Militants in north-west Pakistan have hijacked 12 trucks carrying supplies for Western forces in Afghanistan, a government official has said.
He said that the trucks were stopped as they travelled through the Khyber Pass.
Correspondents say that the road is a major supply route for US and other Western forces battling against the Taleban in neighbouring Afghanistan.
Hauliers say that over 350 trucks daily carry an average of 7,000 tonnes of goods over the Khyber Pass to Kabul.
A senior government administrator in the Khyber region told the Reuters news agency that the trucks were seized at four places along a 20-mile (35km) stretch of the road.
"About 60 masked gunmen popped up on the road and took away the trucks with their drivers. Not a single shot was fired anywhere," the official, Bakhtiar Mohmand, said.
Mr Mohmand said the trucks were not carrying weapons or ammunition, but it was not clear what other goods they were transporting.
He blamed the hijacking on militants loyal to the Taleban commander Baitullah Mehsud.
"Baitullah's men are behind this as they're very well-equipped and trained," he said.
'Silent spectator'
Security along the road leading to the border has deteriorated this year, correspondents say, with soldiers recently carrying out an offensive in the Khyber region to drive militants away from the outskirts of Peshawar, the main city in the north-west.
Militants on the Khyber Pass are well equipped
Residents said that a pair of Pakistani army helicopter gunships flew over the area after the hijacking took place and fired some shots, killing a civilian.
Traders in the main town before the pass, Landikotal, complained that the government was not providing adequate security on the road.
"The government is a silent spectator," Eshtiar Mohmand, who owns a trucking company, told Reuters.
"They attack our trucks, loot them and kill our drivers in broad daylight, even near security check posts, but they can't do anything."
About 24 trucks and oil-tankers have been attacked in the past month, transport operators said.
Baitullah Mehsud profile
Last year, Sawab Khan, a member of the truckers' association, told the BBC that goods transported include supplies for Western forces fighting the Taleban, as well as supplies for non-governmental organisations, the government and Afghan traders.
Mr Khan said that in addition to the threat caused by militants, every truck pays about 400,000 Pakistani rupees (about $5,000) annually in taxes and bribes.
"This is too much for our transporters, who are mostly poor and hard-pressed to make both ends meet," he said.
Truckers who refuse to pay bribes are often made to park along the road and wait, sometimes for more than 24 hours, before they are allowed to move on, he said.
Some truckers also complain of extortion on the Afghan side of the border.
Supplies to the southern Afghan provinces of Kandahar and Herat pass through Quetta and across the Chaman border in the Balochistan province of Pakistan.
The truckers operating on this route say they confront fewer problems.
International Military Discussion
Re: International Military Discussion
Pakistan militants hijack trucks
Re: International Military Discussion
people are still finding WW2 usaf a/c in NE
http://frontierindia.net/adventurer-net ... s-in-india
http://frontierindia.net/adventurer-net ... s-in-india
Re: International Military Discussion
They will keep finding those things from time to time. We found british raj bullets when we dig up our garden, in 1990
Re: International Military Discussion
Second serious nuclear sub incident,this time in the UK.
http://www.agencebretagnepresse.com/fet ... 0SUBMARINE
ENGLAND: SERIOUS INCIDENT ON UK NUCLEAR SUBMARINE
Source : Celtic League
MANX — There has been a serious leak of coolant fluid from a British nuclear submarine at a dockyard on the Devon - Cornwall border.
Hundreds of litres of fluid was discharged by HMS Trafalgar a hunter killer type nuclear submarine into the river Tamar.
Ministry of Defence spokespersons have played down the seriousness of the incident. However respected nuclear safety expert, John Large, whose consultancy Large and Associates are well versed on maritime nuclear safety issues said:
« The very fact that it was being transferred to a quayside effluent tank and then would have been put through an radioactive treatment process means it was not in a fit state to be directly discharged into the environment.
If the leak was going on unnoticed, then those workers could have walked into it, spread it and taken it into other non-radioactive and non-controlled areas. »
This is not the first time there have been serious incidents with the coolant systems on this class of nuclear vessel.
In May 2000, Tireless detected a slow loss of reactor coolant, and had to make an emergency port call at Gibraltar for what was hoped would be quick repairs to a minor crack in a coolant pipe. However, the damage was found to be more extensive than was first hoped.
The boat remained at Gibraltar, creating diplomatic tensions between Spain and Britain, until she left on 2 May 2001, nearly a year later following extensive repairs. Subsequently the vessel trailed a wake of nuclear pollution through the Irish sea on her way to a UK base for permanent repairs.
Subsequently all Trafalgar-class submarines were inspected for similar problems.
Tireless also featured in a fatal accident in 2007 when two crew members died following an onboard explosion.
Meanwhile, HMS Trafalgar, one of seven Trafalgar Class nuclear-powered hunter-killer submarines, has also previously been in trouble. In November 2002 the vessel ran aground during a training exercise off the coast of Skye.
http://www.agencebretagnepresse.com/fet ... 0SUBMARINE
ENGLAND: SERIOUS INCIDENT ON UK NUCLEAR SUBMARINE
Source : Celtic League
MANX — There has been a serious leak of coolant fluid from a British nuclear submarine at a dockyard on the Devon - Cornwall border.
Hundreds of litres of fluid was discharged by HMS Trafalgar a hunter killer type nuclear submarine into the river Tamar.
Ministry of Defence spokespersons have played down the seriousness of the incident. However respected nuclear safety expert, John Large, whose consultancy Large and Associates are well versed on maritime nuclear safety issues said:
« The very fact that it was being transferred to a quayside effluent tank and then would have been put through an radioactive treatment process means it was not in a fit state to be directly discharged into the environment.
If the leak was going on unnoticed, then those workers could have walked into it, spread it and taken it into other non-radioactive and non-controlled areas. »
This is not the first time there have been serious incidents with the coolant systems on this class of nuclear vessel.
In May 2000, Tireless detected a slow loss of reactor coolant, and had to make an emergency port call at Gibraltar for what was hoped would be quick repairs to a minor crack in a coolant pipe. However, the damage was found to be more extensive than was first hoped.
The boat remained at Gibraltar, creating diplomatic tensions between Spain and Britain, until she left on 2 May 2001, nearly a year later following extensive repairs. Subsequently the vessel trailed a wake of nuclear pollution through the Irish sea on her way to a UK base for permanent repairs.
Subsequently all Trafalgar-class submarines were inspected for similar problems.
Tireless also featured in a fatal accident in 2007 when two crew members died following an onboard explosion.
Meanwhile, HMS Trafalgar, one of seven Trafalgar Class nuclear-powered hunter-killer submarines, has also previously been in trouble. In November 2002 the vessel ran aground during a training exercise off the coast of Skye.
Re: International Military Discussion
Had a great day. Found one of the Visby class sitting in Stockholm harbor.
http://img369.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc0078mm7.jpg
http://img528.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc0076op3.jpg
http://img377.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc0074ew3.jpg
I talked to the guy on reception and found few things very surprising: -
1> these ships do not carry any air-defense missiles or any CIWS. Only the main gun is supposed to give protection!!!!!
2> Only 2 out of 5 in this class are active, rest of them are in docks. Out of these two, none is operational as they are still not complete. They carry out equipment modifications in one ship and put it on trials and once validated equips other ship with same item. He didn't said what equipment is still in testing as it was "classified" but from the specifications this ship it does not carry any major firepower.
http://img369.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc0078mm7.jpg
http://img528.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc0076op3.jpg
http://img377.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc0074ew3.jpg
I talked to the guy on reception and found few things very surprising: -
1> these ships do not carry any air-defense missiles or any CIWS. Only the main gun is supposed to give protection!!!!!
2> Only 2 out of 5 in this class are active, rest of them are in docks. Out of these two, none is operational as they are still not complete. They carry out equipment modifications in one ship and put it on trials and once validated equips other ship with same item. He didn't said what equipment is still in testing as it was "classified" but from the specifications this ship it does not carry any major firepower.
Re: International Military Discussion
Crew member 'tampered with temperature sensor on Nerpa sub'
MOSCOW, November 17 (RIA Novosti) - The deaths of 20 people on board the Russian nuclear submarine the Nerpa were caused by a crew member entering the wrong data into a temperature sensor, the Kommersant paper said on Monday. (INFOgraphics)
The business daily said, quoting a source close to the investigation, that sailor Dmitry Grobov is suspected of having entered the wrong temperature data for the submarine's living quarters, which caused the fire safety system to release Freon gas.
The source said that according to information obtained from the sub's Rotor data block, similar to an aircraft's black-box, "the temperature...increased sharply all of sudden and the fire safety system reacted as programmed."
The daily said that at the time of the incident Grobov was on a scheduled watch and the access code to the fire safety system was written in pencil on the surface of the equipment.
The tragedy occurred late on November 8 while the Nerpa was undergoing sea trials in the Sea of Japan. Three submariners and 17 shipyard workers died in the accident. There were 208 people, 81 of them submariners, on board the vessel at the time.
However, former Navy officers have told the paper they doubt that Grobov was solely to blame as it is impossible for one person to activate the system, which is protected from unauthorized activation by multiple levels of confirmation.
The submarine's reactor was not affected by the accident, which took place in the nose of the submarine, and radiation levels on board remained normal.
Investigators earlier announced that they had brought criminal charges against the crew member, and that he faced up to seven years in jail.
"Military investigators have determined the person who activated, without permission or any particular reason, a fire safety system on board the submarine. He is a sailor from the crew, and he has already confessed," Vladimir Markin, a spokesman for the Investigation Committee of the Prosecutor General's Office, said on November 13.
The incident is the worst for the Russian Navy since the sinking of the Kursk nuclear submarine in 2000 when all 118 sailors died.
The construction of the Akula II class Nerpa nuclear attack submarine started in 1991, but was suspended for over a decade due to a lack of funding. Akula II class vessels are considered the quietest and deadliest of all Russian nuclear-powered attack submarines.
Based in the Russian Far Eastern city of Komsomolsk-on-Amur, the Amur Shipbuilding Plant has built 270 vessels, including the Nerpa and another 55 nuclear submarines since it was established in 1936.
MOSCOW, November 17 (RIA Novosti) - The deaths of 20 people on board the Russian nuclear submarine the Nerpa were caused by a crew member entering the wrong data into a temperature sensor, the Kommersant paper said on Monday. (INFOgraphics)
The business daily said, quoting a source close to the investigation, that sailor Dmitry Grobov is suspected of having entered the wrong temperature data for the submarine's living quarters, which caused the fire safety system to release Freon gas.
The source said that according to information obtained from the sub's Rotor data block, similar to an aircraft's black-box, "the temperature...increased sharply all of sudden and the fire safety system reacted as programmed."
The daily said that at the time of the incident Grobov was on a scheduled watch and the access code to the fire safety system was written in pencil on the surface of the equipment.
The tragedy occurred late on November 8 while the Nerpa was undergoing sea trials in the Sea of Japan. Three submariners and 17 shipyard workers died in the accident. There were 208 people, 81 of them submariners, on board the vessel at the time.
However, former Navy officers have told the paper they doubt that Grobov was solely to blame as it is impossible for one person to activate the system, which is protected from unauthorized activation by multiple levels of confirmation.
The submarine's reactor was not affected by the accident, which took place in the nose of the submarine, and radiation levels on board remained normal.
Investigators earlier announced that they had brought criminal charges against the crew member, and that he faced up to seven years in jail.
"Military investigators have determined the person who activated, without permission or any particular reason, a fire safety system on board the submarine. He is a sailor from the crew, and he has already confessed," Vladimir Markin, a spokesman for the Investigation Committee of the Prosecutor General's Office, said on November 13.
The incident is the worst for the Russian Navy since the sinking of the Kursk nuclear submarine in 2000 when all 118 sailors died.
The construction of the Akula II class Nerpa nuclear attack submarine started in 1991, but was suspended for over a decade due to a lack of funding. Akula II class vessels are considered the quietest and deadliest of all Russian nuclear-powered attack submarines.
Based in the Russian Far Eastern city of Komsomolsk-on-Amur, the Amur Shipbuilding Plant has built 270 vessels, including the Nerpa and another 55 nuclear submarines since it was established in 1936.
Re: International Military Discussion
Somali pirates have grabbed a ULCC with 2 mil barrels of oil, 450 miles off the coast!!
its their biggest catch and deepest strike yet
http://blog.wired.com/defense/2008/11/s ... rates.html
the local US admiral says all ships are advised to stick to the narrow protected corridor
and to hire security teams to sail with them (ie. blackwater/dyncorp types) . cant say
I disaggree with him. a 9000 TEU container ship or ULCC carriers very high value of
cargo and cost of a decent security team hired from middle income nations like India would be reasonable (well armed ex-navy/ex-IA types but minus the blackwater wages and styleguru dress & dolce-n-gabbana shades)
its their biggest catch and deepest strike yet
http://blog.wired.com/defense/2008/11/s ... rates.html
the local US admiral says all ships are advised to stick to the narrow protected corridor
and to hire security teams to sail with them (ie. blackwater/dyncorp types) . cant say
I disaggree with him. a 9000 TEU container ship or ULCC carriers very high value of
cargo and cost of a decent security team hired from middle income nations like India would be reasonable (well armed ex-navy/ex-IA types but minus the blackwater wages and styleguru dress & dolce-n-gabbana shades)
Re: International Military Discussion
Experts blame computer glitch for Russian nuclear sub death
MOSCOW, November 19 (RIA Novosti) -- The deaths of 20 people on board the Nerpa nuclear submarine could have been caused by a computer glitch, not a crew member, a Russian daily reported on Wednesday. (INFOgraphic)
The tragedy occurred late on November 8 while the Nerpa was undergoing sea trials in the Sea of Japan. Three submariners and 17 shipyard workers died in the accident. There were 208 people, 81 of them submariners, on board the vessel at the time.
"We submariners are unanimous: a computer program failed. Previously, the submarine fire suppression system had always started manually on the commander's orders. Now it is launched electronically," Ensign Yevgeny Ovsyannikov, a technical specialist on the Nerpa, told Komsomolskaya Pravda.
He added that it was the first time this computerized system had been used on the submarine during the sea trials and that the computer had malfunctioned during tests in the dock.
An expert who requested anonymity suggested that a toxic form of Freon could have been used in the fire suppression system.
"A toxic additive, trichlorotrifluoroethane [C2F3Cl3], was used. It is cheaper than pure Freon. Possibly, they simply wanted to economize," he said.
He added that there were unmistakable signs of poisoning, which could not have been caused by Freon: "People were collapsing as though they had been shot."
Breathing Freon is generally safe, but if the concentration in the air is high then suffocation can result.
He said 46 people had been hospitalized, not 21 as officially announced.
It was previously reported that the deaths were caused by a crew member activating the fire safety system without permission or by the wrong data being entered into the temperature sensor.
Submariner Dmitry Grobov is suspected of having entered the wrong temperature data for the submarine's living quarters, which caused the fire suppression system to release the Freon gas.
However, former Navy officers have said they doubt that Grobov was solely to blame since it is impossible for one person to activate the system, which is security protected from unauthorized activation by multiple authentication levels.
The submarine's nuclear reactor was not affected by the accident, which took place in the nose section, and radiation levels on board remained normal.
Investigators earlier announced that they had brought criminal charges against the crew member, and that he faced up to seven years in jail if found guilty.
The incident is the worst for the Russian Navy since the sinking of the Kursk nuclear submarine in 2000 when all 118 sailors died.
The construction of the Akula II class Nerpa nuclear attack submarine started in 1991, but was suspended for over a decade due to a lack of funding. Akula II class vessels are considered the quietest and deadliest of all Russian nuclear-powered attack submarines.
Based in the Russian Far Eastern city of Komsomolsk-on-Amur, the Amur Shipyard has built 270 vessels, including the Nerpa and another 55 nuclear submarines since it was established in 1936.
MOSCOW, November 19 (RIA Novosti) -- The deaths of 20 people on board the Nerpa nuclear submarine could have been caused by a computer glitch, not a crew member, a Russian daily reported on Wednesday. (INFOgraphic)
The tragedy occurred late on November 8 while the Nerpa was undergoing sea trials in the Sea of Japan. Three submariners and 17 shipyard workers died in the accident. There were 208 people, 81 of them submariners, on board the vessel at the time.
"We submariners are unanimous: a computer program failed. Previously, the submarine fire suppression system had always started manually on the commander's orders. Now it is launched electronically," Ensign Yevgeny Ovsyannikov, a technical specialist on the Nerpa, told Komsomolskaya Pravda.
He added that it was the first time this computerized system had been used on the submarine during the sea trials and that the computer had malfunctioned during tests in the dock.
An expert who requested anonymity suggested that a toxic form of Freon could have been used in the fire suppression system.
"A toxic additive, trichlorotrifluoroethane [C2F3Cl3], was used. It is cheaper than pure Freon. Possibly, they simply wanted to economize," he said.
He added that there were unmistakable signs of poisoning, which could not have been caused by Freon: "People were collapsing as though they had been shot."
Breathing Freon is generally safe, but if the concentration in the air is high then suffocation can result.
He said 46 people had been hospitalized, not 21 as officially announced.
It was previously reported that the deaths were caused by a crew member activating the fire safety system without permission or by the wrong data being entered into the temperature sensor.
Submariner Dmitry Grobov is suspected of having entered the wrong temperature data for the submarine's living quarters, which caused the fire suppression system to release the Freon gas.
However, former Navy officers have said they doubt that Grobov was solely to blame since it is impossible for one person to activate the system, which is security protected from unauthorized activation by multiple authentication levels.
The submarine's nuclear reactor was not affected by the accident, which took place in the nose section, and radiation levels on board remained normal.
Investigators earlier announced that they had brought criminal charges against the crew member, and that he faced up to seven years in jail if found guilty.
The incident is the worst for the Russian Navy since the sinking of the Kursk nuclear submarine in 2000 when all 118 sailors died.
The construction of the Akula II class Nerpa nuclear attack submarine started in 1991, but was suspended for over a decade due to a lack of funding. Akula II class vessels are considered the quietest and deadliest of all Russian nuclear-powered attack submarines.
Based in the Russian Far Eastern city of Komsomolsk-on-Amur, the Amur Shipyard has built 270 vessels, including the Nerpa and another 55 nuclear submarines since it was established in 1936.
Re: International Military Discussion
Singha saar,Singha wrote:Somali pirates have grabbed a ULCC with 2 mil barrels of oil, 450 miles off the coast!!
its their biggest catch and deepest strike yet
http://blog.wired.com/defense/2008/11/s ... rates.html
the local US admiral says all ships are advised to stick to the narrow protected corridor
and to hire security teams to sail with them (ie. blackwater/dyncorp types) . cant say
I disaggree with him. a 9000 TEU container ship or ULCC carriers very high value of
cargo and cost of a decent security team hired from middle income nations like India would be reasonable (well armed ex-navy/ex-IA types but minus the blackwater wages and styleguru dress & dolce-n-gabbana shades)
I see a new opportunity for outsourcing BR style
Re: International Military Discussion
Russian Navy to receive Severodvinsk nuclear submarine in 2010
SEVERODVINSK, November 19 (RIA Novosti) - A new nuclear-powered attack submarine will be delivered to the Russian Navy in 2010, a Russian shipyard said on Wednesday.
Severodvinsk is the first Project 855 Yasen (Graney) series of the Severodvinsk class nuclear submarines, combining the ability to launch a variety of long-range cruise missiles (up to 3,100 miles) with nuclear warheads, and effectively engage hostile submarines and surface warships.
"There are no problems with the construction of the submarine, and financing is underway. The vessel will be delivered to the Navy in 2010," said Nikolai Kalistratov, general director of the Sevmash shipyard in northern Russia.
Work on the Severodvinsk started in 1992, and the vessel had been scheduled to be commissioned before 1998. However, the construction was significantly delayed for financial reasons, and work had been suspended until 2001.
In 2003 Sevmash reportedly received extra funding to accelerate the completion of the Severodvinsk. Since then, the construction cost of the submarine had to be adjusted, and in 2008 financing totaled 4 billion rubles ($146 mln).
Kalistratov said that the remaining part of the construction is the fitting of electronics on board the submarine.
"It normally takes a long time to build the first vessel in the series," he said.
Russia's Navy commander, Adm. Vladimir Vysotsky, said in July that the construction of new-generation nuclear-powered ballistic missile and attack submarines is a top priority for the Russian Navy's development.
Under the Russian State Armaments Program for 2007-2015, the Navy will receive several dozen surface ships and submarines, including five Project 955 Borey nuclear-powered strategic ballistic missile submarines equipped with new Bulava ballistic missiles, two Project 885 Yasen nuclear-powered multipurpose submarines, six Project 677 Lada diesel-electric submarines, three Project 22350 frigates and five Project 20380 corvettes.
SEVERODVINSK, November 19 (RIA Novosti) - A new nuclear-powered attack submarine will be delivered to the Russian Navy in 2010, a Russian shipyard said on Wednesday.
Severodvinsk is the first Project 855 Yasen (Graney) series of the Severodvinsk class nuclear submarines, combining the ability to launch a variety of long-range cruise missiles (up to 3,100 miles) with nuclear warheads, and effectively engage hostile submarines and surface warships.
"There are no problems with the construction of the submarine, and financing is underway. The vessel will be delivered to the Navy in 2010," said Nikolai Kalistratov, general director of the Sevmash shipyard in northern Russia.
Work on the Severodvinsk started in 1992, and the vessel had been scheduled to be commissioned before 1998. However, the construction was significantly delayed for financial reasons, and work had been suspended until 2001.
In 2003 Sevmash reportedly received extra funding to accelerate the completion of the Severodvinsk. Since then, the construction cost of the submarine had to be adjusted, and in 2008 financing totaled 4 billion rubles ($146 mln).
Kalistratov said that the remaining part of the construction is the fitting of electronics on board the submarine.
"It normally takes a long time to build the first vessel in the series," he said.
Russia's Navy commander, Adm. Vladimir Vysotsky, said in July that the construction of new-generation nuclear-powered ballistic missile and attack submarines is a top priority for the Russian Navy's development.
Under the Russian State Armaments Program for 2007-2015, the Navy will receive several dozen surface ships and submarines, including five Project 955 Borey nuclear-powered strategic ballistic missile submarines equipped with new Bulava ballistic missiles, two Project 885 Yasen nuclear-powered multipurpose submarines, six Project 677 Lada diesel-electric submarines, three Project 22350 frigates and five Project 20380 corvettes.
Re: International Military Discussion
sign of funding issues...zumwalt CG cut from 7 to 3 units
http://blog.wired.com/defense/2008/09/w ... 000-p.html
http://blog.wired.com/defense/2008/09/w ... 000-p.html
Re: International Military Discussion
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/7737086.stm
Pakistan's SSG Ex-chief General Alvi Assassinated
Pakistan's SSG Ex-chief General Alvi Assassinated
Situation is alarmingly bad there. Reminds me of the assassination of Gen. Vaidya in Pune by Khalistanis. So now, Taliban is striking ISI where it hurts the most.Senior military and government officials have been the focus of targeted attacks by militants.
Their deaths have been blamed on their support for the US-led "war on terror".
Re: International Military Discussion
Err - lets not compare the two!!!
All I can say is - nice --
All I can say is - nice --
Re: International Military Discussion
'Israel, Germany develop nuclear warning system'
Working in secret, Israel and Germany have jointly developed a nuclear missile detection system, according to the Defense News Web site.
Code-named Project Bluebird, the system is based on the prototype of an aerial infrared sensor designed to identify a nuclear-tipped missile speeding toward a target amid a cluster of decoy missiles.
Military planners work under the assumption that in a nuclear strike, decoy missiles could be launched along with those carrying nuclear warheads to confuse and overwhelm missile defense shields. According to the sources, Project Bluebird is designed to avert such a scenario.
On November 3, Defense News published details of the program and cited a German defense official as confirming its existence. According to the Web site, the system's infrared sensor has already been tested aboard a business jet.
Defense News quoted a Pentagon official as saying that "the escalating Iranian nuclear threat and the possibility that Teheran will one day equip ballistic missiles with decoys and maneuvering warheads" have pushed Jerusalem to seek American backing to deploy the sensor on an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). This would make it an operational part of Israel's national missile defense network - the Arrow anti-tactical ballistic missile system.
"The Israelis want an additional sensor in the air, and since Bluebird is only a demonstrator, they want to replace it with an operational sensor on a UAV," said a Pentagon source cited by Defense News.
Emily Landau, director of the Arms Control and Regional Security Program at Tel Aviv University's Institute of National Security Studies, said Project Bluebird should not be viewed as a sign that Israel had accepted the inevitability of a nuclear Iran.
"It's not surprising that Israel is working on this," Landau said, adding that the scenario of "multiple missiles fired at Israel and the issue of a decoy needs to be taken into account.
"In terms of the political and strategic ramifications, one should not to jump to conclusions or connect the dots where they shouldn't be connected. There's no indication here of a level of faith in the international community's ability to stop Iran's nuclear program," she said.
"Israel's missile defense program is a very long-term program," Landau continued. "Generally speaking, Israel is heavily invested in a missile defense system and is planning for future scenarios. Israel is correctly planning for all options in the specific case of the Iranian nuclear threat, and this should not be seen as a message that Israel believes that diplomatic efforts, or a military strike, won't be able to stop the Iranian nuclear program.
"I would rather interpret it as saying that this is one option [a nuclear armed Iran] that we need to prepare for. Hopefully, the international community can stop the program, but all scenarios need preparing for."
Meanwhile, an Israeli military industry source has confirmed a November 13 story from a Russian news agency, according to which Moscow is contemplating the purchase of Israeli UAVs.
According to RIA Novosti, a Russian lawmaker from the lower house's defense committee said the option was on the table.
"I would assume the UAVs [under consideration] would be produced by Israel Aerospace Industries and Elbit," an Israeli defense industry source told The Jerusalem Post on Sunday.
Middle East analyst Meir Javedanfar said that if such a sale went through, it would represent a historic landmark for Israeli-Russian relations and might present Israel with leverage over Russia's Middle East policies, especially the sale of weapons to Iran. Moscow is due to deliver the advanced S-300 air defense system to Teheran in the near future.
"I don't think this is going to all of the sudden bring an overnight change," Javedanfar said, "but it would be a chance to enhance the political interests of Israel.
"If this sale is successful, Israel could have more allies in the Kremlin, something which is very necessary for Jerusalem in trying to convince the Russians to synthesize Israel's concerns about the Iranian nuclear program, and hopefully to participate in sanctions. Israel would have a bigger voice in Moscow," he said.
An approved sale would also be a "huge breakthrough for Israel's aeronautical industry," Javedanfar said. "That a superpower such as Russia now wants to rely on sophisticated Israeli technology for its defense sources would be something that would [have been] hard to believe 25 years ago. This would be a huge marketing coup for Israel."
Working in secret, Israel and Germany have jointly developed a nuclear missile detection system, according to the Defense News Web site.
Code-named Project Bluebird, the system is based on the prototype of an aerial infrared sensor designed to identify a nuclear-tipped missile speeding toward a target amid a cluster of decoy missiles.
Military planners work under the assumption that in a nuclear strike, decoy missiles could be launched along with those carrying nuclear warheads to confuse and overwhelm missile defense shields. According to the sources, Project Bluebird is designed to avert such a scenario.
On November 3, Defense News published details of the program and cited a German defense official as confirming its existence. According to the Web site, the system's infrared sensor has already been tested aboard a business jet.
Defense News quoted a Pentagon official as saying that "the escalating Iranian nuclear threat and the possibility that Teheran will one day equip ballistic missiles with decoys and maneuvering warheads" have pushed Jerusalem to seek American backing to deploy the sensor on an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). This would make it an operational part of Israel's national missile defense network - the Arrow anti-tactical ballistic missile system.
"The Israelis want an additional sensor in the air, and since Bluebird is only a demonstrator, they want to replace it with an operational sensor on a UAV," said a Pentagon source cited by Defense News.
Emily Landau, director of the Arms Control and Regional Security Program at Tel Aviv University's Institute of National Security Studies, said Project Bluebird should not be viewed as a sign that Israel had accepted the inevitability of a nuclear Iran.
"It's not surprising that Israel is working on this," Landau said, adding that the scenario of "multiple missiles fired at Israel and the issue of a decoy needs to be taken into account.
"In terms of the political and strategic ramifications, one should not to jump to conclusions or connect the dots where they shouldn't be connected. There's no indication here of a level of faith in the international community's ability to stop Iran's nuclear program," she said.
"Israel's missile defense program is a very long-term program," Landau continued. "Generally speaking, Israel is heavily invested in a missile defense system and is planning for future scenarios. Israel is correctly planning for all options in the specific case of the Iranian nuclear threat, and this should not be seen as a message that Israel believes that diplomatic efforts, or a military strike, won't be able to stop the Iranian nuclear program.
"I would rather interpret it as saying that this is one option [a nuclear armed Iran] that we need to prepare for. Hopefully, the international community can stop the program, but all scenarios need preparing for."
Meanwhile, an Israeli military industry source has confirmed a November 13 story from a Russian news agency, according to which Moscow is contemplating the purchase of Israeli UAVs.
According to RIA Novosti, a Russian lawmaker from the lower house's defense committee said the option was on the table.
"I would assume the UAVs [under consideration] would be produced by Israel Aerospace Industries and Elbit," an Israeli defense industry source told The Jerusalem Post on Sunday.
Middle East analyst Meir Javedanfar said that if such a sale went through, it would represent a historic landmark for Israeli-Russian relations and might present Israel with leverage over Russia's Middle East policies, especially the sale of weapons to Iran. Moscow is due to deliver the advanced S-300 air defense system to Teheran in the near future.
"I don't think this is going to all of the sudden bring an overnight change," Javedanfar said, "but it would be a chance to enhance the political interests of Israel.
"If this sale is successful, Israel could have more allies in the Kremlin, something which is very necessary for Jerusalem in trying to convince the Russians to synthesize Israel's concerns about the Iranian nuclear program, and hopefully to participate in sanctions. Israel would have a bigger voice in Moscow," he said.
An approved sale would also be a "huge breakthrough for Israel's aeronautical industry," Javedanfar said. "That a superpower such as Russia now wants to rely on sophisticated Israeli technology for its defense sources would be something that would [have been] hard to believe 25 years ago. This would be a huge marketing coup for Israel."
Re: International Military Discussion
demo of the largest Ru bomb - a FAE kind of weapon from a Tu160.
said to demolish anything in a 300m radius.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXFHzy3tK84&NR=1
imagine a squadron of these Tu160 flying low over Clifton one morning...
said to demolish anything in a 300m radius.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXFHzy3tK84&NR=1
imagine a squadron of these Tu160 flying low over Clifton one morning...
Re: International Military Discussion
is that the FOAB ?
Re: International Military Discussion
They say DOAB (DADDY OF ALL BOMBS ..IN REPLY TO US's MOAB aka MOTHER OF ALL BOMBS ) 
Re: International Military Discussion
The exact position of the operational center of France's future Barracuda nuclear attack submarines is highly classified. Traditionally, the command post is located under the boat’s conning tower which houses the periscopes. But that may not be the case with Barracuda, which is due to enter the French fleet starting in 2017, since the vessel will use optronics gear (two optronic masts, an attack periscope and radar mast) that are to be supplied by Sagem Defense et Securite. The submarines will be employed by the Navy as much as intelligence-gathering boats as attack vessels because of their observation and passive electromagnetic systems. France plans to have three of the six future Barracudas, successor to the current Rubis/Amethyste class submarines, permanently at sea: one in the Atlantic, the other in the Mediterranean and a third in the Indian Ocean.
Re: International Military Discussion
Why should it be an operational secret ? Modern Non Hull Penetrating Optronic Mast , should give them the flexibility to place the ops center any where in the hull , ops center should most likely be at the forward of the sail..........and reactor at the aft of itshyamd wrote:The exact position of the operational center of France's future Barracuda nuclear attack submarines is highly classified. Traditionally, the command post is located under the boat’s conning tower which houses the periscopes. But that may not be the case with Barracuda, which is due to enter the French fleet starting in 2017, since the vessel will use optronics gear (two optronic masts, an attack periscope and radar mast) that are to be supplied by Sagem Defense et Securite. The submarines will be employed by the Navy as much as intelligence-gathering boats as attack vessels because of their observation and passive electromagnetic systems. France plans to have three of the six future Barracudas, successor to the current Rubis/Amethyste class submarines, permanently at sea: one in the Atlantic, the other in the Mediterranean and a third in the Indian Ocean.
Last edited by Austin on 23 Nov 2008 16:44, edited 1 time in total.
Re: International Military Discussion
Karelia ( Delta IV ) SSBN submarine launched after major overhaul
On November 22, 2008 the Zvezdochka shipyard in Severodvinsk launched the K-18 Karelia submarine of the Project 667BDRM class, which has been in overhaul since 2004. The overhaul is reported to be "71 percent complete" and the submarine is expected to return to service in late 2009.
Karelia will join four submarines of the Project 667BDRM class that have completed overhaul already - K-51 Verkhoturie, K-84 Ekaterinburg, K-114 Tula, and K-117 Bryansk. The next submarine in line for an overhaul is K-407 Novomoskovsk.
As part of the overhaul and modernization process Karelia will carry a version of the R-29RM missile known as Sineva. It appears that it will be the third submarine equipped with Sineva missiles - after K-114 Tula, which returned to service in January 2006, and K-117 Bryansk, which returned in January 2008.
Nice Video of the launch ceremony link
On November 22, 2008 the Zvezdochka shipyard in Severodvinsk launched the K-18 Karelia submarine of the Project 667BDRM class, which has been in overhaul since 2004. The overhaul is reported to be "71 percent complete" and the submarine is expected to return to service in late 2009.
Karelia will join four submarines of the Project 667BDRM class that have completed overhaul already - K-51 Verkhoturie, K-84 Ekaterinburg, K-114 Tula, and K-117 Bryansk. The next submarine in line for an overhaul is K-407 Novomoskovsk.
As part of the overhaul and modernization process Karelia will carry a version of the R-29RM missile known as Sineva. It appears that it will be the third submarine equipped with Sineva missiles - after K-114 Tula, which returned to service in January 2006, and K-117 Bryansk, which returned in January 2008.
Nice Video of the launch ceremony link
Re: International Military Discussion
Looks pretty crappy compared to western subs.
Re: International Military Discussion
How did you come to that conclusion ? the Control Center is not even there in the picsvavinash wrote:Looks pretty crappy compared to western subs.
Re: International Military Discussion
The Amur pics are just part of the console with some LCD and the other are like backend hardware , the pics certainly dont carry the Operation room of Amurvavinash wrote:What is this then?
http://photofile.name/users/carpenco/2871377/57476166/
http://photofile.name/users/carpenco/2871377/57472981/
compare with
http://www.naval-technology.com/project ... pene4.html
What you see in scorpene pics are the computer generated image of the Operation room.
Re: International Military Discussion
Russian Air Force to cut 50,000 officers
Moscow, Nov 24: Russian Air Force will reduce its strength by cutting 50,000 officers.
The Russian Air Force plans to eliminate all its divisions and regiments and form airbases in their place, leading Russian business daily Kommersant reported. It said in next three years, 55 airbases would be set up based on squadrons.
The rank of ensign would be eliminated and a number of service and management functions would be converted to civilian status.
The first changes would go into effect on December 1, the paper said. According to plans, the Russian Air Force in 2012 would consist of a strategic-tactical command, a strategic air command armed with nuclear weapons, a military-transport air command and four air defence and anti-missile commands.
In addition, the corps and divisions of the air defence would be reorganised into air-and-space defence brigades and the anti-aircraft missile brigades would be reorganised into anti-aircraft missile regiments.
Support structures are also on the cards for reorganisation. In place of nine vehicular brigades, 20 battalions on constant alert with fewer personnel would be formed to transport supplies to the forces. Russian Defence Minister Anatoly Serdyukov announced reforms in the Russian military in October, which are frequently called the most radical in post-Soviet history in the press.
Besides reducing the officer staff, the reforms are aimed at bring the Russian military up to the 'world standards.'
Moscow, Nov 24: Russian Air Force will reduce its strength by cutting 50,000 officers.
The Russian Air Force plans to eliminate all its divisions and regiments and form airbases in their place, leading Russian business daily Kommersant reported. It said in next three years, 55 airbases would be set up based on squadrons.
The rank of ensign would be eliminated and a number of service and management functions would be converted to civilian status.
The first changes would go into effect on December 1, the paper said. According to plans, the Russian Air Force in 2012 would consist of a strategic-tactical command, a strategic air command armed with nuclear weapons, a military-transport air command and four air defence and anti-missile commands.
In addition, the corps and divisions of the air defence would be reorganised into air-and-space defence brigades and the anti-aircraft missile brigades would be reorganised into anti-aircraft missile regiments.
Support structures are also on the cards for reorganisation. In place of nine vehicular brigades, 20 battalions on constant alert with fewer personnel would be formed to transport supplies to the forces. Russian Defence Minister Anatoly Serdyukov announced reforms in the Russian military in October, which are frequently called the most radical in post-Soviet history in the press.
Besides reducing the officer staff, the reforms are aimed at bring the Russian military up to the 'world standards.'
Re: International Military Discussion
The Russian mysterious Ekranoplanes part 1
The Russian mysterious Ekranoplanes part 2
In the second video "Lun" is showed firing Moskit.
Cheers....
The Russian mysterious Ekranoplanes part 2
In the second video "Lun" is showed firing Moskit.
Cheers....
Re: International Military Discussion
A Soldier, Taking Orders From Its Ethical Judgment Center
By CORNELIA DEAN
Published: November 24, 2008
ATLANTA — In the heat of battle, their minds clouded by fear, anger or vengefulness, even the best-trained soldiers can act in ways that violate the Geneva Conventions or battlefield rules of engagement. Now some researchers suggest that robots could do better.
“My research hypothesis is that intelligent robots can behave more ethically in the battlefield than humans currently can,” said Ronald C. Arkin, a computer scientist at Georgia Tech, who is designing software for battlefield robots under contract with the Army. “That’s the case I make.”
Robot drones, mine detectors and sensing devices are already common on the battlefield but are controlled by humans. Many of the drones in Iraq and Afghanistan are operated from a command post in Nevada. Dr. Arkin is talking about true robots operating autonomously, on their own.
He and others say that the technology to make lethal autonomous robots is inexpensive and proliferating, and that the advent of these robots on the battlefield is only a matter of time. That means, they say, it is time for people to start talking about whether this technology is something they want to embrace. “The important thing is not to be blind to it,” Dr. Arkin said. Noel Sharkey, a computer scientist at the University of Sheffield in Britain, wrote last year in the journal Innovative Technology for Computer Professionals that “this is not a ‘Terminator’-style science fiction but grim reality.”
He said South Korea and Israel were among countries already deploying armed robot border guards. In an interview, he said there was “a headlong rush” to develop battlefield robots that make their own decisions about when to attack.
“We don’t want to get to the point where we should have had this discussion 20 years ago,” said Colin Allen, a philosopher at Indiana University and a co-author of “Moral Machines: Teaching Robots Right From Wrong,” published this month by Oxford University Press.
Randy Zachery, who directs the Information Science Directorate of the Army Research Office, which is financing Dr. Arkin’s work, said the Army hoped this “basic science” would show how human soldiers might use and interact with autonomous systems and how software might be developed to “allow autonomous systems to operate within the bounds imposed by the warfighter.”
“It doesn’t have a particular product or application in mind,” said Dr. Zachery, an electrical engineer. “It is basically to answer questions that can stimulate further research or illuminate things we did not know about before.”
And Lt. Col. Martin Downie, a spokesman for the Army, noted that whatever emerged from the work “is ultimately in the hands of the commander in chief, and he’s obviously answerable to the American people, just like we are.”
In a report to the Army last year, Dr. Arkin described some of the potential benefits of autonomous fighting robots. For one thing, they can be designed without an instinct for self-preservation and, as a result, no tendency to lash out in fear. They can be built without anger or recklessness, Dr. Arkin wrote, and they can be made invulnerable to what he called “the psychological problem of ‘scenario fulfillment,’ ” which causes people to absorb new information more easily if it agrees with their pre-existing ideas.
His report drew on a 2006 survey by the surgeon general of the Army, which found that fewer than half of soldiers and marines serving in Iraq said that noncombatants should be treated with dignity and respect, and 17 percent said all civilians should be treated as insurgents. More than one-third said torture was acceptable under some conditions, and fewer than half said they would report a colleague for unethical battlefield behavior.
Troops who were stressed, angry, anxious or mourning lost colleagues or who had handled dead bodies were more likely to say they had mistreated civilian noncombatants, the survey said (PDF). (The survey can be read by searching for 1117mhatreport at www.globalpolicy.org.)
“It is not my belief that an unmanned system will be able to be perfectly ethical in the battlefield,” Dr. Arkin wrote in his report (PDF), “but I am convinced that they can perform more ethically than human soldiers are capable of.”
Dr. Arkin said he could imagine a number of ways in which autonomous robot agents might be deployed as “battlefield assistants” — in countersniper operations, clearing buildings of suspected terrorists or other dangerous assignments where there may not be time for a robotic device to relay sights or sounds to a human operator and wait for instructions.
But first those robots would need to be programmed with rules about when it is acceptable to fire on a tank, and about more complicated and emotionally fraught tasks, like how to distinguish civilians, the wounded or someone trying to surrender from enemy troops on the attack, and whom to shoot.
In their book, Dr. Allen and his coauthor, Wendell Wallach, a computer scientist at the Yale Interdisciplinary Center for Bioethics, note that an engineering approach “meant to cover the range of challenges” will probably seem inadequate to an ethicist. And from the engineer’s perspective, they write, making robots “sensitive to moral considerations will add further difficulties to the already challenging task of building reliable, efficient and safe systems.”
But, Dr. Allen added in an interview, “Is it possible to build systems that pay attention to things that matter ethically? Yes.”
Daniel C. Dennett, a philosopher and cognitive scientist at Tufts University, agrees. “If we talk about training a robot to make distinctions that track moral relevance, that’s not beyond the pale at all,” he said. But, he added, letting machines make ethical judgments is “a moral issue that people should think about.”
Dr. Sharkey said he would ban lethal autonomous robots until they demonstrate they will act ethically, a standard he said he believes they are unlikely to meet. Meanwhile, he said, he worries that advocates of the technology will exploit the ethics research “to allay political opposition.”
Dr. Arkin’s simulations play out in black and white computer displays. “Pilots” have information a human pilot might have, including maps showing the location of sacred sites like houses of worship or cemeteries, as well as apartment houses, schools, hospitals or other centers of civilian life.
They are instructed as to the whereabouts of enemy materiel and troops, and especially high-priority targets. And they are given the rules of engagement, directives that limit the circumstances in which they can initiate and carry out combat. The goal, he said, is to integrate the rules of war with “the utilitarian approach — given military necessity, how important is it to take out that target?”
Dr. Arkin’s approach involves creating a kind of intellectual landscape in which various kinds of action occur in particular “spaces.” In the landscape of all responses, there is a subspace of lethal responses. That lethal subspace is further divided into spaces for ethical actions, like firing a rocket at an attacking tank, and unethical actions, like firing a rocket at an ambulance.
For example, in one situation playing out in Dr. Arkin’s computers, a robot pilot flies past a small cemetery. The pilot spots a tank at the cemetery entrance, a potential target. But a group of civilians has gathered at the cemetery, too. So the pilot decides to keep moving, and soon spots another tank, standing by itself in a field. The pilot fires; the target is destroyed.
In Dr. Arkin’s robotic system, the robot pilot would have what he calls a “governor.” Just as the governor on a steam engine shuts it down when it runs too hot, the ethical governor would quash actions in the lethal/unethical space.
In the tank-cemetery circumstance, for example, the potentially lethal encounter is judged unethical because the cemetery is a sacred site and the risk of civilian casualties is high. So the robot pilot declines to engage. When the robot finds another target with no risk of civilian casualties, it fires. In another case, attacking an important terrorist leader in a taxi in front of an apartment building, might be regarded as ethical if the target is important and the risk of civilian casualties low.
Some who have studied the issue worry, as well, whether battlefield robots designed without emotions will lack empathy. Dr. Arkin, a Christian who acknowledged the help of God and Jesus Christ in the preface to his book “Behavior-Based Robotics” (MIT Press, 1998), reasons that because rules like the Geneva Conventions are based on humane principles, building them into the machine’s mental architecture endows it with a kind of empathy. He added, though, that it would be difficult to design “perceptual algorithms” that could recognize when people were wounded or holding a white flag or otherwise “hors de combat.”
Still, he said, “as the robot gains the ability to be more and more aware of its situation,” more decisions might be delegated to robots. “We are moving up this curve.”
He said that was why he saw provoking discussion about the technology as the most important part of his work. And if autonomous battlefield robots are banned, he said, “I would not be uncomfortable with that at all.”
Re: International Military Discussion
question - the wing loading of the Mig-31 should be quite high given its
immense weight.
so how would it perform as a low-level type strike bird ? I am seeing
visions of it screaming at tree top level armed with a bunch of fat bombs.
and its ample internal fuel should permit a respectable range, strong top speed at low level and very high climb rate to escape after the strike.
immense weight.
so how would it perform as a low-level type strike bird ? I am seeing
visions of it screaming at tree top level armed with a bunch of fat bombs.
and its ample internal fuel should permit a respectable range, strong top speed at low level and very high climb rate to escape after the strike.
Re: International Military Discussion
Russian Navy to show its flag in the Caribbean Sea
MOSCOW. (RIA Novosti military commentator Ilya Kramnik) - The nuclear-powered battle cruiser Pyotr Veliky (Peter the Great), the anti-submarine warfare (ASW) ship Admiral Chabanenko and their supply ships arrived in La Guaira, Venezuela, after leaving Severomorsk, the main base of the Russian Navy's Northern Fleet in northern Russia, a month ago.
The Russian naval squadron conducted exercises in the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean en route to Venezuela.
Russian warships, which have never been to Venezuela before, are now sailing the Caribbean Sea for the first time since the break-up of the Soviet Union.
The current Russian show of flag is a simple and effective method for using naval units in peace-time.
By dispatching their warships to any specific region, naval powers show that they have strategic interests in that part of the world, display a readiness to defend those interests and force their rivals to monitor a new potential threat.
This is also the best way to remind the world about the existence of naval powers and to raise their popularity in countries being visited by warship units.
The best and most powerful warships always take part in such visits. Suffice it to recall the number of voyages involving British battleships over the ages.
The arrival of the Russian squadron in La Guaira also illustrates this concept. Moscow's friendly relations with Caracas are a highly important element of the Russian foreign policy striving to enhance the Kremlin's influence in Latin America.
A recent Russian-Venezuelan exercise involving two Tupolev Tu-160 Blackjack strategic bombers and the latest visit will serve to improve Moscow's reputation.
Russia and Venezuela plan to conduct a joint naval exercise involving joint maneuvers, high-seas rescue operations, ship inspections and in-motion refueling and materiel transfers. Naturally, the visit does not threaten U.S. domination in the Caribbean region in any way.
Russian warships will remain in Venezuela until December 1 and will then sail into the Indian Ocean around the Cape of Good Hope.
After reaching its new destination, the squadron will exercise with Pacific Fleet warships, namely, the guided-missile cruiser Varyag and the ASW ships Admiral Tributs and Marshal Shaposhnikov.
Instead of merely showing its flag, Russia wants to resume regular naval presence in the region, probably the most difficult high-seas theater of war in the world.
It would be pointless to try to use the Pyotr Veliky and the Varyag for fighting Somalian pirates in the Indian Ocean because this would be a classic case of cracking a nut with a sledgehammer.
The Pyotr Veliky displaces over 25,000 metric tons, carries 20 Granit anti-ship missiles, including nuclear-tipped missiles, 96 S-300F long-range surface-to-air missiles (SAMs), 96 Kinzhal (Dagger) short-range SAMs, a 130-mm twin mounting, other short-range anti-aircraft weapons and various ASW weaponry, including three helicopters.
The Varyag displaces 12,000 metric tons, carries 16 Vulkan anti-ship missiles, 64 S-300F long-range SAMs, short-range SAMs, artillery systems and ASW weapons.
The guided-missile frigate Neustrashimy (Intrepid) now fighting local pirates will, most likely, be replaced by the Admiral Tributs or the Marshal Shaposhnikov.
Apart from showing the Russian flag and maintaining regular naval presence in key areas of the world's oceans, this and other voyages make it possible to train ship crews and to enhance combat readiness.
The opinions expressed in this article are the author's and do not necessarily represent those of RIA Novosti.
MOSCOW. (RIA Novosti military commentator Ilya Kramnik) - The nuclear-powered battle cruiser Pyotr Veliky (Peter the Great), the anti-submarine warfare (ASW) ship Admiral Chabanenko and their supply ships arrived in La Guaira, Venezuela, after leaving Severomorsk, the main base of the Russian Navy's Northern Fleet in northern Russia, a month ago.
The Russian naval squadron conducted exercises in the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean en route to Venezuela.
Russian warships, which have never been to Venezuela before, are now sailing the Caribbean Sea for the first time since the break-up of the Soviet Union.
The current Russian show of flag is a simple and effective method for using naval units in peace-time.
By dispatching their warships to any specific region, naval powers show that they have strategic interests in that part of the world, display a readiness to defend those interests and force their rivals to monitor a new potential threat.
This is also the best way to remind the world about the existence of naval powers and to raise their popularity in countries being visited by warship units.
The best and most powerful warships always take part in such visits. Suffice it to recall the number of voyages involving British battleships over the ages.
The arrival of the Russian squadron in La Guaira also illustrates this concept. Moscow's friendly relations with Caracas are a highly important element of the Russian foreign policy striving to enhance the Kremlin's influence in Latin America.
A recent Russian-Venezuelan exercise involving two Tupolev Tu-160 Blackjack strategic bombers and the latest visit will serve to improve Moscow's reputation.
Russia and Venezuela plan to conduct a joint naval exercise involving joint maneuvers, high-seas rescue operations, ship inspections and in-motion refueling and materiel transfers. Naturally, the visit does not threaten U.S. domination in the Caribbean region in any way.
Russian warships will remain in Venezuela until December 1 and will then sail into the Indian Ocean around the Cape of Good Hope.
After reaching its new destination, the squadron will exercise with Pacific Fleet warships, namely, the guided-missile cruiser Varyag and the ASW ships Admiral Tributs and Marshal Shaposhnikov.
Instead of merely showing its flag, Russia wants to resume regular naval presence in the region, probably the most difficult high-seas theater of war in the world.
It would be pointless to try to use the Pyotr Veliky and the Varyag for fighting Somalian pirates in the Indian Ocean because this would be a classic case of cracking a nut with a sledgehammer.
The Pyotr Veliky displaces over 25,000 metric tons, carries 20 Granit anti-ship missiles, including nuclear-tipped missiles, 96 S-300F long-range surface-to-air missiles (SAMs), 96 Kinzhal (Dagger) short-range SAMs, a 130-mm twin mounting, other short-range anti-aircraft weapons and various ASW weaponry, including three helicopters.
The Varyag displaces 12,000 metric tons, carries 16 Vulkan anti-ship missiles, 64 S-300F long-range SAMs, short-range SAMs, artillery systems and ASW weapons.
The guided-missile frigate Neustrashimy (Intrepid) now fighting local pirates will, most likely, be replaced by the Admiral Tributs or the Marshal Shaposhnikov.
Apart from showing the Russian flag and maintaining regular naval presence in key areas of the world's oceans, this and other voyages make it possible to train ship crews and to enhance combat readiness.
The opinions expressed in this article are the author's and do not necessarily represent those of RIA Novosti.
Re: International Military Discussion
Northrop makes first AESA flight with SABR sensor
So neighbourhood Munna will have one more sensor that it will beg the US for..By Craig Hoyle
Northrop Grumman has made the first demonstration flight with a new active electronically scanned array sensor being developed primarily as a retrofit option for the Lockheed Martin F-16.
Dubbed the scaleable agile beam radar (SABR), the AESA design was flown in a Northrop-owned Sabreliner testbed (pictured below with integration model array) on 16 November from Baltimore, Maryland, and detected numerous aerial targets during the sortie, the company says.
The current flight campaign is expected to last for between two and three months, with Northrop then planning to integrate and flight test the SABR array in an F-16 during 2009.
Discussions have taken place with several nations potentially interested in providing an aircraft to test the system, says Skip Wagner, Northrop's business development director for F-16 sensor systems.
Optimised for use with Block 50-series F-16s, Northrop's panel patch array design requires no structural modifications to the fighter, and uses existing interfaces, cooling and power systems. "To be affordable you cannot change the aircraft," says Wagner.
The SABR design is lighter than current mechanically scanned arrays, but will offer increased detection range, interleaved air-to-air and air-to-surface modes and high-resolution synthetic aperture radar imaging.
"Most AESAs are between two and four times the cost of an M-scan. By design we are trying to change that and make the cost similar," says Wagner. "F-16s will be operated for another 30 years, so this is the right answer for our customers," he adds.
Northrop also sees a future market for offering increased-scale versions of the SABR design for other legacy fighters, such as the Boeing F-15 or F/A-18, and even for larger types like the Lockheed Martin C-130 transport.
Smaller variants could also potentially equip types such as the Alenia Aermacchi M-346 and Korea Aerospace Industries/Lockheed F/A-50, Wagner says. "We are hopeful that in the very near term the US government will grant export of this system," he adds.
Re: International Military Discussion
Bulava the lightest SLBM of its Type
Mark that 10 Hypersonic , Individually Guided , maneuverable RV.............this is something we want to achieve with our MIRV ..... perhaps with A-5
Mark that 10 Hypersonic , Individually Guided , maneuverable RV.............this is something we want to achieve with our MIRV ..... perhaps with A-5
Last edited by Austin on 28 Nov 2008 06:23, edited 1 time in total.
Re: International Military Discussion
Need to make sure that the cost of selling/giving it to TSP will be very high.Smaller variants could also potentially equip types such as the Alenia Aermacchi M-346 and Korea Aerospace Industries/Lockheed F/A-50, Wagner says. "We are hopeful that in the very near term the US government will grant export of this system," he adds.
Re: International Military Discussion
I am posting pics of some military vehicles i found on the net.
Hope u like it.
http://www.armourbook.com/uploads/forum ... 2_1302.jpg
Found it weird.
Luaz Volinjanka with a UB-32 rocket pod (32x57mm rockets).
http://img89.imageshack.us/img89/4952/k ... edile8.jpg
The ELVO Kentavros (Centaur) IFV prototype. (Almost) final configuration.
http://englishrussia.com/images/oka_suv/8.jpg
Do not know what it is..
But looks interesting enough.
AMX 30 Pluton
Hope u like it.
http://www.armourbook.com/uploads/forum ... 2_1302.jpg
Found it weird.
Luaz Volinjanka with a UB-32 rocket pod (32x57mm rockets).
http://img89.imageshack.us/img89/4952/k ... edile8.jpg
The ELVO Kentavros (Centaur) IFV prototype. (Almost) final configuration.
http://englishrussia.com/images/oka_suv/8.jpg
Do not know what it is..
But looks interesting enough.
AMX 30 Pluton
Re: International Military Discussion
Some More Pics.
This time it's APC's
Armoured Personnel Carrier.
French ones:
http://www.renault-trucks-defense.com/J ... NSE&etat=1
http://www.defense-update.com/images/2d2m-vab.jpg
http://sitelife.aviationweek.com/ver1.0 ... .Large.jpg
http://www.militaryfactory.com/armor/imgs/vab.jpg
Tatra 815 SOT deployed in Afghanistan.
it's So small for an APC.
Porkistani APC.
http://cache.daylife.com/imageserve/05q ... d/610x.jpg
This time it's APC's
Armoured Personnel Carrier.
French ones:
http://www.renault-trucks-defense.com/J ... NSE&etat=1
http://www.defense-update.com/images/2d2m-vab.jpg
http://sitelife.aviationweek.com/ver1.0 ... .Large.jpg
http://www.militaryfactory.com/armor/imgs/vab.jpg
Tatra 815 SOT deployed in Afghanistan.
it's So small for an APC.
Porkistani APC.
http://cache.daylife.com/imageserve/05q ... d/610x.jpg
Re: International Military Discussion
German Super Tanks of the World War 2 Era.
They were proposed and Even the prototypes were Built.
But were Not used in the Battle-field.
The First one is P-1000 Ratte.
Illustrations:
Just Compare the Size.
Powerplant:8x Daimler-Benz MB501 20-cylinder marine diesel engines
or 2x MAN V12Z32/44 24-cylinder marine diesel engines
Power Needed: 16,000 or 17,000 hp (13,000 kW) for a speed of 40km/h
Next is the P-1500 "Monster".
This one was sparingly used.
Proposed Weight: 1500tons.
Powerplant: 4x MAN M9v 40/46 U-boat diesels, 2,200 hp each.
Image for Scale Comparison:
http://strangevehicles.greyfalcon.us/pi ... nster1.gif
http://strangevehicles.greyfalcon.us/pi ... nster2.gif
This is lighter version weighing 1350 tonnes which used Rail Tracks.
This one is Awesome.
Full Article at:
http://indiasquare.blogspot.com/
http://strangevehicles.greyfalcon.us/La ... 0Ratte.htm
They were proposed and Even the prototypes were Built.
But were Not used in the Battle-field.
The First one is P-1000 Ratte.
Illustrations:
Just Compare the Size.
Powerplant:8x Daimler-Benz MB501 20-cylinder marine diesel engines
or 2x MAN V12Z32/44 24-cylinder marine diesel engines
Power Needed: 16,000 or 17,000 hp (13,000 kW) for a speed of 40km/h
Next is the P-1500 "Monster".
This one was sparingly used.
Proposed Weight: 1500tons.
Powerplant: 4x MAN M9v 40/46 U-boat diesels, 2,200 hp each.
Image for Scale Comparison:
http://strangevehicles.greyfalcon.us/pi ... nster1.gif
http://strangevehicles.greyfalcon.us/pi ... nster2.gif
This is lighter version weighing 1350 tonnes which used Rail Tracks.
This one is Awesome.
.Rumor has it, this massive war-machine, dubbed the "Siege Bot" in Western intelligence circles, was built by the Iraqi regime under Saddam Hussein. The huge gun tube launched rocket-assisted howitzer rounds, and was intended to crack Iranian fortifications during the Iran-Iraq war of the 1980s. The Siege Bot vanished soon after the first Gulf War, having never fired on Allied troops. The
United States denies having it…..
Full Article at:
http://indiasquare.blogspot.com/
http://strangevehicles.greyfalcon.us/La ... 0Ratte.htm
Re: International Military Discussion
http://rfdesign.com/military_defense_el ... opes_1126/
Spotting a submarine periscope in cluttered coastal waters
Nov 26, 2008 11:41 AM
Trying to spot a submarine periscope lurking in cluttered coastal waters is akin to identifying a floating beer can from 60 miles away. That is the challenge the U.S. Navy faces as it tries to track a growing fleet of modern diesel-electric submarines.
The Pentagon plans to do this by improving existing radar with new signal-processing software and by rotating the radar antennas faster inside their radomes. The Navy is moving forward to develop Automatic Radar Periscope Detection and Discrimination (ARPDD) radar for Nimitz-class aircraft carriers and anti-submarine MH-60R Seahawk helicopters. These helicopters are scheduled for deployment with the carrier USS John C. Stennis battle group in 2009, though they would not start carrying ARPDD radars until 2013.
ARPDD will capitalize on millions of dollars worth of research by the Navy and industry since the end of the Cold War to develop a radar capable of ferreting out periscope-like targets and automatically alert the operator to take a closer look.
One key will be the radar's ability to boost its scan rate from zero revolutions per minute (RPMs) when it is staring in one direction to make an image, up to a classified RPM for the new ARPDD mode.
Automation is another key. Current radar systems can discern small targets. However, they generate a high rate of false alarms in busy littoral waters, where it is easy to mistake small vessels, wind-whipped whitecaps and debris for the telltale signs of a prowling submarine. Radar operators must constantly monitor screens and manually sort through target hits, consuming valuable time.
The Navy wants to field the upgraded radar on the MH-60Rs by 2013 and install it on all Nimitz carriers by 2016.
In June, the Navy awarded a $144-million design-and-development contract to Lockheed Martin Integrated Systems of Owego, N.Y., to incorporate the radars on the helicopters.
Lockheed Martin builds the cockpit and air weapon system for the Seahawks, and the company passed along $71.5 million to Telephonics, Farmingdale, N.Y., to upgrade its existing AN/APS-147 radar into ARPDD systems. This electronics and communications firm built the AN/APS-147 for the Seahawks.
Spotting a submarine periscope in cluttered coastal waters
Nov 26, 2008 11:41 AM
Trying to spot a submarine periscope lurking in cluttered coastal waters is akin to identifying a floating beer can from 60 miles away. That is the challenge the U.S. Navy faces as it tries to track a growing fleet of modern diesel-electric submarines.
The Pentagon plans to do this by improving existing radar with new signal-processing software and by rotating the radar antennas faster inside their radomes. The Navy is moving forward to develop Automatic Radar Periscope Detection and Discrimination (ARPDD) radar for Nimitz-class aircraft carriers and anti-submarine MH-60R Seahawk helicopters. These helicopters are scheduled for deployment with the carrier USS John C. Stennis battle group in 2009, though they would not start carrying ARPDD radars until 2013.
ARPDD will capitalize on millions of dollars worth of research by the Navy and industry since the end of the Cold War to develop a radar capable of ferreting out periscope-like targets and automatically alert the operator to take a closer look.
One key will be the radar's ability to boost its scan rate from zero revolutions per minute (RPMs) when it is staring in one direction to make an image, up to a classified RPM for the new ARPDD mode.
Automation is another key. Current radar systems can discern small targets. However, they generate a high rate of false alarms in busy littoral waters, where it is easy to mistake small vessels, wind-whipped whitecaps and debris for the telltale signs of a prowling submarine. Radar operators must constantly monitor screens and manually sort through target hits, consuming valuable time.
The Navy wants to field the upgraded radar on the MH-60Rs by 2013 and install it on all Nimitz carriers by 2016.
In June, the Navy awarded a $144-million design-and-development contract to Lockheed Martin Integrated Systems of Owego, N.Y., to incorporate the radars on the helicopters.
Lockheed Martin builds the cockpit and air weapon system for the Seahawks, and the company passed along $71.5 million to Telephonics, Farmingdale, N.Y., to upgrade its existing AN/APS-147 radar into ARPDD systems. This electronics and communications firm built the AN/APS-147 for the Seahawks.
Re: International Military Discussion
Neither the Ratte nor the Monster were ever built, even as prototypes. That's why your pictures of them are drawings or models. Only the Ratte was a tank, the others were all artillery pieces. The drawing you've posted of the Monster is actually the same 1350 ton railway gun as in the photograph. It was called Dora (see second link below). The titles of the pictures (both end in dora.jpg) give a clue. Railway guns were used by several countries, from the US civil war to WW2.kumar_k wrote:German Super Tanks of the World War 2 Era.
They were proposed and Even the prototypes were Built.
But were Not used in the Battle-field.
The First one is P-1000 Ratte.
...
Next is the P-1500 "Monster".
This one was sparingly used.
Proposed Weight: 1500tons.
Powerplant: 4x MAN M9v 40/46 U-boat diesels, 2,200 hp each.
Image for Scale Comparison:
http://strangevehicles.greyfalcon.us/pi ... nster1.gif
http://strangevehicles.greyfalcon.us/pi ... nster2.gif
This is lighter version weighing 1350 tonnes which used Rail Tracks.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Railway_gun
http://www.aopt91.dsl.pipex.com/railgun ... 0index.htm - including both your Dora pictures.