WORLD DEFENCE: April 2013

Monday, 29 April 2013

AFFORDABILITY REMAINS PRIORITY FOR JOINT STRIKE FIGHTER PROGRAM

Affordability remains the priority for the F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter, the Pentagon’s program executive officer for the Defense Department’s most expensive procurement told Congress yesterday.

Air Force Lt. Gen. Christopher C. Bogdan told the Senate Armed Services Committee’s airland subcommittee that the program has made progress, but he acknowledged it is enormously complicated and has a ways to go.

Sequestration complicates the acquisition as well, the general said.

“We must use all our energy finishing development within the time and money we have, we must continue to drive the cost of producing F-35s down, and we must start today to attack the long-term life cycle costs of the F-35 weapon system,” Bogdan said in prepared testimony.

The F-35 comes in three variants and is being used by the Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps. In addition, it will form the backbone of allied nations’ airpower for decades to come, the general said. He called it a “dominant, multirole, fifth-generation aircraft.”

The fiscal year 2014 budget request includes $8.4 billion for continued system development, testing and procurement of 29 F-35 aircraft.

Twenty-nine F-35s are deployed in operational and training squadrons at three locations. The program is shifting from development to production and long-term sustainment.

F-35s flew 1,984 sorties for a total of 3,118 hours in 2012. Officials tested launching weapons from two of the variants last year and stood up the first operational F-35B Marine Corps squadron in Yuma Marine Corps Air Station, Ariz.

Sequestration has the potential either to stretch the development program out or reduce the capabilities warfighters can get, he said. Sequestration cuts funds for the program meaning development will be stretched out, causing the program to cost more in the long run. This will have impacts on international partners, he said.

“The increases may result in reduction of their aircraft quantities, which would, in turn, increase unit costs even more and cause them to relook their commitment to the program,” Bogdan said.

Furloughs of civilian workers “will have immediate negative consequences,” he added. It would cause a reduction in testing and could reduce productivity by a third, he explained.

Bogdan stressed that the basic aircraft design is sound.

“While there is still risk to the program, I have confidence in the resilience of the plan to absorb expected further learning and discovery, and stay on track, so long as it remains properly resourced,” he said.

CHINA MILITARY PLANES FLEW CLOSE TO DISPUTED ISlANDS

Chinese military planes, mostly fighter jets, made more than 40 flights close to Tokyo-controlled islands at the center of a territorial dispute on a single day this week, a press report said Saturday.

The flights took place on Tuesday, when eight Chinese marine surveillance ships entered the 12-nautical-mile territorial zone off the islands in the East China Sea, which Japan calls the Senkakus and China calls the Diaoyus, the Sankei Shimbun newspaper reported.

The conservative daily, citing senior government officials, said F-15 fighter planes from an airbase on the Japanese island of Okinawa scrambled to intercept the Chinese aircraft which flew in waves towards the skies over the islands.

“It was an unprecedented threat,” one of the officials was quoted as saying.

Another said: “If such a show of force continues, it is feared it could lead to a situation where the (Japanese) air defence force may not be able to cope.”

The report said the military planes included updated Sukhoi Su-27 and Su-30 fighter aircraft.

The report, which did not say whether the planes intruded into Japan’s airspace, could not be immediately confirmed by Japan’s Defence Ministry.

Chinese government ships have frequently sailed around the five Tokyo-controlled islands in recent months sparking diplomatic clashes.

But Tuesday’s flotilla was the biggest to sail into the disputed waters in a single day since Tokyo nationalized part of the island chain in September.

On December 13, a Y-12 turbo-prop plane from China’s State Oceanic Administration breached airspace over the disputed islands, prompting the launch of Japanese F-15s.

It was the first known incursion ever by a Chinese plane into Japanese airspace, the government said at the time.

SEA AVENGER UAS COMPLETES KEY WIND TUNNEL TEST

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA‑ASI), a leading manufacturer of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), tactical reconnaissance radars, and sensor systems, today announced that it has successfully completed a key wind tunnel test on a model of its Sea Avenger UAS. Sea Avenger supports the Unmanned Carrier-Launched Airborne Surveillance and Strike (UCLASS) program by providing a long-endurance, survivable, carrier-based UAS for the U.S. Navy.

The wind tunnel test validated the low-speed characteristics of a new wing, resulting in higher endurance and lower approach speeds. The new wing is also designed to increase aircraft dash speeds, decreasing the time to respond to potential threats.

“GA-ASI is committed to providing the Navy with swift delivery of a robust and versatile aircraft carrier-based UAS that meets or exceeds known requirements, provides measurable manpower savings, and assures best value,” said Frank W. Pace, president, Aircraft Systems Group, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. “Reducing risk is a key component of this process, and our company has repeatedly designed and delivered low-cost, high-quality UAS, in part, because of our recurring commitment to invest in early development, as evidenced by this recent wind tunnel test.”

The 90-hour, eight-day test was conducted at the San Diego Air & Space Technology Center. The goal of the test, which was completed ahead of schedule, was to validate the low-speed characteristics of an updated wing in the approach, launch, and cruise configurations. The advanced design utilizes proprietary wing technology that enables high-speed flight, while also supporting excellent low-speed handling qualities desired for aircraft carrier landings.

The testing enabled GA-ASI to evaluate a specific set of configuration changes both quickly and economically. Wind tunnel testing also helps reduce program risk by providing empirical data to complement computational analyses. In addition, it provides the opportunity to correlate key performance data to analytical tools, such as computational fluid dynamics, and to validate various analytical methods.

Designed for fully autonomous launch and recovery from both USS Nimitz and USS Ford class carriers, Sea Avenger provides unmanned, autonomous, and long-endurance Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities responsive to the multi-mission requirements of carrier-based aircraft. The aircraft will provide for planning, control, tasking, collection, processing, analysis, and dissemination of actionable information in support of Navy missions.

An evolution of the combat-proven Predator UAS series with high-performance maritime payloads, Sea Avenger provides the highest operational value while being the only affordable system capable of meeting the Navy’s aggressive program schedule.

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc., an affiliate of General Atomics, delivers situational awareness by providing unmanned aircraft, radar, and electro-optic solutions for military and commercial applications worldwide. The company’s Aircraft Systems Group is a leading designer and manufacturer of proven, reliable unmanned aircraft systems, including Predator A, Predator B, Gray Eagle, and the new Predator C Avenger.

LASERS BRING NEW URGENCY TO ELECTRIC POWER RESEARCH

In the wake of the recent announcement that laser weapons will be put on U.S. Navy ships, the need for reliable, high-voltage shipboard power has become a matter of national security, officials said at this week’s Electric Ship Technologies Symposium outside Washington, D.C.

The Office of Naval Research (ONR)-sponsored event featured some of the world’s top scientists and engineers in power systems, who agree that a new era in electric power is within sight.

“The work being done in this area is vital,” said Dr. Thomas Killion, who heads ONR’s Office of Transition. “As the upcoming deployment of a shipboard laser weapon reminds us, we need power generation and power management systems with greater-than-ever capabilities, but from devices that are smaller than ever.”

Earlier this month, Chief of Naval Operations Jonathan Greenert announced that for the first time a laser weapon system (LaWS) will be placed onboard a deployed ship, USS Ponce, for testing in the Persian Gulf in 2014. The announcement underscored the need for accessible high-power electric generation, capable of meeting the substantial demands that will be needed to power laser systems and other high-power weapon systems.

As the technology advances, and faced with rising and unpredictable fossil fuel costs, the Navy’s next-generation surface combatant ship will leverage electric ship technologies in its design.

While electric ships already exist, design characteristics of a combatant ship are more complex with regard to weight, speed, maneuverability-and now, directed energy weapons.

ONR-supported scientists are focused on cutting-edge technologies that include silicon carbide (SiC)-based transistors, transformers and power converters.

“SiC is important because it improves power quality and reduces size and weight of components by as much as 90 percent,” said Sharon Beerman-Curtin, ONR’s power and energy science and technology lead. “This is a critical technology enabler for future Navy combatant ships that require massive amounts of highly controlled electricity to power advanced sensors, propulsion and weapons such as lasers and the electromagnetic railgun.”

Killion said that a lighter, smaller footprint on ships will contribute to the substantial increase in energy efficiency that is predicted from breakthroughs in electric power research.

“The enhanced capabilities and potential cost savings of increased power at reduced size cannot be overemphasized,” he said. “This is the future.”

Improved power systems could have enormous impact in both military and civilian sectors. Concerns by engineers over an aging power grid in the United States and elsewhere, for instance, have grown in recent years.

The Navy’s power and engineering efforts that will further naval power hold similar promise for civilian benefit. ONR sponsors the Electric Ship Research and Development Consortium (ESRDC), composed of eight leading universities. The ESRDC is focused on afloat power systems, and leads efforts to address a national shortage of electric power engineers, and ensure U.S. superiority in electric systems.

Some of the critical technologies ONR is working on include power-dense electronics; new power conversion capabilities; energy storage; and sensors, weapons and protection. Killion said all of these areas deserve support because they are of naval and national importance.

“A key challenge in designing an all-electric future naval combatant ship is enabling technologies that can provide power agility with minimal energy storage needs,” said Beermann-Curtin. “We are making truly noteworthy progress toward those goals.”

At the symposium, Killion also announced the pending Fiscal Year 2013 Small Business Innovation Research solicitation opportunities in the power and energy area, including continued development of automated methods for design of cooling systems; alternative power supplies; ship energy use monitoring and analysis methods; compact connectors; and compact power for radio frequency sources.

US Navy Wants Lasers on Marines’ Trucks to Shoot Down Drones

If there was any doubt that the military has new confidence in its forthcoming laser arsenal, the Navy’s top geeks want to outfit Marines with a laser cannon to shoot small drones out of the sky.

Specifically, the Office of Naval Research thinks that Marine air-ground task forces are too vulnerable to adversaries flying cheap, small spy drones overhead, like the four-pound Raven the Marines themselves used in Iraq. Its answer: outfit Marine ground vehicles with laser guns.

It’s all part of a new Office of Naval Research program, formally unveiled Thursday, with the clunky name of Ground-Based Air Defense Directed Energy on the Move. For the time being, it’s just a research effort, but the office expects to award grants and contracts for it worth up to $400,000. And it’s doable.

So, the specs. The idea is to get a laser cannon weighing less than 2500 pounds mounted onto a Marine Humvee or comparable truck. The cannon needs to provide a “minimum optical output power” of 25 kilowatts, with an eye toward scaling up to 50 kilowatts, for a two-minute full-power blast. Hardware that can adjust for all “environmental conditions” Marines operate in — from a muggy beach to the arid climes of Helmand Province — is encouraged; the Office is agnostic on how researchers get there.

Is the effort realistic? Yes, but it’s also ambitious.

The Navy is making a big push during 2013 to get its laser arsenal finally out of the lab and into the fleet. The first task anticipated for the laser arsenal is exactly the one envisioned here for Marine trucks — shooting down small drones hovering too close for comfort. The Navy’s had solid-state lasers capable of burning through a boat’s outboard motor at sea for two years, and those models generated 15 kilowatts worth of power. In tests three years ago, an MK-15 Phalanx cannon tricked out to host a laser successfully shot down small drones.

BOEING UNVEILS UPDATED F/A-XX SIXTH GENERATION FIGHTER CONCEPT

The Boeing concept also features canards, which is somewhat of a surprise because the motion of those forward mounted control surfaces is generally assumed to compromise a stealth aircraft's frontal radar cross-section. But the lack of vertical tail surfaces suggests the aircraft would be optimized for all-aspect broadband stealth, which would be needed for operations in the most challenging anti-access/area denial environments.

Also of note in the manned version of the company's F/A-XX concept is the placement of the cockpit-rearward visibility appears to be restricted without the aid of a sensor apparatus similar to the F-35's distributed aperture system of six infrared cameras.

The Boeing F/A-XX concept is a response to a USN request for information (RFI) from April 2012 soliciting data for a replacement for the service's Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and EA-18G Growler fleets in the 2030s. The Super Hornet fleet is expected to start reaching the end of the jet's 9000h useful lifespan during that time period.

"The intent of this research is to solicit industry inputs on candidate solutions for CVN [nuclear-powered aircraft carrier] based aircraft to provide air supremacy with a multi-role strike capability in an anti-access/area denied (A2AD) operational environment," the navy RFI stated. "Primary missions include, but are not limited to, air warfare (AW), strike warfare (STW), surface warfare (SUW), and close air support (CAS)."

Navy leaders had said at the time that they expect any new F/A-XX design to have greatly increased range and offer far superior kinematic performance compared to existing tactical aircraft.

Sunday, 28 April 2013

NEW T-50 FIGHTER JET TO ENTER SERVICE IN 2016:PUTIN

Russia’s fifth-generation T-50 fighter jet will enter service with the country’s armed forces in 2016, and not 2015 as was previously announced, President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday.

“The T-50 fifth generation jet should go into serial production and enter service in 2016,” Putin said at a live Q&A session with the Russian public.

The Defense Ministry had earlier said the jet would be ready in 2015.

Russia will start state flight tests of the T-50 in 2014, United Aircraft Corporation’s President Mikhail Pogosyan said on Tuesday.

The T-50, also known as PAK-FA (future tactical fighter aircraft), first flew in January 2010 and was presented to the public at the Moscow Air Show in 2011.

The T-50, which will be the core of Russia’s future fighter fleet, is a fifth-generation multirole fighter aircraft featuring elements of “stealth” technology,” super-maneuverability, super-cruise capability (supersonic flight without use of afterburner), and an advanced avionics suite including an X-band active phased-array radar.

India will also buy a fighter aircraft based on the T-50, known as the FGFA (fifth-generation fighter aircraft).

United Aircraft Corporation is the state holding company uniting Russia’s aircraft building industry including Sukhoi, a military and civil aircraft manufacturer.

ELBIT TO SUPPLY AFRICAN NATION WITH WISE INTELLIGENCE TECHNOLOGY SYSTEM

BY ELBIT SYSTEMS ON FRIDAY,APRIL 26TH,2013

Elbit Systems has been awarded an approximately $40 million contract to supply a country in Africa with the Wise Intelligence Technology (WiTTM) System for Intelligence Analysis and Cyber Defense. The system will be supplied within two years.

A highly advanced end-to-end solution, WiT supports every stage of the intelligence process, including the collection of the data from multiple sources, databases and sensors, processing of the information, supporting intelligence personnel in the analysis and evaluation of the information and disseminating the intelligence to the intended recipient.

WiTTM will be integrated with various data sources, including Elbit Systems’ Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) solution and Elbit Systems’ PC Surveillance Systems (PSS), an advance solution for covert intelligence gathering.

Yehuda (Udi) Vered, General Manager of Elbit Systems Land and C4I, noted: “We are proud to be selected to supply this unique system, which is already field-proven, fully operational and customizable.

“Elbit Systems is a world leader in the fields of Intelligence Analysis and Cyber Defense, with proven solutions highly suitable for countries, armies and critical infrastructure sites.

“We hope that additional customers will follow in selecting our highly advanced and cutting edge systems in these fields as their preferred solution.

RAYTHEON CONTRACTED FOR MINIATURE AIR LAUNCHED DECOY AND JAMMER UNITS

BY RAYTHEON ON FRIDAY,APRIL 26TH 2013,

The U.S. Air Force awarded Raytheon a firm-fixed-price $81.7 million option for Lot 6 on the Lot 5 contract for the production and delivery of 202 MALD-J jammers and containers. The contract also includes a 10-year warranty. The contract was awarded in Raytheon’s first quarter of 2013.

“MALD-J adds a jamming capability to the current decoy function of the MALD that disrupts enemy integrated air defense systems using jamming and radar signature technology,” said Harry Schulte, vice president of Air Warfare Systems for Raytheon Missile Systems.

“This weapon will provide unprecedented capability and flexibility to the U.S. Air Force and improve the survivability of our Airmen and their aircraft.”

Performance of the contract will take place primarily at the Raytheon Company facility located in Tucson, Ariz.

MALD is a state-of-the-art, low-cost flight vehicle that is modular, air-launched and programmable. It weighs less than 300 pounds and has a range of approximately 500 nautical miles.

MALD protects aircraft and their crews by duplicating the combat flight profiles and signatures of U.S. and allied aircraft. MALD-J adds radar-jamming capability to the basic MALD platform.

MALD confuses enemy air defenses by duplicating friendly aircraft flight profiles and radar signatures.
MALD-J maintains all capabilities of MALD and adds jamming capabilities.
Raytheon began delivery of MALD-Js in the fall of 2012.

Hagel, Yaalon Finalize New Israel Military Capabilities

BY US DEFENCE SECURITY COOPERATION AGENCY ON WEDNESDAY,APRIL 24TH ,2013

In what Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel called “a significant step in U.S.-Israeli defense cooperation,” he and his Israeli counterpart finalized an agreement today on a package of new defense capabilities the United States is offering Israel.

Hagel and Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon held a joint news conference at Israel’s defense headquarters, known as the Kirya, following talks here that both men characterized as positive.

“Minister Yaalon and I agreed that the United States will make available to Israel a set of advanced new military capabilities, including antiradiation missiles and advanced radars for its fleet of fighter jets, KC-135 refueling aircraft, and most significantly, the V-22 Osprey, which the U.S. has not released to any other nation,” Hagel said.

The new radar and antiradiation missiles, along with Israel’s participation in the joint strike fighter program — a single-seat, single-engine, fifth-generation fighter under development to perform ground attack, reconnaissance and air defense missions with stealth capability — ensures that Israel will maintain air superiority for the next generation, Hagel said.

Introducing the V-22 into the Israeli air force, he added, will give that service long-range, high-speed maritime search-and rescue-capabilities to deal with a range of threats and contingencies.

“These decisions underscore that military-to-military cooperation between the U.S. and Israel is stronger than ever,” the secretary said, “and that defense cooperation will only continue to deepen in the future.”

In his remarks, Yaalon, appointed defense minister March 17, said the United States and Israel face common threats and challenges “in our tough neighborhood in the Middle East — above all, from Iran.” Iran threatens the security and stability of the Middle East and the entire world, he added.

“Iran threatens to wipe Israel off the map, it backs Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza, and it is assisting the Syrian regime to kill tens of thousands of innocent civilians,” the Israeli defense minister said. “The Iran regime is involved in Afghanistan, Iraq, Yemen, Sudan and more, and Iran is developing nuclear weapons.”

Today’s talks continue what Yaalon called an intimate dialogue between the United States and Israel on the best ways to meet such challenges.

“In every case, Israel prefers diplomatic solutions,” he said, “though as President [Barack] Obama stated, Israel has a right to defend itself, by itself” against any adversary.

Addressing Hagel, Yaalon noted U.S. support for Israel. “We see your commitment in Iron Dome and other antimissile systems that save lives,” he said. “We see your commitment in the joint strike fighter program and the presidential approval of other advanced capabilities such as the V-22 for Israel. We see your commitment in our joint military maneuvers and our extensive intelligence sharing — all part of our comprehensive security cooperation and dialogue. We see your commitment in your determination to uphold Israel’s qualitative military edge.

“We see it all, Mr. Secretary, and we are deeply grateful,” he added.

Hagel said the United States and Israel share values, common interests and an unbreakable bond that grows stronger over time.

“These common interests include security for our citizens, a peaceful and stable Middle East, countering terrorism, and countering nonproliferation, particularly our efforts to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon,” he said.

The United States is committed to providing Israel with whatever support it needs to maintain military superiority over any state, coalition of states or nonstate actors, the secretary added.

“Despite fiscal pressures, President Obama has ensured that Israel receives an all-time high of $3.1 billion in foreign military financing this year,” Hagel said. “Last month in Jerusalem, President Obama announced that the United States and Israel would begin work on a new multiyear memorandum of understanding.”

The memorandum would extend security funding for Israel beyond 2017, when the current agreement expires, he noted.

DOD and Israel’s Defense Ministry work together routinely to ensure that both forces have capabilities in place to deal with changing security environments, the secretary said.

The capabilities include major advances in cooperative rocket and missile defense efforts between the United States and Israel, including Iron Dome, a system that counters rockets, artillery and mortars; the Arrow, a family of anti-ballistic missiles; and David’s Sling, an inside-the-atmosphere, two-stage weapon built to counter ballistic missiles, medium-range rockets, cruise missiles and other aircraft and weapons.

“Since its deployment, the Iron Dome system has saved many lives, and we are continuing to build on the program’s success,” Hagel said. “To date, the United States has provided more than $460 million to support [that] program, and we are requesting another $220 million in our fiscal year 2014 defense budget request for Israel to acquire additional Iron Dome batteries.”

The secretary added that he and Obama are committed to a strong and secure Israel, and to deepening the historic security cooperation between the two nations.

Later today, Hagel will meet with Israeli President Shimon Peres, and tomorrow he will meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Today’s visit was part of a six-day trip to the Middle East, Hagel’s first as defense secretary. He will make stops in Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates before returning to the United States on April 26.

ISRAEL TO SELL BRAZIL AIR FORCE DRONES

ON THURSDAY , JANUARY 20TH 2011

Israeli arms manufacturer Elbit Systems said on Wednesday it is to supply the Brazilian air force with unmanned aerial vehicles.

The Hermes 450 drones will be supplied by Elbit’s Brazilian subsidiary, Aeroeletronica Ltd.

The deal is part of efforts by the Brazilian air force “to establish independent Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) capabilities,” the company said.

Elbit did not say how many aircraft are involved or value the deal, saying only that “the contract is not in an amount that is material to Elbit Systems.”

CEO Joseph Ackerman said the Hermes, a medium size drone, was in operation with 20 countries.

Israel is the world’s largest exporter of drones, selling more than 1,000 to over 40 countries in recent years.

NORTH KOREA SOURCE OF 40 PERCENT OF DEVELOPING WORLD'S MISSILES

North Korea is the top supplier of ballistic missiles to developing nations. Forty percent of all ballistic missiles sold to these countries since 1987 have come from North Korea, according to a new study.

This means that roughly 1,200 ballistic missiles were sold between 1987 and 2009.

The recipients of these missiles include Iran, Egypt, Syria, Libya, Yemen, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Pakistan. Other major suppliers include Russia (400 missiles) and China (270 missiles).

Sales of North Korean missiles did decline rapidly in 1994, partly due to the end of the Iran-Iraq War and the development of production lines within customer nations.

After this date, North Korea began supplying missile components and materials.

WARRIOR ARMOURED VEHICLE SAFETY CONCERNS

BY UK MINISTRY OF DEFENCE ON MONDAY,MARCH

12TH,2012

A £1 billion upgrade of the Warrior armoured vehicles was announced at the end of last year after concerns were raised about their safety.

Under the improvement scheme, hundreds of the vehicles were to be fitted with a new armour mounting system to allow them to be fitted with different types of armour, the Ministry of Defence announced.

The Prime Minister and Defence Secretary made the announcement last October, revealing plans to fit the Warriors with an improved turret and new, stabilised 40mm cannon, enabling them to fire more accurately while on the move.

It came after fears about the safety of the Warrior were raised when one was involved in an incident in Iraq in April 2007 in which four soldiers were killed when a bomb ripped through the unprotected underside of their vehicle.

Wiltshire Coroner David Masters said at the inquest into those deaths that better protection was needed for troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.

He told the inquest in Trowbridge that he planned to meet then Armed Forces minister Bob Ainsworth to recommend that the armour issue was dealt with speedily, adding that he intended to “seek confirmation from the top that something was being done”.

The upgrade to the vehicles announced last year at Lockheed Martin UK in Bedford, the company awarded the contract to carry out the improvements, is intended to extend the service life of the vehicles through to 2040 and beyond.

David Cameron said at the time: “We made difficult decisions in the strategic spending review so we could spend money on important equipment like this.

“It’s a £1 billion investment – 90% of the jobs and the work are going to be done here in the UK. That’s good for the economy, it’s good for our Armed Forces but only possible because we made difficult decisions.”

He added: “It means we are now able to ensure our soldiers have greater flexibility and firepower with these upgraded armoured vehicles. Warrior has performed outstandingly well in Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq and now Afghanistan, and this programme will enable it to remain effective to the 2040s.”

The head of the Army, Chief of General Staff General Sir Peter Wall, said at the time: “Warrior will continue to be at the heart of our combat capability for at least another 25 years with state-of-the-art firepower and electronics.”

The Warrior armoured vehicles entered service in 1988 and “have proved a resounding success for Armoured Infantry battlegroups”, according to the MoD website.

It adds: “The Warrior infantry fighting vehicle has the speed and performance to keep up with Challenger 2 main battle tanks over the most difficult terrain, and the firepower and armour to support infantry in the assault.”

The website says they “provide excellent mobility, lethality and survivability for the infantry” and describes the Warrior as “a highly successful armoured fighting vehicle”.

IRAN COMPLETES AIR-DEFENSE DRILLS

The Iranian Army has successfully completed three-day air-defense exercises, downing several mock pilotless aircraft, Press TV reported on Wednesday.

Air defense units in northwestern Iran effectively engaged the mock enemy’s stealth, pilotless aircraft, “after detecting them electronically”, Brigadier General Shahrokh Shahram, deputy commander of the Iranian Army’s Khatam al-Anbiya Air Defense Base, said.

The exercise came in response to “the enemy’s psychological warfare and is meant to neutralize the regional media’s propaganda campaign against Iran,” the army said.

Last week, Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) conducted a three-day missile exercise codenamed Great Prophet 7, testing Iran’s newest surface-to-surface missile systems in the central Iranian province of Semnan.

An assortment of long, medium and short-range missiles targeted “aggressor airbases” in the Semnan desert, Brigadier General Amir-Ali Hajizadeh, commander of Iran’s IRGC Aerospace Division, said.

Iran’s Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi has announced progress in the development and manufacture of an indigenous version of the advanced Russian S-300 air defense missile system.

Iranian military officials said the missile system, called Bavar (Belief) 373, is even more powerful and more advanced than the Russian S-300.

The $800-million contract to supply Iran with the missile system was signed in late 2007. Russia was to deliver five S-300PMU-1 battalions to Tehran. However, on September 22, 2010, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev signed a decree terminating the contract in line with UN Security Council Resolution 1929, which bans supply to Iran of conventional weapons including missiles and missile systems, tanks, attack helicopters, warplanes and ships.

EXPERTS MEET IN VIENNA FOR NUCLEAR NON-PROLIFERATION TALKS

Some 1,000 delegates from 190 countries gathered here Monday for the first of three sessions of preparatory talks for a 2015 conference reviewing progress on halting the spread of nuclear weapons.

The purpose of the “PrepCom” meeting until May 11 is to evaluate the implementation of the nuclear non-proliferation treaty (NPT) and to make recommendations to the five-yearly review conference, the United Nations says.

The NPT entered into force in 1970 and was extended indefinitely in 1995. It is aimed at preventing the spread of nuclear weapons, working towards global nuclear disarmament and fostering cooperation in peaceful atomic technologies.

Critics say however that the NPT has failed in its aims, with the main nuclear-armed countries, most notably Russia and the United States, making no substantial progress on reducing their arsenals since the end of the Cold War.

Moreover the number of nations with atomic weapon capabilities has grown to include — alongside the US, Russia, China, Britain and France — India, Pakistan, North Korea and reportedly Israel.

None of them is currently an NPT signatory, although North Korea was before it pulled out of the treaty in 2003. Two years later, it exploded a small nuclear device, and tested a second one in May 2009.

Others have been accused of seeking or having sought nuclear weapons, most notably Iran but also Egypt, Nigeria and Syria, all NPT members, plus Taiwan which has vowed to abide by the treaty but cannot officially sign it.

South Africa, Argentina, Brazil, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Ukraine and Libya — all signatories of the NPT — have officially given up nuclear weapons after having either possessed them or worked on developing them.

Virus hits US drone control system

A computer virus was detected in the U.S. drone remote control system, the Wired.com news portal said.

The virus “has infected the cockpits of America’s Predator and Reaper drones, logging pilots’ every keystroke as they remotely fly missions over Afghanistan and other warzones,” it said.

It was first detected two weeks ago but has done no damage to U.S. military operations so far. There has been no confirmation so far that the virus sent classified information to an outside source.

“We keep wiping it off, and it keeps coming back… We think it’s benign. But we just don’t know,” the portal quoted a source familiar with the situation as saying.

It is still unclear whether the virus attack was deliberate or accidental.

“It may be a common piece of malware that just happened to make its way into these sensitive networks,” the website said.

The Air Force declined to comment directly on the virus.

“We generally do not discuss specific vulnerabilities, threats, or responses to our computer networks, since that helps people looking to exploit or attack our systems to refine their approach,” said Lt. Col. Tadd Sholtis, a spokesman for Air Combat Command, which oversees the drones and all other Air Force tactical aircraft.

Drone systems have been widely used by the U.S. military in Afghanistan and northwestern Pakistan. According to the Pakistani media, the overall number of U.S. drone missions in the region has been steadily increasing.

The issue of drone U.S. has become an irritant in U.S.-Pakistani relations recently. Pakistani media estimates that at least 115 drone attacks were recorded in the country’s northwest last year, in which at least 670 people were killed. In 2009 about 420 people were killed in 45 airstrikes.

IRAN OFFERS FULL NUCLEAR SUPERVISION IF SANCTIONS IS LIFTED

Iran offered on Monday to grant the UN nuclear watchdog “full supervision” of its atomic programme for five years if sanctions are lifted, as the EU insisted Tehran first meet its international obligations.

“We have proposed that the agency keep Iran’s activities and nuclear programme under full supervision for five years, providing the sanctions are lifted,” Iranian nuclear chief Fereydoun Abbasi Davani told ISNA news agency.

He neither said when the offer was made to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) nor what he meant by “full supervision.”

Iran is targeted by four sets of UN Security Council sanctions over its refusal to suspend uranium enrichment amid fears in the West that it seeks to build a nuclear bomb — a charge it vehemently denies.

Much of Iran’s nuclear activities are already under the control of the IAEA, including uranium enrichment — a process which can produce the fuel for a nuclear reactor and also the fissile material for an atomic warhead.

The IAEA said in a confidential report, a copy of which was obtained by AFP on Friday, it is “increasingly concerned about the possible existence in Iran of past or current undisclosed nuclear related activities involving military related organisations.”

These included “activities related to the development of a nuclear payload for a missile”, according to the report, which is due to be discussed by the IAEA’s 35-member board of governors at a September 12-16 meeting.

But Abbasi Davani insisted such allegations were “baseless and fabricated,” and advised IAEA chief Yukiya Amano against “mentioning the alleged studies (in his reports) until he has discussed them with Iran.”

If Amano can demonstrate that the IAEA is “not influenced or pressured by hostile countries, we can have more cooperation with the agency,” he said.

On Monday, the European Union reacted to Abbasi Davani’s latest remarks, saying that the Islamic republic must first re-establish confidence for any sanctions to be lifted.

“Iran still has to comply with its international obligations, despite today’s announcement,” Michael Mann, spokesman for EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, told AFP.

Ashton has made a “concrete proposal” to Iran aimed at building confidence over the aims of its atomic programme, Mann said. “Unfortunately, so far, Iran has not taken up this offer to enter into meaningful talks.”

“Existing UNSC (UN Security Council) resolutions foresee the lifting of sanctions once confidence has been re-established,” he said.

The UN watchdog has for years criticised Tehran for refusing to answer a number of controversial questions about its nuclear programme, and for denying access to certain sites, including the heavy water reactor Iran is building in the central city of Arak.

Iran says the Arak facility — whose commission has been delayed several times — is being constructed by domestic contractors using indigenous expertise, and will house a 40-megatt research reactor.

Progress at the site allegedly been slowed down by sabotage from abroad.

Abbasi Davani, who survived a November 29 assassination attempt which Iran blamed on arch-foes the United States and Israel, also said there had been a rise in Western attempts to sabotage the nuclear programme.

“We have witnessed a rise in acts of sabotage against Iran’s nuclear facilities,” he said. “They continuously seek to harm our nuclear facilities through viruses or sales of faulty equipment.”

Tehran has blamed Israel and the United States for the unexplained disappearances of several of its military officials and nuclear scientists, and for a computer virus attack by the Stuxnet malware in the summer of 2010 against its centrifuges, the uranium enriching device.

NEW TACTICAL DRONE FOR FRENCH ARMY, CONTINUES TO MODERNIZE FLEET

French defense procurement agency DGA has awarded Sagem (Safran group) a contract for five Sperwer Mk II drones, which will join the fleet of SDTI (Système de Drones Tactiques Intérimaires) tactical drones already in service with the French army.

These new systems will be delivered between the second half of 2012 and mid-2013, and will enable the French army to maintain its tactical drone capability.

At the same time, the DGA announced another contract award for Sagem, this time to modernize the GPS code P(Y) module on all Sperwer drones in service. Developed by Sagem for the Rafale multirole fighter, this GPS module is coupled to the drone’s navigation system, enabling very precise geo-location of ground targets by the Sagem Euroflir 350+ optronics pod.

The Sperwer tactical drone system has been deployed in Afghanistan since 2003 to support NATO troops. For France, the 61st Artillery Regiment has deployed this system since November 2008.

The drones themselves are produced by Sagem’s Montluçon plant. Sagem has produced over 25 complete tactical drone systems to date, including 140 aircraft.

Sagem, a high-tech company in the Safran group, holds world or European leadership positions in optronics, avionics, electronics and safety-critical software for both civil and military markets. Operating across the globe through the Safran group, Sagem and its subsidiaries employ 7,500 people in Europe, Southeast Asia and North America. Sagem is the commercial name of the company Sagem Défense Sécurité.