International Aerospace Discussion

abhik · Post by **abhik** » 01 Oct 2016 09:00

Didn't see this posted earlier. SpaceX Interplanetary Transport System.

TSJones · Post by **TSJones** » 01 Oct 2016 10:40

^^^

a highly ambitious program for which NASA has made no financial commitment. NASA has its own fish to fry with its SLS rocket program which is congress's make work political spoils program.....which is keeping NASA's space and science centers a live.

vera_k · Post by **vera_k** » 01 Oct 2016 10:48

What else can you do with a Big Dumb Booster?

Zynda · Post by **Zynda** » 01 Oct 2016 12:41

Red Arrows: Asia-Pacific & ME Tour Schedule 2016

India
8 October: Hindon: Indian Air Force Day (Display)

India
16 November: Hyderabad (Display)
17 November: Bangalore (Flypast)

Hopefully for AI 2017, our Surya Kirans will be ready to make their debut show with Hawks.

TSJones · Post by **TSJones** » 01 Oct 2016 20:55

the UN wants to sponsor a space mission............

http://spacenews.com/united-nations-to- ... am-chaser/

GUADALAJARA, Mexico — The United Nations plans to purchase a dedicated mission on a Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) Dream Chaser spacecraft in 2021 to give developing nations an opportunity to fly experiments in space.

At a press conference during the International Astronautical Congress here Sept. 27, the United Nations Office of Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) said the agreement to fly the dedicated Dream Chaser mission is part of a broader effort by the office to increase access to space to emerging nations.

“Our project is the first-ever United Nations space mission,” said Simonetta Di Pippo, director of UNOOSA. “The mission has one very important goal: to allow United Nations member states to conduct research that cannot be done on Earth.”

The mission, she said, will be open to all nations, but with a particular emphasis on those nations that don’t have the capabilities to fly their own experiments in space. UNOOSA will soon start the process of soliciting payload proposals, with a goal of selecting payloads by early 2018 so that the winning countries have time to build them for a 2021 launch.

Neither SNC nor UNOOSA disclosed the cost of the mission. Mark Sirangelo, corporate vice president of SNC’s Space Systems division, said that the mission will be financed by several ways, with the countries selected to fly experiments paying at least some of the cost of the flight.

“We believe this is an opportunity for companies and organizations to potentially be sponsors of this effort,” he said at the press conference. “We also believe that some of the existing space nations and companies will want to be part of this and provide either in-kind services or support to the program.”

SNC is developing Dream Chaser as a cargo spacecraft to service the International Space Station under a NASA contract, with the vehicle ready to begin those missions by the end of the decade. However, this mission is currently planned as a two-week free-flyer mission in low Earth orbit, with no plans to travel to the ISS.

“In order to provide as much opportunity to the global space community, it will be a free flyer,” Sirangelo said. “It’s not necessary for us to go to the ISS.” He added Dream Chaser is able to fly in orbit for extended periods of time, should the UN desire a longer mission.

The Dream Chaser mission, while billed as the UN’s first space mission, fits into a broader effort by UNOOSA called the Human Space Technology Initiative that started in 2010. “The main goal is to provide access to our member states to microgravity experiments,” said Di Pippo. “We wanted to offer, mainly to developing countries, the possibility to access space in microgravity conditions.”

Besides the Dream Chaser mission, the initiative includes two other major projects. The KiboCUBE program, in cooperation with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, gives developing nations the opportunity to launch cubesats from the ISS. In August, UNOOSA selected a cubesat proposed by the University of Nairobi in Kenya as the first KiboCUBE satellite, and opened a second call for missions Sept. 27.

A third element of the initiative is cooperation with China’s space program. A memorandum of understanding signed in March is the first step in a process that could lead to UN access to China’s space station when it is completed in the early 2020s, Di Pippo said.

- See more at: http://spacenews.com/united-nations-to- ... lcDHg.dpuf

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 01 Oct 2016 21:50

IRGC puts a lot of the drones it's captured on display and unveiled a new UCAV ( via themess.net )

http://defence.pk/attachments/1475318002219-jpg.339679/
http://www.sepahnews.com/images/payam94/pahbad/9.jpg

Captured MQ-1:

http://defence.pk/attachments/photo_201 ... pg.339682/

New UCAV called Saeqheh which seems to be based of the RQ-170:
http://defence.pk/attachments/1475318269301-jpg.339677/
http://gallery.military.ir/albums/userp ... 286078.jpg
http://gallery.military.ir/albums/userp ... 251321.jpg
http://gallery.military.ir/albums/userp ... 245182.jpg
http://www.sepahnews.com/images/payam94/pahbad/18.jpg
http://gallery.military.ir/albums/userp ... 28s562.jpg

Shahed-129 compared to a MQ-1:
http://defence.pk/attachments/1475318080038-jpg.339673/
http://defence.pk/attachments/1475318125481-jpg.339675/
http://www.sepahnews.com/images/payam94/pahbad/19.jpg
http://www.sepahnews.com/images/payam94/pahbad/20.jpg
http://www.sepahnews.com/images/payam94/pahbad/3.jpg

Simorgh (RQ-170 copy) undergoing flight tests):
http://defence.pk/attachments/img_20161 ... pg.339684/
http://www.sepahnews.com/images/payam94/pahbad/16.jpg
http://www.sepahnews.com/images/payam94/pahbad/21.jpg

Production line of guided bombs for UCAVs:
http://www.sepahnews.com/images/payam94/pahbad/25.jpg
http://www.sepahnews.com/images/payam94/pahbad/24.jpg

It also seems that the Saegheh or Simorgh have already been used in combat in Iraq:

Prem · Post by **Prem** » 02 Oct 2016 02:16

Found this Photo of Eurofighter

brar_w · Post by **brar_w** » 02 Oct 2016 02:34

brar_w · Post by **brar_w** » 02 Oct 2016 15:14

Manish_Sharma wrote:
Cosmo_R wrote:F-22 dance moves cost a lot and that's why the F-35 was brought in. No moon walker but still a force to be reckoned with.
Look from your view that dance is unnecessary, stealth is all the yatra from F-22 to F-35 is moving in opposite, the F-35 rear round end is less stealthy then F-22 with its rectangular stealthy ends.

Also everytime F-35 has been reported to be 'fat-hippo' or 'bloated-frog' certain posters have dumped huge posts here trying to prove its not.

The thing is why even bother to make it a 'dancer' even if a clumsy one, if stealth is enough? For sure its advanced enough and will keep its lead in comparison to T-50 and j-20. Why not make it a straight flier like B-2, F-117 etc.? Save money on tests, no?

As I had mentioned earlier the reason the f-35 does not look like a B-2 is because of competing priorities, and design trades. Mission systems and weapons in addition to networks need to be a lot better than they currently are before the operators shed 9G, supersonic, turning requirements that the F-35 comes with. This may well happen in future systems but the technology is/was just not there to allow for that design trade to be made on the F-35.

Manish_Sharma · Post by **Manish_Sharma** » 02 Oct 2016 19:02

Brar warrior, I read what you wrote, Cosmo wrote that no need for dancer - gymnastics anymore just stealth is enough. So I put that question to him.

TSJones · Post by **TSJones** » 03 Oct 2016 03:13

just wanna point out that nobody dog fights with drop tanks attached. not if they want to survive. otherwise it's just another flying pig.

first thing to go are drop tanks in a dog fight....which means the plane had better be heading back to rendezvous point most rikki tick.....

Prem · Post by **Prem** » 03 Oct 2016 06:45

https://sputniknews.com/military/201610 ... r-jet.html

US, NATO Preparing Unmanned Sixth Generation Fighter Jet Armed With Lasers

The United States and its NATO allies have begun the planning stage for its next generation fighter jets in a bid to ensure lasting air superiority over novel fifth-generation Russian and Chinese fighter jets with a view for producing the next generation combat aircraft in the early 2030s. While the West has long held the mantle on stealth designed fighter jets starting with the F-22 Raptor and subsequently the F-35 Lightning, both China and Russia’s defense aviation industries have caught up to the United States in recent years with the unleashing of the Chengdu J-20 and the Russian T-50 (PAK-FA) which pose a significant threat to NATO’s longstanding aerial dominance. The urgency in developing the latest generation in fighter jet technology comes at a time when the West finds its relations with both China and Russia deteriorating after a number of invasive steps by the United States including the so-called "Pivot to Asia" designed to encircle and isolate Beijing as well as the rampant build up in force along Russia’s border during the "summer of provocation." Urgency is quickly turning into rampant panic as rhetoric between the United States and Russia has quickly escalated to levels never before seen even during the Cold War era sparked in large part to political campaign tactics in the US presidential election that has focused on maligning Moscow as the cause of any disruption and a tool to smear opponents through association with the anti-Russia grandstanding building to a crescendo in recent weeks over the crisis in Syria. For now, the F-35 appears to be the only game in town for the United States and its allies in Europe and Asia with the much vaunted F-22 production cycle discontinued years ago with European powers increasingly looking for an unmanned fighter jet variant to replace such stalwarts of the sky as France’s Rafale and Germany’s Tornado IDS. The final features that will define the sixth-generation fighter jet remain unknown to the public at the moment, but analysts believe that tomorrow’s fighter jets will be unmanned (and potentially autonomous) featuring laser weapons with "aircraft skins that act as sensors and antennas" as the defense aviation arms race looks to march on for at least the next two decades.l

Gerard · Post by **Gerard** » 04 Oct 2016 04:30

Sabotage speculation gathers around SpaceX explosion

NRao · Post by **NRao** » 04 Oct 2016 21:00

Just a nice picture from http://www.bbc.com/future/story/2016100 ... -we-fly-in, of a plane being hit by lightening.

brar_w · Post by **brar_w** » 05 Oct 2016 08:40

AMRAAM-ER launched from a NASAMS unit -

Raytheon’s Extended Range AMRAAM Missile Destroys Target in First Flight Test

A new extended range version of Raytheon’s Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile destroyed a target in its first flight test in Norway, the company’s AMRAAM program manager told Defense News ahead of the Association of the US Army’s annual convention.

AMRAAM ER is made up of the front-end of an AMRAAM missile and the back-end – or the rocket motor – of Raytheon’s Evolved Sea Sparrow missile (ESSM), Raytheon’s Michael High said in a Sept. 28 interview. AMRAAM is used by seven countries in Norwegian company Kongsberg’s National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS). The US National Capital Region has been defended by NASAMS since 2005. Over 2,000 ESSMs have been produced for 13 different countries, High said.

Raytheon and Kongsberg held the AMRAAM ER’s first flight test at the Andoya flight center in Norway on Aug. 31, where the new missile was fired from a NASAMS system against a drone target simulating a fighter aircraft, according to High. “What we did was we proved as a complete system, it works very well together, there were no issues whatsoever,” he said.

The test was conducted by the Norwegian Air Force’s NASAMS operators using their fire distribution center and their Sentinel radar.

AMRAAM ER was ready to take out a target in flight, according to High, because of extensive testing over the course of 2015. Kongsberg reconfigured its NASAMS launcher, extending the top row of three canisters by a foot. The company also updated the software in the launcher to recognize the new missile, High noted.

Raytheon developed the missile because the company believes “there is a very good market out there,” for such a capability, High said. “There is a lot of interest in medium-range capability versus advanced threats out there.”

There are 15 countries that currently field the Hawk missile, he noted, that is reaching the end of its useful life at several decades old, which AMRAAM ER could replace, High said.

And the NASAMS users would likely be interested as well. Then there are non-NASAMS customers who might be looking for an ability to defend against unmanned aircraft systems, hovering targets, and cruise missiles, he added.

NASAMS is in service in Norway, Finland, Spain, the Netherlands and one undisclosed country. It is also in production for Oman, according to Raytheon.

AMRAAM ER can be produced for a “relatively low-cost” compared to other missiles in the same category because Raytheon is taking a known production AMRAAM front-end and a known production ESSM back-end, according to High. “There are economies of scale you get from production of both of those missiles,” he said.

Raytheon is targeting first deliveries of the missile in the 2020 time frame based on the anticipated time it would take to move through a testing plan and a foreign military sales certification process, High noted.

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 07 Oct 2016 17:24

Iranian 'stealth' UAV test site identified

http://www.janes.com/article/64435/iran ... identified

Video footage of Iran's Simorgh unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) taking off and landing was filmed at Kashan International Airport, according to IHS Jane's geolocation analysis.

Shown by various Iranian TV channels on 1 October, the footage of the aircraft flying at Kashan was the most credible evidence to date to support Iran's claim that it has successfully reverse engineered the US RQ-170 Sentinel reconnaissance UAV that crashed in the east of the country in December 2011.

Iran first displayed the Simorgh copy of the RQ-170 in May 2015, but this was the first time one has been seen flying.

The footage was released by the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) when it announced that it has developed a new armed version of the Simorgh called the Saegheh.

This appears to be a reference to a UAV that retains the RQ-170's 'flying wing' shape, but has a far smaller air intake, suggesting it does not use a turbofan engine.

While the Saegheh was not seen flying, the footage shown on Iranian television implied it has entered series production. One shot showed at least 10 of the small-intake aircraft lined up with two large-intake versions. All were on stands rather than their own landing gear.

One of the small-intake aircraft was displayed with four missiles attached to its underside and did not have any landing gear.

Zynda · Post by **Zynda** » 07 Oct 2016 20:54

Our state are sum total of our choices...we have a track record of making bad choices looking at short term advantages (prolly kick backs & stuff) over long term visions. We should have tied up with Embraer on the KC-390. That program is far behind schedule but that mainly is due to lack of cash not due to having an inferior product. A joint effort with Brazil could have given our folks huge exposure in building a medium scale Mil transport plane with minimal risk, which we could have translated in to UAV, commercial regional products etc.

Related news: Embraer Begins Tactical Testing Of KC-390

LONDON - Embraer is expanding the envelope and broadening the testing of the tactical capabilities of the KC-390 airlifter.
Since the aircraft’s international debut at the Farnborough Airshow in July, Embraer has conducted free fall and static line parachuting tests from both the ramp and the side paratrooping doors, performed airdrop testing with a container delivery system and also extended the refueling hoses from the wing-mounted hose-drogue units to check the stability, Col. Claudio Cardoso, program manager for the KC-390, told the Military Airlift Conference here on Sept. 21.

With two prototypes available for the flight test campaign, Cardoso described the flight test program as “intensive,” even the KC-390’s ferry flight across the Atlantic and the various stops in Europe and the Middle East were used to tick off test points.

“The aircraft are each flying two flights a day. This is a very intensive flying campaign,” Cardoso told delegates.

A flyover of the capital Brasilia, marking the country’s independence day on Sept. 7, saw two F-5 Tigers fly in pre-contact positions behind the tanker. According to Cardoso, the F-5 pilots reported smooth conditions behind the tanker.

Testing of more specialized capabilities will follow in 2018, with operations from austere runways including ice and snow so that the KC-390 can support Brazil’s Antarctic research programs. The company also plans to test aerial refueling of helicopters requiring the aircraft to fly at around 120 kt.

The air force wants to achieve initial operating capability and certification in 2017, with full operational capability in 2018.

The aircraft will be used in air transport, air-to-air refueling and search and rescue roles. As part of the purchase, the air force plans to buy 14 refueling kits for the fleet.

Instead we chose to go along with mythical MTA with Russia, who is anyways reluctant to treat us beyond buyer (& at best accommodates Indian specific LRUs) relationship. Now Russia wants to move on with MTA project "alone".

As usual, at the stroke of the hour, we will float a global tender and buy X number of planes in fly-away condition from OEM and have the rest assembled by HAL. Another potential aerospace development learning project crashes and burns to the ground. I think it would be better if we come out with an open national policy stating that a full-scale airplane/fighter jet program is beyond our tech & financial capability. We will continue to buy these items from foreign suppliers. At best, some avionics & other things will be substituted by Indian equivalents. Us jingos can temper our expectations and prevent unnecessary stress.

Nirbhay, Rustom (1&2), any UAVs, ABM, even A-5/6 all seem to be stuck in a limbo with no new positive news. Thankfully, in munitions & defense electronics, we seem to be making steady progress.

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 11 Oct 2016 12:45

An event of some note, the last Su-30 has been made @ Knaaz, and production of the type has now ended. It is the last of the 12 Su-30MK2 ordered by Vietnam in 2013: ( via TR1 )

-More than 207 planes produced since 1999.
-6 pre-serials
-79 Su-30MKK (77 for China and 2 for Indonesia)
-101 Su-30MK2 ( 37 for Vietnam, 25 for China, 25 for Venezuela, 9 for Indonesia, and 6 for Uganda)
-20 Su-30M2 for the VVS

Kartik · Post by **Kartik** » 12 Oct 2016 04:32

Eurofighter assembly lines in Germany and Spain are on the verge of shutting down thanks to lack of orders

Eurofighter faces hard decisions on production as orders run out

PARIS --- The four Eurofighter partners face major decisions over the next couple of years, as two of their four final assembly lines begin running out of work in 2018, and production of major components faces a two-year suspension until it resumes in 2018 for the aircraft ordered by Kuwait earlier this year.

Coping with the end of production will create complex management challenges for the four partner companies who own prime contractor Eurofighter Jagdflugzug GmbH, (Airbus, with 46%, BAE Systems with 33% and Leonardo-Finmeccanica, with 21%, according to the latest shareholdings), as well as a loss of revenue that will lead them to decide whether to claim compensation from the four partner governments for the substantial cuts in overall production numbers since the “umbrella contract” was signed.

Closing down a final assembly line is akin to the kiss of death in a market as competitive as the one for modern combat aircraft, and what dissuasive effect closing not one, but two, FALs might have on prospective customers can only be guessed. Boeing (with the F-18E) and Lockheed Martin (with the F-16) face similar problems, and both are scrambling to ring up new sales before they run out of work.

Losing credibility in the market would be especially ironic for the four Eurofighter partner nations, as they are investing upwards of a billion euros to upgrade the aircraft -- notably by adding an AESA radar, an improved self-defense suite and new, more capable weapons – to make it more competitive and more attractive to prospective customers.

However, the upgrade package has come very late in the game, and while it will substantially improve the effectiveness of their in-service fleets, it might not arrive soon enough for prospective buyers, who would look askance at the closing of final assembly lines or the hibernation of component fabrication.

This is one of the reasons why the partner companies shy away from this issue. “We are not confirming any delivery figures publicly,” an Airbus DS spokesman said Oct 05, while a spokesman for BAE Military Aircraft said Oct 6 that “Based on current orders, aircraft will continue to be delivered until 2023,” wrongly implying uninterrupted production and glossing over the fact that BAE’s own final assembly line is due to close in 2018.

Furthermore, information relating to production workshare and aircraft deliveries is no longer available on the Eurofighter website.

Two FALs to close in 2018, one in 2019 and Italy’s in 2022

The crux of the problem is that the two final assembly lines (FAL) operated by the German and Spanish units of Airbus Defence and Space will run out of work in 2018 and 2019, when they deliver the last aircraft to their respective air forces.

As of September, Airbus Spain had delivered 61 of 73 Eurofighters, with 12 left, while as of July 1 Airbus Germany had delivered 120 of 143 aircraft on order. Even though both are stretching out production as much as possible (by lowering production rates to 8 aircraft/year in Germany and 4 per year in Spain), it is inevitable that, without a new order, they will begin to shut down in 2018, either temporarily or permanently.

Eurofighter Deliveries, 2016-2022

(D-A.com research and analysis of manufacturer and MoD data, other sources)
* Final delivery to Kuwait tentatively scheduled for 4th Quarter 2022, but could slide into 2023.

“After delivery of last German Air Force aircraft, the Airbus FAL at Manching will be interrupted until further‎ export contracts are acquired (capability to produce further Eurofighter in Manching will be secured) [but] assembly of centre fuselages will continue,” the Airbus DS spokesman said Oct 5, without explaining what they would be used for.

The situation is marginally better in Britain, as foreign sales have helped to make up for large cuts in national orders. BAE says in its latest annual report that 18 Typhoon aircraft were delivered from the UK final assembly facility in 2015, of which 12 for Saudi Arabia, and in November 2015 the company decided to reduce its production rate to delay the inevitable.

As of June 30, BAE had a backlog of 42 aircraft (22 for the Royal Air Force, 8 for Saudi Arabia and 12 for Oman), but contractual delivery deadlines limit its flexibility to slow production.

Current plans call for BAE to deliver 7 aircraft in the second half of 2016, 17 in 2017, 12 in 2018 and the final 6 in 2019, when the British FAL will close unless BAE finds new foreign customers.

In fact, it is Italy that seems to have best managed its Eurofighter assembly line, thanks to its recent 28-aircraft order from Kuwait. On current orders, it has a backlog of 42 aircraft, which will keep its final assembly line in business until end 2022 or early 2023 – four years later then its three program partners. Production schedules as of June 30 call for three more aircraft to be delivered this year, 5 each in 2017 and 2018, 3 in 2019, 9 each in 2020 and 2021, and the last 8 in 2022.

Component production to be suspended for two years

As final assembly is winding down, fabrication of components will be suspended in three of the four countries, and will not resume until 2018, when new parts will be needed to assemble the 28 aircraft ordered by Kuwait.

Airbus Spain will build its last wing in July 2017, for example, and Airbus subsidiary Premium Aerotech is now building its final center fuselage, after which their component production lines will temporarily close down for at least two years, Die Welt reported quoting a company spokesman. Several phone calls and an e-mail to Aerotech’s Head of Communications, Markus Wölfle, were ignored.

In November, BAE Systems “announced a reduction in its build rate for Typhoon assemblies to ensure production continuity at competitive costs over the medium term,” which in simple words means they’re stretching out production as long as possible to avoid having to close, mothball and then re-open the lines on which it builds components and parts.

Financial implications

Whenever they may happen, these production shutdowns will have financially significant consequences. For example, according to its latest annual report, BAE Systems gained £1.1 billion in 2014 and £1.4 billion in 2015 “under the Typhoon work share agreement with Eurofighter Jagdflugzeug GmbH,” the program’s nominal prime contractor, and this business will inevitably slow in the absence of new orders.

By extrapolating from BAE’s figures, and based on current workshare, we estimate that in 2015 Eurofighter fabrication was worth about 2.7 billion euros to Airbus DS (the company does not break out Eurofighter revenue). Leonardo said in its annual report that revenue obtained through Eurofighter amounted to 897 million euros in 2015 and 898 million euros in 2014.

Thanks to slower assembly, and the Kuwaiti contract, Leonardo will interrupt neither its final assembly line nor its component production until 2022, when the last Kuwaiti aircraft is to be delivered, a company spokesman said Oct. 7.

Consequently, and alone among the partner companies, Leonardo will continue to benefit from steady revenue from the Eurofighter program until 2023, albeit it with a dip in 2019.

It should be noted that workshare differs somewhat from shareholding, as the respective production work shares stand at 43% for Airbus Defence and Space, 37.5% for BAE Systems and 19.5% for Finmeccanica.

....

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 12 Oct 2016 10:18

Russia, China to mull joint response to US missile shield

MOSCOW: Amid escalating US-Russia tensions, the Russian military said Tuesday it will cooperate with China on efforts to fend off a threat posed by the US missile defense program.

Lt. Gen. Viktor Poznikhir of the Russian military's General Staff accused the Pentagon of developing the shield as part of planning for a possible first nuclear strike. "The missile defense system considerably shifts the balance of offensive weapons, allowing the planning of a more efficient pre-emptive strike " he said at a security conference in China.

Russia and China have frequently expressed concerns about the US missile shield, but Poznikhir dropped any diplomatic reticence in his blunt speech that reflected a widening rift between Moscow and Washington.

"Russian military experts believe that the US hopes to gain the capability to strike any region of the world, including Russia and China, with nuclear-tipped missiles with impunity," he said. Poznikhir argued that Washington's calculus would be to launch a first disarming strike and then rely on the missile shield to shoot down the remaining enemy missiles launched at the US in a retaliatory strike.

He used an analogy of two gladiators armed with swords facing each other.

"If one of the gladiators takes up a shield, it will give him a marked advantage and make him think that he would be able to win, particularly if he strikes first," he said. "What would another gladiator do? Naturally, he also would pick up a shield and also a longer and stronger sword. This is what happening now as a result of the US missile deployment."

Poznikhir said that both Russia and China have taken counter measures in response to the US missile defense program, but he didn't but he didn't elaborate.

He noted that Russia and China held drills earlier this year to simulate a joint action to fend off missile strikes under the protection of a missile defense system near its borders. Poznikhir added that Moscow and Beijing will conduct a similar exercise next year.

Like other Russian officials before him, Poznikhir shrugged off US statements that the missile defense system is intended to fend off threats from North Korea and Iran. He argued that the planned US system will include hundreds of missile interceptors _ a capability far exceeding the need to deal with any potential threats from Iran and North Korea.

"Under the pretext of countering the North Korean and Iranian `missile threats,' the system intended primarily for engaging Russian and Chinese missiles is being developed," he said.

"The illusion of invulnerability and impunity under the missile defense umbrella would encourage Washington to take unilateral steps in dealing with global and regional issues," Poznikhir said. "That can objectively lead to lowering the threshold of nuclear weapons use to pre-empt the enemy's action."

He added that governments in Europe and Asia which agreed to host elements of the US missile shield had made their people "hostages of the US unpredictable action."

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 12 Oct 2016 10:25

China, Russia slam US plan to deploy THAAD missiles in South Korea

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/art ... ppst[quote]

THAAD, an advanced missile defence system the US plans to deploy in South Korea, apparently does not conform to its alleged purpose and is not conducive to the peninsula's peace and stability, Cai said at a press briefing jointly held by Chinese and Russian armed forces on the sidelines of the 7th Xiangshan Forum here.

"China resolutely opposes the THAAD plan and strongly urges the United States and ROK to change their minds," he said.

The US' unilateral and "unconstructive" design of missile defence systems will cause the global security environment to deteriorate, damage global strategic balance and regional security and stability and hinder the process of nuclear disarmament and nonproliferation, he said.

"It may trigger a new wave of the arms race," Cai said.

China has insisted on political and diplomatic efforts from concerned parties to achieve common security, stability and cooperation, he added.

Lt Gen Viktor Poznikhir, from Russian military's General Staff, also said the US missile manoeuvre has negatively affected global strategic stability.

The US' deployment of anti-missile systems in Europe and Asia-Pacific is aimed at curbing Russia's and China's strategic nuclear strength and consolidating the US hegemony, state-run Xinhua news agency quoted Poznikhir as saying.

He said Russia doubted the US' claims that THAAD is needed to defend against missiles from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

The anti-missile system is strategically assaultive, which aims to establish absolute advantage over any potential rivals worldwide, Poznikhir said.

He also reiterated a Sino-Russian proposal that related parties should conclude a treaty through negotiation on preventing the deployment of weapons in outer-space and preventing the use of or threatening to use weapons against outer-space objects.
[/quote]

kmkraoind · Post by **kmkraoind** » 12 Oct 2016 20:48

irbus threatens to sue Poland for ditching helicopter deal -RT.Com

European aeronautics manufacturer Airbus says it may take Poland to court for cancelling a $3.5 billion deal to buy 50 Caracal helicopters.
........
The Polish government abandoned plans to purchase French-designed helicopters last week. Warsaw said an offset agreement accompanying the main deal would go against the country’s economic and security interests.

The move spurred a tough reaction from the French government, with President Francois Hollande cancelling a visit to Warsaw and warning of defense cooperation review.

brar_w · Post by **brar_w** » 13 Oct 2016 03:48

Lockheed kicks off its GBSD campaign as SRM makers are prohibited by the pentagon from forming exclusive partnerships.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 13 Oct 2016 07:43

with 18 ohio subs and the next SSBN a committed project, why does US see a need for siloed ground based ICBMs anymore ? I can undertand the pov of russians as they have less access to the ocean, lesser number of top notch SSBNs and much less number of top notch SSNs to protect the same...hence topol-M,yars,rubezh and sarmat.

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 13 Oct 2016 12:46

^^ They will have to replace the Minuteman 3 ICBM

vina · Post by **vina** » 13 Oct 2016 13:03

Singha wrote:with 18 ohio subs and the next SSBN a committed project, why does US see a need for siloed ground based ICBMs anymore ? I can undertand the pov of russians as they have less access to the ocean, lesser number of top notch SSBNs and much less number of top notch SSNs to protect the same...hence topol-M,yars,rubezh and sarmat.

The same reason why IAF insists on an aircraft based nuke delivery role. If land based ICBM goes, it will be USN alone that operates Nukes! The USAF would rather die than let that happen!

Viv S · Post by **Viv S** » 13 Oct 2016 13:05

Singha wrote:with 18 ohio subs and the next SSBN a committed project, why does US see a need for siloed ground based ICBMs anymore ? I can undertand the pov of russians as they have less access to the ocean, lesser number of top notch SSBNs and much less number of top notch SSNs to protect the same...hence topol-M,yars,rubezh and sarmat.

Exactly. Especially since the location of their land-based ICBMs is widely known.

One theory is that they will be used to 'soak' up a first/second strike from a hostile power, which might otherwise target larger population centres. Would also allow the USAF to concentrate their ABM defences around those locations allowing for better pKs.

And if this is the case, it might make more sense to run the project as a dummy, funneling away the funding into more productive avenues.

brar_w · Post by **brar_w** » 13 Oct 2016 14:49

The rationale for the GBSD is long term strategic deterrence since decisions made to replace the MIII will take well over a decade or two to operationalize and would last for many many decades beyond that. The argument is that its a hedge against the sub-surface deterrent being compromised or being inadequate. Politically, there is a fairly broad consensus on getting the GBSD and Columbia class in since its also about the infrastructure and not just the weapons system.

The LRSO should imho be cut since its something that is a rather poor allocation of current sequester level funding, but mainly because it does not have the type of supporting infrastructure demand that the GBSD does and therefore can be brought back into the nuclear fold relatively quickly if the national needs demand it. The GBSD and the Columbia class cannot so its a 'generational' decision/investment that must be made and pursued.

The current nuclear enterprise modernization debate is not a question of what is survivable today..Its about what the optimum level of deterrence is for the US's national security needs for the next 5-6 decades taking everything into consideration.

http://breakingdefense.com/2016/04/why- ... ile-silos/
http://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pu ... MG1210.pdf

deejay · Post by **deejay** » 13 Oct 2016 19:23

vina wrote:
Singha wrote:with 18 ohio subs and the next SSBN a committed project, why does US see a need for siloed ground based ICBMs anymore ? I can undertand the pov of russians as they have less access to the ocean, lesser number of top notch SSBNs and much less number of top notch SSNs to protect the same...hence topol-M,yars,rubezh and sarmat.
The same reason why IAF insists on an aircraft based nuke delivery role. If land based ICBM goes, it will be USN alone that operates Nukes! The USAF would rather die than let that happen!

IAF insisting on nuke delivery role! It gets funny on the forum.

bharats · Post by **bharats** » 15 Oct 2016 08:37

Rocket scientists reach for the sky
by Zhao Lei for Xinhua News Oct 13, 2016

Models of rockets from the Long March series are on display at an aviation technology exhibition in Beijing on Sept 18. Image courtesy Chen Xiaogen and China Daily.

Deng Xinyu, 32, has lived in Beijing since 2002 when he left his hometown of Huaihua in Hunan province, and moved to the capital to enter university. In common with most of the capital's residents, he talks about the soaring cost of property, traffic and good restaurants. He likes movies and reading books on history. But his main focus is out of this world, literally. Most of his energy and attention is devoted to one big thing - the Long March 7, China's newest and most powerful space rocket. Deng, the father of a 3-year-old boy, is a senior engineer in the Long March 7 project team at the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, the major developer of these rockets. "Though the rocket's first flight was successful, we are not complacent. Actually, we are busy preparing for its second mission," Deng told China Daily. "Because the Long March 7 is a brand new model, it is totally different from previous types so our design methods and difficulties were different."

China conducted the maiden launch of the Long March 7 on June 25 at the Wenchang Space Launch Center in the island province of Hainan. The rocket sent seven payloads, including a model of China's next-generation manned spacecraft and a space debris cleaner, into orbit. Propelled by pollution-free fuel, the Long March 7 is capable of sending 13.5 tons of payload into low Earth orbit and 5.5 tons into a sun-synchronous orbit. With a take-off weight of 597 metric tons, it is currently the most powerful rocket in China's launch vehicle family as its payload capability is about 1.5 times bigger than that of the Long March 2F, the predecessor to the Long March 7, according to the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology.

"The capabilities of a nation's rockets determine the extent of its space activity," Deng said. Researchers at his academy, he added, are mostly in their 30s and they are committed to ensuring China realizes its space aspirations. "I arrive in the office at 8 am every day and go home at about 8:30 pm. I also work at least one day over the weekend. Usually, I have only one supper with my family each week," he told China Daily. "But I don't regret choosing this job and I am still energetic. This is because my job keeps bringing me new challenges and inspiration."

Over the past two decades, the world witnessed China's rise from a mediocre space player to an influential power. It has sent 10 spacecraft and 10 astronauts into space and will soon fulfill a new manned mission to transport two astronauts to a space laboratory. The nation has also made three lunar exploration missions, including one that soft-landed a rover on the moon. Currently, Chinese scientists and engineers are developing a permanent manned space station, which is set to be built in space from 2018 and will be put into service around 2022. It is expected to become the world's only space station after the International Space Station is retired in 2024.

The country will also send an unmanned probe to Mars to orbit and land on the Red Planet around 2020, Chinese space authorities said. Furthermore, Lieutenant General Zhang Yulin, deputy head of the Central Military Commission's Equipment Development Department, said in April that China will land astronauts on the moon in 15-20 years. These ambitious plans to send manned craft into space require massive work on the ground and teams of researchers in institutes, like the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, are racing against time.

Ma Ying, 38, another senior engineer in the Long March 7 team and a leader of a sub-team, said, "every month, there are always some people in my office that are on business trips. Everyone in the office must be 'multifunctional' so they are able to handle various tasks." He said overtime is common but no one has complained. "We bond with each other because we all understand one person's mistake will affect others' work. We believe in team spirit," the engineer explained. To support the rapid growth in the nation's space activities, China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp, which runs the rocket academy, began to expand its workforce several years ago.

The State-owned giant employed more than 5,300 university graduates in 2012, around 4,000 in 2013 and around 3,000 each year since 2014. Ma noted that in the past, newcomers to the academy would have a certain period of time to get used to their tight schedules, but now most new recruits have to fit quickly into the fast-paced agenda from their first day. According to Ma, about 30 percent in his sub-team are women but they are far removed from what may be the public's perception of female scientists. Just like women and men in other fields, they have various interests and hobbies but their commitment to the project is total.

"My female colleagues are devoted and dedicated to the work but they also pursue a quality life and maintain a good work-life balance." These young female rocket designers are like Ma's sisters, he said, and in the rare moments that they have some time off, they like to socialize. "They often ask me to organize a party for the sub-team and of course, that I should pay the bill," he laughed. Chen Rong, 33, a researcher on future launch vehicles at the academy, said she took part in the Long March 7's first mission. She recalls it was an exciting and memorable time.

"I was responsible for transmitting track information from the ground control center in Beijing to my colleagues in Wenchang during the launch process, and each second of that time was breathtaking and exciting," she recalled. It was not uncommon for Chen and her husband, also a researcher at the academy, to be both busy so they ask their parents to take care of their 2-year-old daughter. Moreover, Chen said she often worries about the schooling of her little girl. "Nevertheless I am optimistic. China's space programs have great plans and bright prospects, so do we," she said.

"We will realize existing plans on schedule and resolve problems one by one. Meanwhile we will explore new fields. This approach applies to both the rocket development as well as my family's growth." Before the end of this year, the latest product of the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology - the Long March 5 heavy-lift rocket, will conduct its maiden flight from the Wenchang center. Boasting a take-off weight of 869 tons, it can lift a 25-ton payload into low orbit or a 14-ton payload into geosynchronous transfer orbit.

The Long March 5 will be tasked with launching China's heavyweight spacecraft including the Chang'e 5 lunar probe, core module of the planned space station and Mars probes, according to the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp. The company has also begun to develop a super-heavy rocket that will have a take-off weight of 3,000 tons and can thrust a 100-ton payload into low orbit, Yang Baohua, deputy general manager of the company, previously told reporters. He noted that the gigantic rocket will be twice as tall and seven times more powerful than the Long March 7. If the research and development proceed well, the super-heavy rocket will carry out its first flight around 2030, and then it will enable China to carry out manned missions to the moon and to send and retrieve Mars probes, he said.

Talking about the prospect of China's space programs, Yao Guowei, a development planner at the rocket academy, said he hopes that the nation's space industry could make more efforts to bolster creativity and innovation. He also suggests that the industry should encourage more participation from the private sector and pay due consideration to the commercial aspect of the space market. Major Long March rockets in service

Long March 2C
Blast-off date: September 1982. Mainly used to launch satellites into low and sun-synchronous orbit.
Long March 2F: November 1999. Primarily to launch Shenzhou manned spacecraft and Tiangong space laboratories.
Long March 3B: August 1997. Mostly to launch satellites into geostationary transfer orbit.
Long March 4B: May 1999. To place satellites into sun-synchronous orbit.
Long March 6: September 2015. Again, mostly to place satellites in sun-synchronous orbit.
Long March 7: June 2016. This rocket will be used for nearly 80 percent of China's space launches in the future.

China's manned space activities:
Shenzhou V mission: Launched on Oct 15, 2003, lasting 21 hours. China's first manned space mission.
Shenzhou VI mission: Launched on Oct 12, 2005, lasting nearly 5 days.
Shenzhou VII mission: Launched on Sept 25, 2008, lasting nearly 3 days. China's first extra-vehicular mission.
Tiangong I mission: Launched on Sept 29, 2011, lasting more than two years. China's first space laboratory.
Shenzhou IX mission: Launched on June 16, 2012, lasting nearly 13 days. China's first space docking.
Shenzhou X mission: Launched on June 11, 2013, lasting nearly 15 days. The longest stay in space by Chinese astronauts.
Tiangong II mission: Launched on Sept 15, 2016, will last two years. China's second space laboratory.

Website: http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Rocke ... y_999.html

Prem · Post by **Prem** » 16 Oct 2016 02:49

US detects what it says is failed N. Korean missile launch
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/wo ... aunch.html

The US military says it’s detected what’s being described as a failed missile launch by North Korea.A military statement says the launch occurred near the northwestern city of Kusong and that the missile is presumed to be a Musadan intermediate-range ballistic missile.The military says launch was attempted at 11:33 p.m. EDT Friday (12:03 p.m. Saturday local time) and that the missile didn’t pose a threat to North America.
North Korea has claimed technical breakthroughs in its goal of developing a long-range nuclear missile capable of reaching the continental United States. South Korean defense officials have said the North doesn’t yet have such a weapon.In August, Japanese and South Korean officials said a medium-range ballistic missile flew about 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) and landed near Japan's territorial water

brar_w · Post by **brar_w** » 16 Oct 2016 04:20

Clicked these a few hours ago. Wasn't expecting them.. so didn't take my camera along (phone shots)..

F-22, F-35 and P-51.

shiv · Post by **shiv** » 16 Oct 2016 05:42

Amazing that they are both able to formate with that thing! Speaks volumes about low speed hi AOA capability. But what is that thing in the middle?

NRao · Post by **NRao** » 16 Oct 2016 08:09

How to Follow Europe's Mars Arrival and Landing Online

shiv · Post by **shiv** » 16 Oct 2016 08:15

Takez vous un quiz? (As they would say in France if they knew French as well as me)
viewtopic.php?p=2058652#p2058652

Prem · Post by **Prem** » 16 Oct 2016 09:08

F22 had really wonderful display last Saturday over the City by the Bay built on Rock and Roll. Twice it was right over the head with loudest engines and occasional black smoke from Mush.It was alike alive You Tube scene.

brar_w · Post by **brar_w** » 16 Oct 2016 16:33

shiv wrote:Amazing that they are both able to formate with that thing! Speaks volumes about low speed hi AOA capability. But what is that thing in the middle?

The P-51

http://www.acc.af.mil/Home/AerialEvents ... light.aspx

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 16 Oct 2016 20:25

http://www.janes.com/article/64626/sout ... e-missiles

South Korea begins receiving Taurus cruise missiles

Gareth Jennings, London - IHS Jane's Defence Weekly
14 October 2016

A Taurus KEPD 350K missile being displayed for the first time in front of its F-15K Slam Eagle host aircraft at the ADEX 2015 defence exhibition in Seoul. Source: IHS/James Hardy
South Korea has received its first lot of Taurus KEPD 350K cruise missiles during a ceremony at the headquarters of Taurus Systems in Schrobenhausen, Germany, it was announced on 14 October.

An undisclosed number of missiles were formally handed over to the Republic of Korea Air Force (RoKAF) during the event, which took place on the same day as the announcement. The RoKAF signed a contract for the Taurus KEPD 350K in November 2013, with reports putting the number at either 170 or 180 missiles.

The Taurus KEPD 350K is being integrated onto the RoKAF's Boeing F-15K Slam Eagle fleet. According to MBDA Deutschland (the lead company in the Taurus Systems consortium, which also includes Saab Dynamics), this work is now in its final stages.

The missile is an enhanced version of the Taurus KEPD 350 fielded by Germany and Spain on its Panavia Tornado, and Boeing EF-18 Hornet and Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft respectively. Sweden is looking at integrating it onto its Saab JAS 39 Gripens also.

The baseline Taurus KEPD 350 missile is a 350 km to 500 km-class weapon designed for use against hardened and buried targets with its Multi-Effect Penetrator Highly Sophisticated and Target Optimised (MEPHISTO) penetrator warhead and intelligent fuzing system. Once launched, the missile, which is powered by a small turbofan engine, flies at extremely low altitudes (30 m) at speeds of up to Mach 0.9. The Taurus KEPD 350 missile measures 5.1 m in length, 63 cm wide, 32 cm high, and weighs in at 1,400 kg.

The Taurus KEPD 350K for the RoKAF differs slightly in that it is equipped with a new Rockwell Collins GPS receiver that comes with a Selective Availability Anti-Spoofing Module (SAASM) to prevent jamming.

NRao · Post by **NRao** » 16 Oct 2016 20:36

NRao wrote:How to Follow Europe's Mars Arrival and Landing Online

Lander separates without problems (signal received via the GMRT Radio telescope in Pune, India).

On to Wed for the actual landing.

ldev · Post by **ldev** » 17 Oct 2016 07:56

China launches a manned space mission with 2 astronauts on the Shenzou 11 spacecraft, launched by a Long March 2F rocket, and they will stay for 30 days in orbit on board the Tiangong 2 space station.