News Report: China Tests New Terahertz Radiation Radar That Could Detect Stealth Jets

An F-35A Lightning Stealth Fighter

The China North Industries Group Corporation has tested a radar in recent weeks that generates terahertz radiation in order to better track the presence of stealth aircraft, the South China Morning Post reports.

The device has the potential to be a “game changer” for the People’s Liberation Army, scientists told the Hong-Kong based news outlet, since the radar might be able to spot the US’ F-22 Raptors and beleaguered F-35 Joint Strike Fighters.

Terahertz radiation can theoretically see through the “composite materials” that help hide stealthy jets, SCMP reports. The F-22 fleet’s new $40 million paint job might be for naught after all. 

News Story: Reform brings China closer to strong army goal

BEIJING, Sept. 13 (Xinhua) -- When a massive military parade was staged at Zhurihe in Inner Mongolia on July 30, Chinese citizens, as well as people worldwide, saw a military taking solid steps toward a strong army.

More than 12,000 service personnel from the army, navy, air force, armed police as well as the newly formed rocket force and strategic support troops took part in the parade, which also featured China's tanks, armored vehicles, missile launchers and fighter jets.

President Xi Jinping reviewed the armed forces as part of the commemorations that marked the 90th founding anniversary of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), which fell on Aug. 1.

Two days later, at a grand gathering in celebration of the anniversary, Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), said the Chinese military has reshaped its political environment, organizational form, system of military strength and work style over the past five years.

During those five years, China has advanced the reform of national defense and the armed forces under the leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Xi at its core, making historic steps in building a system of military strength with Chinese characteristics.

Read the full story at Xinhua

News Story: India to step up defense ties with Belarus

NEW DELHI, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- India said on Monday that it will bolster bilateral ties, including in defence and security, with Belarus during the visit by the east European nation's President A.G. Lukashenko.

President Lukashenko will arrive in the Indian capital on Monday night on a two-day state visit, which coincides with the two countries celebrating the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations, the External Affairs Ministry said.

During his stay in Delhi, President Lukashenko will meet Indian President Ram Nath Kovind and Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu, and hold talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will also call on him, the ministry said.

Read the full story at Xinhua

News Report: India Successfully Tests 500kg Locally Developed Precision Guided HSLD Bomb

The development is significant as India continues to heavily rely on imports for air armaments. The Israel-manufactured SPICE bomb is the biggest conventional bomb that can be delivered by the Indian Air Force.

New Delhi (Sputnik) – India has successfully tested a precision guided high speed low drag (HSLD) bomb weighing 500 kg, which is the largest bomb locally developed by the country so far. During the flight trial in the western state of Rajasthan, the 500 kg general purpose bomb was released from Indian Air Force’s (IAF) Su 30 MK1 aircraft. The bomb has been developed by the Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE) of the state-owned Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO).

The trial covered ground adaptation, carriage and handling, limited separation and release of the bomb. Sukhoi-30MKI released PGHSLD-500 fitted on station 05/06 from an altitude of 5 km at 900 km to verify separation performance and to estimate stability.

News Report: Pyongyang Says It Has Developed a Hydrogen Bomb

North Korea said early Sunday that it had developed a hydrogen bomb that could be loaded into the country's new intercontinental ballistic missile.

The claim from Pyongyang came via official state media. The Korean Central News Agency said leader Kim Jong Un had inspected the device at the country's Nuclear Weapons Institute.

KCNA quoted Kim as describing the weapon as a "thermonuclear weapon with super explosive power, made by our own efforts and technology." He also was quoted as saying that all components of the hydrogen bomb were "100 percent domestically made."

The report included a picture of Kim dressed in a black uniform, posing with a metal object.

News Story: DPRK top leader inspects nuclear bomb making institute

North Korean Dictator Kim Jong Un

PYONGYANG, Sept. 3 (Xinhua) -- Kim Jong Un, top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) has inspected a nuclear bomb producing institute where a H-bomb to be loaded into an intercontinental ballistic missile was recently produced, said official media Sunday.

"Respected Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un guided the work for nuclear weaponization on the spot," said the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) without giving specified date of the event.

DPRK official media report news about the top leader usually one day after it takes place.

"He was greeted by senior officials of the Department of Munitions Industry of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) and scientists of the Nuclear Weapons Institute before being briefed on the details of nuclear weaponization," said KCNA.

Read the full story at Xinhua

News Story: Lawmakers propose resolution calling for S. Korea's nuclear armament amid N.K. threats

SEOUL, Aug. 31 (Yonhap) -- A group of conservative opposition lawmakers on Thursday proposed a parliamentary resolution calling for South Korea's nuclear armament, saying it must not condone North Korea's nuclear "monopoly."

The 26 lawmakers of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party stressed that in light of self-defense, Seoul has to seek its own nuclear arms should Pyongyang conduct another nuclear test.

Their call is in line with the conservative party's professed pursuit of a "balance of nuclear power" with the North.

"Now is the time for us to discard the impotent sanctions we have repeatedly imposed over the last two decades and seek a paradigm shift (in our security policy) to effectively defend our Republic of Korea's territory and citizens," Rep. Won Yoo-chul told reporters.

Read the full story at YonhapNews

AUS: Foreign Minister, Defence Minister and Trade Minister - Visit to Singapore

We will visit Singapore on 21 August for meetings with senior government representatives to further enhance Australia’s relationship with our Comprehensive Strategic Partner and advance our economic, security and defence interests in the region.

Singapore is a key partner for Australia in Southeast Asia. It is our largest trade and investment partner in the region and our fifth largest trading partner overall. We hold joint military exercises and cooperate closely on defence intelligence, science and technology.

We will meet Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong to discuss ways for our two countries to work even closer together bilaterally and through regional forums including the East Asia Summit and ASEAN Regional Forum.

Our Singaporean counterpart ministers will host the 10th Singapore-Australia Joint Ministerial Committee (SAJMC), a biennial high level dialogue held between our countries since 1996. During the SAJMC we will explore opportunities to strengthen bilateral cooperation under our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) and share perspectives on a range of regional economic and strategic issues.

News Report: Why North Korean Missile Development Should Be No Surprise to the World

North Korea's nuclear activities seem to be something completely unexpected for many international experts on Asian politics. The common view over the years has been that the DPRK is a poor country with a low level of economic development, which invests everything it has into missiles and nuclear weapons.

According to Russian military expert Vladimir Kashin, estimates of the DPRK's potential are often made based on the standard of living of its population.

"Despite significant economic growth since the mid-2000s, the standard of living of North Koreans remains extremely low. However, this does not give any ground for conclusions about its industry, science and education. The examples of the USSR and East European countries indicate that they were able to invest disproportionately large share of resources into these spheres and achieve impressive results," Kashin wrote for Sputnik Chinese.

The expert noted that North Korea is, among other things, capable of producing cars and trucks, agricultural machinery, small electronics, aircrafts and missiles.

News Report: India’s New Domestic Artillery Gun Fails Weapons Trials for Third Time

Dhanush howitzer during test firing (File Photo)

India’s homemade Dhanush towed howitzer may be domestically produced, but a multitude of failed tests have proven that the weapon is unready for use in warfare. An Indian Army source told Defense News that the artillery gun has failed three times in as many months, pushing the induction date back further and further.

"The Dhanush 155mm/45-caliber artillery gun has failed on three occasions in a row in the last three months when the shell of the gun hit the muzzle brake in one of the six prototype guns currently undergoing user trials," the source told Defense News.

This isn't the first time the Dhanush has encountered troubles. In July, The Times of India reported that "in May when six guns were being fired at one go, a shell hit the muzzle brake in one of the pieces…Last week when the test fires were being undertaken, again a shell hit the muzzle brake, bringing the whole process back to square one."

"Shells hitting the muzzle brake could be due to a number of reasons such as overexploitation of the munitions, overcharging of the munitions and so on or even faulty ammunition; all of these aspects will have to be evaluated," said Rahul Bhonsle, retired Indian Army brigadier and defense analyst, to Defense News.

News Report: China’s New Drone-Missile Hybrid Can Fly Under Radar

Details about China’s drone-anti-ship missile hybrid surfaced on Friday.

The Ground Effect UAV (GEUAV), also referred to as CH-TI, can travel at speeds up to Mach 0.65 while carrying up to 3,000 kilograms of explosives, IHS Jane’s reported on Friday.

The prototype launches via a rocket and can fly between 0.5 and 6 meters above water.

News Story: China military setting up technology research agency

China's J-20 Stealth Fighter

by Richard Tomkins

China has reportedly established a new military department to develop new technology and state-of-the-art weapon systems.

The Scientific Research Steering Committee was set up early this year and revealed for the first time in a documentary that aired recently on state broadcaster CCTV, the South China Morning Post reported .

The committee will fall directly under the Central Military Commission chaired by President Xi Jinping.

Read the full story at SpaceDaily

News Report: Fret Not - Japan Seeks Military Agreement With Germany, But Remains Constrained

Germany and Japan have signed an inter-government agreement to cooperate on military equipment and underlying technologies. While the eighth pact signed by Tokyo with a foreign nation since Prime Minister Shinzo Abe revised legal restrictions on defense sharing, the agreement is significant – and potentially controversial – for a number of reasons.

While the agreement is yet to be officially confirmed by either side, and sources close to the matter suggest specifics of the deal await cementation, it's likely the relationship will include a joint development program of some kind. 

Whatever the nature of the agreement, it will likely prove contentious in some quarters — for one, the move marks the first time the pair have entered into a formal military relationship since World War II, when Imperial Japan and Nazi Germany were broadly tethered.

While direct cooperation and coordination between the ostensible allies was minimal, and both modern countries bear almost less than zero relation politically, ideologically or militarily to their 1940s incarnations, the specter of the duo's infamous wartime alliance could well loom large in the minds of some critics — especially given the potential for technological collaboration on advanced military technology. 

News Report: South Korea Launches Corruption Investigation Into F-35, KF-X Deals

Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning Fighter Aircraft

South Korean officials have opened an investigation into defense acquisition contracts for F-35 and KF-X aircraft pushed for by former President Park Geun-hye, who was sentenced to prison in March for abusing the power of her office, bribery, coercion and leaking classified information.

Defense Acquisition Program Administrator (DAPA) head Chang Myoung-jin has become the subject of a criminal investigation stemming from concerns of negligence and corruption, the Korea Times reported Monday. Chang was tapped by Park for his post shortly before Lockheed Martin and Seoul agreed to the F-35 deal worth at least $7 billion.

South Korea agreed to acquire 40 F-35A conventional take-off and landing aircraft on September 30, 2014. Washington signed off on the program to help its ally retire a fleet of outdated F-4 and F-5 aircraft.

News Story: Japan's R&D misfire for defense reform

Kawasaki C-2 Cargo Aircraft (File Photo)

By: Paul Kallender-Umezu 

TOKYO — Since the October 2015 establishment of the 1,800-strong Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Agency, Japan’s Ministry of Defense has been attempting to streamline its acquisition process and facilitate private-sector research and development. Results have been mixed.

In doing so, the MoD launched a new program to funnel more spending to Japanese scientists. The same year, ¥300 million (U.S. $2.7 million) was budgeted for the program. That doubled to ¥600 million (U.S. $5.4 million) in fiscal year 2016 and is set to rise to ¥11 billion (U.S. $98 million) in fiscal year 2017 as the MoD tries to build a research cadre in Japan’s academic sector that will benefit defense procurement later.

The establishment of the Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Agency, or ATLA, came on top of an April 2014 relaxation of defense export rules allowing cases that will contribute to global peace and serve Japan’s security interests, leading to the July 2014 sale of Patriot Advanced Capability-2 missile interceptors to the United States. ATLA’s new job is to try to better connect disparate R&D efforts to produce new outputs.

“We understand that China is very active, and we always want to stay ahead and secure technological superiority, and we are using this fund more actively to stimulate research in industry and academia,” said Takahiro Yoshida, director of ATLA’s Aircraft Project Management division.

Backers of the new strategy are banking ability or likelihood of success based on leveraging a series of Japanese civil technologies such as robotics, AI and machine learning and advanced materials, said Steven Ganyard, president of Avascent Global Advisors.

“The rise of a belligerent China and [North Korea] means that Japan can no longer afford a defense procurement process divorced from reality. Japan builds … products like C-2, P-1 and F-2 when they could be buying the best in the world for a fraction of the price. No other country in the world operates like this,” he said.

Read the full story at DefenseNews

News Story: Lucrative friendship - Israeli firms secure R&D, investment and trade with India

By: Barbara Opall-Rome

TEL AVIV, Israel — Israel’s top defense and aerospace firms are riding the wave of a high-profile friendship between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. More and more companies are benefiting from expanded defense trade, joint research and development, and a shared commitment by both leaders to augment strategic cooperation against common threats ranging from global terror to cybercrime.

With an average $1 billion in annual defense sales in recent years, India already constitutes a key export market for Israeli industry. From air-defense systems and drones to anti-tank missiles, cybersecurity and space, India is for many firms here the largest single defense market.

Just since the beginning of this year, state-owned Israel Aerospace Industries reported some $2.5 billion in new joint projects with New Delhi for medium-range and long-range surface missiles based on the Israeli-developed Barak-8 system, with state-owned Rafael Limited serving as a major subcontractor.

India also selected Rafael’s Spike anti-tank missile over a competitor by Lockheed Martin in a deal that could exceed $1 billion, industry executives say.

Read the full story at DefenseNews

News Story: This Is Not The ICBM You Are Looking For - Detailed Analysis Of North Korean Missile

Hwasong-14 Ballistic Missile

By RALPH SAVELSBERG

North Koreans are showmen: large 16-wheeled off-road trucks carrying missiles through the streets of Pyongyang are all about showing the ‘American Bastards’ that North Korea has credible road-mobile ICBMs.

The ‘Young General,’ as Jim Jong-Un likes to style himself, has even claimed those ICBMs can threaten San Diego, Texas and Washington DC. American leaders have effectively endorsed North Korean claims, by treating the missile mock-ups and range claims as if the threat is real. The US Missile Defense Agency (MDA) has talked up the immediacy and numbers of the threat missiles to justify their mandate for 44 GBIs, regardless of any doubts expressed as to the reality and timing of the threat. The DPRK has been remarkably open with sharing edited photos and video of successes in order to influence the US to treat them with ‘appropriate respect’. Four missiles have been shown or flown to influence opinions about the ICBM program: the Unha SLV, the Hwasong 10 (usually called Musudan in US sources), the Hwasong 12 and now the Hwasong 14, flown expressly on the fourth of July to provide a North Korean flavor to celebrating the American holiday.

This article applies missile engineering principles in a directed engineering forensic look to ask the obvious questions: how does a small country that, until a few years ago, was limited to building copies of Russian missiles from the fifties, claim to build a road-mobile liquid propellant ICBM (a feat never achieved by either the Soviets or the US) and have that missile threaten the continental US? This is clearly unlikely as an engineering achievement, so what is the Hwasong-14 and what does it teach us?

Read the full story at Breaking Defense

News Story: India test fires quick reaction surface-to-air short range missile

NEW DELHI, July 3 (Xinhua) -- India on Monday successfully test-fired its indigenously developed quick reaction surface-to-air short range missile, officials said.

The sophisticated missile with a strike range of 25 to 30 km, was test-fired at about 11:25 a.m. local time from a truck-mounted canister launcher from the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur in eastern state of Odisha.

"Designed to be a quick reaction missile, it is capable of engaging multiple targets and involves an all-weather weapon system capable of tracking and firing," the state-run broadcaster All India Radio (AIR) said.

Read the full story at Xinhua

News Report: H-Bomb Could Be Next Addition to North Korean Nuke Arsenal

Pyongyang has demonstrated its ability to produce hydrogen-3, a radioactive isotope of hydrogen also known as tritium that’s “necessary for a hydrogen bomb to create fusion,” a Stanford University professor said Tuesday.

“The evidence is quite clear,” professor Siegfried Hecker told Yonhap News Agency on June 27, “that North Korea is able to produce tritium,” based on their experience making lithium-6, a central component for creating hydrogen-3. Since the North Korean military can create tritium, they have the “basic element” needed for thermonuclear weapons like the H-Bomb, Hecker said. 

However, “it takes much more than that to weaponize hydrogen bombs,” the nuclear scientist said. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has long made clear, however, his intention to develop a nuclear weapon regardless of pressures or sanctions from the international community.

Fusion combines hydrogen isotopes in a reaction that produces more energy, which causes other hydrogen atoms to merge; the process escalates by orders of magnitude. The earth’s sun is a natural fusion reactor, for example. 

News Report: US, India Leaders Pledge to Boost Security, Trade Ties

Steve Herman

WHITE HOUSE — U.S. President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi are pledging to work together to boost security and trade ties.

The two countries “look forward to working together on advanced defense equipment and technology at a level commensurate with that of the closest allies and partners of the United States,” according to a White House statement issued Monday evening.

Declaring his talks with the president “very successful and very fruitful,” the visiting Indian prime minister gave his host a trademark bear hug in the White House Rose Garden when the two finished reading their respective statement. They did not take questions from the dozens of White House correspondents and the visiting Indian reporters.

Modi also announced increased cooperation on fighting terrorism, including enhanced sharing of intelligence.

“The top priority for both President Trump and I is to protect our societies from global challenges like terrorism, and our aim is to strengthen India and the United States, the two great democracies of the world,” Modi said alongside Trump.