Recommended...Click on this link to see cool 3D video

http://www.spiegel.de/static/360grad/kamtschatka/

Gas Masks Being Handed Out Across Israel

Iran Currency Hits Historic Low

 

 

The Iranian currency hit a record low against the dollar on Thursday, trading at 40,000 rials to a dollar in Tehran’s open markets. The previous low record was in October 2012 when the exchange rate sank to 37,000 rials/dollar, creating  currency crisis and protests in the bazaar.

On 31 January 2012, the rial was traded at 18,500:1. Today’s plummeting of the currency means that rial has lost two-thirds of its value in one year.

Baloch Freedom fighters pushing back occupying Pakistan Army

Graphic: Chamalang, Balochistan ambush: 41 Pakistani Army personnel killed



Video of Chamalang's ambush that resulted in death of 41 Pakistani Army personnel including a Major and two JCOs. Large amount of ammunition seized and scores of dead bodies can be seen in the video.

Support the freedom struggle of Balochistan.  Throw the occupying Punjabi Pakistan Army out of Balochistan.

Israeli hits Syrian convoy near Lebanon border

French armed forces have taken the control of the airport in Kidal

Islamic fighters in Mali on the retreat

Tuesday night, January 29, 2013 the French armed forces force in Mali assumed control over the airport of the city of Kidal, which has been under the radical Islamists’ control until recently. This has been confirmed by an official of the Touareg National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad, which reported this Monday about the liberation of Kidal from Islamic fighters.

French army spokesman Col Thierry Burkhard confirmed that "French elements were deployed overnight in Kidal". After the military operations on Timbukutu, French and Malian forces strengthen their positions in this area.

In Timbuktu, a new airborne operation was made with air drop of French soldiers of the 17e RGP (17th Engineer Parachute Regiment) with equipment to carry out the clearance of the runway and thus help to restore air traffic on the airport of the city. In Gao, the French Malian soldiers continue patrols around the city to prevent the return of the rebels.

In Dakar, French soldiers of the 92e RI (92nd Infantry Regiment) with VBCI armoured infantry fighting vehicles and the 1er RIMa (1st Marine Infantry Regiment) with AMX-10RCR 6x6 reconnaissance armoured vehicles continue to unload their equipment and then take the road to Mali.

African contingents reached the number of 2,900 soldiers including 1,400 Chadians, 500 Nigeriens, 400 Togolese, 200 Nigerians, 150 Burkinabe,100 Beninese and 50 Senegalese.

The Chadian armed forces have left their base of Menaka and headed towards the north of the country to support the work of the French troops in this area. At the same time the first soldiers of the Nigerien battalion have entered the town of Ansongo to take position.

Satellite Photos Show No Damage to Iran’s Fordo Nuclear Site

Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS) today released Astrium commercial satellite imagery of Iran’s Fordo Fuel Enrichment Plant taken on 22 January, a day after the website WND had claimed that the site was the target of a major explosion. The imagery (top photo) shows no exterior signs of an explosion or major damage. As ISIS experts have observed, there are no “intensified activity in the form of emergency or cleanup vehicles that one would expect to see around the site in the wake of an incident of this magnitude.”  (ISIS, 30 January)

During the last few days, Iranian, Israeli, and U.S. officials denied that sabotage or a major incident occurred and IAEA concurred.

Top photo: Satellite imagery of the Fordo fuel enrichment site from January 22nd, one day after the reported explosion that caused major damage to the site. The imagery shows no damage to the outside and no discernible signs of emergency vehicles or activity at the tunnel entrances. (ISIS)

Bottom photo: GeoEye imagery from Google Earth of the Fordo site two months before the alleged underground explosion at the site. (ISIS)

Rogue Pakistan Army and notorious intelligence agency - ISI rewarded terrorist who beheaded Indian soldier

Pakistan Army terrorists are not signatories of the Geneva convention?

Pakistani bounty hunters planning more beheadings for money.ISI headquarters in Aabpara,Islamabad gave orders for this operation.

 

Pakistani intelligence agency ISI (Inter-Services Intelligence) reportedly rewarded the terrorist, who beheaded Indian soldier Lance Naik Hemraj Singh during a border scuffle on January 8, with Rs 5 lakh.

According to the MI report, the beheading was done by one Anwar Khan, a local guide who runs a shop in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), and he was also involved in the beheading of an Indian Army captain in 1996 in the same Mendhar area. Anwar, who was handed over the reward by Colonel Siddiqui of ISI, was part of a group led by Subedar Jabbar Khan of ISI. The attackers included members of ISI-backed jihadi terror outfits Lashkar and Jaish-e-Mohammad. The MI report said ISI masterminded the January 8 beheading of Hemraj and mutilation of Lance Naik Sudhakar Singh's body, and involved terrorists in the execution of the plot aimed at triggering unrest along the border.

The report said the beheading was pre-meditated, with an ISI officer leading the 15-member Border Action Team (BAT) which ambushed the Indian soldiers in Mendhar that day. A brigadier-rank ISI officer oversaw the attack.The ISI has several BATs for such operations along the LoC and Pakistani army was hand in glove with the intelligence agency in the operation.

According to the report, there was a meeting between senior ISI officers, important terrorist commanders and guides a few days before the attack at Rawalkote in PoK. The meeting was presided over by a brigadier level officer of ISI and included Colonel Siddiqui (of Rawalkote), Azad Khan (of Peshawar), Yousuf Khan alias Pathan (of Muzzafarabad) and Major Abbasi (of Tattapani).

$50 is a very less amount for planting mines

 $50 is a very less amount for planting mines

Gunmen kill three including Pakistan Air Force guards in Pasni, Balochistan

Failed and Rogue state of Pakistan. The military there is having a hard time in protecting itself

QUETTA: Gunmen shot dead two Pakistan Air Force (PAF) security guards and a shopkeeper in Pasni area of Balochistan province on Monday, officials said.
The three were killed in the Pasni area of Gawadar district, 720 kilometres (447 miles) southwest of the provincial capital Quetta.
“The deceased soldiers were identified as Muhammad Ibrahim and Khurram Shahzad while the local shopkeeper was named as Elahi Bukhsh resident of Awaran district,” local official Abdul Fatah Bhanger told AFP.

Another official said the security personnel came under attack while buying food at a market.
“The security personnel came to Pasni bazaar for purchase of edible items when unknown armed men opened indiscriminate fire on them,” Akbar Hussain Durrani, the home secretary of Balochistan, told AFP.

“After the attack, the gunmen escaped on a motorbike,” he said.
Later, Baloch Liberation Front (BLF), a rebel group, claimed responsibility for the attack.
“Security personnel are our targets, but we did not intend to kill the shopkeeper,” Gwaram Baloch, a BLF spokesman said.
“We have time and again warned the local people to stay away from the security forces because they are on our target,” he added.

Elsewhere, in Lasbela district, some 400 kilometers (248 miles) south of Quetta, two cement factory employees were injured in a hand grenade attack as they travelled home from work on a bus.
Hundreds of people have died in the province since Baloch rebels rose up in 2004 demanding political autonomy and a greater share of profits from the region’s wealth of natural oil, gas and mineral resources.
The area is also plagued by Islamist militancy and sectarian violence.

Thales delivers first MELTEM II CASA CN-235 maritime surveillance aircraft to Turkey

Thales has achieved delivery of the first of three maritime surveillance aircraft under the Meltem II programme for Turkey.

This aircraft will be operated by the Turkish Coast Guard from Izmir Air Base. Pierre Eric Pommellet, Senior Vice-President of Thales Group, officially handed over the aircraft at a ceremony held at the Turkish Aerospace Industry (TAI) facility in Ankara.

The official hand-over was presided by Turkish Minister of Interior, Mr Idris Naim Sahin, who thanked all contributors to the programme and its main contractor Thales for “delivering a state-of-the-art aircraft which will enable the Turkish Coast Guards to perform their surveillance duty up to 120 miles from the coast”.

Taliban's Open Show of Power in Pakistan - Taliban military Parade unhindered

Rogue Pakistan Army, Government or police do nothing

After the capture of Timbuktu airport France continued to strengthen its military power in Mali

After the capture of the airport of Timbuktu and the city Gao by French armed forces Sunday and Monday, January 28, 2013, the two strategic locations are now strengthened by units of the Malian army. French Special Forces continue to secure the area around the Timbuktu airport to restore air traffic and for the support of ground forces.

French troops are consolidating their position in the city of Timbuktu after seizing it from Islamist extremists. French Col. Thierry Burkhard, chief military spokesman in Paris, said that there had been no combat with the Islamists but that the French and Malian forces did not yet control the town.

French military commanders say soldiers are patrolling the streets of Timbuktu looking to flush out any remaining militants. Once Timbuktu is secured, troops are expected to focus on the last rebel stronghold, Kidal.

France said on Tuesday it had now deployed 3,500 troops and 2,900 African soldiers were on the ground in Mali and Niger, 1,400 Chadian, 500 Nigerien, 350 Togolese, 200 Nigerian, 150 Burkinabe, 100 Benin and 100 Senegalese.

French paratroopers of 2e REP Foreign Legion Parachute Regiment were para

China selling weapons to ethnic army in Shan State ?

Move comes after the Myitsone dam project was being developed jointly by Burma and China at the head of the Irrawaddy river in Burma's northern Kachin state was cancelled.

China has dismissed as “ill-founded” and “misguided” allegations it sold or delivered weapons to the about 30,000-strong United Wa State Army in Shan State.

"The Chinese government holds a clear and consistent policy of respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Myanmar," its embassy here said in a statement issued on Sunday.

Reports alleging China had sold or transferred weapons to ethnic armed groups in Myanmar are misguided, it said. The media reports are based on an erroneous “report by a western defence think-tank” it said, referring to Janes Intelligence Review, which released a report last month alleging that China’s effort to arm the ethnic army was “unprecedented both in the quantity of munitions and the type of systems delivered”. The report described the alleged arms deal as “highly likely to have stemmed from a high-level decision made in Beijing”.

Weapons the Wa Army received included ground-to-air missiles and 12 tank destroyers, the report stated.

The embassy stressed that China had always given strong support to a peaceful solution to the conflict within Myanmar through dialogue and negotiation by both sides. “China in recent days repeatedly called for an immediate ceasefire and joint efforts to resume peace and stability along the border area,” it said.

“China has persistently played a constructive role in promoting peace and facilitating dialogue towards the resolution of the conflict. We will continue to do so,” the statement added.

The Janes Intelligence Review report alleges that a transfer of Chinese-made PTL02 Wheeled Tank Destroyers was made in the middle of last year. The report’s author, Thailand-based intelligence analyst Anthony Davis, described this as “a significant escalation in the equipment supply to the [Wa army]” from China.

Rising support for the ethnic army coincides with political developments in Myanmar that worry Beijing, primarily increased openness to diplomatic and military ties with the United States, the report said.

Car bombing in Yemen kills 11 soldiers

A Yemeni soldier inspects the site were a suicide car bomb killed 11 soldiers in the city of Saba in central Yemen on January 28, 2013

SANAA: A car bomb exploded Monday next to a military checkpoint in a central town where Yemeni government forces waged their first offensive targeting al Qaeda militants in the area, killing 11 soldiers, security and military officials said.  
The officials said that the explosion rocked the town of Radda, about 160 kilometers south of the capital, Sanaa, when a suicide bomber blew up his car in an attack that bore the hallmarks of al Qaeda.
The bombing came on the same day that the military launched a wide offensive against al Qaeda in surrounding Bayda province, which has become a militant stronghold.
Al Qaeda briefly seized Radda last year, giving them their closest ever foothold to the capital, where it is thought to be operating sleeper cells.

A military official said Monday that the first day of shelling left six dead, four from al Qaeda and two from the army. Four other soldiers were wounded.
Government forces have been deployed to Radda for several days, and tribal leaders had first asked the military to postpone the operation for 48 hours so they could try to persuade the militants to leave town. The military launched its assault after it appeared efforts toward a peaceful solution failed.
All officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to brief reporters.
During Yemen’s 2011 uprising, al Qaeda occupied large swaths of land and towns in the south before being driven out to mountainous areas by the new government. Since then the group has retaliated for its losses by waging a series of assassinations and bombings of military compounds.
US drone attacks have targeted a large number of militants over the past year. Militants have fled to Radda, the home town of al Qaeda field commanders Qaid al-Dahab and Nabil al-Dahab, who sought refuge in nearby mountains.

Washington considers al Qaeda in Yemen the terror group’s most dangerous branch. It has been linked to several attempted attacks on US targets, including the foiled Christmas Day 2009 bombing of an airliner over Detroit and explosives-laden parcels intercepted aboard cargo flights a year later.

Sri Lanka curtailing Saudi Arabia maid supply

Pakistan Army and notorious terrorist intelligence service ISI ban videogames for portraying country as terrorist breeding ground :) ...Reality bites

Game is set in Karachi which is raided by US Navy seals to stop terrorists and their handlers the ISI agents from going ahead with a major shipment of arms and ammunition to destroy world peace.

It will be nice to kill a few rogue Pakistan Army and ISI who have been sheltering global terrorists for long now.

This must be really unfair for Pakistan, the bastion and citadel of Islam as the "Pak=pure" Army wants the ordinary Pakistani taxpayer and the freebee jihadi guests to believe.






Pakistan still a global jihad hub and a RnR place for Al Qaeda (80% of ISI's assets charged with providing help to the global jihads)
dawn.com/2013/01/27/pakistan-still-global-jihad-hub/

DARPA putting laser turrets on fighter jets next year

US Air Force first foray into laser-equipped combat aircraft was the Airborne Laser Testbed, a Boeing 747 with a gigantic chemically-pumped megawatt laser turret in its nose. It was pretty awesome from a conceptual standpoint, but it didn't work very well, and was scrapped last year. This doesn't mean that the idea of high-powered lasers on aircraft doesn't make a lot of sense, and DARPA is still for ways to make it work. It's working on two at the moment: the High Energy Liquid Laser Area Defense System (HELLADS), and Aero-Adaptive/Aero-Optic Beam Control (ABC).

HELLADS (pictured above) will be a 150-kilowatt system that's "ten times smaller and lighter" than current systems, suitable for use both on the ground and in the air in an air-to-ground attack role. The goal is to create a laser that weighs less that five kilos per kilowatt and fits into a total space of three cubic meters.

The other system, ABC, is intended as more of a defensive weapon. It'll be a small laser turret mounted on things like fighter aircraft that can shoot down incoming missiles. The reason that this is hard is because most missiles approach from behind, and the laser will have to be able to fire through the turbulence generated by the aircraft's engines without losing all of its beam energy.

Royal Netherlands Navy NH90 NFH Helicopter first operational deployment for Somalia Mission

The newest helicopter of the Dutch Armed Forces, the NH90 is aboard HNLMS De Ruyter Frigate on its way to Somalia. It is the first overseas mission for the maritime helicopter. The NH90 will provide an important contribution to the EU anti-piracy mission Atalanta.

The board helicopter will be mainly used for intelligence, reconnaissance and patrol and thus will act as the 'eyes and ears' of the frigate. With advanced detection equipment such as EO/IR sensor, radar and gauge collected information can then be forwared quickly and automatically via a data link.

The helicopter crew consists of a pilot, a coordinator for the tactical execution of the mission and an operator who operates the sensors and analyzes if necessary onboard weapons deployment. For helicopter operations from HNLMS De Ruyter, a total of 13 men are onboard.

The frigate HNLMS De Ruyter left her home port of Den Helder on January 20th 2013 for counterpiracy operations in the waters around Somalia. For this mission, the EU's Operation Atalanta, the ship is carrying the new NH-90 helicopter, which will see its first operational deployment.

The air defence and command frigate has extensive command & control, communications and data facilities. Her crew number 220 military personnel, including an enhanced boarding element of the Marine Corps, a heavily armed specialist team which can board suspect vessels. In addition, there is a medical team on board, as well as the crew of the helicopter.

Burmese protest against Chinese mineral exploitation and plundering

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-21028931

As I have written earlier, it is only the Chinese who are befitting and not the countries that ally with it.

According to its Chinese co-owners, the metal extracted here, in the north-west Sagaing Region, is of the purest quality and much sought-after globally.
Most is destined for Japan, Malaysia and the Middle East, but Geng Yi, the young managing director from Beijing, believes Burma itself will soon be an important customer.

Although five decades of military rule have turned Burma - or Myanmar as the generals named it - into the poorest nation in the region, it has ambitions to become a "golden bridge" between the mega-economies of India and China. To achieve this goal, cash from abroad is urgently needed.
"To be frank, we don't have much capital to implement our economic reforms," says Koko Hlaing, the government's chief political adviser. "Capitalism cannot be implemented without capital."

The copper mine, is a joint venture between China's Wanbao company - a subsidiary of the arms manufacturer, Norinco - and the deeply unpopular business arm of the Burmese military, which has lucrative stakes in everything from banking to beer, as well as a monopoly on the gems sector.

Its close connection to the men in khaki has also given it preferential contracts with foreign firms, such as this one clinched in 2011, before the nominally civilian government came to power.
But in the new Burma such deals are under public scrutiny.

The country recently held democratic elections, ended censorship and released hundreds of political prisoners. Now many are questioning authority for the first time in their lives.
Two cousins, whose faces are now famous across Burma, have become figureheads for opposition to a $1bn scheme to expand the mine, which will affect 8,000 acres (3,000 hectares) of farmland and 26 villages near the town of Monywa.

The farmers' daughters, dubbed the Iron Ladies by a local poet, have led thousands of villagers, monks, environmental campaigners and other activists in protest, against what they say is the unlawful seizure of their land.

"When it rains, water drains through the dump and on to our land. There's something acid in it," she says.
"We don't want compensation. We just want to grow our crops and live here as we have for generations."
U Wi Tatatema, a 21-year-old monk from the central city of Mandalay, says he read about the mining project in the newspapers and came to give his support.
"When I saw the village women sitting on the ground and singing the national anthem in protest, I cried," he says. "The mountains are as precious as our parents - so I felt as if they were slaughtering my own mother." Plans to relocate a sacred pagoda which was once home to a famous Buddhist teacher, helped to mobilise hundreds more of his fellow monks.

F-35C Completes First In-Flight Dual Refueling

Jan , 2013 - For the first time, two Lockheed Martin F-35C Lightning II carrier variant test aircraft refueled together with a Lockheed Martin KC-130 Hercules in the sky above Patuxent River, Md. recently. The CV aircraft, known as CF-1 and CF-2, completed the milestone as part of an F-35 flight test program that will accomplish more than 1,000 flights in 2013.  Later this year, Eglin AFB, Fla., will receive its first CV aircraft joining the F-35 pilot and maintainer training program there.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that employs about 120,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The corporation's net sales for 2011 were $46.5 billion.

Tada...Chinese copied version of C-17 Globemaster is here

Successfully first test flight for the new Chinese large military transport aircraft Xian Y-20

Cnrl+C  = C-17 Globemaster
Cnrl+V  = Xian Y-20

Check the landing gear, tail and other aircraft fuselage design minus the nose
 

 

China on Saturday, January 26, 2013, conducted a successful test flight of its new domestically made large military transport aircraft Y-20. The plane took off at around 2:00pm from an airport in Yanliang, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, according to CCTV News.

As a large and multi-role transport aircraft, the Y-20 can carry out long-range transportation missions even under complicated weather conditions. The Y-20 was developed by Xi’an Aircraft Industry, a subsidiary of China’s leading military aircraft maker, the Aviation Industry Corporation of China.

The successful test flight is a significant boost to China’s capabilities in national defense, rescue and relief work, and humanitarian aid. Reports say more tests are planned.

The Y-20 program is part of an effort to develop an indigenous long-range jet-powered heavy transport aircraft, a top priority in China's "Medium- and Long-Term National Science and Technology Development Program (2006-20)" (MLP).

Earlier reports said it's able to accommodate most large PLA combat and support vehicles, including the Type 99 series tanks, with a capacity to carry up to 66 tons of goods. 

Iran starts mass production of new home-made air defense missile system Ya Zahra

The Iranian Defense Ministry started mass production of an advanced home-made air defense missile system. The production line of Ya Zahra air defense missile system was officially inaugurated on Sunday, January 27, 2013, in a special ceremony attended by Defense Minister Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi.

India test fires missile from under sea, completes nuclear triad

Russia arms Indian 'Sea giant' sub with multi-role cruise missiles

Russia’s leading shipyard finished deep modernization of the Indian submarine INS Sindhurakshak (Sea giant). Armed with latest multi-role missile system, radar and electronics, the sub promises to become the game-changing backbone of the Indian Navy.

The ceremony of signing the transfer and acceptance act of the diesel-electric submarine INS Sindhurakshak (Sea giant) SSK Kilo Class has been conducted on January 26 in Severodvinsk, when the sub was solemnly passed to the Indian Navy.

The submarine has been undergoing complete overhaul and upgrade in Russia’s leading Zvezdochka (Starlet) shipyard in the town of Severodvinsk in Russia’s north since August 2010.
According to open sources the works’ cost of US$80 million included overhaul of submarine’s hull structures, installation of upgraded electronic warfare and weapons control systems, mounting of Indian-made sonar USHUS and radio communication systems.

The most important upgrade made is incorporation of Russian state-of–the-art Club-S multi-role missile system capable of eliminating targets at the distance of over 250km (in export variant).

From now on the primary weapon of the INS Sindhurakshak submarine, besides traditional torpedoes, will be a range of multi-purpose cruise missiles of the Club-S family (SS-N-27 Sizzler NATO classification) designed by the Novator missile design bureau in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg, in the Ural Mountains.

Club-S cruise missile complex is capable of hitting sea surface targets, targets underwater, or eliminate objects on land. The complex has various missiles for different tasks, all of which can be fired from standard torpedo tubes submerged from the depth of maximum 40m.
Club-S missiles are not stealth, but on the terminal stage of the attack they all approach target on skimming altitude of a mere 5-10m, making their way below the level a modern warship’s radar. This feature makes them deadly for any existing target, for example 3M-54E1 version is allegedly capable of dealing an aircraft carrier.

Cassidian's new TRS-4D naval radar passes factory acceptance test for German F125 class Frigates

The German Navy's F125 class frigates will be equipped with Cassidian's newly developed TRS-4D naval radar, which will provide them with reconnaissance and surveillance capabilities that are unique worldwide. Cassidian, the defence and security division of EADS, has now successfully passed the first factory acceptance test for the radar system carried out by the customers, the German procurement authority BAAINBw and Blohm + Voss Naval. 
The first unit, which will equip a land-based system in Wilhelmshaven, is planned to be delivered next month. The first TRS-4D for the "Baden-Württemberg" lead ship is scheduled for delivery in August. 

HAL to hand over 2 Rudra helicopters to Indian Army during Aero India 2013

The Indian Army will be handed over the first two weapon system integrated (WSI) version of Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH-Mk-IV) Rudra, during Aero India 2013.
Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) chairman R K Tyagi told Express that Rudra will also be available for customer demonstration flights during the show. "Rudra will definitely add more teeth to Indian Army and we will roll out more production units to the squadron," he said.
Express had earlier reported that around 70 Rudras will fly out of HAL to meet Army's initial requirements.

"In addition to the redundant flight critical systems, IR suppressor, armour panels, crashworthy features and self-sealing fuel tanks enhance the survivability of the helicopter in the battlefield environment," Tyagi said.
Rudra can carry a mix of weapons providing it with capability to search and destroy any target. Systems like electro-optic pod, helmet-mounted sight and fixed sight facilitating firing of the onboard weapons (20 mm turret gun, 70mm rockets and Air-to-Air missiles), makes it an unforgiving machine.

He said Rudra's rigid rotors have extremely high agility and manoeuvrability. With its high-powered engine, the chopper can undertake missions up to altitudes of six km. "With such capabilities, Rudra is unmatched in the world, in its class," claims Tyagi.
He confirmed that HAL has plans to integrate additional new systems on Rudra, including infra-red jammer, data link, obstacle avoidance system (for Army), wire cutter (for IAF) and NBC (Nuclear Biological and Chemical) sensors.

When asked about ALH Dhruv's (earlier version of Rudra) export status, Tyagi said three more countries have shown interest in these choppers.
Over 130 Dhruv helicopters are in operation now, with Indian Army flying 110 and 12 with Indian civil operators.
Ecuador, Nepal, Mauritius and Maldives also operate Dhruv choppers.

Russia Sells Record $15 Bln of Arms in 2012

Russia sold a record $15.16 billion worth of weaponry in 2012 while expanding its foreign client list, the Federal Military-Technical Cooperation Service (FSMTC) reported on Monday.

“The volume of arms exports has reached $15.16 billion, according to preliminary calculations…which means that our plans have been fulfilled by 111.8 percent,” FSMTC chief Alexander Fomin told a government meeting on state defense contracts.
Russia reported arms sales of $13.2 billion in 2011, enough to maintain its position as the world’s second arms exporter after the United States.
"In the past ten years, we have seen a general increase in exports, which have tripled since 2003,” Fomin said.
“The portfolio of orders for defense-related products has also tripled. Its current value exceeds $46 billion,” he added.
India is the leading purchaser of Russian arms, with Myanmar,Vietnam, Venezuela and Middle East countries also among the Russian defense industry's main clients.
Fomin said Russia's expanded list of its clients in 2012 included Afghanistan, Ghana, Oman, and Tanzania.
The FSMTC also claimed the quality of exported Russian military products has improved, though problems still remain, especially with poor after-sales services.
“We have been issuing fewer licenses to replace or repair exported products, which is an encouraging trend,” Fomin said.
The controversy over the quality of Russia’s defense-related products has been widely-publicized.
Algeria refused delivery of a batch of MiG-29 fighters in 2007 claiming their “inferior quality.”
Russia’s traditionally strong position on the Indian arms market has been recently undermined by failures to fulfil or properly execute several contracts, including the long-delayed delivery of the overhauled aircraft carrier Vikramaditya to the Indian Navy.
Last year, India asked Russia to replace faulty parts on the leased Nerpa nuclear-powered submarine which had affected its operational readiness.
Fomin said his service was drafting new legislation that would allow Russian arms manufacturers to open their own service centers abroad and to import defense-related products to satisfy their own needs.

United Kingdom sends 20 soldiers of Special Forces SAS and intelligence drones Reaper to Mali

Britain is to send spy planes, unmanned drones and special forces to Mali to ‘find and dismantle’ the Al Qaeda network behind the slaughter in Algeria. In an escalation of the UK’s support for French forces fighting the militants in the African country, David Cameron said he would commit ‘intelligence and counter terrorism assets’.

FSA Firefight with RPGs

Source: Battalion of the Martyr Izz el-Din al-Qassam (Brigade 1453) The Brigades Brigade 1453 in conjunction with a number of battalions of rebels coast and Idlib edit rebels a new town in the countryside of Idlib, which is located on the outskirts of the city of Bridge vacancy within the standardization process and sincerity Abu Omar Brigade 1453 champion hit an armored vehicle with a shot RPG in violent clashes

Raytheon, US Navy demonstrate new dual targeting capability for JSOW C-1

The U.S. Navy successfully demonstrated the dual targeting capability of Raytheon Company's Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW) C-1. Two recent tests during the program's integrated test phase prove the weapon can engage challenging stationary targets. Previous testing in the integrated test phase demonstrated JSOW C-1's capability against moving maritime targets.

The first stationary land target test was designed to assess JSOW's capability against operationally realistic infrared and radio frequency countermeasures. An F/A-18F Super Hornet aircraft launched a JSOW C-1 from approximately 29,000 feet and 17.5 nautical miles from the target. The weapon flew a preplanned route at 0.83 mach airspeed, employed 3-D waypoints, and successfully impacted a cement wall on a simulated bunker.

The second stationary land target test was designed to demonstrate JSOW's performance at night against an operationally representative bunker target. An F/A-18F Super Hornet launched the JSOW C-1 from approximately 25,000 feet. The JSOW C-1 flew the preplanned route at 0.81 mach airspeed and successfully impacted the buried bunker. Both tests occurred at the U.S. Naval Air Weapons Station in China Lake, Calif.

"These tests demonstrate that JSOW C-1 provides the U.S. and allied warfighters with a new dual capability to engage both stationary land targets and moving ships at range," said Celeste Mohr, JSOW program director for Raytheon Missile Systems. "These tests help clear the way for the important operational test phase of the program scheduled to begin early next year."
The JSOW C-1 is designed to provide fleet forces with the capability and flexibility to engage moving maritime targets, while retaining its robust capability against stationary land targets. The weapon is a modification to the existing JSOW C, which adds a weapon datalink radio and modified seeker software to increase capability for the anti-surface warfare mission.

About the Joint Standoff Weapon  JSOW is a family of low-cost, air-to-ground weapons that employ an integrated GPS-inertial navigation system and terminal imaging infrared seeker. JSOW C-1 adds the two-way Strike Common Weapon Datalink to the combat-proven weapon, enabling a moving maritime target capability.

• JSOW C-1 is the world's first network-enabled weapon with a range of more than 100 kilometers.
• The U.S. Navy's first two JSOW C-1 free-flight tests also resulted in direct hits on their moving ship targets.
• Raytheon is using company funding to develop a powered version of the JSOW that will have the potential to engage targets at more than 250 nautical miles.

Taliban beating a Pakistani soldier brutely

Darpa mini satellite technology for battlefield surveillance

Revealed: North Korea's upgraded nuke test site

Pakistani rogue terrorist sponsoring intelligence agency - ISI Admits To Detentions Without Evidence for moral grounds

 Pakistan's powerful security agency, Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), has admitted to holding seven suspected militants for more than a year without sufficient evidence to try them.

Raja Irshad, a lawyer for the ISI, told Pakistan's Supreme Court that officials kept the men in detention because they were convinced about their involvement in terrorism.

The ISI arrested the seven as part of a group of 11 suspects in connection with a 2007 suicide bombing against intelligence personnel and a rocket attack on an air force base.

Four among them died in mysterious circumstances in custody.

An antiterrorism court ordered them to be freed in May 2010 but they were further detained.

The case is widely seen as a test for the Supreme Court's efforts to make the country's shadowy intelligence agencies accountable.


Raja Irshad, a lawyer representing the ISI and military intelligence, sought to justify the men's detention but conceded that they could not be put on trial because of a "lack of incriminating evidence".
"But we are morally convinced that they were involved in terrorism," Irshad told the court.
Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry said suspects cannot be detained indefinitely and unlawfully.
"Morally they can put any one behind bars, even me. According to them, all the people are guilty," Chaudhry said.
"They should have been released if they could not be tried under the army act. They are in confinement for more than four years," he added.
The case originally concerned a group of 11 men, but the court was told last year that four of them had died.

Pakistan has been suffering from a Taliban-led domestic insurgency since 2007, and Islamist militant bombings have killed thousands since the 9/11 attacks on the United States, which sparked the war in neighbouring Afghanistan.
Judge Sheikh Azmat Saeed expressed dismay that the government had not enacted appropriate legislation to deal with terror cases.

"They have not made the necessary legislation. Don't they see what kind of laws are in other countries, they should look at the Internet," Saeed said.
"What has the government been doing for the past five years?"
Chaudhry ordered the government and intelligence agencies to report back to him on Tuesday about what would happen to the detainees.

Encouraged by China, North Korea vows to conduct nuclear test aimed at the U.S.

All the countries allying with China are becoming failed or failing state while only China prospers at their cost.

Chinese made missiles being paraded in Pyongyang

Read my earlier post

asian-defence-news.blogspot.com/2012/04/chinese-firm-hubei-sanjiang-accused-of.html

North Korea’s top governing body warned Thursday that the regime will conduct its third nuclear test in defiance of UN punishment, and made clear that its long-range rockets are designed to carry not only satellites but also warheads aimed at striking the United States.

The National Defence Commission, headed by the country’s young leader, Kim Jong-un, denounced Tuesday’s UN Security Council resolution condemning North Korea’s long-range rocket launch in December as a banned missile activity and expanding sanctions against the regime. The commission reaffirmed in its declaration that the launch was a peaceful bid to send a satellite into space, but also clearly indicated the country’s rocket launches have a military purpose: to strike and attack the United States.
While experts say North Korea doesn’t have the capability to hit the U.S. with its missiles, recent tests and rhetoric indicate the country is feverishly working toward that goal.

he commission pledged to keep launching satellites and rockets and to conduct a nuclear test as part of a “new phase” of combat with the United States, which it blames for leading the UN bid to punish Pyongyang. It said a nuclear test was part of “upcoming” action but did not say exactly when or where it would take place.

“We do not hide that a variety of satellites and long-range rockets which will be launched by the DPRK one after another and a nuclear test of higher level which will be carried out by it in the upcoming all-out action, a new phase of the anti-U.S. struggle that has lasted century after century, will target against the U.S., the sworn enemy of the Korean people,” the commission said, referring to North Korea by its official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
“Settling accounts with the U.S. needs to be done with force, not with words, as it regards jungle law as the rule of its survival,” the commission said.

It was a rare declaration by the powerful commission once led by late leader Kim Jong-il and now commanded by his son. The statement made clear Kim Jong-un’s commitment to continue developing the country’s nuclear and missile programs in defiance of the Security Council, even at risk of further international isolation.

 On another note...

The seemingly pregnant belly sported by the wife of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in mid-December appeared to be gone by New Year’s Day

That’s sent South Korean media into a frenzy of speculation that there’s a new baby in the ruling Kim dynasty. Video broadcast Dec. 17 showed Ri Sol Ju wearing a billowing black dress that covered what appeared to be a swollen belly.

Rumours swept Seoul and Pyongyang that she was pregnant, although it was difficult to tell for sure from the images. There has been no official word from Pyongyang.

But Ri was shown by state TV at a New Year’s concert wearing a tighter dress and looking noticeably slimmer. That’s causing more speculation in Seoul that she may have given birth.

Iranian army will unveil further optimization of its home-made Zolfaqar main battle tank

Commander of the Iranian Army Ground Force Brigadier General Ahmad Reza Pourdastan said the Army plans to unveil an optimized version of the home-made Zolfaqar tank in the near future. "The tank's fire control system and stabilizer have been optimized and it will be unveiled by the next two weeks," Pourdastan told reporters in Tehran.

He said the new version of Zolfaqar has gone under comparison with one of the most advanced battle tanks manufactured by the Eastern powers and has shown increasingly higher capabilities.

Iran will start mass-production of the tank after the approval of the General Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, the Army Ground Force Commander said.

Pourdastan had earlier said that Iran continued optimizing Zolfaqar tanks in a bid to upgrade its capabilities against modern threats.

"Each day we work on a newer version of Zolfaqar tanks so that the tank could maintain its efficiency in the battlefield and ground defense," Pourdastan told FNA in September.

"We certainly make changes in Zolfaqar tanks in accordance to threats and prepare it and make it an advanced tank in accordance with our battleground needs."

Zolfaqar is a second generation of Iran's main battle tank (MBT). The test prototypes of the tank were evaluated in 1993. Six semi-industrial prototypes of the tank were produced and tested in 1997. The tank has a distinctive box-shaped, steel-welded turret of local design. Zolfaqar combat weight is reported to be 36 tons and has a 780 hp diesel engine; the tank has a 21.7 hp per ton ratio.

Zolfaqar is operated by a crew of three personnel. The automatic loader is believed to be the same one from the T-72 tank.

The Zolfaqar-1 uses a fire control system which enjoys a 'fire-on-the-move' technology. The Zolfaqar mounts a laser-warning pod on the turret. Its design enables the tank to use an Iranian-made package of reactive armor.

Zolfaqar-2 is a prototype tank used as a test bed. The Zolfaqar-3 also features considerable upgrades to the fire control system, chassis, engine and main gun, with a 125mm autoloader.

Defense FSB Tenders for Micro-UAV Sensor Package

Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) announced on Monday a tender for research on a potential sensor system for a micro-unmanned air vehicle (UAV) project, according to an order posted on the government’s state procurement portal.

Officials have allocated about 7 million rubles (about $230,000) for the project, aimed at developing a 200-gram (6.5 ounce) electro-optical surveillance sensor package for the mini-UAV, code-named “Fly Fisher,” with a take-off weight of no more than 1 kilogram.

The developer will be tasked with analyzing foreign and Russian scientific and technological research to assess the system’s stabilization, surveillance capabilities, and power supply needs.
The tender requires the developer to create a sketch design and a scale model for testing. It also requests definition of parameters for transmitting surveillance images in real time without any loss in quality at a range of up to five kilometers (three miles).
Applications for the tender will close on February 21, with the study slated for completion by November 2014.

Iran will unveil new defense equipment during ceremonies celebrating the Islamic Revolution

Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi announced that his ministry would display several defense achievements in the next few days. Vahidi said new achievements will be unveiled during the Ten-Day Dawn ceremonies from January 31 to February 10, celebrating the victory of the Islamic Revolution back in 1979.

The minister informed that a space observing base or space observatory, dubbed as 'Imam Sadeq', will be inaugurated during the Ten-Day Dawn ceremonies, adding that the base will be tasked with monitoring the country's expeditionary space missions.

The Iranian minister further announced that Iran would unveil the latest home-made fighter jets in the coming days, and said, "The aircraft will be different from the other fighter jets Iran has already made."

Pointing to the other projects and achievements to be unveiled in mid February, Vahidi said Iran would launch mass-production of air-defense products. 

He added that important projects are underway in missile fields and will be announced later.

Iran has also taken wide strides in designing and manufacturing different types of light, semi-heavy and heavy weapons, military tools and equipment. Tehran launched an arms development program during the 1980-88 Iraqi imposed war on Iran to compensate for a US weapons embargo. Since 1992, Iran has produced its own tanks, armored personnel carriers, missiles and fighter planes.

Yet, Iranian officials have always stressed that the country's military and arms programs serve defensive purposes and should not be perceived as a threat to any other country.

Pakistan Air Force F7 Crash caught on tape

Russia will loan to Bangladesh $1 billion to purchase Russian-made arms and military equipment

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday, January 15, 2013, his country will loan Bangladesh $1 billion to purchase Russian-made arms and military equipment. Bangladesh is likely to use the money to buy MiG-29SMT fighter jets, upgrade an earlier batch of MiG-29s and purchase BTR-80 armored vehicles and Mi-171 military helicopters, the official Russian news agency RIA Novosti reported.

Announcement of the loan came during talks between Putin and Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheik Hasina in Moscow.

In addition to the arms contract, Russia will also grant a loan worth USD 500 million to Bangladesh for the construction of a nuclear power plant in northwestern Ruppur.

"We will not only provide the most up-to-date technology. ...but also provide financial support for the construction of the nuclear power plant at the initial stage," Putin said.

The head of Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom, Sergei Kiriyenko, said technical and environmental assessments would be carried out this year for the plant, which is to have two 1,000-megawatt reactors and will be completed in the early 2020s.

Energy-starved Bangladesh signed an initial deal with Russian state-owned nuclear agency Rosatom in November, 2011, to build a nuclear plant with two 1,000 megawatt reactors at a cost of upto USD 2 billion each against the backdrop of its dwindling reserve of natural gas.

Dutch and German Patriots arrive in Turkey

Dutch and German soldiers arrived at the southern port of İskenderun yesterday to unload Patriot missiles ahead of deployment along the Syrian border as Ankara and NATO neared a memorandum of understanding (MoU) that would clarify details such as the share of costs, according to Brussels-based sources.

German soldiers unloaded trucks yesterday carrying the missile systems in İskenderun in the southern province of Hatay while another ship carrying the Dutch shipment waited its turn in the harbor.

“There are 300 vehicles, 100 containers and 400 soldiers on the ship. These will be sent to Kahramanmaraş and used in the event of a potential threat [from Syria]. We will not intervene in any clashes in the region. The Patriot defense systems are capable of hitting a target immediately in the air.

The target will explode at the exact moment that it is hit and pieces of it will fall on the ground. As it is the latest technology, the harm it causes will remain at a minimum,” said Col. Marcus Ellermann, the commander of the German Patriot Missile Defense System team, according to Anatolia news agency.

The systems will be deployed in Turkey as part of a NATO decision to support Turkey’s air defense against a missile threat from Syria. NATO said last week the system should be operational by early February, perhaps sooner.

Meanwhile, Brussels-based sources said they expected the MoU to be concluded “very soon,” adding that it needsedto be signed within the framework of the deployment of the Patriots.

Earlier this month, Turkish, Dutch, German and U.S. military officials conducted talks in Brussels on a MoU that would be signed in order to clarify details such as the share of costs.

Foreign soldiers assigned to operate the system in Turkey will be placed under the framework of a MoU in accordance with Turkey’s status of forces agreement (SOFA) with NATO.

Cheap for Turkey principle

A principle of “cheap for Turkey, expensive for supplier country” will be implemented to cover the costs, such as the transportation of the systems within Turkey, and logistics such as food, a NATO source earlier told the Hürriyet Daily News.

The cost for the deployment of the Patriot missiles and soldiers will be 42 million euros for the Netherlands and 25 million euros for Germany.

The parties have also been holding talks on details of the rules of engagement for the Patriots, although the majority of the rules are already pre-set by NATO in its guidelines on “Operation Active Fence” against purported threats.

“This mission is purely defensive,” said Polish Army Lieut. Col. Dariusz Kacperczyk, NATO spokesman for the Patriot deployment. “It is to deter any possible threat coming from missiles to the Turkish population and territory.”

The U.S. is set to transport some 400 troops to Turkey to operate two Patriot batteries. Additional equipment will arrive by sea later in January, the Stuttgart-based U.S. European Command said in a statement Jan. 4.

A Dutch military unit comprised of 270 soldiers will operate their Patriots, while Germany sent 240 soldiers.

French Army Operation Serval Foreign forces make more advances in Mali

Italian Predator drone stays aloft for 24 hours in Afghanistan and completes four missions in one sortie

The Italian Air Force has set a new service record in December 2012, when one of its Predator drones deployed to Herat flew for 24 hours, supporting four different ground missions in Afghanistan.

The MQ-1, with the Task Group “Astore”, initially fllew over the Bakwa district to support a ground patrol of the Task Force “Victor” that was inspecting the route to be used by an arriving Italian Army convoy.
Then it moved to support from the above the important redeployment phase of the Task Force “South East” from Bakwa base, that was handed over to the Afghan Army.
Within the same district, the Predator then supported a strike mission by two Italian AMX jets that have attacked and destroyed with LGB (Laser Guided Bombs) the antennae of a group of insurgents.
During the same sortie the drone flew over a village near Shindand, where the Task Force “Center” is settled and where an army deport had been discovered, to collect imagery.
Flying for 24 hours in Remote Split Operations (meaning the aircraft is launched by a mobile ground control station and remotely taken on charge by another ground control station located at Amendola, in Italy, and controlled via satellite link) between Italy and Afghanistan, the Italian Predator beaten the previous Air Force record by 2 hours.