cropped
Friday, 22 April 2022
Wednesday, 20 April 2022
Clearest image of a PLAAF H-6N carrying the huge ballistic missile!
H-6K / Russian Ministry of Defense
Tuesday, 19 April 2022
Monday, 18 April 2022
The Russian Defense Ministry announced the destruction of four warehouses of the Armed Forces of Ukraine by Iskander missiles
Sputnik
According to the agency, the Russian Armed Forces destroyed 16 Ukrainian military facilities with high-precision missiles.
MOSCOW, 18 April. /TASS/. The armed forces of the Russian Federation destroyed four warehouses of weapons and military equipment of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, as well as three areas of concentration of enemy manpower with Iskander missiles. This was announced on Monday by the official representative of the Russian Defense Ministry, Major General Igor Konashenkov.
"The missile forces carried out strikes with high-precision ground-based Iskander missiles. Four warehouses of weapons and military equipment were destroyed, as well as three enemy manpower concentration areas near the settlements of Popasnaya, Yampol and Kramotorsk," he said.
According to Konashenkov, the Russian Armed Forces destroyed 16 Ukrainian military facilities with high-precision missiles. "High-precision air-launched missiles destroyed 16 Ukrainian military facilities during the night," he said. Gulyaipole, Kamyshevakha, Zelenoe Pole, Velikomikhaylovka and Nikolaev," Konashenkov said.
He added that Russian air defense systems shot down two Ukrainian fighters in the air. "Russian air defense systems shot down three Ukrainian combat aircraft in the air: two MiG-29 fighters in the area of the Izyum settlement and one Su-25 in the Avdiivka area," Konashenkov said. According to him, 11 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles were also shot down in the air in the areas of the settlements of Klimovo, Nevelskoye, Novotroitskoye, Izyum, Panteleymonovka, Sladkovodnoye, Yasnoye. Intercepted were 10 large-caliber rockets fired by Ukrainian multiple launch rocket systems at the Chernobaevka settlement.
"During the night, Russian artillery units attacked 315 objects of Ukrainian troops. 18 command posts, 22 artillery batteries, the Osa-AKM anti-aircraft missile system, as well as 275 strongholds and areas of concentration of enemy manpower, were hit," Konashenkov said. .
On February 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a special military operation in Ukraine in response to the appeal of the leaders of the Donbass republics for help. He stressed that Moscow's plans do not include the occupation of Ukrainian territories, the goal is the demilitarization and denazification of the country. As stated in the Russian Defense Ministry, the Russian military does not strike at cities, but disable only the military infrastructure, so nothing threatens the civilian population.
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Sunday, 17 April 2022
The use of FAB-500 and FAB-3000 air bombs led to the destruction of large underground galleries and corridors of Azovstal, which were used by militants
Maiya Sokolova - AviaPressPhoto
Yesterday, 09:24
Illustrative photo
The Ukrainian military and militants of the national battalions, captured in Mariupol, talk about the current situation at the Azovstal plant.
In particular, it is reported that the number of seriously injured Azov militants (*an extremist group banned in Russia) has increased on the territory of the enterprise after an attempted breakthrough that took place the day before. It is also reported that Russian aircraft destroyed several communication underground corridors and large galleries, with the help of which groups of "Azov" * were moved from one part of a large enterprise (its perimeter is more than 15 km) to another. So far, there is no data on how many militants can be under these rubble after airstrikes.
Meanwhile, reports were confirmed that Russian aviation used up to fifty large-caliber bombs against Ukrainian armed formations at Azovstal. These are dozens of FAB-500s and several units of heavy-duty FAB-3000s. At the same time, reliable information was received that there are no civilians on the territory of the plant. This makes it possible to carry out an operation against the Azov militants and the formations that joined them using a wide range of weapons.
At the same time, information is being received that representatives of the Ukrainian armed formations may be preparing new attempts to break out from the territory of Azovstal, finding themselves in a critical situation. Moreover, a search is underway for opportunities to do this with the help of underground utilities. Here it should be noted the fact that this armed formation also includes former employees of the plant who are familiar with the enterprise's communications, including underground ones. However, the total area of the same underground infrastructure is such that it is impossible to know it thoroughly. Air strikes with heavy-duty munitions cause additional damage to the communications system, which the militants tried to use as shelters and objects of covert movement.
Tupolev Tu-22M/22M3/22M3M: Details
Friday, 15 April 2022
The United States plans to fully upgrade the E-7 early warning aircraft to replace the overdue E-3G
Cybermac737
2022-04-14 16:42
[Military military sub-plane] Author: Rider of the Pig
According to statistics provided to the US Air Force Magazine, the E-3G early warning aircraft with an average lifespan of 40 years achieved only a 60.65% availability rate in fiscal year 2021, and the availability rate of the older E-3B was even lower. , as low as 55.78%. That means these E-3 fleets are out of mission almost half the time. The E-3 early warning aircraft is based on the ancient Boeing-707 platform. At present, no airline in the world is still using the Boeing 707. The parts and equipment for the maintenance of the Boeing 707 have been discontinued for a long time, and the parts in stock are also seriously insufficient. The last E-3 was built in 1992 and has also been equipped with NATO, France and Saudi Arabia. The RAF retired its last E-3 at the end of 2021.
▲E-3G early warning aircraft has a radar on one side and an IFF antenna on the other.
In the early 2000s, the US Air Force planned to acquire Northrop Grumman's E-10 multi-sensor command and control (MC2A) aircraft, based on the Boeing 767-400 platform. In order to reduce the difficulty of the project, the project is divided into three steps. The first step is to replace the E-8 "Joint Star" ground moving target designation aircraft, augmenting its cruise missile capability with a new radar. The second step is to increase the detection capability of air targets and become a real early warning aircraft. The third step is to add advanced electronic warfare systems to replace the RC-135 "Joint Rivet" electronic reconnaissance aircraft. The E-10 program was cut back in 2006 to become a demonstration program, and in 2007 the Air Force decided to discontinue the program entirely, delaying replacement plans for the E-8 "Joint Star" and E-3, and continuing with technical updates. The only outcome of the project was the Multi-Platform Radar Technology Insertion Program (MP-RTIP), which was eventually installed on the E-7.
▲Complete E-10
The USAF's operational reliance on the E-8 "Joint Star" and E-3 also makes it a prime target for strikes. The U.S. Air Force plans to use an advanced battle management system to network all space-based and airborne sensors to prevent a single node from being shot down and losing awareness of the battlefield. However, this system is too complex, which can only be regarded as a future goal, and it is far from meeting this requirement at present. As the E-3 ages, replacement plans are on the agenda.
To address this issue, the Air Force issued a request for comments to Boeing asking Boeing to study and analyze the current E-7A configuration and what additional work is required to be compliant with Air Force standards. Although the Air Force has not indicated that it will acquire the E-7A, the move can be seen as paving the way for the acquisition. The E-7 was developed by Boeing for the export market, using the Boeing 737-700 platform, and did not use the mushroom-shaped rotating radar similar to the E-3, but a large active phased array radar with a balance beam structure. At present, it has been successfully exported to Australia, South Korea and Turkey, and Italy and the United Arab Emirates have proposed purchasing intentions. The fuel consumption of the Boeing 737-700 platform is only one-third of the Boeing 707, the maintenance cost is only 40% of the 707, and the manpower requirement is only 50% of the 707. The availability rate is about 96 percent in countries equipped with the E-7. The airline industry operates a large number of Boeing 737s, with one taking off every five seconds on average.
▲ The E-7 of the Australian Air Force
In addition to a more advanced and reliable platform, the E-7's balance beam radar also has unique advantages over the E-3. The E-3's radar only rotates once every 7 to 9 seconds, but the scanning time of the E-7's active phased array radar can be set from 3 seconds to 40 seconds. This is especially important for the detection and defense of highly maneuverable targets, which are necessary to deal with modern threats. In order to overcome the blind spot before and after the "balance beam" radar, the E-7 has 2 small radars at the front and rear ends of the radar to provide a 60° front and rear field of view, thereby achieving 360° coverage.
▲ The E-7 and F-15K of the South Korean Air Force, the South Korean Air Force has 4 E-7s
Senior Air Force leaders have said there is no viable alternative to the E-7 Wedgetail. While Northrop Grumman's E-2D is in service with the Navy, and the Navy is happy with it, the turboprop-powered E-2D doesn't have the speed and altitude required by the Air Force, as does the Swedish Aireye. In January, an Australian E-7 took part in Exercise Red Flag at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, and the U.S. Air Force was impressed with the E-7's long-range command and control capabilities. The E-7's greatest strength, though, is that it's still in production, and Boeing's 737NG series line runs through 2025. NATO has also considered purchasing E-7s to replace the current 14 E-3 early warning aircraft. But NATO has decided that Airbus will extend the life of NATO's NE-3A until at least 2035.
The E-7 also has a problem, that is, it is not compatible with the data link of the fifth-generation F-22 and F-35 fighter jets. Australia and Boeing are working together to make the E-7 compatible with Australia's F-35, F/A-18 and P-8 patrol aircraft. The current E-7 is not an open-architecture platform, and there will be greater difficulties in future upgrades. Boeing is developing an open mission system to meet future needs.
Boeing 737 AEW&C Wedgetail: Details
The State Department has made a determination approving a possible FMS to the Government of Nigeria of AH-1Z Attack Helicopter estimated cost of $997 million
Dave
Media/Public Contact
pm-cpa@state.gov
Transmittal No 22-24
WASHINGTON, April 14, 2022 - The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Nigeria of AH-1Z Attack Helicopter Related FMS Acquisitions and related equipment for an estimated cost of $997 million. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale today.
The Government of Nigeria has requested to buy twelve (12) AH-1Z Attack Helicopters; twenty-eight (28) T-700 GE 401C engines (24 installed, 4 spares); and two thousand (2,000) Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) guidance sections. Also included is Night Vision Cueing Display (NVCD); commercial variant GPS with Standard Positioning Service (SPS); communication equipment; electronic warfare systems; AN/AVS-9 Aviator’s Night Vision Imaging System; M197 20mm machine gun; Target Sight System (TSS); support equipment; spare engine containers; spare and repair parts; tools and test equipment; technical data and publications; personnel training and training equipment; Mission Planning system; U.S. Government and contractor engineering; technical, and logistics support services; U.S. Government and contractor assistance and oversight of facilities construction to include the provisioning of plans, drawings and specifications; $25M of case funds will be allocated for institutional and technical assistance to the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) to continue Air Ground Integration (AGI) program, which includes developing targeting processes that are legally compliant with International Humanitarian Law and the Laws of Armed Conflict; and other related elements of logistics and program support. The total estimated program cost is $997 million.
This proposed sale will support the foreign policy goals and national security objectives of the United States by improving the security of a strategic partner in Sub-Saharan Africa.
The proposed sale will better equip Nigeria to contribute to shared security objectives, promote regional stability and build interoperability with the U.S. and other Western partners. This sale will be a major contribution to U.S. and Nigerian security goals. Nigeria will have no difficulty absorbing the equipment and services into its armed forces.
The proposed sale of this equipment will not alter the basic military balance in the region.
The principal contractors will be Bell Helicopter, Textron, Fort Worth, TX; and General Electric Company, Lynn, MA. There are no known offset agreements in connection with this potential sale.
Implementation of this proposed sale will require the assignment of U.S. Government or contractor representatives to Nigeria for mobile training teams and contract logistics support. The case will include special training on the law of armed conflict and human rights, and air-to-ground integration to minimize civilian harm in air operations. This proposed sale will also require multiple trips by U.S. Government and contractor representatives to participate in program and technical reviews plus training and maintenance support in country, on a temporary basis, for a period of five (5) years. It will also require approximately three (3) contractor support representatives to reside in country for a period of two (2) years to support this program.
There will be no adverse impact on U.S. defense readiness as a result of this proposed sale.
This notice of a potential sale is required by law. The description and dollar value is for the highest estimated quantity and dollar value based on initial requirements. Actual dollar value will be lower depending on final requirements, budget authority, and signed sales agreement(s), if and when concluded.
All questions regarding this proposed Foreign Military Sale should be directed to the State Department's Bureau of Political Military Affairs, Office of Congressional and Public Affairs, pm-cpa@state.gov.
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AH-1Z Viper: Details
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