International Military Discussion

Karan M · Post by **Karan M** » 17 Jan 2016 04:20

It was a massa developed fighter notionally Taiwanese in name onlee..in many ways.
Massa deputed engineers and design teams to "assist"...on one forum, one of the propulsion guys had come and detailed depth of assistance.
FBW and engines and most hydraulics, internals from US.
After development it turned out it wasn't much of a hotrod and F-16s were available, plus it was expensive. So they moved to the F-16.

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 18 Jan 2016 09:21

SpaceX rocket explodes after landing

Viv S · Post by **Viv S** » 21 Jan 2016 21:32

Despite Pressures From China, Taiwan Might Procure Harriers

By Wendell Minnick 5:15 p.m. EST January 16, 2016

TAIPEI — Taiwan will have the opportunity to procure refurbished AV-8 Harrier Jump Jets as the US Marine Corps (USMC) begins replacing the aircraft with F-35B stealth fighters, said US government sources.

The Harriers will be offered to Taiwan through the Pentagon’s Excess Defense Articles (EDA) program under the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency.

The AV-8 would fulfill Taiwan’s much-needed vertical and/or short takeoff and landing (V/STOL) requirement. China is expected to destroy Taiwan’s air bases within the first few hours of a war with its estimated 1,400 short-range ballistic missile arsenal and the Harrier’s V/STOL capability will allow the Taiwan air force to maintain air operations by hiding the aircraft in the mountainous interior.

A US defense industry analyst working in Taiwan said that it was a “great idea,” but the USMC’s AV-8s are “too worn to be of much sustainable service value, at least not without some, probably very costly, structural rehabilitation and avionics upgrade.”

The Taiwan Air Force is not crazy about the AV-8 and there is tremendous pressure to continue efforts to secure procurement of the F-35B short take-off and vertical landing aircraft (STOVL) aircraft.

The spokesman’s office of Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense (MND) said the Air Force wants the best operational advantage and will want advanced fighters with supersonic, STOVL, stealth, and beyond-visual-range capabilities. Though in the past, the AV-8 was considered an option, “this kind of aircraft is outdated and its performance and capabilities fail to meet future operational requirements.”

Beyond V/STOL capabilities, the Harrier is subsonic and incapable of aerial dog fighting, said a Taiwan Air Force general. “According to my understanding, the Taiwan Air Force will not choose the AV-8 due to limited capabilities, refurbishment costs, and logistic support problems.”

Erich Shih, a Taiwan-based defense expert, said the idea of procuring AV-8s was a “stupid and silly idea” because the “operational range is extremely short and used aircraft would be costly for maintenance and spare parts, and the engine is very complicated to work on.” Though it would fulfill Taiwan’s VSTOL requirement, Taiwan’s Air Force wants the F-35B, he said An MND source within the policy section said that what the Air Force does not understand is that the US government’s refusal to sell them new F-16C/D fighters translates to continued refusal for more complex fighters, such as the F-35s.

Nevertheless, Taiwan’s Air Force continues to pursue the highly classified and complex stealth fighter, not realizing the US government will never release it, he said.

Taiwan’s obsession with the F-35B is nearly total with the production of a military patch with the fighter and ROC Air Force emblazoned on it.

In 2013, this collectible patch began to appear in Taiwan with the words: “F-35 Lightning II for ROCAF [Republic of China Air Force]” and an image of the fighter aircraft and the ROC flag waving behind it.

Defense News has acquired a copy of Taiwan’s original 2002 Pentagon request for letter of intent (LOI) and for price and availability (P&A) data on the F-35B signed by Wang Chi-lin, then director of the Defense Procurement Division of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office (Taiwan’s de facto embassy in Washington). The letter demonstrates Taiwan’s early interest in the F-35B’s STOVL capabilities.

“Due to Taiwan’s ‘no first strike’ policy, the ROCAF [Republic of China Air Force] considers initial strikes on conventional airfield to be both a priority to enemy [mainland China] offensive actions and devastating to the ability of Taiwan to defend against a surface invasion. Strikes on Taiwan air bases would neutralize existing aircraft due to their inability to perform short take-off and landings.”

“The primary purpose of this acquisition is to provide a credible response capability in the event that our air bases become non-functional due to initial air, missile, and SOF [special operations forces] attacks.”

A former US Air Force officer working with the Taiwan military at the time said the Pentagon provided Taiwan with a F-35 briefing and the Taiwan officers attending were described as being “impressed.” However, little more was done about the request beyond that briefing.

The US ignored Taiwan’s request for new F-16C/D fighter aircraft and the message was clear, said a US government source, “if they are not getting new F-16s, they are not getting F-35s.” Beijing officials have described the sale of new F-16s to Taiwan as a “red line.”

There could also be trouble from the AV-8s manufacturer, Boeing. The company turned down a request to comment on participating in the refurbishment of the aircraft. “As expected, we have nothing to say about potential Taiwan sales,” said Ken Morton, Boeing Defense, Asia-Pacific.

Morton’s response is not surprising. Past pressure from Beijing on Boeing to cease defense sales to Taiwan has been troubling. In 2006, the company closed its Taipei offices and moved them to Singapore in an effort to placate Beijing. Boeing has repeatedly asked Defense News not to print articles mentioning Boeing’s sale of AH-64 Apache attack helicopters to Taiwan. Boeing has significant investments and business deals in China’s commercial aviation industry, and Beijing has used these dealings to influence not just Boeing, but other US companies to discontinue arms deals with Taipei.

brar_w · Post by **brar_w** » 22 Jan 2016 00:40

Orbital ATK Plans 'Next-Gen' Launcher Tests

Orbital ATK plans to start ground tests next year of first elements for an all-new, next-generation launch vehicle to compete for the U.S. Air Force’s Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) program.

The company disclosed details of the plan on Jan. 14 following revelations from the Air Force that awards made to the company the previous day for work on new boosters and a modified upper-stage engine were destined for an “Orbital ATK next-generation launch vehicle.”

The contracts, issued by the U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center Launch Systems Directorate, are valued at $46.9 million and cover development of the Common Booster Segment main stage, the Graphite Epoxy Motor (GEM) 63XL strap-on booster, and an extendable nozzle for Blue Origin’s BE-3U/EN upper-stage engine. A second contract, valued at $33.6 million, was awarded to SpaceX for further development of the company’s liquid oxygen/methane staged-combustion Raptor upper-stage engine.

Orbital ATK hatched a plan to develop the as-yet unnamed new launch vehicle following a 2014 congressional directive to the Defense Department to develop a U.S.-produced rocket propulsion system to enable the Air Force to transition off the Russian-supplied RD-180 propulsion system used on the Atlas V rocket. The move will bring Orbital ATK into direct competition with Boeing-Lockheed Martin’s United Launch Alliance (ULA) and SpaceX, both of which are vying to launch national security payloads.

“When the Air Force said it was looking for a solution to replace the RD-180 engine, Orbital and ATK were separate companies,” says Mark Pieczynski, vice president of business development for Orbital ATK’s Flight Systems Group. “ATK was looking at solid [rocket motor] solutions for the RD-180 replacement, as was Orbital and, since we had a supplier relationship with ATK, we talked about ATK as the propulsion provider and Orbital as the launch vehicle provider,” Pieczynski says.

Following the Orbital ATK merger last year, Pieczynski says, “we had something to offer the Air Force. So we submitted a response to the Air Force’s ‘Step 2’ request for proposals and we are honored that [they like] what we put forward.”

Scott Lehr, president of the Flight System Group, says the Orbital and ATK merger “created a new level of technical capabilities and cost synergies that have strengthened our propulsion system solution to the Air Force. This funding, together with our own research and development investments, will lead to an operational launch capability in 2019.”

The Orbital ATK concept would incorporate a Common Booster Segment main stage made up of solid motor cores delivering the “liftoff thrust of the RD-180,” Pieczynski says. “To get heavy lift we add one or two more solid cores to the booster and we could strap them on, like the Atlas V,” he adds. The upper-stage would be powered by the BE-3U/EN, a modified version of Blue Origin’s baseline 110,000-lb.-thrust liquid oxygen/liquid hydrogen engine.

Pieczynski notes that discussions with Blue Origin have been ongoing for more than a year, “We have been working with them on taking the basic BE-3 engine and converting it to an upper-stage engine. The engine has a really high technology-readiness level and flew recently on the New Shepard suborbital vehicle. So it has hardware that has flown and now has flight testing behind it,” he adds.

The modification involves adding an extended nozzle to optimize the expansion ratio for operation in a vacuum. Although Orbital ATK has not specified the capability of the upper-stage derivative, Blue Origin has previously described the BE-3U as a 155,000-lb. vacuum-thrust engine. Orbital ATK does not foresee any issues with the development, as it already provides extendable nozzles for solid motors to enable denser packaging.

Similarly, Pieczynski says, development of the GEM 63XL is also underway and accelerating. The strap-on booster was selected by ULA last September for future flights of the Atlas V and the forthcoming Vulcan launch system. The GEM 63 will replace Aerojet Rocketdyne’s AJ-60A boosters on upcoming flights of the Atlas V; the longer XL version of the booster has been selected for heavier Vulcan launches. “It could also be used for the Orbital ATK vehicle if it needed a little additional performance boost,” he adds.

Although the Air Force requirement calls for launch capability by 2019, Pieczynski says “we can meet the timescale. We do have a lot of recent history of solid rocket motor development, and we understand the complexity involved in developing new rocket motors. The plan right now is to have the solid core booster through critical design review, and to start tests in the second quarter of 2017. About a year later, or maybe less, we hope to have the first static fire. That would lead to launch capability in 2019,” he adds, underscoring that “This schedule is realistic.”

Orbital ATK has already filed a letter of intent to the Air Force to begin the certification process for launching national security payloads and says work on a detailed certification plan is expected to begin over the next few months. The manufacturer says work on the Air Force launcher program will take place at its facilities in Magna, Utah; Iuka, Mississippi; and Chandler, Arizona, from 2016-19.

vishal · Post by **vishal** » 22 Jan 2016 08:42

An interesting chart depicting mission-capable rates for USAF aircraft operating in the Middle East.

Those numbers are impressively high and highlight the force-multiplier effects of good maintenance, logistics, design and overall control over the lifecycle of the aircraft. The last part is something the IAF seems to be neglecting in the scheme of things when it comes to the Tejas.

Edit: Said chart is at the bottom of the page.

Vriksh · Post by **Vriksh** » 22 Jan 2016 08:44

IRGC WIG deployed in 2010 in the Persian Gulf.

brar_w · Post by **brar_w** » 22 Jan 2016 16:20

Exclusive: U.S. weighs making Hawaii missile test site operational - sources

The U.S. military has stepped up discussions on converting its Aegis missile defense test site in Hawaii into a combat-ready facility that would bolster American defenses against ballistic missile attacks, according to sources familiar with the discussions.

The proposal, which has been discussed sporadically for several years, was given fresh impetus by North Korea's fourth nuclear test on Jan. 6 and by recent strides in China's missile technology capabilities, said current and former U.S. military officials, congressional aides and other sources.

A Chinese official in Washington suggested that Beijing would see such a U.S. move as counter-productive to relations.

Aegis, developed by Lockheed Martin Corp (LMT.N) for use on U.S. Navy destroyers, is among the most advanced U.S. missile defense systems, integrating radars, software, displays, weapons launchers and missiles.

Setting up its land version -- Aegis Ashore -- in Hawaii and linking it with Aegis destroyers would add a permanent missile defense site to the Pacific, providing an extra layer of protection for the U.S. islands and the West Coast at a time when North Korea is improving its missile capabilities.

Ground-based interceptors in Alaska and California provide the current defense for Hawaii and the continental United States against missile attacks.

The Navy also relies on deploying Aegis-equipped destroyers based on U.S. intelligence warnings about imminent threats. North Korea's development of mobile missile launchers has made it more difficult to predict launches in advance.

To make the test site combat-ready, the U.S. military would need to add personnel, stockpile live missiles and beef up security, at an estimated cost of around $41 million, said the sources, who were not authorized to speak publicly.

It would also need to integrate the site into the larger U.S. ballistic missile defense system, with control likely shifting from the Pentagon's Missile Defense Agency to the U.S. Navy, the sources said.

U.S. Navy Admiral Harry Harris, commander of U.S. Pacific Command, has been engaged in high-level discussions about ways to protect Hawaii, Guam and the continental United States from threats like North Korea, his spokesman, Captain Darryn James told Reuters.

James said no decisions had been made, but the Aegis Ashore site in Hawaii had a "proven test capability."

"Admiral Harris is always exploring options to forward deploy and operationalize the latest advancements in ballistic missile defense technologies in the Pacific, where we face increasingly sophisticated threats to the homeland," James said.

It remains unclear when the U.S. administration could reach a decision, but implementing the changes could be done swiftly, the sources said.

STRENGTHENING THE SHIELD

North Korea's nuclear test in January underscored U.S. concerns that the secretive state has the ability to place a bomb on a long-range ballistic missile that could reach the U.S. West Coast.

Any moves to boost missile defenses could inflame growing military rivalry between China and Washington and its allies.

Converting the site on Hawaii's Kauai island into combat use could rankle China at a time of heightened tensions with Washington over the disputed South China Sea. Beijing has already expressed concern about the possible deployment of the mobile U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system to South Korea.

Zhu Haiquan, spokesman for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, said Beijing believed the nuclear proliferation issue would be best resolved diplomatically.

"All measures seeking to increase military capacities will only intensify antagonism and will not help to solve the problem," he said when asked about the possible U.S. move.

"China hopes the relevant country will proceed on the basis of regional peace and stability, adopt a responsible attitude and act prudently in regard to the anti-missile issue."

Russia, meanwhile, has repeatedly objected to the U.S. Aegis Ashore site in Romania, which is due to become operational in the coming weeks. A similar site is due to open in Poland in 2018.

The Missile Defense Agency explored the prospect of putting the Hawaii test site into full operation in a classified report to Congress in September 2014, according to one of the sources.

Congress requires the agency to update its estimate of the cost, feasibility and effectiveness of adding more Aegis Ashore sites this spring.

The Aegis Ashore test site in Hawaii completed its first intercept test in December, using a Raytheon Co (RTN.N) Standard Missile-3 Block 1B to destroy a target that replicated an Iranian Ghadr-110 medium-range missile.

Riki Ellison, who heads the non-profit Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance, said the new Aegis installation would in effect give the U.S. military three chances to shoot down a missile aimed at Hawaii, up from one currently.

"If you have the assets on the island, why not use them to protect against possible missile attacks from North Korea?" Ellison said.

The December test proved the Aegis Ashore system could fire two different Raytheon Co (RTN.N) missiles -- one inside the earth's atmosphere and one outside -- at an enemy missile.

Expansion of military operations in Hawaii have sparked protests by residents in the past.

But Hawaii Representative Mark Takai, a Democrat and member of the House Armed Services Committee, said the conversion is "the best way to ensure we have protection for Hawaii’s critical defense infrastructure against increasingly belligerent actors that threaten our country."

If this materializes, it would only reinforce the positions of both the House armed service committee chairman, and his senate counterpart that have pushing for larger, faster SM3 to follow the currently under-testing US-Japan block IIA. Whether that brings back the Block IIB concept, or a new concept altogether (I feel the USN will be bypassed in the decision making process for just a land based weapon since it makes sense given the ranges that it can cover) remains to be seen.

Ashton Carter said last year that given the priorities and budget he agreed with the decision of his predecessor to cancel or defer the block IIB in favor of moving over to a common kill vehicle and eventually to a MOKV. Those developmental challenges are likely to be overcome by early next decade as these concepts move from design to test. I guess the 2-stage Ground based interceptor could also compete but would then have to be integrated with AEGIS.

The current block IIA along with a now cancelled proposal for IIB.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 22 Jan 2016 19:53

how good is the F22 in the tight confines of space and speed of a airshow ? so far I have seen one amazing zoom climb and leveling off, but not a whole lot of ooh moves unlike the rest of pack. is it primarily going to remain high and fast?

brar_w · Post by **brar_w** » 22 Jan 2016 20:00

Its quite good, and depends upon who is flying it and how much they are really interested in showcasing its capability. Some foreign air-show appearances are more like courtesy calls as opposed to hard flying. I have seen some really amazing displays of the F-22 online and have seen it live on 4 occasions. Having also seen both the F-15C and E displays on multiple occasions, the raptor's borrows little from them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_9UWKxH__k

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 22 Jan 2016 20:01

yes I think the bahrain f22 thing falls in the courtesy call range as they based somewhere nearby in the region.

TSJones · Post by **TSJones** » 22 Jan 2016 21:49

ESA and Sierra Nevada Dream Chaser ink a deal........

http://spacenews.com/europe-to-invest-i ... o-vehicle/

PARIS — Sierra Nevada Corp.’s win of a NASA contract to ferry cargo to the International Space Station will trigger a $36 million investment by the 22-nation European Space Agency following a cooperation agreement to be signed in the coming weeks, ESA said.

Once the agreement is signed, ESA will begin work building the first flight model of the International Berthing and Docking Mechanism (IBDM), which Sierra Nevada’s Dream Chaser Cargo System will use to attach itself to the space station.

ESA said it would spend 33 million euros ($36 million) to complete the design of the IBDM and build a flight model for Dream Chaser’s first cargo run. Future IBDMs will be financed by Sierra Nevada, ESA said.

....looks like ESA is not backing out of the ISS any time soon......nor losing any interest in potential manned space flight for that matter.....

brar_w · Post by **brar_w** » 24 Jan 2016 04:32

Apparently Qatar had requested 72 F-15E's along with their E-7 request. Most likely a similar configuration to the F-15SA's that are in testing.

http://www.defensenews.com/story/defens ... /79109014/

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 24 Jan 2016 07:56

the recyling of petro dollars continues...only this time for petrol:EU -> money -> Gulf , for weapons: Gulf -> money -> USA. for iphones: EU -> money -> USA.

hahaha - EU loses money at both ends.

NRao · Post by **NRao** » 24 Jan 2016 08:21

where are they going to park ALL those planes, forget space to fly.

And, E-7, as in a wedgetail?

Shreeman · Post by **Shreeman** » 24 Jan 2016 12:40

French contingent will be marching 1/26. Has this been the case before. There are 1/23 rehearsal bichhars. Where is the 1/26 thread?

brar_w · Post by **brar_w** » 24 Jan 2016 18:23

brar_w · Post by **brar_w** » 24 Jan 2016 18:25

NRao wrote:where are they going to park ALL those planes, forget space to fly.

And, E-7, as in a wedgetail?

They have poured billions into their air force since 1990, when they didn't have any. They have also spent more than $1.5 Billion in their air-base etc. 73 F-15E's and a few dozen Rafale's, along with the most formidable air and missile defense system in the GCC on order. Yes E-7 is the 737AEW. Wedgetail is an Aussie designation only...

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 24 Jan 2016 18:26

half could be based in usa for training on huge airspaces or maybe in saudia kabila bases. its one for all all for one now

Viv S · Post by **Viv S** » 24 Jan 2016 18:42

brar_w wrote:Apparently Qatar had requested 72 F-15E's along with their E-7 request. Most likely a similar configuration to the F-15SA's that are in testing.

I wish we'd make a play for their Mirages.

brar_w · Post by **brar_w** » 24 Jan 2016 18:44

Singha wrote:half could be based in usa for training on huge airspaces or maybe in saudia kabila bases. its one for all all for one now

Probably a mix of both since the gulf nations are looking at very high levels of integration through the EDGE-T (I think thats what its called) command and control integration..Sharing weapons and systems between Saudi, Qatar, UAE, and Kuwait would also be possible...Between them they'll have each type of western fighter minus the stealth birds

The fears that seem to be driving a lot of their procurement is that of Iranian Ballistic missiles, that are growing at a very rapid pace. They, like most around the world understand that it is unsustainable to shoot down every ballistic missile launched at you so you must go into an air-space and destroy left of launch...The Saudi Advanced Eagles look especially tailored to that mission since they requested a brand new clean sheet EW system along with an AESA upgrade to all their fleet.

TSJones · Post by **TSJones** » 24 Jan 2016 19:20

Russian rocket breaks up in geosynchronous orbit and creates debris for a long time to come.....

http://spacenews.com/u-s-air-force-russ ... -in-orbit/

brar_w · Post by **brar_w** » 24 Jan 2016 19:28

UAE Eyes Moving Mirage Fighters to Iraq's Kurdish Areas, Procuring Rafales

DUBAI — The United Arab Emirates is awaiting final assurances from France and the Iraqi government to sell its fleet of Dassault Mirage 2000-9s before completing their deal for 60 Rafale fighters, Defense News has learned.

The UAE has been looking to sell its fleet of Mirage fighters to the Iraqi Air Force since 2011 and over the years discussions have faltered due to France blocking the deal, according to a UAE government official and a French source knowledgeable about the negotiations, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

The intended deal would see the UAE initially provide 10 aircraft to the Iraqi Air Force, with the funds paid directly to Dassault as part of the down payment for the UAE's Rafale deal.

The well-informed French source stated that in its efforts to reduce the costs of the deal and finalize the agreement the French government has waived military service fees involved in the contract reducing the overall cost by 10 percent.

"To facilitate the Rafale deal, the government has taken over the 'airco' cost of training, maintenance support and other military-provided services to reduce the cost for the UAE," he said.

The UAE source stated that the expected cost of each aircraft is expected to be around $250 million for a total cost of $15 billion.

According to the UAE source, the latest discussions on the deal for the Rafale was on Jan. 18 at the al-Bahr Palace in Abu Dhabi.

During a visit to Abu Dhabi this week, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said about the Rafale deal: "There are continuing talks, we are optimistic (French Defence Minister) Jean-Yves Le Drian and I ... things look positive."

"Agreements only become a reality after they are signed. However, we touched on this subject with the Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan when we met with him on Monday in Abu Dhabi," Fabius said.

The Iraqi Angle

The UAE is in discussions with Iraq's government to have the Mirages operate in Kurdistan, the UAE source stated.

"We want to provide these fighters to the Kurdish territories but the Iraqi central government has requested the provision of these fighters to them," the source said.

The source added that since September, Iraqi Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari has made a number of visits to the UAE and held extensive discussions on the matter.

"The Iraqi government assured us that the Kurdish territories will be protected and we are awaiting the French decision now," he stated.

According to Wathaq al-Hashimi, director of the Iraqi Group for Strategic Studies, Iraq has presented its case to the UAE and is very keen to acquire the aircraft.

"The ball now is in the UAE's court, the Iraqi government wants the aircraft to be based in Al Balad Air Base and will be used in operations from Kurdistan to Al Faw in the south," Hashimi said.

In January 2015, the UAE offered up to 10 Mirage 2000-9s to the Iraqi Air Force, following a visit of Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi to Abu Dhabi.

The same UAE source said at the time that the UAE is trying to fortify Iraq's security from north to south, specifically the areas from Baghdad to Erbil.

"Mainly, Erbil because many UAE strategic interests are there with regards to oil and gas investments as well as others," he said last year.

The UAE has 36 multirole Mirage 2000 fighters that have been in service since 1986, 30 of which have been extensively refurbished and then upgraded to the same standard as the newer fleet of 32 Mirage 2000-9s delivered starting in 2003 by France's Dassault Aviation.

The technologies and advanced capabilities that the Mirage 2000-9s incorporate include Dassault's "Rafale technology," with similar modular avionics, an LCD glass cockpit with full night-vision goggles compatibility, and advanced sensors and systems, according to the Bader 21 purchase agreement signed in 1998.

At the core of the Mirage 2000-9's navigation and attack system is a Thales- and Dassault-developed modular data-processing unit similar to the one used in the Rafale. This serves as the mission computer, manages the navigation and attack system, controls the cockpit display system and generates symbology for the head-up and head-down displays. As a result, the Mirage 2000-9 is claimed to enjoy a world-beating, highly intuitive man-machine interface.

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 25 Jan 2016 13:46

Israeli satellite lost because of falling meteorite

The reason for the loss of the spacecraft AMOS-5 ("Amos-5"), owned by the Israeli company satellite Spacecom («Space komyunikeyshn"), became ensnared in a meteorite.

This was reported today, "News" with reference to the report of the company "Information Satellite Systems' (ISS), which in 2011 built the satellite.

Insurance companies and to the "Space komyunikeyshn" ISS sent the conclusion that the most probable cause of the failure of "Amos-5" was "damage to the insulation of the cable network due to the falling meteor-man-made particles."

"We have reason to believe that there has been a hit in a spacecraft because the satellite immediately and completely lost power. It's like a switch flipped - and all the lights went out immediately on the chandelier, - said General Director Nikolai Testoyedov ISS. - It does not happen in case of failure of any of the systems, because they are reserved, are protected. The satellite switches to the backup circuit, struggling with the impact of destructive factors. Instant shutdown does not normally happen. "

Testoyedov stressed that the immediate shutdown of the satellite in orbit does not allow to determine the cause of failure with high accuracy, so the experts considered the possibility.

"Contact with the particles we see the most likely cause, in addition to which may be considered less likely, for example, latent defect cable network evolves over time under the influence of space factors," - said the head of the ISS.

In turn, the official representative of "Space komyunikeyshn" Josh Shuman declined to comment on the conclusions of experts and ISS stated that the results of studying the causes of the accident, "Amos-5", the company does not plan to publish.

The satellite "Amos-5" was created by the Krasnoyarsk "Information Satellite Systems" has supplied equipment for the Franco-Italian Thales Alenia Space («Thales Alenia Space"). The device was launched in December 2011 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome, and had to work in orbit until 2026. Its tasks include the provision of telecommunications services, broadcasting and broadband internet in Africa and Israel. Communication with the satellite was lost Nov. 21, 2015.

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 26 Jan 2016 17:31

Angara-5P: Russia's next manned rocket

http://www.russianspaceweb.com/angara5p.html#2015

brar_w · Post by **brar_w** » 26 Jan 2016 22:41

Defense minister calls for reviewing THAAD deployment

Defense Minister Han Min-koo Monday cited the need for the nation to review a U.S. plan to deploy an advanced missile defense system on the Korean Peninsula to better deter North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile threats.

"We should deal with the issue of the terminal high-altitude area defense (THAAD) system from the perspective of national security and defense," he said during a news program. "Militarily speaking, it is necessary to review the deployment as we have limited capabilities."

The comments come at a time when debate over whether to deploy THAAD on Korean soil has been reigniting both in Seoul and Washington in the wake of the North's alleged hydrogen bomb test on Jan. 6.

Han's remarks followed President Park Geun-hye's nationally televised address on Jan. 13, where she underlined the need to review the issue of deploying THAAD here based on security and national interests given the North's nuclear and missile threats,.

The possible deployment of THAAD has been a bone of contention among regional powers, especially between the United States and China.

The statements by Park and Han apparently showed a subtle change in the position of the government, given that Seoul had been reluctant to openly approve of THAAD deployment due to the objections of China, the South's biggest trading partner.

The U.S. government has been hoping to deploy THAAD batteries here, with the Kim Jong-un regime modernizing its ballistic missile and nuclear programs. In 2014, the U.S. conducted a site inspection for the missile interceptor system.

The missile shield system is intended to protect U.S troops stationed here, but Beijing strongly opposes its presence, out of concerns that its controlling radar system could potentially compromise its national defense.

Recent comments made by Seoul on THAAD deployment are also seen as a measure to get China to swiftly rein in the Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions, with Beijing, traditionally an ally of the North, largely seen as maintaining a lukewarm stance on the North's nuclear development.

This has raised speculation that China, a veto-holding permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, is seeking to water down the U.N.-led sanctions -- in a familiar pattern -- following the North's previous nuclear and long-range missile tests.

The THAAD system, with a range of 150 kilometers, is regarded as an indispensable element of the U.S. missile defense (MD) system.

Regarding Pyongyang's submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) capability, Minister Han assessed that the North is believed to be on the path toward completing its capability of launching ballistic missiles from underwater, which is regarded as the second stage of development.

"The development of an SLBM requires four steps _ the test launch of missiles on the ground, the test of launching them from under the water, their test flights and finally deployment," he said. "Given that the North has conducted tests launching missiles from under the water several times, it is believed to be completing that stage."

He added that countries in general deployed SLBMs three to four years after the test-fire of missiles from underwater.

"I expect the North to follow this. If the regime concentrates all its capacity possible into the development, they could possibly do it faster," he said.

deejay · Post by **deejay** » 27 Jan 2016 20:23

Shifting sands

https://www.rt.com/business/330313-ukra ... abolished/

World famous airplane maker Antonov is no more. Ukraine's government has liquidated the state company, assigning its remaining divisions to a state-owned strategic conglomerate Ukroboronprom, according to the Ministry of Economic Development.

"The Government has adopted a resolution on the liquidation of the State Aircraft Manufacturing Concern Antonov. The manufacturer's three divisions were transferred to Ukroboronprom," the Ministry statement said.

Antonov’s assets were assigned to Ukroboronprom in the spring of 2015, and in July Kiev replaced the group’s management.

...

brar_w · Post by **brar_w** » 29 Jan 2016 16:04

China warns of consequences should South Korea go ahead with THAAD deployment

China expressed its strong opposition to signs that the South Korean government is considering the idea of allowing the US military to deploy THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) - a system of interceptors used in missile defense - on the Korean Peninsula following North Korea’s fourth nuclear weapons test.
In a Jan. 27 editorial titled “Sanctions should target North Korea’s nuclear ambition, not public livelihoods,” the Global Times, a nationalist Chinese English-language paper under the auspices of the People’s Daily, urged South Korea not to push China too hard on the question of sanctions against North Korea.
“South Korea should avoid using the THAAD missile system as leverage against China,” the editorial said. “The system will pose a threat to China’s security. If Seoul does so, it will severely hurt mutual trust between China and South Korea.”
“South Korea will need to prepare to pay the price for its actions,” the newspaper added, a threat that only appeared in the Chinese language version of the article, but was omitted from the English version.
http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/965818.shtml
http://opinion.huanqiu.com/editorial/20 ... 52853.html
The newspaper, which is affiliated with China’s state-run newspaper the People’s Daily, often hints at the real position of the Chinese government. Each time that the idea of deploying THAAD on the Korean Peninsula has been raised, China has expressed its concerns.
Even so, it is unusual for one of China’s state-run newspapers to talk about the “price” of deploying THAAD in South Korea.
This appears to be related to South Korea’s break with its previous ambiguous stance on THAAD after North Korea’s fourth nuclear test on Jan. 6, with South Korean President Park Geun-hye and Minister of National Defense Han Min-koo coming forward to talk about the need to deploy THAAD.
When the issue of deploying THAAD was brought up in Feb. and Mar. 2015, the South Korean government stated that the US had not asked to deploy THAAD and that South Korea had not discussed the issue with the US.
Even then, two Chinese officials who were visiting South Korea - Liu Jianchao, then-chief spokesman for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Minister of National Defense Chang Wanquan - expressed their concern. But now that the South Korean government has suddenly played the THAAD card after North Korea’s fourth nuclear test, China is responding more sternly.
China believes that THAAD would be targeted not at North Korea but at itself. Since the X-band radar, which is a key component of the THAAD system, has a detection radius of more than 3,000 kilometers, China considers it a major threat to its security. The prevailing view is that deploying THAAD on the Korean Peninsula is part of the US’s strategy of pivoting to Asia.
“North Korea’s fourth nuclear weapons test provided South Korea and the US with a pretext for deploying THAAD on the Korean Peninsula. If the South Korean president and defense minister are already referring to it in public, it would seem that the deployment is already being discussed on a national policy level,” said Cheng Xiaohe, a professor at Renmin University of China, during an interview with the Hankyoreh. Cheng believes that China adopted a tougher stance in accordance with these changes.
“No matter how good the excuse, China probably won’t relent in its opposition to deploying THAAD on the Korean Peninsula,” Cheng said.
“THAAD’s detection radius goes beyond North Korea into China and Russia,” said Lu Chao, a researcher at the Liaoning Academy of Social Sciences. “China and South Korea may be good friends, but how smooth can a relationship be when one party [South Korea] is holding a machine gun under the table? The US may be behind the THAAD issue, but South Korea gets to decide whether or not to deploy it.”
“THAAD would help the military respond to the threat posed by North Korea’s nuclear weapons and missiles. If the US decides to deploy the system with its forces in South Korea and asks us to discuss the issue, we will decide what to do in consideration of the national interest and national security,” said an official in South Korea’s Ministry of National Defense.

NRao · Post by **NRao** » 29 Jan 2016 20:48

Filed under nations have interests .........

US and UK 'hacked into Israeli drones and planes'

"We know that the Americans spy on every country in the world and on us as well, on their friends," said Yuval Steinitz, a cabinet minister and former minister of intelligence affairs.

He said Israel had not spied on the US for decades.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 29 Jan 2016 21:20

japan unveils its F-2 stealth proto, with paddle tvc. flight test to start shortly

http://foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com/everyt ... 1755710322

http://edition.cnn.com/videos/world/201 ... g-orig.cnn

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 30 Jan 2016 08:07

http://www.navytimes.com/story/military ... /79533754/

DDG commander sentenced with many others in a bribery case

brar_w · Post by **brar_w** » 30 Jan 2016 22:53

First Red Flag of the year Flightline -

TSJones · Post by **TSJones** » 04 Feb 2016 06:48

Luxembourg to invest in space based asteroid mining......

http://spacenews.com/luxembourg-to-inve ... id-mining/

PARIS —The Luxembourg government on Feb. 3 announced it would seek to jump-start an industrial sector to mine asteroid resources in space by creating regulatory and financial incentives.

The incentives include co-investment in research and development and, eventually, direct capital investment in space resource-mining companies setting up shop in Luxembourg.

Announced by Vice Prime Minister Etienne Schneider, who is also the nation’s economics minister, the initiative has already lured U.S.-based Deep Space Industries of Mountain View, California, to create a Luxembourg subsidiary.........

.....the mouse that roared.....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_97N6Uej4Y

Kartik · Post by **Kartik** » 05 Feb 2016 02:25

Lol..how far has the Royal Army fallen !! Absolutely dismal armour capability left now.

Several contenders line up for Challenger 2 LEP

...

The British Army's Challenger 2 fleet has already been reduced to three regiments, each of which would have a wartime holding of 56 MBTs. Of these three regiments only one is ready for immediate deployment and on a day-to-day basis has just one squadron of 18 Challenger 2s plus two spare.

While the British Army took delivery of 386 Challenger 2s, this is currently being reduced to 227 units to equip the three regiments and provide vehicles for training in Canada and the UK.

However, although each of the British Army's three armoured infantry brigades would have one Challenger 2 regiment, under the 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) the number of armoured infantry brigades is to be reduced to two. Two new strike brigades are to be formed, but these would not have a Challenger 2 regiment, meaning that the British Army's Challenger 2 fleet will be reduced even further to around 150-160 units. This would make the UK's MBT force smaller those of France and Germany, with the latter already expanding its frontline strength from a baseline of 225 Leopard 2A6 MBTs.

NRao · Post by **NRao** » 06 Feb 2016 06:42

SECDEF Carter Confirms Navy Developing Supersonic Anti-Ship Missile for Cruisers, Destroyers

Secretary of Defense Ash Carter confirmed the Navy was developing a modification to the Raytheon Standard Missile 6 that will give the service a supersonic anti-ship weapon to reach a target more than 200 nautical miles away.

“We are going to create a brand-new capability,” Carter told reporters in San Diego on Wednesday. “We’re modifying the SM-6 so that in addition to missile defense, it can also target enemy ships at sea at very long ranges.”

With a top speed of Mach 3.5, the SM-6 will extend the lethal range of the CRUDES force well beyond the reach of the current Boeing RGM-84 Harpoon anti-surface missile – first introduced in the late 1970s.

The modified SM-6 – part of a $2.9 billion missile buy over the next five years — will be the largest new anti-ship capability in decades onboard the service’s fleet of guided missiles and cruisers and indicative of the Navy’s push to load its ships with more offensive firepower – codified in the “distributed lethality” philosophy pushed forward by service surface leaders in 2015.

“We haven’t been slightly leaning forward for a very long time. When you start to see the language start to change the [Chief of Naval Operations] has changed his tone about China – now they’re a peer adversary,” an industry official told USNI News last month.
“As the tone in the Navy changes from a force that will get fired upon before we take action, will we move forward and start taking action in different environments? And what effects can go do that?”

As the Navy orients the cruiser and destroyer force to take on higher end adversaries — like China and Russia — the emphasis will be how to maximize the use of the difficult-to-reload vertical launch system cells of the CRUDES force.

aegissm-61

“What this shows is the Navy is looking for flexibility in their weapons and when you have a certain number of missile tubes in your ships,” Eric Wertheim — naval analyst and author of U.S. Naval Institute’s Combat Fleets of the World — told USNI News on Thursday.
“It shouldn’t be a surprise because the SM-2 had [the capability]. It just shows they’re looking for flexibility in their systems.”

Prior to Wednesday the Navy and Raytheon have been coy about the anti-surface potential of the SM-6. Its predecessor the SM-2 has its own anti-surface mode.

When USNI News asked the question of a senior defense official last year if the Navy was creating an anti-surface variant the SM-6 the answer was, “you will never get anyone to confirm that.”

While the news is out, the question remains as to what modifications the missile will need to be effective against the Raytheon officials told USNI News last month during the Surface Navy Association that work underway on the Block IA program.

“The big difference we can talk about is that it adds a GPS capability,” Raytheon said.

The SM-6 is designed to take out aircraft and cruise missile — and in limited scenarios ballistic missiles — which requires a smaller warhead class than the 500-pound class warhead found on the current Harpoons. It’s unclear if the missile will need warhead modifications.

Another lingering question is if the anti-surface mode of the SM-6 will be a networked weapon like the anti-air warfare mode in the Naval Integrated Fire Control Counter-Air (NIFC-CA) concept.

NIFC-CA can combine the targeting data from a Northrop Grumman E-2D Advanced Hawkeye and send targeting information to a SM-6 to intercept an air target beyond the range of the cruiser or destroyer firing the weapon.

“Does that mean an E-2 can guide a SM-6 to a bunch of swarming surface craft at long distances?” asked Wertheim.

NRao · Post by **NRao** » 14 Feb 2016 06:45

Sweden vs Russia - A new Cold War front?

Russian menace pushes Sweden towards Nato

Nick_S · Post by **Nick_S** » 15 Feb 2016 00:12

Lightning from Space video
https://twitter.com/astro_timpeake/stat ... wsrc%5Etfw

Video of the Sun for an Entire Year

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8MImmQvqCSg

This video records the Sun's activity from January 1, 1015 through January 28, 2016 and is 2840x2160 and is shown at 29.97 frames per second. Each frame is 2 hours.

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 17 Feb 2016 13:35

Rockot launches European Sentinel-3A

http://www.russianspaceweb.com/sentinel3a.html

NRao · Post by **NRao** » 18 Feb 2016 19:32

Data point:

Opinion: Singapore Air Force’s Missing Puzzle Piece

It isn’t always easy to identify pressing national military aviation requirements. Most countries struggle with the usual budget limitations and a broad array of fleet replacement and new aircraft needs. But in the case of Singapore, there is a very interesting capability gap that implies a significant short-term requirement.

There are fewer than six million Singaporean citizens, crammed onto an island measuring roughly 20 X 10 mi., but as a world military aviation power, Singapore punches well above its weight. The Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) has about 100 modern fighters, including 40 new F-15SGs and 60 F-16C/Ds. It also has a few dozen older F-5s and, as an F-35 Security Cooperative Participant (SCP), it will likely be an early F-35 user in the region. These fighters are supported by a robust airborne early warning (AEW) capability. A legacy force of Northrop Grumman E-2Cs is being replaced by four Gulfstream 550-based models using Elta’s EL/W-2085 conformal AEW system.

It is said that Singapore is like a big shopping mall with a large and capable military. But this remarkable force is understandable. While Singapore’s per capita national income is greater than that of the U.S., it is surrounded by less wealthy states, which are poorly governed and prone to instability. There are also various non-governmental threats to the country’s economic livelihood.

Given this reality, the first defense priority is simply self-preservation. As one local saying goes, “A fishbone will penetrate the throat of anybody who tries to swallow us.” As a result, it isn’t likely that Malaysia, Indonesia or any other nearby power could mobilize a force large and capable enough to actually threaten Singapore.

But the city-state’s military capabilities clearly extend beyond the preservation of national sovereignty. Singapore is one of the few small powers to field a jet tanker force, with decades of experience using KC-135Rs. In March 2014, it ordered six Airbus A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transports to replace those. The RSAF also operates Lockheed Martin KC-130 tankers.

But most of all, the country’s heavy reliance on global trade also means that it needs to keep an eye on maritime threats. In 2011, Singapore conducted its first overseas maritime patrol aircraft (MPA) deployment, sending a single Fokker 50 and 38 personnel to the Gulf of Aden to assist with international counterpiracy operations. It also conducts ongoing security operations in the Malacca Straits, often in conjunction with its neighbors.

The country has five Fokker 50 turboprop MPAs, armed with Harpoon missiles or EuroTorp A244 torpedoes. But these aircraft were acquired in the early 1990s, and while they are capable MPAs, they are hardly the kind of blue-water, long-range, anti-submarine-warfare-capable models deployed by even medium-size maritime powers. Considering the resources lavished on the rest of the country’s military air capabilities, and taking into account Singapore’s strong interest in maintaining freedom of the seas, this represents a notable gap in its defense procurement pattern.

By contrast, Singapore’s rotorcraft MPA capability is far more modern, with six Sikorsky S-70B Seahawks acquired in 2011 and another two due for delivery this year. These are short-range platforms lacking the range and speed of a fixed-wing MPA, however.

As a response to this need, the country has been looking at MPA options since 2011. There is a broad array of options, including MPA versions of business jets and regional turboprops (a newer Fokker 50 equivalent, such as Bombardier’s Dash 8 Q400). Singapore has also considered used ex-U.S. Navy Lockheed Martin P-3Cs, but the youngest of these are about three decades old, and Singapore hasn’t purchased used defense platforms in decades.

Moreover, given Singapore’s preference for high-end equipment (F-15s, top-line AEW models and jet tankers) and its demonstrated interest in long-range maritime safety, a large jet-based choice is most likely. This means Boeing’s P-8 Poseidon, or just possibly Kawasaki’s new P-1 quadjet.

For Boeing’s P-8 program, a Singapore order would be a valuable addition to a relatively limited export order book. So far, despite its high-profile presence around the world, only Australia and India have signed on as international customers. Boeing’s U.S. Navy MPA/anti-submarine-warfare (ASW) predecessor, the P-3, was exported to over 15 countries.

A P-1 selection would be much less likely, but Japan’s 2014 decision to overturn a law banning weapons exports and the growing interest of its large defense industry to pursue export contracts mean it can’t be ruled out.

And for Singapore, a P-8 or P-1 acquisition would represent the final step in creating a remarkably well-equipped regional military force. It also would give the country a much more robust presence in some of the most highly trafficked shipping routes in the world.

Contributing columnist Richard Aboulafia is vice president of analysis at Teal Group. He is based in Washington.

NRao · Post by **NRao** » 19 Feb 2016 21:45

Russia wants to modify Cold War missiles to destroy asteroids

NRao · Post by **NRao** » 19 Feb 2016 21:48

Virgin Galactic to unveil new spaceship