th June 2008, 01:49 am
By LOREN B. THOMPSON
Published: June 26, 2008 at 12:39
ARLINGTON, Va., June 26 (UPI) — As U.S. Air Force planners struggle to balance their final budget request for this disappointing decade, it is becoming increasingly apparent that many of the service’s planes will require the aerospace equivalent of geriatric care for the foreseeable future.
Despite all its talk about revitalizing America’s military, the Bush administration has failed to arrest the decline of U.S. air power, passing on to its successors a decrepit fleet that is grounded or flight-restricted much of the time.
Keeping this fleet airworthy requires continuous, massive infusions of money and manpower. The service expects to spend a billion dollars per week in fiscal 2010 on fuel, spare parts, repairs and technical support — and that doesn’t even include the paychecks for military personnel performing such functions.
Much of this cost is the inevitable consequence of operating a diverse fleet of 6,000 high-tech planes around the world on a daily basis, including those committed to ongoing military campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan.
But there is little doubt the budgetary burden of sustainment would be more bearable if the Clinton and Bush administrations had done a better job of replacing aging aircraft. Instead, the U.S. Air Force will enter the second decade of the new millennium with 500 Eisenhower-era Boeing KC-135 tankers averaging 50 years of age, 300 Lockheed Martin C-130 transports exceeding 40 years of age, and Vietnam-vintage Boeing McDonnell-Douglas F-15 Eagle fighters that are literally falling out of the sky.
Continue reading ‘Thompson Files: Aging USAF fleet’ »
27th June 2008, 12:20 am
Global Security
WHITE SANDS, N.M., June 24, 2008 /PRNewswire/ — The U.S. Navy successfully conducted the first test of the Standard Missile 6 extended range anti-air warfare missile produced by Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN).
The missile, launched from the Navy’s Desert Ship at the White Sands Missile Range, successfully intercepted a BQM-74 aerial drone using the newly developed SM-6 active seeker. The active seeker autonomously acquired and engaged the target using the Navy’s legacy command system, resulting in a direct hit. This launch demonstrates the first successful integration of the Navy’s active missile technology into the weapon system to provide for both near-term advanced anti-air warfare and future over-the-horizon capability.
Continue reading ‘US Navy Conducts First Test of Raytheon’s Standard Missile 6’ »
27th June 2008, 12:13 am
Written on June 26, 2008 – 7:26 pm | by FIDSNS |
Frontier India, Defense & Strategic News
In a ceremony presided over by His Majesty Juan Carlos I, King of Spain, Airbus Military has today rolled out the first complete A400M military transport aircraft from the Final Assembly Line facility in Seville, Spain.
Continue reading ‘First A400M Military Transporter Rolled Out’ »
25th June 2008, 03:09 am
6-24-08 12:17 PM EDT | E-mail Article | Print Article
Morning Star
ANKARA (AFP)–Turkey and Italy launched Tuesday a project for the joint manufacture of up to 91 attack helicopters for the Turkish military, worth about $3 billion.
The project, which envisages the co-production of 50 helicopters with an option for another 41, will be led by Turkey’s TUSAS, with another Turkish firm, Aselsan, and Italy’s AgustaWestland joining as sub-contractors.
Continue reading ‘Turkey, Italy Launch Attack Helicopter Project’ »
23rd June 2008, 12:09 am
Jun 19, 2008
Defence Talk
The UK was the top global defence exporter in 2007, winning a UK record £10 billion ($19bn) of new business and a 33% market share, according to figures announced by UK Trade & Investment’s Defence and Security Organisation (UKTI DSO) today.
Commenting on the figures, Lord Digby Jones, Minister for Trade and Investment said, “As demonstrated by this outstanding export performance, the UK has a first class defence industry, with some of the world’s most technologically sophisticated companies. Along with colleagues in UKTI DSO, I look forward to working with the defence sector in future to ensure its continued success.”
The Middle East and North America remained the UK’s most profitable regional markets, with Saudi Arabia and the USA respectively the top customers. Orders for Typhoon in Saudi Arabia and Offshore Patrol vessels for Oman and Trinidad and Tobago played an important part in this year’s success.
Continue reading ‘2007 Market Review: UK Top Global Defense Exporter’ »
22nd June 2008, 11:55 pm
Online International News Network
ISLAMABAD: India will induct 12,000-tonne Akula-II class nuclear-powered attack submarine into its Naval fleet by December 2009. India will take nuclear submarine on 10 years lease in accordance with secrete agreement amounting to $650-million stuck between India and Russia.
Violating International laws, the submarine would be armed with Agni-III and Cruise missile having range between 1,000 to 5,000 kilometers.
After inducting submarine into Indian fleet, India would have capability to easily target areas of interior Sindh and Gwadar and it would also mount pressure on Pakistan navy with regard to Indian ocean, a high level officers of Pakistan Navy told Online.
Pakistan is also installing inclusive system in Augusta 90 submarines and as a result of this the speed and performance of these submarines would be enhanced.
Continue reading ‘India to get nuclear powered attack submarine in 2009’ »
22nd June 2008, 11:44 pm
The Associated Press
Posted : Sunday Jun 22, 2008 17:14:12 EDT
Military Times
GROTON, Conn. — The Navy invoked the war on terrorism Saturday as it christened its newest attack submarine. The New Hampshire was christened by the widow of a pilot who was killed in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. “I believe I’m looking at heroes,” Cheryl McGuinness, of Portsmouth, N.H., said, looking at the ship’s crew. “You all are my heroes.”
Her husband, Thomas McGuinness, was co-pilot of American Airlines Flight 11, which was flown into the World Trade Center’s North Tower.
The 7,800-ton, 337-foot submarine was built by General Dynamic’s Electric Boat and Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding. “She’s a living, breathing soul who will provide a home to her crew,” said Rep. Joe Courtney, D-Conn. His eastern Connecticut district includes the Electric Boat shipyard.
Continue reading ‘USA: New Hampshire christened as newest attack sub’ »
22nd June 2008, 02:23 pm
WASHINGTON, June 16 (UPI) — Imagine a bizarre scenario in which the president of the United States had to ask permission from foreign leaders to use a critical missile-defense system, starting with French President Nicolas Sarkozy and ending, hat in hand, with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin.
Until recently, that scenario was fancifully unimaginable. The United States has long been the global leader in such vital areas as aerospace and defense electronics. Unimaginable, that is, until now.
Indeed, a recent U.S. Air Force decision may augur the advent of this kind of alternate reality. By using questionable criteria that disadvantage U.S. manufacturers to unfairly award a huge, militarily critical contract to the European Aeronautics, Defense and Space Co. — the aerospace giant controlled by France and Germany — the U.S. Air Force actually could be unwittingly undermining the very industrial base that has defended the United States, Western Europe and much of the free world since the end of World War II more than 60 years ago.
Continue reading ‘Outside View: EADS tanker woes’ »