The U.S. Defense Department intends to ask Congress for hundreds of millions of dollars in grant funding to purchase additional Iron Dome rocket and short-range missile intercepting batteries.

Details of the planned funding package have not yet been determined, but U.S. and Israeli sources estimated that the request to Congress could exceed $500 million to cover production of up to 10 additional batteries.

Preliminary discussions were held in Washington last week between a senior Ministry of Defence representative and officials from the Office of the Secretary of Defense. An itemized Israeli request is expected to be presented to the Pentagon in the coming days, sources from both countries said.

“The Department of Defense has been in conversations with the Government of Israel about U.S. support for the acquisition of additional Iron Dome systems and intends to request an appropriate level of funding from Congress to support such acquisitions based on Israeli requirements and production capacity,” Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said in a March 27 email.

During the rocket attacks earlier this month, the Iron Dome system intercepted more than 80 percent of targeted rockets fired at southern Israel.

“The United States has previously provided $205 million in support of Israel’s Iron Dome short range rocket and mortar defense system,” Little said.

Israel has deployed three Iron Dome batteries and a fourth is in final stages of acceptance testing with the Israel Air Force’s Air Defense Command. The first two batteries were funded by Israel’s shekel-based defense budget while the $205 million appropriated by Congress last year were used to fund the third and fourth batteries as well as two additional batteries now being produced by an Israeli industrial team led by state-owned Rafael.

Israel’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, in a study last year, concluded that Israel required at least 13 Iron Dome batteries to protect populated areas from the growing rocket and short-range missile threat.

An Israeli industry source said Rafael has secured a letter of intent from Israel’s MoD for additional production pending clarification of funding pledges from Washington. He noted that Israel is capable of producing up to four batteries per year, which include a battle management system, launcher, interceptor missiles and a multimission radar by Elta Systems, a subsidiary of Israel Aerospace Industries.

Supporting Israel is a top priority of U.S. President Barack Obama and Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, Little said.

In a March 27 statement, Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak praised the Pentagon’s announced commitment for additional funding support for Iron Dome.

“The American decision is an additional manifestation of the deep defense ties between the United States and Israel. I praise the American government for its strengthened support for Israel’s defense.”

Rep. Howard Berman, D-Calif., ranking Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, also hailed the Pentagon’s announced decision to request additional Iron Dome funding. Berman, a co-author of the Iron Dome Support Act submitted to Congress March 21, described the Israeli intercepting system as “a game-changer.”

In a March 27 statement, Berman noted the threats Israel faces from “incoming, indiscriminate terrorist rocket attacks” that are countered “by this cutting-edge system.” According to Berman, “Iron Dome is fundamentally shifting political, diplomatic and military realities on the ground, while saving lives of innocent Israelis.”

He added that the Pentagon’s statement of additional funding support “is a further step in the right direction.

The proposed Iron Dome Support Act authorizes Obama “to provide assistance, upon request by the Government of Israel, for the procurement, maintenance and sustainment of the Iron Dome anti-missile defense system for purposes of intercepting short-range missiles launched against Israel.”

“I am pleased that the President now acknowledges the need to increase funding to counter a deadly threat, and I look forward to working together to identify the additional resources necessary to help defend our Israeli friends,” Rep. Howard McKeon, R-Calif., chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, said in a statement.

Source: Defense news

SEOUL — The South Korean military is poised to shoot down a North Korean rocket should it stray into South Korean territory during a launch planned for next month, a defense ministry official here in Seoul said March 26.

The response comes as Seoul’s intelligence authorities confirmed that the main body of a North Korean Unha-3 rocket was moved to a new missile site at Dongchang-ri in northwestern North Korea. Dongchang-ri, in North Pyeongan Province, is significantly larger than the one in Musudan-ri, North Hamgyeong Province, where North Korea test-fired the Taepodong-2 missile in 2009.

The launch angle will be the first to take a southern trajectory and marks the first time a rocket has been launched from this facility.

North Korea plans to fire the rocket to put a satellite into orbit between April 12 and 16 to mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of its founding leader Kim Il-sung.

However, the international community believes the rocket launch is a disguised test of a long-range ballistic missile that could deliver a nuclear warhead to targets in Alaska and Hawaii, as well as other Asia-Pacific nations, such as Australia and Indonesia.

“We’re preparing measures to track the missile’s trajectory and shoot it down if, by any chance, it deviates from the planned route and falls into our territory,” Col. Yoon Won-shik, vice spokesman for the Ministry of National Defense, told reporters.

“North Korea’s move is a grave provocation and defiance against the international community,” Yoon said. “Through the rocket launch, we believe, the North is aimed at improving and developing its long-range ballistic missile to deliver nuclear warheads.”

According to South Korean Navy officials, two destroyers, including a 7,600-ton Sejong the Great-class Aegis destroyer, are to be deployed in the West Sea to monitor the missile launch.

If parts of the three-stage North Korean rocket stray from their trajectory and violate South Korea’s territory, the destroyers will fire SM-2 ship-to-air missiles to take them down, a Navy spokesman said.

“The Army will also be ready to fire PAC-2 missiles to intercept parts of the rocket if they fly too close to the South’s territory,” Yoon said. In 2007, South Korea purchased 48 secondhand PAC-2 missile systems from Germany as part of efforts to establish a low-tier air and missile defense system in coordination with ship-based SM-2 missiles and Israel’s Super Green Pine early warning radars.

The North Korean launch site has created new problems for South Korean efforts to intercept and monitor ballistic missiles and rockets. The angle from which the rocket will be launched will make it more difficult to intercept by seaborne ballistic-missile defense systems, said Bruce Bechtol, author of the book, “Defiant Failed State: The North Korean Threat to International Security.”

The new site at Dongchang-ri “can potentially be set up more quickly and denial/deception procedures implemented more effectively than the site at Musudan,” he said. “This impacts on warning time for U.S./[Republic of Korea] policy makers.”

Bechtol said the most important aspect of this launch will not be the southern trajectory, but “seeing if this missile can actually make it through all three stages successfully of the launch cycle.” If successful, this will mean that North Korea will finally have the capability to strike U.S. territory.

U.S. President Barack Obama has renewed his warning against North Korea’s provocations.

“There will be no rewards for provocations. Those days are over,” Obama said March 26 in Seoul. “To the leaders of Pyongyang, I say, this is the choice before you. This is the decision that you must make.”

Obama is attending the two-day Nuclear Security Summit in Seoul. Chinese President Hu Jintao and other world leaders are gathered in South Korea to discuss ways of improving nuclear security and to hold bilateral summit talks on the sidelines. North Korea and Iran are expected to dominate the nuclear agenda at the summit.

After a meeting between Obama and Hu, senior White House aide Ben Rhodes said the Chinese leader indicated to his U.S. counterpart that he took the North Korean nuclear standoff very seriously and was registering his concern with Pyongyang.

“The two leaders agreed to coordinate closely in responding to this potential provocation and registering our serious concern to the North Koreans and, if necessary, consider what steps need to be taken following a potential satellite launch,” Rhodes said.

Wendell Minnick reported from Taipei.

Italy will reduce its planned order of Lockheed Martin Corp. F-35 fighter jets and trim the size of the military as part of defense-spending cuts, Defense Minister Giampaolo Di Paola told the Italian Parliament on Feb 15.

Italy will purchase 90 F-35s rather than the originally planned 131, Di Paola said in Rome in testimony before a joint defense committee of both houses of Parliament today. The nation needs to cut the military’s size by about 30,000 soldiers and 10,000 civilians, he also said.

Di Paola said Italy “has already invested 2.5 billion euros” ($3.3 billion) in the F-35, parts of which are to be provided by Finmeccanica SpA, the nation’s biggest defense contractor. “We had committed to buying 131, now the review of the program leads us to believe that the goal of 90 aircraft can be pursued, a third less,” he said.

The announcement is another blow to Bethesda, Maryland- based Lockheed Martin’s F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, the U.S. military’s costliest program. The U.S. Defense Department will cut $1.6 billion from the F-35 program, part of $18 billion in weapons cuts proposed in the budget that President Barack Obama sent to Congress on Feb. 13 for the year beginning Oct. 1.

Di Paola said that Italy would also cut tanks, helicopters and artillery. Two army brigades will be axed, he said.

Navy vessel numbers will also be cut, with patrol vessels dropping from 18 to 10 and submarines dropping from six to four.

Without giving further details, Di Paola said that Italy’s air defense fighter numbers would also drop.

Military bases will be reduced, and Italy’s military head count will drop from 183,000 to about 150,000. Civilian staff will be cut from 30,000 to 20,000. The personnel reductions, which have been mulled for a number of years, will take place over the course of a decade, Di Paola said. Personnel cuts will be made by limiting intake and farming out personnel to other state institutions.

At a press conference on Feb. 14, Di Paola said the personnel cuts would target Italy’s top-heavy officer class. “Fewer generals, fewer admirals, more operational readiness and technology,” he said.

Israel and the United States have agreed to postpone a major military defense exercise scheduled for spring, Israeli public radio reported Sunday, amid rising regional tension over Iran’s nuclear program.

The air-defense drill, named "Austere Challenge 12," is expected to be the largest exercise between the two allies, who regularly hold joint military maneuvers.

The Pentagon said it was scheduled for the spring, but now would take place in the second half of 2012.

Israeli media reports originally said it was cancelled due to budgetary constraints. But some pundits speculated that the real reason was fear of creating further friction with Iran, which is showing signs of deepening isolation over its refusal to halt nuclear activity.

A U.S. official denied that tensions with Iran were a factor and an Israeli security source cited logistical problems. Both sources spoke on condition of anonymity.

"It's for a host of reasons, mainly logistical, but not the reason you cited (tensions with Iran)," the Israeli source said.

Pentagon spokesman Navy Captain John Kirby played down the delay, saying it was not uncommon for routine exercises to be postponed.

"There were a variety of factors at play in this case, but in general, leaders from both sides believe that optimum participation by all units is best achieved later in the year," Kirby said.

Israel sees the makings of a mortal threat in Iran's uranium enrichment and missile projects, and the Jewish state's leaders have not ruled out the use of military force to stop it.

Iran says its nuclear program is solely for peaceful purposes.

Tensions between Washington and Tehran have risen in recent weeks after U.S. President Barack Obama signed a bill on New Year's Eve that, if fully implemented, would make it impossible for most countries to pay for Iranian oil.

Iran has threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz, the world's most important oil shipping lane, if sanctions prevent it from exporting oil. The United States has said it will not tolerate such a move.

General Martin Dempsey, the top U.S. military officer, is due to travel to Tel Aviv for talks later this week in which Iran is certain to be one of the topics of discussion. It will be Dempsey's first trip there since becoming chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in September.

In a November 30 interview with Reuters, Dempsey said he did not know whether Israel would alert the United States ahead of time if it decided to take unilateral military action against Iran. He also acknowledged differences in perspective between the United States and Israel over the best way to handle Iran and its nuclear program.

Iraq Body Count (IBC) warned that, contrary to apparent trends in figures released by the Iraqi government, the level of violence has changed little from mid-2009, though attacks are markedly down from when the country was in the throes of sectarian war in 2006 and 2007.

In all, the non-governmental organisation said an estimated 162,000 people were killed in Iraq in the nearly nine years of conflict.

It said about 79 per cent of the fatalities were civilians, while the remainder included US soldiers, Iraqi security forces and insurgents.

"The violence peaked in late 2006 but was sustained at high levels until the second half of 2008 - nearly 90 per cent of the deaths occurred by 2009," IBC said in a statement.

But it warned that "there has now been no noticeable downward trend (in civilian deaths) since mid-2009."

"Recent trends indicate a persistent low-level conflict in Iraq that will continue to kill civilians at a similar rate for years to come.

"While these data indicate no improvement, time will tell whether the withdrawal of US forces will have an effect on casualty levels."

IBC said it had recorded more than 114,000 civilian deaths in Iraq since the invasion, and said the addition of figures from US military logs published by whistleblower website WikiLeaks, as well as officially recorded US and Iraqi security deaths and insurgent tolls, put the overall figure at 162,000.

The worst non-civilian group affected were the Iraqi police, with 9,019 reported deaths, and Baghdad was the most dangerous city in the country, with half of the recorded deaths, equating to 2.5 times the national average.

A total of 4,474 US soldiers died in Iraq as well.

US troops, who at their peak numbered nearly 170,000 on as many as 505 bases in Iraq, completed their withdrawal from the country on December 18.

The NGO's overall toll differed markedly from that published by the Iraqi government, which said on Sunday that 2,645 people were killed in violence in 2011, compared to IBC's toll of 4,059.

Iraqi government figures, unlike IBC data, indicate attacks decreased significantly last year from 2010, when 3,605 people were killed.

Libyan rebels surged into Tripoli Sunday in a final drive to oust Moamer Kadhafi, seizing swathes of the capital including the symbolic Green Square and arresting the strongman's son, Seif al-Islam.

The trappings of Moammar Gadhafi's regime crumbled Sunday as hundreds of euphoric Libyan rebels overran a major military base defending the capital, carted away truckloads of weapons and raced to the outskirts of Tripoli with virtually no resistance.

The rebels' surprising and speedy leap forward, after six months of largely deadlocked civil war, was packed into just a few dramatic hours. By nightfall, they had advanced more than 20 miles to the edge of Gadhafi's last major bastion of support.

Thousands of residents poured onto the streets to welcome the rebels, congregating at the site which they renamed Martyrs Square near the water front in the centre of Tripoli.

Some were hoarse, shouting: "We are coming for you, frizz-head," a mocking nickname for Gadhafi. In villages along the way that fell to the rebels one after another, mosque loudspeakers blared "Allahu Akbar," or "God is great."

"We are going to sacrifice our lives for freedom," said Nabil al-Ghowail, a 30-year-old dentist holding a rifle in the streets of Janzour, a suburb just six miles west of Tripoli. Heavy gunfire erupted nearby.

As town after town fell and Gadhafi forces melted away, the mood turned euphoric. Some shouted: "We are getting to Tripoli tonight." Others were shooting in the air, honking horns and yelling "Allahu Akbar."

Similar scenes of jubilation were witnessed in Benghazi, the rebels' bastion in the east, where delirious residents danced and proclaimed the end of the regime of the "tyrant" Kadhafi.

©AFP/Graphic Rebels enter Tripoli

While Kadhafi spoke to the nation three times on Sunday in audio recordings, his whereabouts were unknown.

But the 69-year-old strongman vowed not to surrender.

As the rebels boasted they would take full control of Tripoli during the night, Kadhafi issued his third message of the day, urging the people of Tripoli to "purge the capital."

Government spokesman Mussa Ibrahim told a press conference 1,300 people had been killed in the rebel assault on the capital, describing the fighting as a "real tragedy."

But there was no independent confirmation of casualties, nor any immediate indication of how much resistance may have been put up against the rebels.

Ibrahim insisted that Libya's regime "is still strong and thousands of volunteers and soldiers are ready to fight" although the reality on the ground seemed to belie his boasts.

The day's first breakthrough came when hundreds of rebels fought their way into a major symbol of the Gadhafi regime -- the base of the elite 32nd Brigade commanded by Gadhafi's son, Khamis. Fighters said they met with little resistance.

Hundreds of rebels cheered wildly and danced as they took over the compound filled with eucalyptus trees, raising their tricolor from the front gate and tearing down a large billboard of Gadhafi.

Inside, they cracked open wooden crates labeled "Libyan Armed Forces" and loaded their trucks with huge quantities of munitions. One of the rebels carried off a tube of grenades, while another carted off two mortars.

"This is the wealth of the Libyan people that he was using against us," said Ahmed al-Ajdal, 27, pointing to his haul. "Now we will use it against him and any other dictator who goes against the Libyan people."

In The Hague, the International Criminal Court confirmed that Kadhafi's son, Seif al-Islam, for whom the ICC had issued arrest warrants for crimes against humanity, is in detention.

Profile: Kadhafi son now faces 'paying the price'

"I have received confidential information stating he has been arrested," Luis Moreno-Ocampo told AFP.

"We hope he can soon be in the Hague" to face justice, he said, adding that he planned to contact the "Libyan transitional government" later in the day.

Benghazi celebrates reports that the Libyan capital of Tripoli had fallen to rebels

©AFP / Gianluigi Guercia

Moreno-Ocampo said the ICC "is ready to help Libyans to deal with their difficult past" and ensure that "no crime remains unpunished".

Earlier, the chairman of Libya's rebel National Transitional Council (NTC), Mustafa Abdel Jalil told Al-Jazeera television from Benghazi Seif was "being kept in a secure place under close guard until he is handed over to the judiciary."

Abdel Jalil did not say when or where he had been captured.

Describing their assault, rebel leaders said an advance party of fighters had arrived by sea in the capital early Sunday and joined sleeper cells of rebels to launch the final drive, codenamed "Mermaid."

Another rebel force advanced from the west, moving in a convoy of around 100 vehicles as onlookers fired celebratory gunfire into the air, an AFP correspondent said.

By afternoon they had overrun the eastern suburb of Tajura and boasted that they would seize control of the capital during the night.

It was still not clear how much of the capital the rebels had seized, but it appeared they had taken over the headquarters of the Libyana mobile telephone company, located in Tajura.

The ICC is hoping to take custody of Seif al-Islam for crimes against humanity

©AFP/File / Mahmud Turkia

Libyana clients received a message on their mobiles from the NTC "congratulating the Libyan people for the fall of Moamer Kadhafi."

Meanwhile, a rebel party seized an army barracks at a western entrance to Tripoli, raiding the stores of missiles and other ammunition.They also released dozens of prisoners held in Maya, 25 kilometres (15 miles) west of Tripoli.

A rebel spokesman said the insurgents were also tightening the noose around loyalist forces in the far west of Libya, near the Tunisian border.

Throughout the day Sunday, Kadhafi was adamant he would not relinquish power.

He vowed not to surrender and boasted he would "emerge victorious" in the battle for Tripoli.

"We will not, we will not abandon Tripoli to the occupants and their agents. I am with you in this battle," he said in an audio message broadcast in the afternoon.

"We do not surrender and, by God's grace, we will emerge victorious."

He called on his supporters to "march on Tajura in tens of thousands to purge the officials of the colonisers," in a reference to the NATO-backed rebels.

Earlier, he had aired a message urging supporters to "march by the millions" to liberate cities held by "traitors and rats."

NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said early Monday Kadhafi's rule in Libya is "clearly crumbling."

"The sooner Kadhafi realises that he cannot win the battle against his own people, the better -- so that the Libyan people can be spared further bloodshed and suffering," he said in a statement.

U.S President Barack Obama issued a written statement calling on the rebels to respect human rights, show leadership, preserve the institutions of the Libyan state and move towards democracy.

"Tonight, the momentum against the Kadhafi regime has reached a tipping point. Tripoli is slipping from the grasp of a tyrant," Obama said from as took a vacation on the resort of Martha's Vineyard.

"The Kadhafi regime is showing signs of collapsing. The people of Libya are showing that the universal pursuit of dignity and freedom is far stronger than the iron fist of a dictator."

Obama said the surest way for bloodshed to end was simple: "Moamer Kadhafi and his regime need to recognise that their rule has come to an end."

"Kadhafi needs to acknowledge the reality that he no longer controls Libya. He needs to relinquish power once and for all."

Obama also noted that the United States has recognized NTC as Libya's legitimate governing authority and said it "should continue to demonstrate the leadership that is necessary to steer the country through a transition by respecting the rights of the people of Libya."

For his part, Jibril urged rebels to act with magnanimity.

"The world is watching us," he added. "Do not avenge yourselves."

He took particular pains to refer to those close to Kadhafi who might be captured.

"Prove that we are up the responsibility to protect them and their lives," he said.

He called on people to pull together "to achieve democracy and to build the new Libya, remembering all the people who give their lives in this war."

South Korea and Indonesia have established a research centre to study the proposed KF-X indigenous fighter aircraft.

The centre will be located in Daejeon, 160km (99 miles) south of Seoul, said South Korea's Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA).

Approximately 100 Korean and 30 Indonesian researchers will work at the centre.

Korea Aerospace Industries and Indonesia's National Defense Research Institute will both contribute personnel to the project, which will look at the design and other core technologies of the proposed stealth aircraft.

DAPA's announcement indicates the long-discussed aircraft programme may finally be getting of the ground.

On 14 July, a story carried by Indonesia's Antara official news agency said the country had confirmed it would participate in the programme, contributing 20% of the development costs.

Antara quoted the secretary general of Indonesia's defence ministry, Erris Heriyanto, as saying development of the KF-X would take place in three stages: technological development over the next two years, engineering and manufacturing and finally production.

The two partners have agreed to produce 150-200 units, of which Indonesia would get 50.

These would be sufficient to equip three combat squadrons, he said.

An Indonesian source told Flightglobal that Jakarta expects KF-X to be ready by 2018.

Jakarta originally signed a memorandum of understanding to participate in KF-X at the 2010 Farnborough air show.

Seoul, apparently interested in reducing its share of the estimated $8 billion in development costs, has also spoken to Turkey. Ankara, however, announced plans for its own indigenous fighter in December 2010.

The relationship between India and Russia has changed significantly since the end of the Cold War, but there’s one area in which ties have remained virtually unbroken – defence cooperation.

The recent visit of India’s Navy chief underscored the closeness of defence ties with Russia. A failed Russian fighter bid won’t change that.

India, with a defence budget for the current year of Rs. 1.5 trillion ($32.5 billion), imports more than 70 percent of its arms, the vast majority of which come from Russia. It’s against this backdrop that Indian Navy Chief Adm. Nirmal Verma recently concluded a visit to Russia following an invitation from Adm. Vladimir Sergeivich Vysotskiy, commander-in-chief of the Russian Navy.

Verma’s visit was only the latest in a series of high-level meetings between top defence personnel and leaders from both countries, and followed a visit by Vysotskiy to India in January.

During his trip, Verma took in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Vladivostok, Kaliningrad and Severodvinsk, and engaged with numerous senior Russian officials including Deputy Defence Minister A. Antonov. Verma also visited design bureaus and shipyards engaged in constructing ships for the Indian Navy.

According to the Indian Navy, Verma ‘reviewed the progress of the Talwar Class follow-on warships, under construction at the Yantar shipyard, and was reassured that the first warship “Teg” would commence trials shortly and be delivered in six to eight months.’The new frigates in this class, namely ‘Teg,’ ‘Teer’ and ‘Trikand’ are follow-ons of the three Talwar Class warships built for India by Russia and brought into service in the early part of the last decade. With the new ships, the Russian-origin Klub missiles would be replaced by the indigenous BRAHMOS supersonic cruise missile system.

During his visit to the Sevmash Shipyard, where the aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov is being retrofitted, Verma noted that ‘significant progress had been made on the Gorshkov project and the ship was shaping up well for the preliminary sea trials.’ A press release by the Indian Navy also noted that Verma ‘made a first-hand assessment of all projects,’ adding that ‘they were progressing satisfactorily and had reached critical stages of maturity.’ He also expressed satisfaction with the quality of construction and repairs, and told Russian media that the Russian Mig 29KUB fighter jet designed for the Gorshkov was sound, claiming that the recent accident involving the aircraft wouldn’t affect India’s arms orders with Russia.

But discussions went beyond just talk of hardware, reflecting the strategic importance that the two sides place on relations. For example, the two sides also discussed increasing cooperation in anti-piracy operations, and they agreed that the INDRA series of exercises still form an important aspect of the bilateral relationship and so should be continued and expanded.

WASHINGTON: The US is open to Indian participation in its Joint Strike Fighter programme that would finally lead to its purchase of fifth generation F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter, a top Pentagon official has said.

"There is nothing on our side, no principle which bars that on our side, Indian participation in the Joint Strike Fighter. Right now, they're focused on these aircraft which are top-of-the-line fourth-gen fighters," Under Secretary of Defence for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Ashton Carter said yesterday.

U.S. Undersecretary of Defense Ashton Carter, head of acquisitions at the Pentagon, hinted at the possibility saying that there was "nothing on our side, no principle that bar Indian participation in the Joint Strike Fighter program."

"Right now," he added, "they're focused on these aircraft which are top-of-the-line fourth-generation fighters."

Carter was delivering a keynote address on "US-India Defense Relations" at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, on the occasion of the release of a report on India's Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) programme.

At a cost of about USD 10 billion for 126 aircraft, the MMRCA competition is the largest Indian fighter tender in years.

Determined to increase its defenses and become a regional superpower, India plans to spend up to $30 billion on its military by 2012. In recent months, it inducted a long-range, nuclear-tipped missile into its armed forces, unveiling a defense spending budget spiked by 24 percent since last year.

The United States' consideration of offering the F-35 to India isn't new.

In 2007, Lockheed Martin briefed Indian air force officials on the stealth aircraft but plans for a sale were subsequently blocked by Washington.

India's interest, though, remains.

Lockheed Martin Vice President Orville Prins recently confirmed that the company had received an official interest request by the Indian navy. The request concerned naval variants of the F-35, including the F-35B STOVL and F-35C.

"We are going to offer our aircraft to them," he was quoted saying by the Defense Update Web site.

The possible release of Joint Strike Fighter program technology to India marks a significant shift in policy toward New Delhi, a change resulting from growing concern over the military growth of China.

Also, if the United States holds out on its initial reservations, it may lose a potential client to Russia.

India is considering buying 250 T-50 fifth-generation fighters from Russia in an ambitious joint development project with Sukhoi.

Germany plans to sell 200 Leopard tanks to Saudi Arabia after lifting a decades-long ban on selling heavy weaponry to the Persian Gulf kingdom, the Der Spiegel said Saturday.

The federal security council approved the sale last week, the weekly news magazine said without citing sources.

The Saudis want to buy 200 Leopard 2A7+ tanks in an order potentially worth billions of euros to companies Kraus-Maffei and Rheinmetall, Der Spiegel said.

Saudi officials held talks with the Spanish subsidiary of the US military-industrial complex corporation General Dynamics about buying their version of the Leopard tank, but a larger portion of the order will go to German companies Kraus-Maffei and Rheinmetall, the magazine said.

Under the deals announced by the German government, Saudi Arabia will receive 200 of the last generation of Leopard 2A7+ tanks -- the upgraded version of the German battle tank first presented in 2010.

Since the 1980's, Germany has blocked the sale of Leopard 2 tanks to Saudi Arabia, afraid the equipment would be used against Israel.

The Saudis are also in talks with US companies for 60 billion dollars worth (41 billion euros) of defence equipment that would become the largest US contract ever.

The order is to include 84 new F-15 fighter jets and 178 combat helicopters.

Length: 10,97 m; Width: 4.00 m; Height: 2.64 m. Weight: 67,500 kg. Motor power: 1500 horsepower; Speed: 72 km/h.
Operating Range: 450km. Armament: 120 mm / L55 smoothbore cannon, 12.7 mm machine gun, 40 mm grenade launcher and 7.62 mm coaxial machine gun.
Distance to destroy targets: 2,500 m; Crew: 4 peoples.

A maritime arms race is under way in the South China Sea. China is already the dominant regional naval power and many of its new systems could one day threaten US naval dominance as well.

No wonder then that so many of its neighbours are worried who are engaged in long-running maritime disputes with Beijing.

According to Dr Andrew Erickson, a China expert at the US Naval War College: "China does not want to start a war, but rather seeks to wield its growing military might to 'win without fighting' by deterring actions that it views as detrimental to its core national interests."

Three weapons systems are emblematic of China's broadening strategic horizons. Those are DF-21D anti-ship ballistic missile, aircraft carrier and J-20 fighter.

China's first aircraft carrier will begin sea trials later this year. Late last year, the first pictures were leaked of the prototype of Beijing's new "stealth" fighter. And US military experts believe that China has begun to deploy the world's first long-range ballistic missile capable of hitting a moving ship at sea.

Dr Erickson says China's capabilities thus far have been focused on developing a regional anti-access or area denial strategy to prevent Taiwan from declaring independence.

In part this strategy rests upon developing credible weapons systems to hold US carrier battle groups at risk should Washington elect to intervene.

China deploys a formidable array of missiles and other weapons that range far out from its own shores.

Of these, the DF-21D anti-ship ballistic missile is unique; a land-based system that could potentially target US carrier battle groups that have long been the corner-stone of Washington's maritime might.

American officials and the director-general of Taiwan's National Security Bureau say that China has already begun to deploy the DF-21D.

The DF-21D (known in the West as the CSS-5) is fired from a wheeled transporter vehicle and has a range in excess of 1,500km. It is armed with a manoeuvrable warhead that gives the Chinese military the ability to strike ships in the western Pacific Ocean.

It is easy to see why China would want such a missile. It is all about limiting the pre-eminent naval power in the region, the US, from intervening in any future crisis involving Taiwan.

Ever since the Pacific campaign of World War II, aircraft carriers have been the dominant means of projecting naval power.

China too is now entering the carrier race, albeit from a standing start. An old Soviet-era carrier - the Varyag - was purchased from Ukraine and has been extensively refitted.

China's first carrier will operate the new J-15 Flying Shark strike fighter, based on another Russian design, the Sukhoi SU-33 jet.

The carrier is reported to be due to begin sea trials in the summer. Once operational it would give the Chinese Navy a significant new capability in its continuing disputes with its maritime neighbours.

But Western experts note that this carrier will largely serve a training role. Carrier operations require significant expertise which can only be built up over time. The vessel is unlikely to deploy the wide range of aircraft available to the commander of a US Naval carrier air group.

Nonetheless, Dr Erickson says China will use the carrier to "project a bit of power, confer prestige on a rising great power, and master basic procedures".

Its maiden flight, last January, came only hours before a visit by the US Defence Secretary Robert Gates to Beijing, a coincidence which many analysts saw as a deliberate signal by China.

Douglas Barrie, from the International Institute of Strategic Studies in London, says China's J-20 cannot match the US equivalents.

But he added: "The aircraft does mark China's ambitions in terms of developing its air combat capability, and of its defence aerospace industrial base."

Mr Barrie argues that the introduction of significant numbers of J-20-based fighters would "pose an increased challenge to other regional powers, and to US forces in Asia Pacific".

Source: BBC

France is the NATO forces leading in Libya. Along with the deployment of aircrafts, frigates and submarines, the presence of the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle gave considerable power for NATO forces. To learn more about the pride of the French Navy, Defense Daily would like to introduce the article by Jonathan Beale - Defence correspondent, BBC News.

Louis, one of the pilots, gave the BBC an insight into one of his sorties.

It is the aircraft carrier Britain no longer has.

The Charles de Gaulle is not just the French Navy's flagship. It is a projection of the nation's power that can be deployed almost anywhere in the world.

We joined the nuclear powered carrier off Libya's coast. This is where the Charles de Gaulle has been conducting military operations for the past two months.

Launching an endless stream of warplanes loaded with bombs by day and by night. A giant floating runway within easy reach of Colonel Gaddafi's forces.

Her location always shifting according to the weather and the targets. The ship can move as much as 1,000km over a 24 hour period.

On board, the first thing that hits you is the noise.

The sudden roar of jet engines is followed by the thud of a steam catapult as planes are propelled from zero to 250 kilometres an hour in a few seconds.

On deck it is deafening and the sheer force of the catapult launch shakes the entire structure of the 40,000 tonne warship.

Below decks, in two massive hangars aircrew maintain a fleet of 10 Rafale jets and six older Super Etendards around the clock.

The carrier also has two Hawkeye surveillance planes - the eyes and ears for French and other Nato warplanes flying over Libya.

Their giant wings are only unfolded when they prepare to fly.

There is also a fleet of helicopters to ferry crew, commanders and cargo.

At times it is hard to see how this can all fit onto one ship just over 260 metres long.

Planes are moved up onto the deck by two giant hydraulic lifts. Ground crew swarm around the jets as they are loaded with bombs and fuel.

After an elaborate set of hand movements by the marshals, the signal is given for the plane to launch.

The pilot pushes his head back in the seat in preparation for the sudden impact.

For these French pilots the great advantage of flying off a carrier is that they will be over their targets within 20 minutes.

One of the pilots, Louis, says it is easier to react to developments on the ground.

British pilots flying from their temporary base in southern Italy have a much longer journey.

Even harder than taking off from a carrier is the landing.

Pilots have just seconds to get their position right to catch one of three giant steel cables that lie across the deck with the hook lowered from the plane.

It will bring them to a jolting halt. When you consider the strains and forces at play it is hard to understand how the ship, plane and human body all come out in one piece.

France is currently the only European country to have this capability.

The United States, of course, has even larger carriers with catapults and traps, but so far it has deployed none for operations over Libya.

Until last year Britain had the Ark Royal with its fleet of Harrier jump jets.

But the Ark Royal was one of the big casualties of the UK Defence Review. Though Britain has ordered two new carriers, they will not be in service for a decade.

The Charles de Gaulle's Captain Jean-Philippe Rolland says it will be "difficult" for the Royal Navy to regenerate the capability.

France has promised to help train British crews, but he warns it could take another five or ten years after the carriers are built for Britain to fully regain those lost skills.

Trafalgar and Nelson seems a distant memory. France's naval presence off Libya is bigger than that of the Royal Navy.

Where the Charles de Gaulle is accompanied by three destroyers, a supply ship and a nuclear-powered submarine, Britain has one destroyer, a submarine and a minehunter.

Capt Rolland says for this operation Nato would ideally have two or three carriers.

But with a gallic shrug he adds: "You do with what you have".

In a sign that Nato's stepping up the offensive both Britain and France should soon each have an assault ship carrying ground attack helicopters close by.

When I ask the commander of the task force whether this marks a new phase of the campaign he says it is still to be decided.

But Rear-Admiral Philippe Coindreau says "all possibilities" are being considered - apart from putting troops on the ground.

For the 2,000 crew on board the Charles de Gaulle it has been a long time at sea.

The ship had only just returned home to Toulon from a four-month mission in the Arabian Gulf, when she was redeployed at short notice to take part in operations over Libya.

Morale is maintained by sackfuls of letters from back home, along with plenty of French food.

The ship even has its own bakery on board, serving fresh croissants and baguettes each morning.

In the junior officers mess there is wine with the evening meal, though pilots have to ensure that there is a gap of 12 hours from "bottle to throttle".

No one on board knows when they will be coming home.

WASHINGTON (AFP) - The cost of building the F-35 fighter jet, set to replace a large part of the US warplane fleet, is "unaffordable" in its current version and must be reviewed, the Pentagon's top acquisition official said Thursday.

"Over the lifetime of this program, the decade or so, the per-aircraft cost of the 2,443 aircraft we want has doubled in real terms," said Ashton Carter, the under secretary of Defence for acquisition, technology and logistics.

"That's our forecast for how much the aircraft's going to cost.

"Said differently, that's what it's going to cost if we keep doing what we're doing. And that's unacceptable. It's unaffordable at that rate."

The cost of the plane has jumped to $385 billion, about $103 million per plane in constant dollars or $113 million in fiscal year 2011 dollars, said Christine Fox, the Defence Department's director of cost assessment and program evaluation.

Republican Senator John McCain called the figure "truly troubling," considering the original price was $69 million per airplane.

"The facts regarding this program are truly troubling," said McCain. "No program should expect to be continued with that kind of track record, especially in our current fiscal climate," said McCain.

"It seems to me we have to start at least considering alternatives"

The F-35 or Joint Strike Fighter (JSF), made by Lockheed Martin, is the Pentagon's most costly weapons program.

An additional appropriation of $4 billion brings the cost of development of the plane to $51 billion, "dismaying" figures," said Michigan Senator Carl Levin, who chairs the Senate Armed Services Committee.

"These are dismaying; indeed, they are disturbing numbers in costs to us and to the taxpayers of the United States," Levin said.

Carter attributed the cost overruns and delays to the plane's complexities and its radar-evading equipment, as well as the short-takeoff and vertical takeoff versions. And he said the culture of easy money at the Pentagon since 9/11 was also to blame.

"In the decade of ever-increasing Defence budgets, which we just enjoyed, it was always possible for our managers, when they ran into a technical problem or a difficult choice, to reach for more money," said Carter. "And the money was available in the decade after 9/11."

Russia conducted its second intercontinental ballistic missile test in less than a month on May 20 as it stepped up its campaign against a US-backed interceptor system for Europe.

Acording to Defense News the Sineva missile was launched from a Russian submarine in the Barents Sea and later successfully hit its target on the opposite side of the country on the Kamchatka Peninsula.

"The launch was conducted from a submerged position," defense ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov told Russian news agencies.

"The warheads hit the test range on schedule," he added.

The Sineva submarine-launched missile is one of the most recent additions to Russia's nuclear arsenal and was only fully tested for the first time in 2008. Each missile carries up to 10 warheads and has a range of more than 6,800 miles. It was the second submerged missile launch conducted by Russia since April 26.

Russia occasionally tests its heavy nuclear missiles as it upgrades outdated models with new features and capabilities.

But the tests are also often seen as a show of force that coincide with diplomatic tensions with the West. Russia had scaled back its testing program as it negotiated a new nuclear disarmament treaty with the United States that went into effect after nearly a decade of tortuous negotiations earlier this year.

Yet Moscow is currently furious with Washington for pushing ahead with plans to deploy a missile defense system for Europe - a shield that Russia fears could one day be transformed into an offensive weapon that targets its soil.

Russia has demanded an equal say in how the system works and also sought formal security safeguards from the United States confirming the shield's peaceful long-term intent.

But both the United States and NATO have refused to let Russia have an equal say in the system's construction and operation. Moscow diplomats said Washington has also refused their safeguards request.

President Dmitry Medvedev warned earlier this week that Washington's failure to address Russia's concerns could lead to a new Cold War, and his comments were echoed on May 20 by the chief of the military's general staff. Gen. Nikolai Makarov said the system could pose a direct challenge to Russia's security once it becomes more powerful in 2015 and force Moscow to channel funds on new weapons development that could lead to "a mad arms race".

"No one needs a new round of the arms race," Makarov said.

Russia National Technology Group representative in Argentina, Anatoly Zuev said: Uruguay decided to buy a lots of Russian multi-task armored cars "Tiger".

According to Anatoly Zuev, the contract Russian and Uruguay signed on 28 / 4 past is high political nature.

"Currently, Uruguay Ministry of Interioris especially need this car to fight drug trafficking", the representative Russia National Technology Group said.

However, he didn't specify the total contract value and the quantity of vehicles that Russia'll provide for the partner.

Although this vehicle has undergone trials in Brazil but for at the moment there isn't still any contract between the two countries. Therefore, the Russian representative said, Uruguay is the first country in Latin America lead in the procurement of armored cars "Tiger".

Over 10 years of technical defense cooperation - between Russia and Uruguay, two countries have signed dozens of contracts to transfer weapons. However, "Tiger" vehicle purchased contract is the first contract which Uruguay signed with Russian Interior Ministry.

Armored cars "Tiger" Gaz-2330 is capable of accelerating to 140km / h, which can carry 6-9 people or 12 tons of useful load. Car team can fight with personal weapons from opening door on the roof or through holes on the sides of doors.

Price per unit "Tiger" Gaz-2330 which manufactured from 2005 up to $ 300,000.

Motor Sich company (Ukraine) signed new contracts with China relating to repair aircraft engines RD-93.

The above information was revealed by Mr. Albert Loginoc, head of international cooperation of Motor Sich.

Under the agreement, Ukraine will support Chengdu Aircraft Group repair parts of the RD-93 engine and overhauled in the future, all the work will be in China.

A source in the Motor Sich said, China has not the equipment and facilities to repair the engine of Russia. Therefore, the first RD-93 can be sent to Ukraine to repair.

These events also confirm previous speculation that China will forced to ask Ukraine's help to repair RD-93.

According to some sources, Motor-Sich has permit repair of RD-series 33-2 production and between the two engine variants have no major differences.

Motor-Sich has started helping China to repair the AL-31F in 1992. Currently, the Motor-Sich's plant has trained professionals and technical workers in China. They are aggressively researching technological for repairing and testing the AL-31F.

In the future, this cooperation can not be sustained. A source at Migremont - unit provides chassis repair services and Avionics equipment (aviation electronics) for the Su-27 aircraft in China - revealed that the business relationships with China in has ceased, when China achieved progress in the repair of Russia' aircraft.

Non-stop therein, China is trying to find a contract to provide repair services for the Su-27 aircraft of Indonesia. That means China has become the rival of Ukraine in the field repair service and maintenance on the world market.

About two years ago, Kanwa get accurate information to say that China has progress in copying the Russia's RD-33 engines and undertaked by United Guizhou Aviation Company .

Though the information is not confirmed by these companies, but an article on the China Aviation magazine 7 / 2007 has attracted the attention of Kanwa. According to Kanwa, this article refers to RD-33 copy.

According to the article, Guizhou Aviation Engine Research Institute has conducted the work called "five comparisons" and focus on two types of aircraft engines.

Policy "five comparisons" is this company compare their design with the foreign samples on 5 aspects including design, production technology, production and testing (copying products), compared with the original model (import) and technical information from foreign countries.

Specifically, these include comparisons designs and foreign information, design drawings and the original model, production technology and technical information of foreign countries, production technology and the design parameters, and finally the test product is compared with the design parameters.