Wednesday, 3 June 2020

US B-1 bomber drills aim at China, Russia

USAF

 US B-1 bomber drills aim at China, Russia - Asia Times

 JASSM missiles on some B-1 bombers can knock out hardened ground targets or attack ships at sea

 By STEPHEN BRYEN

 JUNE 2, 2020
This image from the US Department of Defense shows a US Air Force B-1B Lancer flying over the East China Sea on January 9, 2018. Photo: AFP/Peter Reft/US Air Force
In three major military operations, the US used B-1 bombers in missions aimed at Chinese fortified reefs and islands in the South China Sea, a strategic foray into the Okhotsk Sea aimed at Russia and a Black Sea mission that involved elements of Ukraine’s Air Force. 

 All three missions together form part of what the US Air Force is calling its Dynamic Force Employment model. The heart of the model is that the US can choose when and how it will use its strategic forces to stabilize the balance of power in Europe, the Middle East, Asia and elsewhere. 

 The US has 11 B-1B bomber wings in seven states and also deploys from Guam – Ellsworth Air Base – and from the UK – RAF Fairford Air Base. The US can use many other bases including Diego Garcia in the central Indian Ocean.  

 The backbone of the US strategic bomber force is the B1-B “Lancer,” commonly called the Bone (B-One). This is a heavy, long-range bomber (216,000 kg)  that carries a variety of weapons.

 Sixty-two B-1s underwent a major modernization program completed last year including an upgrade to an active electronic scanned array radar (AESA). Unlike the B-2 bomber, the B1-B is not stealthy, but it can carry stealthy long-range weapons. 

 The B1-B is also scheduled to be the first strategic platform to carry a US hypersonic missile, the Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW) now in development. The B1-B can carry up to 24 ARRWs. The ARRW missiles will have a top speed of 24,695.4 kilometers per hour, or 15,345 miles per hour.

 The B1-B on its two recent Pacific missions were armed with extended range Joint Air to Surface Standoff Missiles (JASSM-ER). 

 JASSM-ER has a range of 925km (575 miles) and can knock out hardened ground targets or attack ships at sea. It carries a 454kg armor-piercing warhead. JASSMs with a new seeker head converts the weapon into a Long Range Anti Ship Missile (JASSM-LRASM). 

 LRASM challenges Chinese and Russian deployed surface fleets, up to and including China’s new aircraft carriers.  

 The JASSM missile is classified as low observable, meaning its radar signature is greatly reduced, making it “stealthy.”  

 The US made no secret of the JASSM’s use on the B-1Bs in its Pacific operations. In fact, the US Air Force circulated a photo of the bomb bay of the B-1 showing that JASSM missiles were loaded.

 Black Sea and Ukrainian mission
The Black Sea and Ukraine mission took place after a US Navy P-8 Poseidon maritime reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare aircraft was harassed by Russian Su-35 fighters while operating in international waters in the Black Sea. 

 But the larger context might also have been reports of a build-up of Russian military forces along Ukraine’s border.

 In March, the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine reported that Russia had formed two new armies in the western and southern military districts – the 20th Army headquartered in Voronezh and the 8th Army headquartered in Novocherkassk – as well as the 22nd army corps (Simferopol) on the Crimean peninsula.

 There is growing concern that Russia’s leaders may externalize their domestic problems. Russia is in the midst of a strong Covid-19 epidemic. It also is suffering from very low world oil prices that are worsening Russia’s economy. President Vladimir Putin’s popularity and support, based on independent polls in Russia, has plummeted to an historic low.

 The US-led mission featured two US B-1Bs – aircraft number 85-0060 and 86-0139, both aircraft part of the US Air Force 34th Bomb Squadron out of the RAF Airbase at Fairford in the UK – that were escorted by Ukrainian fighter jets – two MiG-20s from the Ukrainian 40th Tactical Air Brigade based in Vasykiv and two Su-27Ps from the 831st Tactical Air Brigade from Myrhorod.

 The flight took place partially over Ukraine’s territory. The Russians quickly scrambled two Su-27SMs from the 38th Fighter Aviation Regiment based at Belbek Air Base (Sevastopol) in Crimea. 

 South China Sea
Two B-1B Lancer bombers from the 9th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron at Dyess Air Force Base in Texas were deployed to Guam and carried out a mission in the South China Sea on May 26, 2020. This was the second recent mission – the earlier one, on April 29, came out of Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota.

 In the South China Sea the US is challenging Chinese claims and military operations on several islands and reefs, including the Spratly, Paracel and Senkaku islands. The US is also conducting Freedom of Navigation naval operations.  

 The two most recent US operations focused on Russia in the Pacific was a decision to send F-22 fighters into the Aleutian Sea to intercept Russian bombers and the deployment of a single B1-B bomber into the Okhotsk Sea. A second B-1 deployed directly to Japan.
One of two US Air Force B-1B bombers receives fuel while flying from Guam, into Japanese airspace and over the Korean Peninsula, July 30, 2017. Photo: US Air Force
The Okhotsk Sea covers the Kamchatka Peninsula on the east, the Kuril Islands on the southeast, Japan’s island of Hokkaido to the south, the island of Sakhalin along the west and a stretch of eastern Siberian coast along the west and north. 

 The unprecedented strategic bomber flight into the Okhotsk Sea area took place on May 21. The flight call sign of the B-1B heading to the Okhotsk Sea was DODGE01. When DODGE01 began to enter the Okhotsk Sea area it received a call from Tokyo Air Traffic Control advising DODGE01 on flight rule limitations in the area. 

 DODGE01 entered the Okhotsk through a 22km international gap between Simushir Island and Chirpoy Island in the Kurils. Simushir is a former site of a secret Soviet submarine base, but the base is long gone and the island is now uninhabited. Chirpoy also is uninhabited.

 Presumably, the Russians monitored Tokyo Air Traffic Control and DODGE01’s communications, but the Russians did not scramble any jets or even comment about the flight of DODGE01. However, the following day, the Russian Air Force flew another patrol mission near Alaska.

 The aggressive use of the US-1Bs is a strong challenge to Russia and China. Above all, it shows that the Trump administration is continuing to strengthen deterrence in the Black Sea region and in the South China Sea. The Okhotsk Sea flight tells the Russians that if they want to act in a forward and aggressive manner near Alaska or elsewhere, the US can do the same.


B-1B Bomber Brandishes A Belly Full Of Stealth Cruise Missiles While Deployed To Guam
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Tuesday, 2 June 2020

US military provokes the Russian Federation to use the S-400 in Syria

Sputnik

 US military provokes the Russian Federation to use the S-400 in Syria - discover24.ru

 Translated by google
May 29, 2020

 AUTHOR Vadim Botnaryuk 

 A US Navy P-8A Poseidon patrol aircraft disrupted the operation of Russian S-400 air defense radars deployed at the Khmeimim base in Syria, causing them to strike.

 It is noted that the American aircraft interfered in the eastern region of the Mediterranean Sea. Russian air defense systems could destroy it, but the command decided to send a Su-35 fighter to intercept. He successfully completed his task, which is why the US aircraft lost the ability to intervene in the operation of the S-400. 

 The Pentagon has not confirmed this information. However, it recently became known that the United States military were able to get the signals that are used by Russian air defense systems. After that, they allegedly began their verification, acting on S-400 radars.

P-8 Poseidon: Details
S-400 Triumph (SA-21 Growler): Details
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Video of the first combat use of Yak-130 aircraft by Myanmar Air Force

forums.airbase.ru

 There was a video of the first combat use of the Yak-130 aircraft - discover24.ru

 Translated by google
May 29, 2020 

 AUTHOR Vadim Botnaryuk 

 A video was posted on the Internet that demonstrated the first combat use of the Yak-130 training aircraft manufactured in the Russian Federation.

 It is noted that the Myanmar Air Force decided to use the Yak-130 to destroy militants on the territory of Rakhine. The air strike has become a kind of "baptism of fire" for the aircraft. In the pictures presented, you can see how the combat vehicle attacks the separatists using unguided missiles. 

 The militants tried to destroy the Yak-130 using a large-caliber machine gun QJZ-89 from China, but they failed to do so. The media say that, despite its main purpose, this Russian aircraft, if necessary, can be used as a light attack aircraft. It is capable of carrying bombs, missiles and unguided shells.


Yakovlev Yak-130: Details
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Latvia and Estonia Place Orders for Carl-Gustaf M4

Saab

 Latvia and Estonia Place Orders for Carl-Gustaf M4

 26 May 2020

 Saab has received orders from Latvian Armed Forces and Estonian Armed Forces for deliveries of Carl-Gustaf® M4. Deliveries will take place in 2021-2024.

 The orders are placed within a framework agreement signed by the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) in June 2019, which allows Sweden, Latvia and Estonia to place orders for Carl-Gustaf M4 weapon systems during a ten-year period.

 “We are pleased to announce Latvia and Estonia as our latest customers on Carl-Gustaf M4. Both nations have a history of more than two decades of Saab’s Carl-Gustaf system. We look forward to further strengthen their ground combat capabilities with the latest version of the system,” says Görgen Johansson, head of Saab’s business area Dynamics.

 “The new generation anti-tank grenade launcher Carl-Gustaf M4 is definitely a big step forward for a soldier who has been trained in this field and has dealt with older versions, the M2, especially in terms of walking with a weapon. The new weapon is half as light. This joint procurement is a very good example of cooperation with neighbouring countries, where the parties reached the most economically advantageous and best deal. Co-operation between defense countries is one of the most important ways to increase the defense capability of our region,” says Ramil Lipp, Chief of Category (Armament) for the Estonian Centre for Defence Investment.

 “Acquisition of the most recent generation recoilless rifle marks another key milestone in Baltic and Nordic cooperation. Joint procurement provides significant economic benefits to both Latvia and Estonia, as well as increasing regional interoperability and cross-training with our allied forces. Procurement of Carl-Gustaf M4 together with earlier ammunition procurements also greatly improves operational capabilities of the Latvian National Armed Forces and paves way for long-term modernization of our armed forces,” says Artis Pabriks, minister of defence of Latvia.

 Carl-Gustaf M4 is the latest version of the portable, shoulder-launched, multi-role weapon system. It gives users a wide range of engagement options and allows troops to remain agile and effective in any scenario. It builds on the system's formidable capabilities, offering a higher degree of accuracy, lighter construction and compatibility with future innovations. The M4 is also compatible with intelligent sighting systems and future technology developments, such as programmable ammunition. Since the launch in 2014, Saab has signed contracts with thirteen different nations for the Carl-Gustaf M4.

 For further information, please contact:

 Saab Press Centre,

 +46 (0)734 180 018

 presscentre@saabgroup.com

 www.saabgroup.com

Carl-Gustaf M4: Details
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Monday, 1 June 2020

Pakistan Could Induct JH-7 Deep Strike Jets To Counter Indian Rafales, S-400s – Experts

chinamil.com

 Pakistan Could Induct JH-7 Deep Strike Jets To Counter Indian Rafales, S-400s – Experts | EurAsian Times: Latest Asian, Middle-East, EurAsian, Indian News

 Pakistan’s financial woes leave the country stripped of an advanced air defence system, however, its old friend China can lend a helping hand to the Pakistan Air Force somewhat counter the Indian capabilities........read rest of article


Xian JH-7 Fighter Bomber: Details
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Sunday, 31 May 2020

Russian Navy accepts delivery of ballistic missile carrier submarine

Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation

 Russian Navy accepts delivery of ballistic missile carrier submarine

 The Russian Navy has accepted delivery of the strategic ballistic missile carrier submarine Knyaz Vladimir from the Sevmash shipyard.

 Xinhua quoted Sevmash shipyard as saying in a statement: “The acceptance certificate has been signed after the successful completion of all stages of the submarine’s testing, confirming its readiness for transfer to the navy.”

 Laid down at Sevmash in 2012, the vessel delivered is the improved Borei-A class project of the fourth-generation nuclear submarines.

 Borei-A-class submarines have the ability to carry up to 16 Bulava intercontinental ballistic missiles each. They are also armed with 533mm torpedo tubes.

 The submarine has also upgraded features with better acoustic stealth, maneuvering and deep-sea running capabilities, and an improved armament control system.

 The upgraded version of previous Borei-class vessels, these vessels are said to be a significant part of the Russia’s naval strategic nuclear forces in the future.

 The missile carrier successfully concluded the state test cycle in December last year.

 In October the same year, the vessel’s crew was successful in performing its first test launch of the Bulava missile from the White Sea. They also conducted the Kura test site in the far eastern Kamchatka Peninsula.

 Currently, the Russian Navy operates three baseline Project 955 Borei submarines including Yuri Dolgoruky, Vladimir Monomakh, and Alexander Nevsky.

 Located in the port city of Severodvinsk on the White Sea, Sevmash is the Russian Navy’s sole nuclear submarine manufacturer.

 It is scheduled to deliver four more nuclear-powered Borei-A submarines to the Russian Navy this year. In addition, it plans to build two more vessels.


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Twice as expensive as the Mistral. Two universal landing ships for the Russian Navy

bastion-karpenko.ru

 Вдвое дороже «Мистралей». Два универсальных десантных корабля для ВМФ РФ

 Translated by google
May 26, 2020

 On May 22, TASS announced the conclusion of a contract between the Russian Ministry of Defense and the Zaliv shipyard (Kerch) for the construction of two UDCs for the Russian Navy in the amount of approximately 100 billion rubles. For the domestic fleet universal landing ships are a new project. In the USSR, and then in Russia, ships of this class were not built. At the same time, there was experience in creating large helicopter carriers in the Soviet Union, but these were anti-submarine cruisers, the main task of which was the fight against enemy submarines.

 New Russian UDC will cost the fleet twice as much as Mistral

 According to TASS, the Russian Ministry of Defense signed a contract with the Zaliv shipyard located in Kerch for the construction of the first two universal landing ships (UDC) for the Russian fleet. The total cost of the contract is estimated at about 100 billion rubles, sources in the Russian defense industry told reporters about this. According to the interlocutors of the agency, the laying of the ships should take place in the coming weeks. Consequently, with a high degree of probability we can say that this will happen in the summer of 2020.

 Back in 2019, the Russian press discussed information that the head UDC should be transferred to the fleet in 2025, and both ships should be ready before 2027. At the same time, the official dates for the laying and delivery of ships are not known. At the same time, the TASS report itself says that the agency does not have official confirmation of information about the contract, and the press service of the Zaliv shipbuilding company told reporters that they were ready to build landing helicopter carriers for the Russian fleet, however, they noted that they did not have information about the deal.

 There is not so much information about the new UDC, the construction plans of which are regularly discussed since the order in France of two Mistral ships. But now we can say that two universal landing ships will cost the Russian budget more than their French counterparts.

 A contract signed in June 2011 with France for the construction of the Mistral universal landing helicopter carrier ship was estimated at 1-1.2 billion euros. At the same time, it is known for certain that for breaking the contract France returned 949 million 754 thousand euros to Russia, as well as Russian equipment installed on the ships. In any case, at the time of the conclusion of the contract in 2011, the purchase of Mistral cost the Russian budget approximately 41-49 billion rubles at the then exchange rate (the average exchange rate for 2011 was 40.9 rubles per euro).

 Two new UDCs of Russian construction will cost taxpayers already 100 billion rubles, that is, at least twice as much. At the same time, the ruble, of course, seriously depreciated against the euro and the dollar after 2014, but the cost of the ships still increased markedly. At the current rate, this is already 1.337 billion euros (the average rate for 2020 is 75.9 rubles per euro). At the same time, experts note that the externally presented ships resemble the Mistral, although they have grown slightly in size. In any case, it is impossible to compare projects face-to-face at this stage, since the new Russian UDC will most likely be larger than the French, plus it is not known what equipment and weapons will be installed on board the ships. However, the price is still alarming. Especially considering the fact that the ships are planned to be built not in France, but in Russia.

 What is known about the project of the new UDC

 Little is known about the draft of the new UDC. Earlier in the press, the draft of the Russian UDC “Priboy”, developed by specialists of the Nevsky Design Bureau, was widely discussed, but now we are talking about another project. According to the bmpd specialized military blog, which is published under the auspices of the Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies, this is about project 23900, which was developed by employees of the Zelenodolsk Design Bureau, which is part of the Ak-Bars shipbuilding corporation.

 The first materials and images of the UDC of project 23900 appeared in early January 2020, after the Zvezda TV channel released a newsthe plot of Putin's visit to Sevastopol. Here, on January 9, the Russian president visited an exposition dedicated to the development prospects of the Russian Navy. The exposition was deployed in the building of the Black Sea Higher Naval Order of the Red Star of the Nakhimov School. Within the framework of the exhibition in Sevastopol, enterprises of the military-industrial complex of Russia presented their promising developments, among which warships occupied a special place.

 According to experts, the presented images of the UDC of project 23900 allow us to talk about the significant external similarity of this project with the French Mistrals. The bmpd blog explicitly called the project “largely a clone” of the French UDC. The ships are really very similar in appearance and, apparently, have a similar architecture and layout of the internal landing decks. At the same time, the Russian version came out wider than its French counterpart, which affected the displacement and increased capacity of the ship.

 Certain questions are caused by the choice of a design company. The development and construction of UDC in Russia and the USSR have never been involved. But the real experience in creating large warships, the same heavy aircraft-carrying cruisers of Project 1143, was with the Nevsky Design Bureau. However, it was not they or another Petersburg company, the Krylov State Scientific Center, who were responsible for the development of the UDC, but the Zelenodolsk Design Bureau. The company, of course, is successful, but has won a place under the sun with projects of small missile ships: Buyanov and Cheetahs. Previously, the company did not design warships larger than the Cheetahs, the displacement of which is less than 2000 tons.

 It is obvious that Russia, to some extent, became the owner of the technology and design documentation on Mistral, which makes it possible to design ships even with the help of specialists from the corporation, which used to supply numerous patrol and small missile ships for export and for domestic use with good quality . Specialists also include advanced technologies mastered here in the design bureau from Zelenodolsk. It was the enterprise from Tatarstan that was the first in the industry to introduce a software and hardware complex of virtual prototyping. Thanks to this complex, designers and customers even before the start of construction can walk through the interior of the future warship in 3D glasses, evaluating how the project will look at the construction and commissioning stage.

 Technical characteristics of the new UDC

 The most interesting is the technical characteristics of the new UDC. The longest ship is 204 meters wide and 38 meters wide. Thus, the Russian version is slightly longer than the “Frenchman”, but noticeably wider - by 6 meters. It is no coincidence that the ship has a large total displacement, which is estimated at about 25 thousand tons; for Mistral, the total displacement was 21,300 tons. The draft of the ship will be approximately 7.5 meters, which is more than a meter higher than the similar parameter of the "French", who never reached the Russian coast.

 The main tasks of the new Russian UDC will be:
- transportation of troops operating in coastal directions;
- Reception, transportation by sea and the landing of troops and troops;
- fire damage to enemy airborne defense facilities.

 The last item, which is on the footage shown by the Zvezda TV channel, may indicate that offensive weapons will be placed on board the UDC, and not just sea-based attack helicopters. It is reported that universal landing ships of the new Russian project will be able to take on board up to 1000 people, up to 75 units of various military equipment and 6 landing and landing equipment.

 It is worth noting that the landing capabilities of the "Mistral" were more modest. For example, a ship could take on board no more than 900 paratroopers (when switching to a short range) and up to 4 amphibious landing craft placed in a special docking chamber. The increase in the width of the ship positively affected the size of the internal and flight decks. So experts evaluated the capabilities of Mistral at 60 transported military vehicles, and the maximum size of the air group on board was estimated at 16 helicopters. At the new Russian UDC, the number of helicopters is likely to be increased to 20 units.

 The traditional question that arose during the purchase of the Mistral and in the discussion of the projects of Russian ships of a similar class: why do the Russian fleet have such ships? There are at least two answers to it.

 Firstly, this is the appearance of the possibility of over-the-air landing by the fleet when the UDC is located at a very great distance from the coast, beyond the reach of most weapons, and troops are brought ashore by helicopters and amphibious assault forces. There is no need to land equipment and landing directly on the shore, as Soviet and Russian landing ships do. The second important point is the possibility of projecting forces in various theaters of war, as well as the organization of a supply chain in the region. The military operations in Syria have clearly demonstrated how important it is to solve these problems.

 Author: Yuferev Sergey


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