Archive for May, 2008
Saturday, May 31st, 2008
The Italian Army has successfully conducted two test firings of its Aster 30 missile as part of the operational evaluation of the SAMP/T air defence missile system.
The SAMP/T is a land-based air defence system, incorporating the MBDA ASTER 30 missile, designed to protect land forces and sensitive sites and zones from conventional threats such as aircraft, UAV’s, helicopters and the new generation of stand-off missiles and short range ballistic missiles.
The two firings were carried out by the army at the PISQ (Poligono Interforze Salto di Quirra) joint armed forces test range in Sardinia. For both firings, the full operational configuration of the SAMP/T weapon system was tested entirely autonomously by the Italian army unit. (more…)
Posted in Military News - Europe | No Comments »
Friday, May 30th, 2008
Pratt & Whitney’s F135 short-takeoff/vertical-landing (STOVL) propulsion system powered the first F-35B Lightning II’s STOVL-mode ground test at Lockheed Martin’s STOVL Operations Test Facility in Fort Worth, Texas. Completion of the ground test demonstrates the aircraft’s ability to convert between horizontal and vertical flight.
The test objectives included functional checks of the propulsion and flight control software, the lift fan upper and lower doors, the auxiliary inlet doors, and the thrust vectoring three bearing swivel duct and nozzle. Idle power conversions from horizontal to vertical flight were conducted in a sequence of steps to verify standard system operation prior to a fully automated conversion.
(more…)
Posted in Defence Products Manufacturing Companies, Defence Research and Development | No Comments »
Friday, May 30th, 2008
A 144-page US Army Suicide Event Report released yesterday said that 115 soldiers took their lives in calendar year 2007, the highest number of suicides since record-keeping began in 1980, according to officials. Five of the deceased were female soldiers. Ninety-three of the departed soldiers were active-duty troops, and 22 were either in the National Guard or Army Reserve.
Army records show 102 soldiers died by their own hands in 2006, of which 11 were women.
(more…)
Posted in Military News - America | No Comments »
Thursday, May 29th, 2008
Pratt & Whitney’s Geared Turbofan demonstrator engine has completed Phase II ground tests and has been cleared for flight testing on Pratt & Whitney’s 747SP flying test bed mid-year. Phase II, which began in April at Pratt & Whitney’s advanced test facility in West Palm Beach, Fla., focused on engine performance and ground acoustics with the Geared Turbofan engine’s flight capable nacelle system. The engine completed 120 hours of testing during Phase II and has logged a total 250 hours since ground testing began in November 2007.
The Phase II test program included the acoustic measurements of the Geared Turbofan demonstrator engine. The tests measured the ground-level noise characteristics of the engine, which is expected to be 50 percent quieter than today’s engines and 20 dB quieter than International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Stage 4 noise regulations. The testing used an array of 32 individual microphones around the engine test stand and 16 sound pressure transducers inside the engine to get accurate data for noise modeling.
(more…)
Posted in Defence Research and Development | No Comments »
Thursday, May 29th, 2008
More than half the world’s governments agreed Wednesday to ban the production, use, stockpiling and export of all existing cluster munitions. Meeting in Dublin, Ireland, representatives of 110 nations completed negotiations on a new international treaty that commits their governments to stop using these weapons and to destroy their existing stockpiles within eight years.
The U.S. government did not attend the negotiations and actively worked to undermine them. But in the end, all other major NATO countries joined with the majority in agreeing to ban these weapons, which are designed to kill or maim every living thing in an area as large as two football fields. The vast majority of victims of cluster bombs have been civilians.
(more…)
Posted in Proliferation and Human Rights | No Comments »
Thursday, May 29th, 2008
A Joint Working Agreement has been signed between AERO Vodochody (Aero), Gripen International and Saab Czech to establish a mutual cooperation concerning marketing and manufacturing of the L-159 Combat & Training System. According to the agreement, the two companies agree to undertake to cooperate both in the marketing and sales of the L-159 and in further development of the L-159.
In addition, the agreement aims to further develop manufacturing capabilities of Aero through identifying manufacturing work packages from Saab on a range of projects which will be placed at Aero.
(more…)
Posted in Defence Products Manufacturing Companies | No Comments »
Thursday, May 29th, 2008
A coordination meeting took place today, May 27, 2008, between the Commander of the Judea and Samaria Division, Brigadier General Noam Tibon, the Head of Civil Administration, Brig. Gen. Yoav Mordechai and representatives from the Palestinian security forces including the Palestinian Authority Minister of Social Affairs.
During the meeting, which was held at the Palestinian Authority offices in Ramallah, the parties discussed the activity of the Palestinian security forces in the area of Jenin and northern Samaria. The Palestinians expressed their appreciation at the assistance received from the Israelis which contributed to the success of the financial conference in Bethlehem over the weekend.
(more…)
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Thursday, May 29th, 2008
The Indian Armed Forces’ forthcoming modernisation programme will make India the Asia Pacific region’s second highest defence spender within the next five years, and the seventh largest globally by 2016. To examine where short, medium and long-term investment growth opportunities exist for European companies and to explore future procurement plans for the Indian defence sector, Frost & Sullivan held a briefing on ‘Market Growth Opportunities in the Indian Defence Industry’.
Organised by Frost & Sullivan’s Aerospace & Defence practice, the seminar offered an in-depth view of the significant business opportunities within the Indian defence industry and particularly within the Indian Armed Forces. Frost & Sullivan estimates that the total spending for the Indian defence market will reach USD 36.2 billion by 2013. The total opportunities for procurement are forecast to exceed USD 100 billion by 2022, including the maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) market, while the offset potential during the forecast period is expected to reach USD 10 billion by 2013.
(more…)
Posted in Defence Products Manufacturing Companies | 3 Comments »
Thursday, May 29th, 2008
Lockheed Martin launched the first Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) rockets from a High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) wheeled vehicle launcher using the new Universal Fire Control System (UFCS) during a recent test at White Sands Missile Range, NM. Four GMLRS rockets flew a pre-planned trajectory and successfully engaged their targets.
The UFCS is an evolutionary block upgrade of the MLRS Fire Control System that provides Warfighters the capability to fire GMLRS munitions that incorporate anti-jamming technology. The upgrade enhances reliability, mitigates obsolescence and reduces the sustainment cost of current systems.
(more…)
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Thursday, May 29th, 2008
The activation of the first Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) ballistic missile defense interceptor missile unit of the U.S. Army was recognized during a ceremony today at Fort Bliss, Texas. THAAD is a missile defense system developed by the Missile Defense Agency, a joint service organization within the Department of Defense.
The ceremony marked the establishment of an operational Army unit that will include soldiers who are undergoing new equipment training on THAAD and who will ultimately work to field the system. Alpha Battery/4th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 11th Air Defense Brigade, 32nd Army Air and Missile Defense Command, will receive 24 THAAD interceptors, three launchers, a fire control and communications unit and a radar. The commander of the new battery is Capt. Curtis Zervic. Soldiers in the newly established battery have been training on the THAAD equipment since last month and will continue their training through the middle of 2009.
(more…)
Posted in Defence Products Manufacturing Companies, Military News - America | No Comments »
Thursday, May 29th, 2008
U.S. Missile Defense Agency achieved another significant milestone for the Airborne Laser (ABL) missile defense program this month by completing the first laser activation testing on the ground at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.
The final plumbing and wiring installations will be completed in the coming weeks. All major components of the weapon system, including the battle management system, laser components, and beam control/fire control system, were installed earlier.
(more…)
Posted in Defence Research and Development, Military News - America | No Comments »
