Navy Docs Reveal UCLASS Minimum Ranges and Maximum Costs

The Navy aims to build a system of stealthy pilotless aircraft to patrol at a minimum range of 600 nautical miles around an aircraft carrier at a maximum cost of $150 million per orbit, according to May Navy requirements documents obtained by USNI News.

The Unmanned Carrier Launched Airborne Surveillance and Strike (UCLASS) so-called key performance perimeters (KPPs) outline an aircraft that will primarily fill information, reconnaissance, surveillance and targeting (ISRT) roles for the service’s carrier strike group with a limited ability to strike targets at a range of 2,000 nautical miles from the strike group in lightly contested environments, according to the documents.

The KPPs are the first concrete examples of the requirements for UCLASS — a program that the Navy wants to field by 2020.

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Iraq to get the Russian Night Hunter Helicopters

Russia will supply over 10 Mi-28NE ‘Night Hunter’ attack helicopters to Iraq under a multi-billion dollar agreement.

These helicopters are the export version of the Mi-28N, produced by the Russian Helicopter Corporation.

Russian news agency Novosti quoted Alexander Mikheyev, deputy general director at Russia’s state arms exporter Rosoboronexport, saying the $4.3 billion arms transfer agreement signed between Moscow and Baghdad includes the transfer of attack helicopters, training of aircrews and technicians, as well as the weapons systems typically employed with these helicopters.

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Moscow beefs up air defense with 4 new all-altitude radar stations

Four mobile radar stations designed for S-300 and S-400 air defense batteries have been added to the shield covering Moscow against airstrikes.

The new all-altitude detectors can track up to 100 targets, be they missiles, drones or manned aircraft.

The addition of the hardware was announced on Saturday by Deputy Commander of the Aerospace Defense Forces, Major General Kirill Makarov.

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Prithvi missiles to be replaced by more-capable Prahar

Seeking to enhance its precision strike capabilities, India is planning to replace its 150 km-range Prithvi ballistic missiles with the newly developed quick reaction Prahar missiles.

"We are withdrawing the tactical 150 km-range Prithvi missiles and will replace them with the Prahar missiles, which are more capable and have more accuracy," DRDO chief Avinash Chander told PTI in new Delhi.

The tactical versions of the Prithvi missiles would be withdrawn from service and will be upgraded to be used for longer ranges, he said.

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Powerful missiles from Qatar sent to Syrian rebels

As an intermittent supply of arms to the Syrian opposition gathered momentum last year, the Obama administration repeatedly implored its Arab allies to keep one type of powerful weapon out of the rebels’ hands: heat-seeking shoulder-fired missiles.

The missiles, US officials warned, could one day be used by terrorist groups, some of them affiliated with Al Qaeda, to shoot down civilian aircraft.

But one country ignored this admonition: Qatar, the tiny, oil-and-gas-rich emirate that has made itself indispensable to rebel forces battling calcified Arab governments and that has been shipping arms to the Syrian rebels fighting President Bashar Assad’s government since 2011.

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Finland Wants To Acquire More Equipment Gor F-18 Mid-Life Upgrade Program

The Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress today of a possible Foreign Military Sale of follow-on equipment and support for Finland’s F-18 Mid-Life Upgrade Program for an estimated cost of $170 million.

The Government of Finland has requested a possible sale of follow-on equipment and support for Finland’s F-18 Mid-Life Upgrade (MLU) Program, consisting of F-18C/D Fleet Retrofit Kits of the following systems: 69 KIV-78s (Mode 5 Identification Friend or Foe), 69 AN/APX-11-30s (Combined Interrogator/Transponders), Multifunctional Information Distribution Systems, and 32 SUU-63 pylons.

The proposed program support includes software test and integration center upgrades, flight testing, spare and repair parts, support and test equipment, transportation, publications and technical documentation, personnel training and training equipment, U.S. Government and contractor technical and logistics support services, and other related elements of logistics support. The estimated cost is $170 million.

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Iran Building New Battleships, Destroyers

"We have built Mowdge-2 class destroyer, also known as Damavand, which was launched in the Northern waters of the country and we have more destroyers under construction now," Deputy Commander of the Navy for Technical Affairs Rear Admiral Abbas Zamini said on Saturday.

"Construction of Peykan-class missile-launching battleships is on our agenda as well," he added.

In recent years, Iran has made great achievements in its defense sector and attained self-sufficiency in producing essential military equipment and systems.

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US Gov’t Watchdog Urges Pentagon to Suspend Russian Arms Deal

The Special US Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction urged the Pentagon on Friday to put on hold its $553 million arms deal with Russia for helicopters for the Afghan Special Mission Wing until the unit is fully recruited and properly trained, the AP reported.

Since May 2011 the Pentagon has bought 33 Mi-17 helicopters from Rosoboronexport, the state-run Russian arms exporter, and signed a contract for 30 more June 17, in the face of fierce opposition from Congress.

But in a report released Friday, the Special Inspector warned that the Afghan Special Mission Wing lacks qualified staff to operate and maintain the aircraft, and the purchases should be suspended until the situation is rectified.

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Air Force: Bird strike may have caused Arizona crash of F-16 fighter jet

An F-16 fighter jet that went down near Luke Air Force Base in suburban Phoenix most likely hit a bird before it crashed, an Air Force spokeswoman said Thursday.

Two pilots who were practicing landings and takeoffs at the base Wednesday evening ejected safely and the fighter crashed in a farm field near the base.

Base spokeswoman Lt. Candice Dillitte said Thursday that there’s nothing to indicate a fleet-wide problem with the jets, but the Air Force will investigate the cause. The Air Force has more than 1,000 of the single-engine fighters.

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All Russian Missile Brigades to Get Iskander Systems by 2018

Iskander-M ballistic missile systems, which can effectively engage two targets within a minute at a range of up to 280 kilometers, will be provided to all Russian Ground Forces missile brigades by 2018, the country’s defense minister said Friday.

The missiles have a non-ballistic flight path that is difficult for the enemy to predict and are guided throughout their flight.

On Friday, a missile brigade in southern Russia’s Astrakhan Region received an advanced Iskander-M missile complex, which “has no match in the world for its tactical specifications,” Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said on a visit to the facility, Russian media reported.

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Agni-V to be tested twice this year, could be inducted by 2015

India's most formidable strategic missile, the over 5,000-km Agni-V, will be tested twice before this year ends to ensure it is ready for full-scale induction in the armed forces towards end-2015.

Interestingly, the latter of the two tests will see the 50-tonne Agni-V being fired from a hermetically-sealed canister mounted on a launcher truck.

A canister-launch system will give the forces the requisite operational flexibility to swiftly transport the ballistic missile and launch it from a place of their choosing.

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Antonov An-148 Prospects Boosted by Russian Military Order

The Russian ministry of defense (MoD) has awarded United Aircraft (UAC) a firm order for 15 Antonov An-148 twinjets, according to UAC president Mikhail Pogosian, speaking at the Paris Air Show.

The contract is worth Rouble 18 billion ($550 million).

The delivery schedule calls for one aircraft this year, eight in 2014-2015 and six in 2016-2017.

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Navy Growlers 'too loud' on Whidbey Island

It's the solitude that lured Michael Monson and his wife Judy to Coupeville from bustling Seattle.

When they moved there nine years ago, they knew the birds in their backyard would share the skies with noisy jets from the Whidbey Island Naval Air Station up the road, but they never dreamed of the extent to which they’d have to go for a little peace and quiet.

“My wife and I are both forced to wear ear muffs inside our house,” said Monson, holding a pair of construction grade ear protectors.

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HII Awarded $745 Million Contract to Inactivate USS Enterprise (CVN 65)

Huntington Ingalls Industries announced today that the company has received a $745 million cost-plus-incentive fee contract for the inactivation of the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CVN 65).

The work will be done at HII's Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS) division.

The ship was towed from Naval Station Norfolk to NNS on June 20 under the existing planning contract. NNS will defuel the ship's eight reactors and prepare Enterprise for its eventual transit to Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility.

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Control tower lowered on to UK's biggest aircraft carrier

The UK's biggest aircraft carrier has moved a step closer to completion after its 750-tonne control tower was lowered on to the deck.

The aft island of HMS Queen Elizabeth was built in a yard on the River Clyde in Glasgow and sailed on a barge to Rosyth, Fife, last week to join the other parts of the ship.

It took workers in Scotstoun nearly two years to build the section which will serve as the centre of on-board flight operations.

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Iranian, Russian Navies to Launch Joint Naval Wargames in the Caspian Sea

The Russian and Iranian navies are planning to hold joint exercises in the Caspian Sea in the second half of this year, the Russian news agency Novosti reported.

According to Nikolai Yakubovsky, deputy commander of Russia’s Caspian Flotilla, the exercise follows a previous one held in 2009.

Caspian Flotilla commander Admiral Sergey Alekminsky confirmed few months ago that that the two navies could strengthen their collaboration in the future.

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Navantia supplying maintenance support for frigates

Spanish shipbuilder Navantia will provide maintenance and life-cycle support for Norwegian Navy F-310 class frigates.

The "Follow on Technical Support" agreement with the Norwegian Defense Logistics Organization is for a period of three years.

Navantia built five of the ships for Norway under a contract signed in 2000. All are currently in operation.

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Navy low on frigates to ship back HMCS Toronto crew

A shortage of frigates ready to go to sea is forcing the Royal Canadian Navy to fly hundreds of sailors back and forth from the Middle East.

HMCS Toronto is based in the Arabian Sea, but rather than sail the vessel back to port the navy will instead fly a new crew across the Atlantic and bring the old crew back by the same means.

The unconventional switch is happening as the navy modernizes 12 of its frigates. The navy said it doesn’t want to abandon its commitments patrolling the Middle East.

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Russian Military Says Syria Naval Facility Operating Normally

Port of Tartous
The Russian military on Thursday denied media reports that personnel had been withdrawn from its naval maintenance and supply facility in Syria, Russian news agencies reported.

The daily Vedomosti on Wednesday cited an unidentified source saying that neither servicemen nor civilian Defence Ministry personnel were currently stationed at the naval facility in the Syrian port of Tartous.

But the Defence Ministry press service said the modestly sized and equipped facility had long since been manned by civilians and that they had not been withdrawn.

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Italy government coalition averts split over F-35 jet purchase

Italy's ruling coalition averted a split over a motion to scrap its purchase of 90 Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter jets on Wednesday by agreeing to seek parliament's approval before going ahead with further spending on the program.

The awkward right-left governing bloc, formed two months ago to end a political stalemate that followed February's deadlocked national election, risked fragmenting over a vote to pull out of the fighter program first agreed more than a decade ago.

The lower-house motion, presented last month and supported by opposition groups and some members of Prime Minister Enrico Letta's center-left Democratic Party (PD), was gathering further support in the PD even as late as Tuesday, the eve of the vote.

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BAE Systems to Advance Development of U.S. Navy’s Mk 41 VLS

BAE Systems has received a $91.4 million contract from the U.S. Navy to provide engineering and technical services in support of the design, manufacturing, installation, testing and product improvements for the Mk 41 Vertical Launching System (VLS).

"This contract and our long history on this program demonstrates our sought after expertise in developing superior products for our sailors and is a testament to the overall effectiveness of the Mk 41 Vertical Launching System,” said Chris Hughes, vice president and general manager of Weapon Systems at BAE Systems.

BAE Systems’ engineers will develop technical solutions for new canister and missile integration as well as launcher improvements to meet emerging threats to the U.S. Navy fleet.

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Raytheon receives $126 million SM-3 contract

Raytheon Company was awarded a sole-source, cost-plus-incentive-fee contract valued at $126,000,000.

The SM-3 missile is designed to destroy incoming short-, medium-, and intermediate-range ballistic missile threats by colliding with them in space, a concept sometimes described as "hitting a bullet with a bullet."

This contract modification is to procure the material required to manufacture up to 29 SM-3 Block IB missiles. Work will be performed in Tucson, Ariz., with an estimated completion date of Sept. 30, 2016.

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Boeing Delivers Canada's 1st CH-147F Chinook Helicopter

Boeing delivered the first of 15 new CH-147F Chinook helicopters to the Royal Canadian Air Force on June 21, making Canada the operator of one of the most capable Chinook variants delivered to the global market.

The aircraft’s features include a modernized airframe with a long-range fuel system, upgraded electrical system, fully integrated Common Avionics Architecture System cockpit, and Digital Automatic Flight Control System.

The aircraft also has improved survivability features including a Directional Infrared Countermeasures system.

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Lockheed Martin-Led Team Lays Keel on Nation’s Ninth Littoral Combat Ship

A Lockheed Martin-led industry team officially laid the keel for the U.S. Navy’s ninth Littoral Combat Ship (LCS), the future USS Little Rock, in a ceremony held at Marinette Marine Corporation.

The industry team is building the Freedom-variant LCS for the U.S. Navy on budget, has delivered two ships with four others under construction and two in the early material procurement stages.

With the nation’s first LCS, USS Freedom, currently on its maiden deployment to Southeast Asia, the Lockheed Martin-led team is addressing the Navy’s need for an affordable, highly-networked and modular ship unlike any other in the world, designed to conduct a variety of missions including anti-surface, mine and submarine warfare.

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Japan expected to take PAC-3 missiles off alert in Tokyo as North Korea fears subside

Japan is expected to pull missile units deployed around its capital off of alert status because it believes the threat of a launch from North Korea has subsided.

Media reports said the units were to be taken off alert status as early as Friday, but officials refused to comment.

Japan, South Korea and U.S. troops have been taking special measures to counter North Korean threats that it might launch a long-range missile or some kind of a retaliatory strike if provoked.

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GAO: $12.8B Navy Carrier Project Weighed Down With Problems

The U.S. Navy should delay the award of a multibillion-dollar contract to Huntington Ingalls Industries Inc. to build the second aircraft carrier in a new class as the first one faces failings from its radar to the gear that launches planes, congressional investigators said.

“Technical, design and construction challenges” with the first carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, have caused “significant cost increases and reduce the likelihood that a fully functional ship will be delivered on time,” the Government Accountability Office said in a draft report obtained by Bloomberg News.

The Ford, already the most expensive warship ever built, is projected to cost $12.8 billion, 22 percent more than estimated five years ago.

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S-500 air defense system to be ready in 2016

Mass delivery of new armaments and military hardware for the forces will start in 2016, Russian General Staff Chief Valery Gerasimov said.

"A new tank, an infantry combat vehicle and an armored personnel carrier will be ready in 2015; the Prospective Airborne Complex of Frontline Aviation, the S-500 air defense system and a corvette will become available in 2016, and a new-generation destroyer will be created in 2018," he said at a meeting of the Russian Defense Ministry Board in Moscow on Thursday.

The work on these armaments "has been steady and uninterrupted," he said.

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First Sailors Report to Fast-Attack Sub Illinois

The first group of Sailors reported to the Pre-Commissioning Unit (PCU) Illinois (SSN 786), a fast-attack submarine currently under construction in Groton, Conn.

The commanding officer's arrival June 17 marked a major milestone in the construction phase of the submarine and sets the crew training phase in motion. The ship's sponsor is First Lady Michelle Obama.

Approximately 35 Sailors or one-fourth of the total crew have reported to Illinois over the past few weeks, including Commanding Officer Cmdr. Jess Porter; Engineering Officer Lt. Anthony Wilson; and Master Chief Machinist's Mate (SS) Steve Houk, the engineering department master chief.

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General Dynamics continues project to upgrade submarine electronics with COTS computers

U.S. Navy officials are asking General Dynamics Information Systems in Fairfax, Va., to continue a project that seeks to upgrade the combat systems aboard U.S. missile and fast-attack submarines with commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) computers.

Officials of the Naval Sea Systems Command in Washington announced a $29.7 million contract modification to General Dynamics Wednesday for engineering and technical services in support of the AN/BYG-1 tactical control system aboard submarines.

The AN/BYG-1 is an open-architecture submarine combat control system for analyzing and tracking submarine and surface ship contacts, providing situational awareness, as well as aiming and firing torpedoes and missiles.

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Russian Defense Ministry Discloses Rearmament Plans

Russia’s Defense Ministry has disclosed details of the timing of its plan to increase the share of modern weapons in the armed forces to 70 percent by 2020.

The new document reveals that the proportion of modern submarines should be 47 percent by the end of 2014.

That figure is due to grow to 51 percent in 2015, before reaching the target of 70 percent by 2020.

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Vietnamese naval ships visit Zhanjiang

The Vietnamese naval taskforce consisting of the "Ly Thai To" and "Dinh Tien Hoang" guided missile frigates along with 200 officers and men led by Senior Captain Nguyen Duc Nho, deputy chief of staff of the Vietnamese Navy, arrived at the military port of Zhanjiang in south China's Guangdong province at 09:30 on June 25, 2013 for a four-day-long goodwill visit.

Zhang Chuanshu, deputy chief of staff of the South China Sea Fleet of the Navy of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLAN), Nguyen Van Tho, Vietnamese ambassador to China, and others were at the port to welcome the arriving Vietnamese naval taskforce.

During the visit in Zhanjiang, the officers and men of the PLAN and the Vietnamese Navy will visit each other's ships and hold a friendly soccer match.

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Naval ship INS Taragiri bows out of service

Indian naval ship INS Taragiri, the last of the six British-designed but indigenously built Nilgiri class frigates, will bow out of service Thursday after 33 years of glorious service to the nation, an official here said.

INS Taragiri, christened after a hill range in the Garhwal Himalayas, was commissioned May 16, 1980, and was the youngest of her sister ships -- Nilgiri, Himgiri, Dunagiri, Udaygiri and Vindhyagiri.

Cdr. Rahul Shankar, an alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Pune, and Defence Services Staff College, Wellington, is INS Taragiri's 27th and last commanding officer.

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Floating radar prepares for missile test

Sea-Based X-Band Radar stationed in Hawaii is getting a test.

The Honolulu Star-Advertiser (http://bit.ly/14XBWAG) reports the $2 billion floating radar component of the U.S. ground-based ballistic missile defense system has left Pearl Harbor for an exercise.

Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance chairman Riki Ellison says an interceptor fired from California's Vandenberg Air Force Base will try to shoot down a target missile fired from Kwajalein (KWAH'-jah-lihn) Atoll.

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Russia to Open Airbase in Belarus Within Months

Lida Air Base
Russia is opening an airbase in northwestern Belarus, near the Polish and Lithuanian borders, within just a few months, a Russian Air Force general said Wednesday.

The airbase, modern Russia’s first on Belarusian soil, will consolidate bilateral defense collaboration as part of the Union State of Russia and Belarus, Russian Air Force chief Lieutenant General Viktor Bondarev told reporters.

Located in Lida, a city of nearly 100,000, the base will be an important element in the “strategic defense of the Union State,” the two-star general said, adding that Russian Su-27SM3 fighter jets would be stationed there.

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352nd SOG welcomes Osprey to fleet

The 352nd Special Operations Group resurrected a key capability June 24, 2013, when two CV-22B Ospreys touched down at RAF Mildenhall.

The Ospreys are the first of 10 slated to arrive as part of the 352nd SOG expansion, which will last through the end of 2014.

The CV-22 fills part of the role previously accomplished by the MH-53 Pave Low helicopter. However, it combines the vertical takeoff, hover and vertical-landing qualities of a helicopter with the long-range, fuel-efficiency and speed of a turboprop aircraft.

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Boeing Begins Assembly of 1st KC-46A Tanker Aircraft

Boeing workers in Everett today loaded the first wing spar for the first U.S. Air Force KC-46A aerial refueling tanker, starting production of that aircraft and achieving another milestone toward delivering 179 tankers during the next 14 years.

The KC-46A is based on the commercial 767-200ER, a proven airframe in service as an airliner, freighter and tanker. Boeing has delivered more than 1,050 767s worldwide.

“The Air Force is really excited and pleased that our No. 1 modernization priority has begun fabrication and entered the factory at Everett. The Boeing team continues to make significant progress in the KC-46 development program,” said Maj. Gen. John Thompson, U.S. Air Force Program Executive Officer for Tankers.

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Israel Receives First C-130J Super Hercules: ‘Shimshon’

Lockheed Martin delivered the State of Israel’s first C-130J Super Hercules airlifter during a ceremony today at its Aeronautics Company’s production facility here.

This is first of three C-130Js currently on order for the Israeli Air Force (IAF), which has operated legacy C-130s since 1971.

The IAF has bestowed the nickname “Shimshon” on its C-130Js.

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Israel Will Be First Partner Nation To Fly F-35s

Though late to sign on to the network of nations purchasing the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, Israel will be the first partner nation to operate the fifth-generation fighter.

“Israel will become the first non-U.S. operator of the F-35 in the world,” said Steve O’Bryan, Lockheed Martin’s vice president for F-35 program integration and business development in an interview at the Paris air show. The first F-35I combat squadron is expected to achieve initial operational capability in 2018.

Eight other countries have already committed to the program with firm contracts.

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Harrier For Sale On eBay

A Canadian businessman says he doesn't have the time to enjoy it so he's selling his Sea Harrier jump jet on eBay.

Ian Cotton, of Red Deer, Alberta, is hoping to get $1.5 million for the ex-Royal Navy aircraft.

He bought the fighter from the British government four years ago and imported it to Canada with an eye to getting it into taxiing condition.

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Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) market worth $8351.1 million by 2018

According to a new market research report, the total global UAV Market (2013-2018) is expected to reach $8351.1 million by 2018.

The report, entitled "Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Market (2013 - 2018)", notes that this segment will experience a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.30%.

The report notes that the US has by far been the superior force when it comes to deployment of UAVs in the world, as European deployment is rather different than in the US, with extensive usage of tactical UAVs (TUAVs) and fewer high altitude long endurance (HALE) and medium altitude long endurance (MALE) systems.

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Russia removes military personnel from Syria

Russia has withdrawn all its military personnel from Syria and left its strategic Tartus naval centre unstaffed because of the escalating security threat in the war-torn country, the Vedomosti daily said Wednesday.

The respected business daily cited an unnamed source in the Russian defence ministry as saying that no Russian defence ministry military or civilian personnel were now present in Syria, a Soviet-era ally of Moscow.

The source said the decision was taken to limit the dangers posed to Russians amid a raging civil war and to reduce the threat of political damage that could result from Russians being killed by either side.

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Navy chooses AN/SRQ-4 ship-to-helicopter datalink radios from L3 for situational awareness

U.S. Navy helicopter avionics experts needed a digital data link to enable helicopters to share sensor information in real time with Navy and Coast Guard surface ships. They found their solution from L3 Communications-West in Salt Lake City.

Officials of the Naval Air Systems Command at Patuxent River Naval Air Station, Md., announced a $6.7 million contract modification Tuesday to L3 to provide four Common Data Link Hawklink AN/SRQ-4 radio terminal sets for the Navy and one for the U.S. Coast Guard.

The AN/SRQ-4 is the shipboard element of a situational awareness system that links the MH-60R helicopter with surface warships in the area. It provides command and control (C2), sensor data transfer, data link operation, and built-in-test.

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PH plans air, naval bases at Subic with access for US

Subic Bay
The Philippine military has revived plans to build new air and naval bases at Subic Bay, a former U.S. naval base that American forces could use to counter China's creeping presence in the disputed South China Sea, senior navy officials said.

The proposed bases in the Philippines, a close U.S. ally, coincides with a resurgence of U.S. warships, planes and personnel in the region as Washington turns its attention to a newly assertive China and shifts its foreign, economic and security policy towards Asia.

The bases would allow the Philippines to station warships and fighter jets just 124 nautical miles from Scarborough Shoal, a contentious area of the South China Sea now controlled by China after a tense standoff last year.

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Collins submarines have reached their performance targets

The recent article in The Australian "Two subs out of action for six years" (24/6) suggests that ASC has missed deadlines for the maintenance of HMAS Collins and the Collins sustainment program in general. This is incorrect.

ASC is working with our submarine enterprise partners, the navy, the Defence Material Organisation and the Finance Department to achieve international benchmarks for fleet availability and reliability as identified by British specialist John Coles.

We are safely doing this by driving productivity initiatives in our production, engineering, planning and supply chain capability.

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Retirement in Sight for United States' Heavy Hitters

In a twist of bad timing, the nation’s venerable triad of nuclear-capable bombers, ballistic missile submarines and intercontinental ballistic missiles all have retirement in sight, just as the Pentagon’s budget takes a sharp downward turn.

While many details are not known about the platforms that will replace the aging delivery systems, one thing is certain: They will be expensive.

The first leg of the triad that demands attention — and significant resources — is the replacement of the 14 Ohio-class submarines now in the Navy’s fleet.

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North Korea tried to sell 3,500KM range missiles

North Korea offered 3,500km intermediate range ballistic missiles to UK arms dealer Michael Ranger, information detailed in a new UN report has revealed for the first time.

Representatives from the North Korean front company Hesong Trading Corporation allegedly offered Mr. Ranger modern and vintage small arms and light weapons, GPS jammers, multiple launch rocket systems, and “extraordinarily,” ballistic missiles with a range of up to 3,500 km.

“The price per unit was in excess of US$ 100 million for those intermediate-range ballistic missiles and would be sold not less than three at a time, mixed as one long-range and two medium-range missiles or one medium-range and two long-range missiles”, testimony provided by Mr. Ranger to the UN explained.

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The Rafael Protector will work with UAS

The Rafael “Protector” Unmanned patrol boat will be fitted to work with Unmanned air systems (UAS), according to sources in the Paris Air Show.

The Protector is an integrated naval combat system, based on Unmanned, autonomous, remotely controlled surface vehicles.

Highly maneuverable and stealthy, the Protector can conduct a wide spectrum of critical missions, without exposing personnel and capital assets to unnecessary risk.

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Raytheon delivers first NASAMS High Mobility Launcher to Norway

Raytheon Company has delivered the first High Mobility Launcher (HML) for Norway's National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS) to provide Norway with advanced air defense capability.

When time is of the essence to protect high-value assets and populations, the HML significantly reduces the time required to transport and ready the system.

"The Royal Norwegian Air Force is the first international NASAMS customer to receive this highly mobile solution that can be easily rolled on and off a C-130," said Sanjay Kapoor, vice president of Integrated Air and Missile Defense for Raytheon's Integrated Defense Systems (IDS) business.

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Chinese Air Force Gets More H-6K Strategic Bombers

The Chinese People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) recently received 15 Xian H-6K bombers with nuclear capabilities, according to Jane’s Defence Weekly.

The H-6K, an updated version of the H-6 bomber (originally, a locally built version of the 1960s vintage Russian Tupolev Tu-16 bomber), is a medium-sized craft designed for long-range attacks, stand-off attacks and large-area air patrol. Unlike its predecessor, the H-6K can carry cruise missiles under its wings.

The H6-K also maneuvers more deftly than the H-6 and requires a smaller crew to operate.

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Barksdale bids farewell to A-10s

After 33 years, the final three A-10 Thunderbolt II attack aircraft from the 917th Fighter Group and its 47th Fighter Squadron left Barksdale Monday.

The final takeoff marked the end of an era at Barksdale, as airmen and community members waved their final goodbyes to the A-10s in a farewell ceremony held on the flightline.

“While today is somewhat sad as we are going to fly the last Barksdale A-10s to their new home, really today is about celebrating the impact of the 917th,” said Col. John Breazeale, the 917th’s commander. “Today is about the thousands of 917th airmen and their service to our nation.”

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Sea King helicopter replacement hits a new snag

The decades-long project to replace Canada's 50-year-old Sea King helicopters has hit another snag, with the government now hiring an independent expert to study whether helicopter-maker Sikorsky is even capable of delivering a replacement as promised.

CBC News has learned that Public Works Minister Rona Ambrose has gone outside government and hired a consultant to study Sikorsky's work, and Canada's contract, to determine whether it's even possible for the U.S. helicopter giant to deliver the aircraft Canada ordered.

The details of the hire — or the review — are not publicly available and Ambrose's office has yet to provide more information, but Ambrose herself offered the news after questions from the CBC about Sikorsky and its contract.

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Navies use undersea drone as sub warfare training target

Saab -- yes, Saab -- has built an amphibious drone meant to keep submarine crews on their toes.

The Saab AUV62 is a highly sophisticated autonomous underwater vehicle that mimics a submarine, allowing navies to train for anti-submarine warfare as realistically as possible without blowing up expensive submarines.

Though it's an unmanned vehicle, the AUV62's unique acoustic payload means it will show up on sonar screens as an enemy sub. It's essentially the underwater equivalent of skeet shooting, except with torpedoes.

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Araguari joins the A Class

Araguari, the third of three Ocean Patrol Vessels built by BAE Systems, was handed over to the Brazilian Navy in a ceremony at Portsmouth Naval Base today.

Employees joined guests from the Brazilian Navy and UK Royal Navy, to watch as members of the ship’s company raised the ensign for the first time, formally marking the handover of the Brazilian Navy’s newest vessel.

Mick Ord, Managing Director of BAE Systems Maritime - Naval Ships business, said: “We are extremely proud to deliver Araguari.

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Iran needless of foreign aid for repairing copters: Cmdr.

The commander of the Iranian Army’s Ground Forces says the country’s air force has achieved self-sufficiency in repairing helicopters.

“The [Islamic Republic of Iran] Army Aviation has reached a level of progress where it can repair its helicopters without any need for [assistance from] other countries,” Brigadier General Ahmad Reza Pourdastan said on Tuesday.

Pourdastan, who was visiting the Army Aviation’s base in Abyek, Qazvin Province, also praised the Iranian aerospace experts for their accomplishments

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Russian shipyard to deliver third frigate to India

Russia's Yantar Shipyard said Tuesday that it will hand over on Saturday the last of the three frigates it contracted to build for India.

The handover ceremony of frigate Trikand will be attended by Indian naval officers and diplomats as well as representatives of the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade, said the Kaliningrad shipmaker.

The first two vessels under the 1.6-billion-US-dollar contract, Teg and Tarkash, were delivered in April and November 2012.

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A3SM: A True Game Changer for Submarine Self Defence against Threats from the Sky

As part of the Paris Air Show Navy Recognition was invited by DCNS to visit their factory located near Angoulême in southwestern France.

The 260 year old site used to manufacture guns for the "French Royal Navy".

It now specializes in the production of submarine equipment such as torpedo tubes and torpedo handling systems.

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Defense Ministry Mulls An-26 Cargo Plane Replacement

The Russian Defense Ministry is considering two possible designs for a replacement for the obsolete Antonov An-26 military transport aircraft, a senior ministry official said on Monday.

The ministry is considering development of a light military transport plane based on the Antonov An-140 turboprop airliner made by Aviakor in Samara, or the rival Ilyushin Il-112V transport aircraft to be made by the Voronezh aircraft plant (VASO), Deputy Defense Minister Yury Borisov said.

He offered no indication when a final choice will be made, only saying the ministry is currently comparing the planes’ specifications.

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Russia Offers Iran New S-300 Replacement

Russia recently offered S-300VM or SA-23 Gladiator to Iran attempting to cover up its failed deal to supply S-300 missile systems to Tehran, according to reports.

This S-300VM missile defense system can simultaneously destroy up to 24 aircraft within the range a range of 200 kilometers or intercept up to 16 ballistic missiles.

The deal will be finalized next month, according to reports.

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Induction of LCA Tejas postponed to November

The much-awaited induction of the indigenous Tejas light combat aircraft in the Indian Air Force got further delayed with the Defence Ministry giving the LCA team a new deadline of November, 2013, to obtain the initial operational clearance-2, which will be the last but one hurdle before the LCA gets inducted into the air force.

The earlier deadline for the IOC-2 was September, which has been extended by two months now.

The schedule for the final operational clearance will be December, 2014, though the top brass in the IAF is sceptical about the FOC deadline.

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U.K. Typhoons Get Emergency Clearance To Refuel From Voyager

The U.K. Royal Air Force (RAF) has given an emergency clearance for its Eurofighter Typhoon to refuel from the country’s new Airbus A330 Voyager multi-role tanker transport aircraft.

The unusual decision is understood to have been made about two weeks ago, and will allow Typhoons to refuel from the Voyagers despite the fact that the U.K. Military Aviation Authority (MAA), the certification agency that normally approves such clearances, has not yet given the aircraft combination a Release to Service notice.

According to the U.K. defense ministry, the Typhoons have been given an Operational Emergency Clearance (OEC) by the MAA.

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MiG-29 fighter aircraft crashes; pilot safe

A MiG-29 fighter aircraft on a routine sortie today crashed near Lalparda village in Gujarat's Jamnagar district, with the pilot ejecting safely.

"A MiG-29 fighter jet today crashed at 13.30 hours near Lalparda village south of Khambhalia town," IAF officials said.

The aircraft was on on a routine sortie, they said. "The pilot got out safely when the plane crashed," they added.

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Mauritanian, Senegalese air forces order AgustaWestland helicopters

The Mauritanian Air Force has ordered two AW109 helicopters and the Senegalese Air Force a single AW139 from AgustaWestland, the company has announced.

The contract with Mauritania was signed on June 17 at the Paris Air Show during a ceremony attended by Colonel Hereitani of the Mauritanian Air Force and Geoff Hoon, AgustaWestland’s Managing Director of International Business.

AgustaWestland said the twin-engined AW109 Power helicopters would be used for border patrol and reconnaissance missions, and would be delivered in mid-2014 in a multi-role homeland security configuration.

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