Frontier India » Military News – Europe

Royal Navy Ship HMS Kent visits Mumbai

(FINN) Frontier India News Network — Wed, 15 May 2013 13:23:32 +0000

Mumbai: Royal Navy Ship HMS Kent (Type 23 Frigate) is on a goodwill visit to Mumbai from 13 to 17 May 13. The ship is commanded by CDR Benjamin E Ripley and has a crew of 216 personnel. It is presently deployed for maritime security operations in the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Aden.

Royal navy Ship HMS Kent visits Mumbai

During the ship’s stay, CO Kent called on Rear Admiral AR Karve, AVSM, the Flag Officer Commanding Western Fleet. In addition, ship’s crew will be engaged in professional, social and recreational interactions with personnel of Western Naval Command.

SAAB to deliver Gripen E to Sweden in 2018

(FINN) Frontier India News Network — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 07:40:54 +0000

Oslo: Sweden has ordered the development of Gripen E and modification of Gripen C to E standards. Swedish Defence Materiel Administration’s (FMV) order to SAAb incudes development and modification of Gripen E for Sweden for the period 2013-2026 and a possible order for new production of 22 Gripen E for Switzerland.

In financial terms, SEK 2.5 billion have been allocated for 2013-2014 and remaining SEK 10.6 billion is expected in the first quarter 2013. The total value of possible orders under the agreement amounts to a total of SEK 47.2 billion.

Gripen E technology concept aircraft, the Gripen 39-7 E/F demonstrator program has test flown for more than 250 hours in Sweden, the UK, India and Switzerland among others since 2008.

Gripen at Emmen air base, Switzerland. January 2013. Image: SAAB

Called Super Gripen, it features GE-414N engine, Selex Galileo Raven ES-05 AESA (active electronically scanned array) radar and host of cockpit improvements to enable it operate at a larger range.

First modified Gripen C to Gripen E standards is scheduled to be delivered by 2018. Sweden currently has 60 Gripen C’s.

Sweden has built cancellation clauses for Gripen E project. It can be either fully or partially cancelled and SAAB has right to compensation for cost undertaken and for discontinuation. A partial cancellation could occur if Swiss decide not to buy Gripen.

SAAB proposes to offer Gripen E to the export market as well as an upgrade for Gripen C/D operators worldwide.

First of six Patriot missile batteries deployed in Turkey :NATO

(FINN) Frontier India News Network — Sat, 26 Jan 2013 13:00:21 +0000

Mons: The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) has operationalised the first of the six Patriot Missiles batteries in Turkey to protect cities Kahramanmaras, Adana, and Gaziantep against missile threats from Syria. Supplied by Netherlands, the battery will be under NATO command. Rest of the batteries are expected in coming days said a release. Once in place, they are expected to cover some 3.5 million people.

NATO clarified that the batteries are for defensive purposes only and it will in no way support a no-fly zone or any offensive operation in Syria.

In response to Turkey’s request, NATO Foreign Ministers decided on 4 December 2012 that NATO would “augment Turkey’s air defence capabilities in order to defend the population and territory of Turkey and contribute to the de-escalation of the crisis along the Alliance’s border.”

Syrian President Bashar Assad’s regime is estimated to have hundreds of artillery rockets, short and medium-range missiles including Soviet-built SS-21 Scarabs and Scud-B missiles, capable of carrying chemical warheads. Some are reported to have been used against Syrian rebels but so far has not landed on Turkish soil.

Netherland’s Navy Chief Vice Adm Matthieu JM Borsboom & HNLMS Rotterdam visit Mumbai

(FINN) Frontier India News Network — Tue, 27 Nov 2012 00:54:00 +0000

Mumbai: Chief of Naval Staff Netherlands Navy (NLCNS) Vice Admiral Matthieu JM Borsboom, is on a visit to Mumbai from 23 to 27 Nov 12 to coincide with the visit of Netherlands Navy Ship HNLMS Rotterdam to Mumbai from 24 to 29 Nov 12. The ship has been deployed for anti-piracy operation in Gulf of Aden as part of the Standing NATO Maritime Group I (SNMG I).

During the visit, the NLCNS interacted with Vice Admiral Shekhar Sinha, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief and other Senior Officers of Western Naval Command. The NLCNS was appreciative of Indian navy Western Naval Command’s efforts to counter Piracy in the North Arabian Sea. The NLCNS also visited Naval Dockyard.

Navy has arranged professional interaction and social events for the crew of HNLMS Rotterdam during the ship’s visit to Mumbai.

Royal Navy Ship RFA Fort Rosalie visits Mumbai

(FINN) Frontier India News Network — Thu, 08 Nov 2012 03:03:19 +0000

Mumbai: Royal Navy Ship RFA Fort Rosalie has arrived in Mumbai on a Goodwill visit from 07 to 12 Nov 12. The ship is under the command of Capt DJM Worthington and has a crew of 143 personnel.

During her stay, the ship’s crew interacted with the Indian Navy hierarchy of Headquarters Western Naval command (HQWNC). The Commanding officer Fort Rosalie called on the Flag Officer Commanding Western Fleet Rear Admiral AR Karve.

Several social, professional and cultural events for the visiting ship’s crew were organized during the visit.

ITT to supply ESM and surveillance systems for Norway’s Ula Class submarines

(FINN) Frontier India News Network — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 01:45:55 +0000

ITT Corporation says that it has won Norwegian Defense Logistics Organization contract to supply six tactical radar Electronic Support Measures (ESM) and surveillance systems for its Ula Class submarines.

ESM helps monitoring electromagnetic energy. The crew can detect, intercept, locate, or analyze sources of those signals to detect other vessels or objects, and determine if any of these are a threat to the submarine. ITT’s solution, based on its ES-3701 precision ESM system. The system is ideally suited for ship, submarine and coastal surveillance, as well as land-based applications. In addition, the equipment has advanced capabilities for long-range radar signal acquisition, classification and intelligence.

“With our established in-country support and ability to offer early delivery of a solution that provides commonality across the Norwegian fleet, ITT is committed to helping Norway achieve its mission,” said Bill Devlin, vice president of ITT’s Radar Reconnaissance and Acoustic Systems business area. “This win continues to position us as a premier international supplier of ESM systems.”

Nicolas Sarkozy arrives in India for a 4 day visit, Carla Bruni too

(FINN) Frontier India News Network — Sat, 04 Dec 2010 05:57:51 +0000

The French President Nicolas Sarkozy and his singer-model wife Carla Bruni arrived in Bangalore for a 4 day visit. He has come with a high-level delegation, including several key ministers of his cabinet and senior officials. The french drove to the Leela Palace Hotel for a refreshing up. France seeks to strengthen bilateral ties in key areas of space and civil nuclear cooperation. He will be addressing the ISRO scientists. He will be reviewing the Indo-French space collaborative projects, the Megha Tropiques and SARAL.

This is the third visit by Nicolas Sarkozy to India. he has been in India in 2008 and 2009. Carla Bruni is in for second visit. In 2008, she was the French presidents girlfriend and there was an protocol issue. During the second visit in 2009, the couple had taken tome to go and visit the Taj Mahal. They will visit Agra again this time.

France is the fifth largest trading partner of India in Europe with trade value worth 5.36 billion euros.

The visit is expected to focus on setting up of nuclear plats by the French nuclear group Areva in India, two central EPR, up gradation of Indian Air force 51 Mirage 2000 aircraft’s by Thales.

The business delegation includes European aerospace group EADS, Areva, Dassault Aviation, Alstom among others. India has categorically said that no deals will be signed during the trip.

French Mirage 2000N aircraft tests ASMPA nuclear capable air to ground missile

(FINN) Frontier India News Network — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 15:34:18 +0000

French Mirage 2000N, the aircrafts designated for nuclear delivery has tested ASMPA (Medium Range Air-Ground Improvement) Missile. The operation was called Topaz. The crew of the aircraft, comprising a pilot and a navigator from Squadron 3 / 4 “Limousin” has made a long flight (about five hours) during which they conducted all important phases of flight like high altitude, several air refueling tanker aircraft with the C135 group AAR 2 / 91 “Bretagne”, penetration low altitude, terrain following, etc..

After five hours of flight, the crew pulled the ASMPA (without nuclear charge), which exactly follow the programmed flight profile. Mission was accomplished for the first fire rating! “The squadron 3 / 4″ Limousin “has a lot invested in this project,” as recalled by Colonel Luc Penet, commander of the squadron, a few months ago in an interview for the magazine “Air News.”

The entities that participated in this test are Air Force (the means of strategic air forces), the DGA (General Directorate for Armaments) with the test center and launching missiles and Biscarosse program management Horus, and the MBDA and industrial resources of the Navy (to monitor the maritime zone).

Image Via MBDA

The ASMPA is a new missile with a nuclear warhead Airborne (TNA), using a ram associated with a booster powder. It can be fired at different altitudes and fly at supersonic speed along paths that allow it to counter enemy threats. This is the first head secured by simulation because TNA is the first nuclear weapon that has not been developed from nuclear testing. Its development is based primarily on physical data collected during the final series of nuclear tests, on supercomputing facilities and digital radiography those weapons.

MBDA’s Aster successfully carries out a ballistic intercept

(FINN) Frontier India News Network — Sun, 28 Nov 2010 14:15:11 +0000

MBDA Aster missile firing carried out on 18th October 2010 by the DGA EM (Direction Générale de l’Armement – Essais de Missiles) in the Landes region of France. This firing deployed the Aster 30 Block 1 missile variant developed for the French Air Force’s Mamba medium range air defence system (also known as SAMP/T or Surface Air Moyenne Portée Terrestre) and optimised for the interception of aerial as well as ballistic threats.

In the Aster 30 Block 1 version, which today equips SAMP/T, the missile is capable of intercepting ballistic missiles of the 600km class, the class which constitute the main current threat. Incremental evolutions of the missile have already been proposed to counter the proliferating and growing global ballistic threat. These evolutions will be transferable to all systems currently deploying Aster 30.

UK shows support to Eurofighter Typhoon for Indian Air Force MMRCA contract

(FINN) Frontier India News Network — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 10:29:36 +0000

UK’s Secretary of State for Defence Dr. Liam Fox visited the Eurofighter Typhoon Office in New Delhi today and met high-level company officials.
Bernhard Gerwert, CEO of Cassidian Air Systems and Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Eurofighter GmbH, briefed Dr. Liam Fox on the current status of the Eurofighter Typhoon campaign to win India’s tender for 126 Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA). The UK Secretary of State for Defence is currently in India on a two day official visit.

Bernhard Gerwert, CEO of Cassidian Air Systems, said ” We are grateful for the visit of the UK Secretary of State for Defence in our Delhi Office and his encouraging messages to further intensify our campaign activities. Our Governments in the United Kingdom, Germany, Spain and Italy are strongly supporting the Eurofighter Typhoon campaign in India. Europe’s leading aerospace and defence companies are ready to enhance their industrial cooperation with India’s advanced defence industry for the benefit of all parties. Our goal is to integrate India into the global supply chain of the Eurofighter Typhoon by developing a strong and diverse supplier base in India which will also cater to this global programme.”

The consortium members will also provide India access to key technologies in a unique industrial partnership designed to further catalyze India’s indigenous defence sector.

During a recent meeting of the Eurofighter Supervisory Board in New Delhi, senior representatives of EADS (Germany and Spain), BAE Systems (United Kingdom) and Finmeccanica (Italy) highlighted their combined commitment to develop a long-term strategic relationship with India and establish a new bnchmark for Europe’s defence and industrial cooperation with Indian defence and aerospace companies.