Qatar Set to Buy Russian S-400 Missile Defense Systems

TASS

Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani says he has discussed purchasing Russia’s state-of-the-art S-400 missile defense system with President Vladimir Putin.

“There is no agreement. It’s true that we discussed it, we talked about it,” Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani said at a press conference in Paris on Friday after talks with French President Emmanuel Macron.

“I don’t want to go into details,” he, however, said.

The monarch last met Putin in Moscow in March and is set to hold talks with him again during the latter stages of the World Cup in Russia.

Saudi Arabia - which is engaged in an intense diplomatic rift with Qatar since last year - has also signed a contract with Moscow to buy the surface-to-air missile system. The two sides signed the contract during a visit to Moscow by Saudi King Salman in March 2017.

Last month, the French daily Le Monde cited King Salman as conveying his “profound concern” in a letter to President Macron over the prospect of Qatar’s buying S-400 missile system. He had even warned that Riyadh “would be ready to take all necessary measures - including military action - to eliminate this defense system" if Qatar purchased it.

This was seen as a threat of war by Qatar. In response, Qatar's Ambassador to Moscow Fahad bin Mohammed al-Attiyah was quoted by media as saying that the world did not live in an "era of the law of the jungle based on threats."

Last June, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates abruptly cut diplomatic ties with Qatar and imposed an economic embargo on the country, accusing it of supporting terrorism, a claim Doha strongly rejected.

The four later presented Qatar with a list of 13 demands for it to meet before ending the blockade, including reducing its relations with Iran, closing a Turkish military base in Qatar and shutting down its Al Jazeera television.

Doha rejected those demands as an attack on its sovereignty and interference in its domestic affairs.



This article has been adapted from its original source.

Source: albawaba.com

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Italy will not buy anymore F-35 fighter jets and will review existing order

Giovanni Clemente

Italy says won't buy F-35s anymore, may cut existing order


The Italian government says the country will not buy any more F-35 stealth fighter jets from the United States and will review an existing order based on which it is already committed to purchase 90 of the planes.

Italy’s Defense Minister Elisabetta Trenta made the announcement in an interview with private broadcaster La 7 on Friday in which he ruled out new contracts with Washington for the purchase of Lockheed Martin Corp F-35 fighter jets. He also said the order for 60 F-35A and 30 F-35B jets - as per an agreement signed in 2012 - would be placed under review. 

"We won't buy any more F-35s," Trenta said in the interview, adding that the money –estimated to be €14 billion altogether – could be better spent to boost welfare and help the sluggish economy.

"We are assessing what to do regarding the contracts already in place," the Italian defense minister from the Eurosceptic Five Star Movement said, noting that while her party has always been a vocal critic of the program, scrapping the bulk deal could "cost us more than maintaining it."

The fact that the cancellation of the order and the resulting "strong financial penalties" might cost the Italian budget a hefty sum is one of the main reservations that is holding the government back, Trenta argued.

Back in 2012, Italy already downsized its initial order for 135 jets to 90 as it was battling with a sovereign debt crisis.

The minister also cited benefits in terms of technology and research in Italy that were linked to the purchase deal, as well as the negative impacts the contract could have on jobs and Italian workers in the production.

Italy became the only country with an F-35B assembly line outside the US in May 2017. However, the jets had to be delivered to the US Navy base in Maryland for certification and crew training.

The 5-Star Movement, a fierce critic of NATO member Italy’s order for the F-35 deal, formed a populist coalition government last month with the far-right League party.

“No one is hiding the fact we have always been critical ... In view of the existing contracts signed by the previous government, we are carrying out a careful assessment that exclusively considers the national interest,” Trenta said at the time.

The Friday announcement comes as US President Donald Trump has written to several NATO allies and asked them to increase their share of the costs for defense of the alliance, warning that Washington is losing patience.

In his letters sent last month, the US president highlighted long-standing complaints that other countries are not contributing enough to NATO and that the US is bearing too much of the alliance's load.

NATO members pledged to spend 2 percent of their gross domestic product (GDP) on national defense in 2014, and Trump has repeatedly criticized them for not fulfilling that commitment.

NATO officials, due to meet in a summit in Brussels later this month, are concerned that divisions over trade tariffs, as well as the US withdrawal from the Paris global climate agreement and the Iran nuclear deal, could undermine alliance unity.

Source: presstv.com

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Russia has completed trials of the 40N6E long-range missile for the S-400 air defense system

Sputnik

Russia wraps up state trials of long-range missile for S-400 air defense system


The new missile may be accepted for service before the end of summer, a source said

MOSCOW, July 3. /TASS/. Russia has completed the state trials of the 40N6E long-range missile for the S-400 air defense system, a source in the domestic defense industry told TASS on Tuesday.

"The state trials of the 40N6E long-range missile for the S-400 system have been completed at the Kapustin Yar practice range. The inter-departmental commission has recognized them as successful and the corresponding certificate has been signed," the source said.

The new missile "may be accepted for service before the end of summer," the source noted.

Russia’s Almaz-Antey Group, the developer of the S-400 surface-to-air missile system, declined to comment on the information provided by the source.

According to Russia’s Defense Ministry, the 40N6E missile is capable of striking targets at a maximum range of 400 km.

Unconfirmed data suggest that the missile can hit targets at the maximum altitude of 185 km. The pre-production batch of 40N6E missiles was manufactured in late 2013, according to open sources. In 2015, Russia’s Defense Ministry announced for the first time that the new missile had successfully hit an air target.

The S-400 Triumf is a long-and medium-range air defense missile system designed to hit air attack weapons (including stealth aircraft), and also any other air targets. As of today, the S-400 can hit targets at a distance of up to 250 km.

Source: tass.com

Source: geopoliticalfutures.com

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Finnish Navy to acquire new Surface-to-surface Missile system

Squadron 2020 Class vessel

Minister of Defence Jussi Niinistö authorised the Finnish Defence Forces’ Logistics Command to make an agreement on purchasing Surface-to-Surface Missile System 2020 (SSM2020), on 5th July 2018.

The system to be purchased will replace the current anti-ship missile system MTO85M that will reach the end of its life cycle in the 2020s. The new SSM2020 Missiles will be installed on board the Hamina Class and Squadron 2020 Class vessels and on a vehicle platform. The procurement will have an impact on the Finnish Defence Forces’ operations and on the Finnish Navy’s capabilities until the 2050s.

The decision to purchase the Israeli Gabriel Missile System has been made as a result of competitive bidding. The submitted quotations were from the following systems: NSM (Kongsberg, Norway); EXOCET (MBDA, France); Harpoon (Boeing, USA); RBS15 (SAAB, Sweden) and Gabriel (Israel Aerospace Industries, Israel).

The main selection criteria included performance vis-à-vis acquisition costs and schedule, life-cycle costs and security of supply, and compatibility with existing infrastructure and defence system. Details concerning quantities of the system to be purchased will not be made public.

The purchase will include the launchers, the missiles, simulators, test equipment, spare parts and training. The deliveries will take place between the years 2019 and 2025.

The acquisition value (VAT 0 percent) is EUR 162 million, with a EUR 193 million option.

SSM2020 is an important part of the Finnish Defence Forces’ performance and that is why the maintenance capabilities will be in Finland. The security of supply for the whole life-cycle will be insured. The domestic employment effect of the procurement is approximately 179 persons between the years 2022 and 2050.

Surface warfare refers to the ability to use fires against enemy’s surface vessels. The surface warfare capability of the Finnish Navy includes the use of missiles, naval mines and coastal artillery fires. The missile is capable of long range effect and can also be able to be used against land targets. The new system will create a deterrent and a threat to the adversary as well as a capability for Finland to respond to the threats of the modern and developing battle field also in the future.

Source: defmin.fi

Gabriel anti-ship missile 

Wikimedia

The Gabriel is a family of short-range, sea-, ground-, and air-launched antiship missiles employed in the Israeli Air Force and Navy. Since its initial deployment in 1972, five variants have seen service with the Israeli Defense Force. It has also been exported to at least ten countries.

Gabriel Mk 1

The Gabriel Mk1 was an antiship missile developed in the 1960’s in Israel and was first deployed in 1972. It was first used in combat during the 1973 Yom Kippur War. 

Gabriel Mk 2

In 1976, the longer-range M 2 variant entered service. The Mk 2 is 3.42 m in length,    0.34 m in body diameter, and weighs 522 kg. It has a max range of 35 km and is equipped with a single 180 kg HE semi-armor piercing warhead. With the most basic guidance system of the Gabriel missiles still in service, the Mk 2 uses a semi-active radar and a solid propellant boost and sustainer motor. 

The Mk 2 was exported to Taiwan and South Africa in the late 1970s, where they were produced under the names Hsiung Feng 1 and Skorpioen respectively. 

Production of the Mk 2 has completed, but the missile remains in service.

Gabriel Mk 3

Further improvements were made to the guidance system in 1979, which produced the Mk 3, which entered service in 1980. 

Gabriel III - GNU Attribution

The Gabriel Mk 3 is 3.85 m in length, 0.34 m in body diameter, and has a launch weight of 560 kg. The missile has a range of 35 km and is equipped with a single 150 kg HE semi-armor piercing warhead. The Mk 3 uses a solid propellant boost and sustainer motor and is guided by an inertial navigation system with midcourse update and an active radar seeker. 

An air-launched variant, the Mk 3AS, entered service in 1982. It can be carried by the A-4 Sky Hawk, Kfir, F-4 Phantom, and Sea Scan aircraft.

Production of the Mk 3 has completed, but the missile remains in service.

Gabriel Mk 4

In 1985, a long-range ground-, ship-, and air-launched variant known as the Gabriel 4LR was developed and entered service in 1992. 

The Mk 4LR is 4.7 m in length, 0.44 m in body diameter, and weighs 960 kg. The missile has a maximum range of 200 km and carries a single 240 kg HE semi-armor piercing warhead. Unlike its predecessors, the Mk 4LR uses a Sorek 4 turbojet as well as a solid propellant boost motor. It has the same guidance system as the Mk 3, except it has GPS midcourse updating, and its datalink mid-course command must be updated for ranges beyond 50 km. 

Gabriel Mk 5

The Mk 5 is the latest known Gabriel variant, and is also called the ‘Advanced Surface Attack Missile’ (ASAM). It is believed to have entered service in 2007. This missile is reportedly deployed on the Israeli Navy’s Eilat Saar 5 corvettes. It has estimated range of 200-400 km. 

Gabriel V - GNU Attribution

An additional report in 2009 claimed that another variant of the Mk 5 was in development called the Advanced Naval Attack Missile. This version is to be ship-launched and have an active radar seeker and a two-way datalink with a range of 150 km. 

The missile is said to be optimized with more advanced seeker technology to operate in cluttered or congested littoral environments. 

Exports

Variants of the Gabriel missile have been exported to Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Iran, Kenya, Mexico, Singapore, South Africa, Taiwan, and Thailand. 

Source: missilethreat.csis.org

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UAE military delegation traveled to Israel to get a first-hand look at advanced F-35 fighter jets

F-35I

Israel hosts UAE military delegation to review F-35s: report


UAE reportedly aiming to be second Middle East country to get fifth-generation fighter

By ASIA TIMES STAFF JULY 6, 2018 4:37 AM (UTC+8)

In a show of what some are calling a burgeoning Israeli-Gulf alliance against Iran, a military delegation from the United Arab Emirates is said to have traveled to Israel to get a first-hand look at advanced F-35 fighter jets acquired from the US.

Israel’s i24NEWS reported the event, citing unnamed sources who said that a US delegation was also present for the visit.

The UAE is said to be looking to become the second Middle Eastern country, after Israel, to have the fifth-generation fighter jet.

Israel received its first delivery of the Lockheed Martin-made stealth aircraft in 2016 and declared this year that it was the first country to use the jet in combat. It was later reported that the chief of the Israeli Air Force was chided by cabinet members for showing off the plane’s exploits with a photo of an Israeli F-35 flying above Lebanon.

The UAE and Israel do not currently have official diplomatic relations, but recent reports have suggested that the converging interest of curbing Iran’s growing influence in the region has spurred the two countries to develop clandestine ties.

Source: atimes.com

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Taiwanese Air Force is set to inaugurate its first air brigade equipped with Apache helicopters

Taiwanese Air Force AH-64E - arronlee33 YouTube

Taiwan’s Apache helicopter brigade to take flight soon


The 29 Apaches, sold under a deal with the Obama administration, are combat ready, five years after first deliveries from Boeing

By ASIA TIMES STAFF JULY 4, 2018 12:24 PM (UTC+8)

The Taiwanese Air Force is set to inaugurate its first air brigade fully equipped with US Apache helicopters. A ceremony next week to be attended by President Tsai Ing-wen will showcase a platoon of the twin-turboshaft assault helicopters.

The army’s 601st Air Cavalry Brigade will operate 29 Apache helicopters bought from Boeing’s defense division at an undisclosed lump sum, which was part of a large arms deal approved in 2011 by the Obama administration that infuriated Beijing.

The 601st brigade is responsible for the defense of Taipei and the rest of northern Taiwan. It has two combat squadrons that provide air support alongside armor, artillery, special forces and infantry units.

The Apache helicopter is a powerful weapons platform armed with a 30mm chain gun and a mixture of anti-tank missiles, Hydra rockets or Stinger air-to-air missiles. It can simultaneously track up to 128 targets and engage 16 of them, making it more lethal and likely to survive in air warfare.

The Apache E variant has the Longbow fire-control radar on top of the rotor mast, which provides all-weather, 360-degree search capabilities for air and ground target acquisition, as well as night vision systems. The type that Taiwan bought can also control unmanned aerial vehicles or drones.

Officials with Taiwan’s defense ministry told the island’s Central News Agency that in addition to Boeing representatives, several officers from the US Air Force’s 25th Combat Aviation Brigade, the Taiwanese brigade’s sister unit, would also attend the ceremony.

Taiwan reached an agreement with the Pentagon to purchase 30 Apache helicopters with weapons and associated equipment in June 2011, and the first batch of six was delivered in November 2013.

Yet within six months, in April 2014, Taiwan lost one of the brand-new Apaches after one crashed head-on into a three-story building during a training flight in poor weather. It was the first loss of this type worldwide.

A subsequent investigation ruled out mechanical failure and blamed pilots for descending too fast through clouds at low altitude without checking flight panels to maintain adequate height.

The fifth and final batch was delivered in October 2014, completing the order.

The Taiwanese Air Force also maintains a fleet of older Cobra attack helicopters and has been actively honing skills of its pilots to steer 60 Black Hawks procured from Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., a Lockheed Martin subsidiary. Black Hawks are touted as vital contingency choppers, versatile in both electronic warfare and special operations such as airborne command.

Source: atimes.com

RT

Published on Aug 25, 2016

Apache & Black Hawk copters fire with machine guns during Taiwan military drills

provintia

Published on Mar 23, 2018

Taiwanese Army AH-64E & UH-60M take off 陸軍阿帕契及黑鷹起飛

Ah-64 Apache: Details

Russia to start building universal amphibious assault ships after 2020

Universal amphibious assault ship - Russian internet images

Russia to start building helicopter carriers after 2020


Russia will start building universal amphibious assault ships after 2020

KALININGRAD, June 20. /TASS/. Russia will start designing and building universal amphibious assault ships (helicopter carriers) after 2020, when it completes design work on a new large landing ship, Navy Deputy Commander-in-Chief Viktor Bursuk said on Wednesday.

"These ships will appear as they are stipulated by the shipbuilding program and they will be built at the second stage of the program’s implementation after 2020," he said.

"The design work on universal amphibious assault ships will begin after we complete designing a large amphibious assault ship," the vice-admiral said, without specifying the design bureau that would be assigned this work.

On his part, President of Russia’s United Shipbuilding Corporation Alexei Rakhmanov said that "there will undoubtedly be competition among design bureaus" within the corporation.

"We will do this precisely in the way we build ships in cooperation with other shipyards of the North-West and we will do the design work exactly in the same manner, involving bureaus with resources available today in completing either technical or working design documentation. We will come up with a proposal for the Navy, which, I hope, will be approved," the vice-admiral said.

A source in the Russian defense industry earlier told TASS that Russia’s Defense Ministry and the United Shipbuilding Corporation had agreed that the construction of domestic helicopter carriers would begin in 2020 at the Severnaya Verf Shipyard. According to the source, two such warships are planned to be built: the first of them is expected to be handed over to the Navy in 2024 while the second warship is set to be laid out in 2024 and delivered to the fleet in 2026.

Another source earlier told TASS that helicopter carriers would have a diesel gas turbine installation, with diesel as the main engine and the turbine intended for greater capacity. Kamov Ka-52 helicopters will comprise the backbone of the warships’ air group. The helicopters’ deliveries will be synchronized with the deliveries of helicopter carriers. Also, Ka-27, Ka-29 and Ka-31 gunships will be based on the helicopter carriers.

Earlier, then-Deputy Defense Minister Yuri Borisov said that the first Russian helicopter carrier would appear approximately by 2022.

Source: tass.com

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