November 30, 2012
8 Pakistan Army soldiers including Captian Imran of 5 Northern Light Infantry killed by landslides
Muzafarabad: Tragic incident of landsliding has cost eight lives to Pakistan Army including one Captian Imran of 5 Northern Light Infantry (5-NLI) in Shardah area of Azad Kashmir.
Names of the soldiers who died in disastrous landslide are Captain Imran, Havaldar Mahmood, Naik Imran, Naik Ata Ullah, Lance Naik Abu Tahir, Sepoy Sakhawat, Sepoy Saleem and Sepoy Ahmad.
According to the sources three soldiers were recovered alive. Their names are Naib Subedar Rehmat Wali, Naik Afzal and Sepoy Rehmat.
"Pak" Army sources refused to confirm the names of deceased saying “We can confirm three casualties at the moment and the search is still on. The eighteen people are still missing.”
The Shardah is about 100 kilo meters from Azad Kashmir’s capital Muzafarabad. It was heavy rain in the area for last three days which caused rock and landslides.
India-Singapore Joint Air Forces Training Ends
Click on the image to enlarge
The eighth Indo-Singapore Joint Military Training (JMT) between Indian Air Force (IAF) and Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF), held annually at Air Force Station, Kalaikunda, West Bengal, concluded on Friday. The JMT earlier began on October 16.
The JMT held under a bilateral agreement signed between the two
countries help both Air Forces gain greater understanding of each
other's concept of operations. The first JMT was held in 2006.
IAF Su-30 MKI and MiG-27 aircraft participated together with RSAF
F-16D Block 52+ Fighting Falcons during the six week, day-night joint
drills. The RSAF detachment comprised 30 officers and 87 personnel.
November 29, 2012
Pakistan Army guy Mullah Nazir injured in suicide blast
WANA: Taliban commander Mullah Nazir was injured while seven of his aides killed in a suicide blast targeting his vehicle in South Waziristan, Geo News reported.
The attacker was riding a motorcycle when he collided with the vehicle Mullah Nazir was traveling in. Several nearby shops were also damaged in the attack.
Commander of his own faction of the Taliban in South Waziristan, Mullah Nazir controls operations in Wana.
He was also part of the Aman Committee and assisted the committee in its proceedings against the Uzbek militants.
November 28, 2012
Indian Air Force - IAF - teams with Charleston for C-17 maintenance training
November 2012
JOINT BASE CHARLESTON, S.C. -- The Indian air force has begun sending about 100 airmen to Joint Base Charleston to receive instruction from the 373rd Training Squadron Detachment 5, on how to operate the 10 C-17 Globemaster IIIs they recently purchased.
"The Indian air force purchased the C-17s and they need the training because these Indian airmen are going to be the ones standing up the initial C-17 unit (in India) and we were nominated to be the school house that teaches them," said Tech. Sgt. Paul Higgins, 373rd TRS Detachment 5 electrical environmental instructor.
The 373rd TRS Detachment 5's mission is to provide aircraft maintenance to the Department of Defense and its allies.
November 27, 2012
November 26, 2012
Israel reports success in new missile defence test
JERUSALEM — Israeli and US defence officials have successfully tested the David's Sling missile defence system, completing the first phase of the weapon's development, the defence ministry said on Sunday.
The system "is designed to provide an additional layer of defence against ballistic missiles by adding additional opportunities for interception to the joint US-Israel Arrow weapon system," it added.
It said the test was conducted at a range in southern Israel but did not say when.
The announcement came four days after a truce ended eight days of fighting between Israel and Palestinian militants. The military said 1,354 rockets were fired into Israel from the Gaza Strip , 421 of which were intercepted by the Iron Dome short-range defence system.
The Arrow, a cutting-edge system designed to counter strikes mainly from arch-foe Iran, has successfully intercepted missiles comparable to Iran's Shihab-3 in a variety of test conditions.
David's Sling, which Israeli television said is designed to intercept missiles fired from a distance of 50 to 250 kilometres (31 to 155 miles), is meant to bridge the gap between Arrow and Iron Dome.
November 25, 2012
German Military Assists in Tank Tests in Saudi Arabia
Germany's military, the Bundeswehr, is providing assistance to Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW), the German manufacturer of the ultra-modern Leopard 2 tanks, in military tests being conducted in the Middle Eastern country.
The Bundeswehr reportedly dispatched a field officer to Riyadh, the Saudi capital, where he has been assisting KMW in testing the tank's firing capabilities in the Saudi desert. The previously undisclosed information comes from a letter that Christian Schmidt, a senior official in the German Defense Ministry, sent to select members of the Bundestag, Germany's parliament.
The KMW is currently testing its Leopard 2A7+ tank in desert conditions in Saudi Arabia. The company, Schmidt adds, had requested the support of Bundeswehr tank soldiers on this issue of "firing safety for company tests" because the company does not have its own.
November 24, 2012
November 23, 2012
Surprise! All of China's military kit was developed at home????
Chinese defence ministry spokesman Yang Yujun has defended
the indigenous nature of the AVIC Z-10 attack
helicopter. This follows United Technologies' (UTC) admission in June that it
knowingly supplied China with a Pratt & Whitney Canada engine for the type.
Basically, the Chinese are saying "we built it on our own,"
while UTC has paid a $75 million fine for supplying an engine in addition to hundreds
of other arms export violations.
Here is what the Chinese have to say (full text here):
A Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Thursday refuted
reports that China's military attack helicopter Z-10 pirated U.S. technologies,
saying the helicopter's manufacturer had used independent intellectual property
rights...
"China's attack helicopters and their engines are all
self-developed, and have proprietary intellectual property rights," said
Yang, adding that the so-called piracy "is far from truth."
What gives? I was going to write a formal story about this
statement, it was even on the day's to-do list, but I just cannot bring myself
to take these comments at face value. And then, halfway through the release,
the spokesman drops this bomb:
Yang said the development of China's military equipment has
always followed the principle of independent innovation, and relied on its own
capability in research and production.
Wow.
Where do I start? Reverse engineering the Su-27 to create the
J-11B? The use of Lavi blueprints in the development of the J-10? Guys busted
trying to smuggle fighter components from Russia to China? And why does the Z-9
look exactly like the Dauphin?
November 22, 2012
Pakistan Air Force - PAF aircraft crashes near Jhang, pilot killed
A PAF pilot was killed when his Mirage combat jet crashed during a night training. Squadron Leader Bilal Hassan Babri sustained fatal injuries in the crash and was killed.
The body of the pilot had been recovered from the debris of the crashed plane.
A Pakistan Air Force training plane crashed in Hasnainabad area of Shakir Kot in Jhang district on Thursday, killing the pilot.A PAF spokesman confirmed the incident, saying the plane was on a routine training mission when it crashed near Thal Firing Range.
He said there was report about the martyrdom of pilot of the aircraft. However, the spokesperson did not state causes of the crash.The locals are reported to be saying that they saw the aircraft before it plunged to the ground. They saw fire was erupting from the jet before the crash.Rescue workers pulled a body from the wreckage of the aircraft.
The body of the pilot had been recovered from the debris of the crashed plane.
A Pakistan Air Force training plane crashed in Hasnainabad area of Shakir Kot in Jhang district on Thursday, killing the pilot.A PAF spokesman confirmed the incident, saying the plane was on a routine training mission when it crashed near Thal Firing Range.
He said there was report about the martyrdom of pilot of the aircraft. However, the spokesperson did not state causes of the crash.The locals are reported to be saying that they saw the aircraft before it plunged to the ground. They saw fire was erupting from the jet before the crash.Rescue workers pulled a body from the wreckage of the aircraft.
India, Saudi Arabia to enhance military ties
The first
meeting of the India-Saudi Arabia Joint Committee on Defence Cooperation
was held here today. The 11-member Saudi delegation was headed by Maj
Gen Suleiman Saleh Al-Khalifa, Chief of the Armed Forces Operations of
Saudi Arabia. The Indian delegation was headed by Joint Secretary,
Ministry of Defence.
The
establishment of the Joint Committee had been decided during the meeting
of the Defence Minister Shri AK Antony with the Saudi Defence Minister
(and now also Crown Prince) Prince Salman bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud, during
the Defence Minister’s visit to Saudi Arabia in February, 2012. The
Joint Committee was mandated to formulate a programme to develop areas
of cooperation between the defence establishments of both countries.
During the
meeting both sides expressed their interest in further enhancing defence
exchanges and interactions between their armed forces. Proposals for
exchange of high level visits, training exchanges and functional
exchanges in various areas were discussed and will be finalized over the
coming weeks.
November 21, 2012
Saudi Arabia Buys Orders C-130J Aircraft – Deal Worth Almost $7 Billion
The Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress Nov. 8 of a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for 20 C-130J-30 Aircraft and 5 KC-130J Air Refueling Aircraft, as well as associated equipment, parts, training and logistical support for an estimated cost of $6.7 billion.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) has requested a possible sale of 20 C-130J-30 Aircraft, 5 KC-130J Air Refueling Aircraft, 120 Rolls Royce AE2100D3 Engines (100 installed and 20 spares), 25 Link-16 Multifunctional Information Distribution Systems, support equipment, spare and repair parts, personnel training and training equipment, publications and technical data, U.S. Government and contractor technical assistance, and other related logistics support. The total estimated cost is $6.7 billion.
This proposed sale of C-130J-30 and KC-130J assets will contribute to the foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping to improve the security of a friendly country that has been, and continues to be, an important force for political stability and economic progress in the Middle East.
Saudi Arabia needs these aircraft to sustain its aging fleet, which faces increasing obsolescence. The proposed sale of C-130J and KC-130J aircraft will provide a modern configuration, improve reliability and enhance the Royal Saudi Air Force’s ability to effectively field, support, and employ these aircraft.
November 20, 2012
Pakistani Lashkar-e-Taiba and ISI Terrorist Ajmal Kasab involved in Mumbai attacks hanged by India
Pakistan Army's Colonel R Sadatullah is wanted in relation to assisting in the dastardly attack that left 160+ people dead.
During the terrorist attacks, two Pakistani army officers—Major Sameer Ali and Sajid Mir were giving instructions from Pakistan Army control room in Karachi, Pakistan
Mohammed Ajmal Kasab, the sole surviving gunman from the 2008 Mumbai attacks, was hanged on Wednesday in an Indian prison.
Kasab was executed at 7:30am (0200 GMT) at Yerwada jail in Pune in the western Indian state of Maharashtra after India's President Pranab Mukherjee rejected his mercy plea earlier this month, the channel said.
The prison in Pune is well-equipped to hang the prime convict. The lone surviving gunman was sentenced to death for his role in the November 26, 2008 Mumbai terror attack.
Earlier in Auggust, the Supreme Court upheld Kasab's conviction and death sentence. In October, the Indian Home Ministry had rejected Kasab's mercy plea. The ministry had sent its recommendation to President Pranab Mukherjee.
The gunman who had been kept at the high-security Arthur Road Jail in Mumbai earlier might have been shifted from to Pune's Yerwada Central Jail.
During the terrorist attacks, two Pakistani army officers—Major Sameer Ali and Sajid Mir were giving instructions from Pakistan Army control room in Karachi, Pakistan
Mohammed Ajmal Kasab, the sole surviving gunman from the 2008 Mumbai attacks, was hanged on Wednesday in an Indian prison.
Kasab was executed at 7:30am (0200 GMT) at Yerwada jail in Pune in the western Indian state of Maharashtra after India's President Pranab Mukherjee rejected his mercy plea earlier this month, the channel said.
The prison in Pune is well-equipped to hang the prime convict. The lone surviving gunman was sentenced to death for his role in the November 26, 2008 Mumbai terror attack.
Earlier in Auggust, the Supreme Court upheld Kasab's conviction and death sentence. In October, the Indian Home Ministry had rejected Kasab's mercy plea. The ministry had sent its recommendation to President Pranab Mukherjee.
The gunman who had been kept at the high-security Arthur Road Jail in Mumbai earlier might have been shifted from to Pune's Yerwada Central Jail.
Russia’s Stealth Fighter Could Match U.S. Jets, Analyst Says
Russia’s T-50 stealth fighter prototype, the first radar-evading warplane outside the U.S. when it debuted in January 2010, is slightly less stealthy than the American F-22 and about equal to the smaller F-35. But in several other respects the new warplane from the Russian Sukhoi design bureau is actually superior to the American models.
That’s the surprising conclusion of the first-ever public scientific analysis of the T-50′s Radar Cross-Section (RCS), completed this week by Dr. Carlo Kopp, an analyst with the independent think tank Air Power Australia.
“The shaping of the T-50 is inferior to that of the F-22 Raptor,” Kopp writes in his dense, jargon-heavy report. But the F-35 and T-50, he adds, exhibit “similar … RCS behavior.”
But Kopp’s assessment of the T-50 comes with caveats. Quite a few of them, actually. To match the stealthiness of the Lockheed Martin F-35 — to say nothing of the company’s F-22 — Sukhoi’s engineers will have to, among other changes, modify the T-50′s engines to a less obtrusive fitting and add a layer of radar-absorbing material to the plane’s skin.
November 19, 2012
Iranian military to test new air defense system modeled after US Hawk during drill, TV says
Iran's military is to test a new air defense system modeled after the U.S. Hawk system as tensions with the West escalate over the country's suspect nuclear program, the Iranian state TV reported Monday.
The report quoted Gen. Farzad Esmaili, chief of Iran's air defense headquarters, as saying the surface-to-air system has been named "Mersad," or Ambush.
The system is capable of locking a flying object at a distance of 80 kilometers (50 miles) and can hit from 45 kilometers (30 miles) away, using an Iranian-made missile dubbed Shahin, or Hawk
November 18, 2012
Iron Dome: Missile defense system a game changer, Israelis say
737 rockets from Gaza were fired upon Israel by Hamas: 492 landed, but 245 were intercepted by the system
Israel's Iron Dome missile defense system is figuring prominently in the unfolding aerial conflict with Hamas' military wing in Gaza.
Iron Dome is being credited with protecting Tel Aviv and other Israeli cities by blocking some of the rockets fired from Gaza.
Over the past three days, 737 rockets from Gaza were fired upon Israel: 492 landed, but 245 were intercepted by the system, Israel Defense Forces said Saturday.
The name Iron Dome evokes an image of a protective bubble over a city. In practice, Iron Dome is a defense against short-range rockets and mortar shells: the system targets incoming rockets and fires an interceptor missile to destroy them midair.
Each battery has a firing-control radar to identify targets and a portable missile launcher. The system is easily transportable, with just a few hours needed to relocate and set up.
The missile is highly maneuverable. It is three meters, or almost 10 feet, long; has a diameter of about six inches; and weighs 90 kilograms, or 198 pounds, according to the security analysis group IHS Jane's.
The warhead is believed to carry 11 kilograms, or 24 pounds, of high explosives, IHS Jane's said. Its range is from 4 kilometers to 70 kilometers -- or 2.5 miles to 43 miles.
What are the origins of Iron Dome?
Israel began developing the ground-based system in 2007.
After a series of test flights in 2008 and 2009, the first deployment of a battery occurred in southern Israel in 2011, according to IHS Jane's and the IDF. The Israel Air Force reported an interception success rate of 70% in 2011, IHS Jane's said.
Israel credits "breakthrough technology" and the system's radar. Iron Dome confronts multiple threats simultaneously, in all weather conditions, the Israeli military said.
"The radar detects a rocket launch and passes information regarding its path to the control center, which calculates the predicted point of impact," the IDF said. "If this location justifies an interception, a missile is fired to intercept the rocket. The payload of the interceptor missile explodes near the rocket, in a place that is not expected to cause injuries."
Each Iron Dome battery costs $50 million, IHS Jane's said. A missile costs at least $62,000, Israeli officials said.
Israel's Iron Dome missile defense system is figuring prominently in the unfolding aerial conflict with Hamas' military wing in Gaza.
Iron Dome is being credited with protecting Tel Aviv and other Israeli cities by blocking some of the rockets fired from Gaza.
Over the past three days, 737 rockets from Gaza were fired upon Israel: 492 landed, but 245 were intercepted by the system, Israel Defense Forces said Saturday.
The name Iron Dome evokes an image of a protective bubble over a city. In practice, Iron Dome is a defense against short-range rockets and mortar shells: the system targets incoming rockets and fires an interceptor missile to destroy them midair.
Each battery has a firing-control radar to identify targets and a portable missile launcher. The system is easily transportable, with just a few hours needed to relocate and set up.
The missile is highly maneuverable. It is three meters, or almost 10 feet, long; has a diameter of about six inches; and weighs 90 kilograms, or 198 pounds, according to the security analysis group IHS Jane's.
The warhead is believed to carry 11 kilograms, or 24 pounds, of high explosives, IHS Jane's said. Its range is from 4 kilometers to 70 kilometers -- or 2.5 miles to 43 miles.
What are the origins of Iron Dome?
Israel began developing the ground-based system in 2007.
After a series of test flights in 2008 and 2009, the first deployment of a battery occurred in southern Israel in 2011, according to IHS Jane's and the IDF. The Israel Air Force reported an interception success rate of 70% in 2011, IHS Jane's said.
Israel credits "breakthrough technology" and the system's radar. Iron Dome confronts multiple threats simultaneously, in all weather conditions, the Israeli military said.
"The radar detects a rocket launch and passes information regarding its path to the control center, which calculates the predicted point of impact," the IDF said. "If this location justifies an interception, a missile is fired to intercept the rocket. The payload of the interceptor missile explodes near the rocket, in a place that is not expected to cause injuries."
Each Iron Dome battery costs $50 million, IHS Jane's said. A missile costs at least $62,000, Israeli officials said.
November 17, 2012
PLA, Jordanian Armed Forces hold joint anti-terrorist drills
BEIJING, Nov. 16 (Xinhua) -- China's People's Liberation Army on
Friday launched joint anti-terrorist drills involving special operation
forces with Jordanian Armed Forces in the Jordanian capital of Amman,
according to the Foreign Affairs Office of China's Ministry of National
Defense.
The 15-day drills are the first of their kind between Chinese and Jordanian armed forces, said a press release from the Foreign Affairs Office. Some 50 officers and soldiers from both sides attended.
The drills are aimed at increasing mutual understanding and trust between the two armed forces, promoting exchange and cooperation and lifting both sides' anti-terrorist capability, the press release explained.
The 15-day drills are the first of their kind between Chinese and Jordanian armed forces, said a press release from the Foreign Affairs Office. Some 50 officers and soldiers from both sides attended.
The drills are aimed at increasing mutual understanding and trust between the two armed forces, promoting exchange and cooperation and lifting both sides' anti-terrorist capability, the press release explained.
Yilong UAV copied from MQ-1 Predator part by part?
To say that the Yilong UAV is very similar to the General Atomics MQ-1 Predator is an understatement
Apparently the Yilong UAV went down in China’s Hebei province where
local villagers took the above photo before the military cordoned off
the area.
The 1st one is a Yilong UAV ground station and the second one for a MQ-1 Predator. Compare these 2 ground stations and you will realize they are the same
 | ||
| Crashed Yilong UAV in China's Hebei province |
Israel Destroys Hamas Prime Minister's Office
The Israeli military has shut down the main roads around the Gaza Strip, a sign that it is poised to launch a ground offensive on the Palestinian enclave that could explode into an all-out war.
Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip early Saturday destroyed the Hamas Cabinet headquarters.
The strikes followed an exchange of rocket fire Friday between Israel and Palestinian Hamas militants in Gaza with one Palestinian rocket landing in a field outside Jerusalem. Hamas claimed responsibility for the unprecedented attack on the holy city.
Israel responded by calling up thousands more military reserves for a potential force of 75,000 reservists.
Palestinian officials say 38 people have died in Gaza since the Israelis began the airstrikes earlier in the week. Three Israelis are reported to have been killed by Hamas rockets.
Tunisia's foreign minister visited the Gaza Strip Saturday. Rafik Abdesslem was the second high-profile visitor to Gaza since the latest wave of violence. Egyptian Prime Minister Hesham Kandil visited on Friday.
Mr. Kandil said Egypt “will make sacrifices and every effort to achieve a truce.” In Cairo, Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi called the Israeli assault a “blatant aggression against humanity.”
U.S. President Barack Obama telephoned the Egyptian president Friday to discuss the situation.
Mr. Obama also spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who thanked the U.S. for helping Israel develop a missile defense system that he says has knocked out hundreds of rockets, saving Israeli lives.
An Israeli missile Wednesday killed the top military commander of Hamas in Gaza. Israel says the killing was in direct response to the almost daily rocket attacks on Israel from Gaza.
Hamas vowed revenge and warned that Israel had opened up what it calls “the gates of hell.”
November 16, 2012
Pilot ejects safely before jet crashes near Tyndall Air Force Base
A pilot ejected safely just before his Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor stealth fighter jet crashed during a training mission at Tyndall Air Force Base near Panama City.
A release from the Air Force says the F-22 Raptor went down this afternoon on U.S. 98 near Tyndall Air Force Base, just south of Panama City. The pilot ejected safely before the crash and was receiving medical treatment at the base.
.
A section of the highway was closed as a safety precaution as rescuers responded to the scene.
There were no immediate reports of injuries on the ground.
The cause of the crash wasn't clear.
Taiwan tests new anti-ship and anti-aircraft carrier missile
TAIPEI: Taiwan tested its longest range ship-to-ship missile within a month of China putting its first aircraft carrier into service, a report said Monday.
Dubbed an “aircraft carrier killer”, the missile has a range of 400 kilometres (250 miles) and is capable of achieving Mach 3.0, or triple the speed of sound, the Taipei-based United Daily News said.
“The Chung-shan Institute of Science and Technology finished a series of tests off Taiwan last month,” it said, in reference to Taiwan’s arms development unit. “No ship is capable of withstanding its high-velocity impact,” the paper quoted an unnamed military source as saying. Taiwan’s defence ministry declined to comment on the report.
The missile was described as a long-range variant of the Hsiung Feng III, already installed on Taiwanese frigates and missile boats and designed to achieve Mach 2.0 with a range of up to 130 kilometres (80 miles). China put its first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, into service in late September.
November 15, 2012
Hamas Shoots Rockets at Tel Aviv.....Israel hits back
Both use Youtube and Twitter for information dissemination
Gaza crisis: Israel's Barak calls up army reservists
Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak has authorised the call-up of 30,000 army reservists, amid speculation about a possible ground offensive on Gaza.
The developments came after Palestinian militants fired rockets from Gaza 70km (45 miles) north towards Tel Aviv.
Egyptian PM Hisham Qandil is to travel to Gaza on Friday in a show of support.
Fighting has intensified since Israel killed Ahmed Jabari, the military leader of the Islamist group that controls the territory, on Wednesday.
At least 18 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed in Israeli airstrikes, including children, and three Israelis have been killed by Palestinian rocket fire into southern Israel.
'Unacceptable aggression'
By Thursday night, Hamas said it had fired more than 350 rockets from Gaza, of which Israel said 130 had been intercepted by its Iron Dome missile defence system.
But in Tel Aviv, residents took cover after air raid sirens alerted them to a missile threat for the first time there since 1991. One missile landed in an uninhabited area while one is thought to have landed in the sea.
The armed wing of Islamic Jihad said it had fired an Iranian-built, Fajr-5 rocket - which has an estimated range of 75km.
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