News Story: Drones, Fighter jets on table as Mattis visits key ally India

By Abhaya SRIVASTAVA

Fighter jets, drone deals and shared concerns over Afghanistan's security look set to dominate the agenda when US Defense Secretary James Mattis visits India this week.

Mattis is scheduled to arrive late Monday and is set to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his new defence minister, in the first visit by a top US official since Donald Trump became president in January.

"The United States views India as a valued and influential partner, with broad mutual interests extending well beyond South Asia," a Pentagon statement said.

Trump and Modi met in June in Washington and the visit by Mattis is a sign "the political leadership in both countries place defence cooperation as a top priority", Mukesh Aghi, president of the US India Strategic Partnership Forum, told AFP.

Delhi and Washington share concerns about Afghanistan, with Trump announcing a new strategy for the war-torn country last month which cleared the way for the deployment of thousands more US troops.

The president has urged India to increase assistance to Afghanistan's economy, and has lambasted Delhi's arch-rival Pakistan for offering safe haven to "agents of chaos".

Read the full story at SpaceDaily

News Report: Russia Pitches Aggresively For MiG-29K $12 Bn Indian Deal

A MiG-29K on the deck of INS Vikramaditya

Indian Navy had issued a detailed request for information in January this year for 57 multi-role fighter aircraft to which Russian, French, Swedish and American companies had replied with their intent.

New Delhi (Sputnik) — With an eye on a big ticket deal involving supply of 57 naval multi-role fighter jet for Indian Navy's aircraft carriers, Russian manufacturer MiG has offered to jointly develop the MiG 29 K fighter jets with an Indian counterpart under the 'Make in India' program with complete transfer of technology. MiG is planning to submit a detailed proposal to the Indian government in this regard soon.

The procurement plan currently is in request for information stage. MiG CEO Ilya Tarasenko has claimed MiG-29K aircraft have serious tactical and technical advantages compared to Boeing’s F/A-18.

“We are considering various options for long-term and perspective cooperation, including those within the framework of the Make in India program. The Indian side has sent an RFI to companies that produce aircraft, which is one of the procedures preceding the official tender. MiG corp. has received such a request, now we are preparing our proposal,” Ilya Tarasenko, MiG CEO told to PTI in a written interview.

News Story: Ottawa seeks second-hand jets from Australia amid Boeing, Bombardier dispute

Image: Wiki Commons

DANIEL LEBLANC

A Royal Australian Air Force F/A-18A Hornet receives fuel from a U.S. Air Force KC-10 Extender while flying a mission in support of Operation Okra over Iraq, March 22, 2017 >>

The Canadian government is looking into buying second-hand fighter jets in Australia – instead of a new fleet of 18 Super Hornets – as it tries to force Boeing Co. to drop its trade dispute against Bombardier Inc., sources said.

Federal officials said the government is refusing to sign a planned multibillion-dollar contract for Super Hornets as long as Boeing pursues its complaint against Bombardier at the International Trade Commission in the United States.

A final decision to pull the plug on the Super Hornet contract has not been made, but tensions with Boeing are quickly escalating and the government is looking at all options to increase the pressure on the firm, the officials said.

A Canadian delegation travelled to Australia last month to see whether second-hand F/A-18 fighter jets, which are being placed on the market by the country's military, could fit Canada's needs for an "interim" fleet.

In addition, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called Eric Greitens, the Governor of Missouri, where Boeing's Super Hornets are assembled, to highlight the billions of dollars and thousands of jobs that are now in play.

Read the full story at The Globe and Mail

News Story: Boeing offers to build F/A-18 Super Hornet in India

by Stephen Carlson

Boeing has proposed the construction of a manufacturing facility in India for the F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter planes as part of the nation's planned acquisition of 57 carrier-based multi-role fighter aircraft.

The Indian Navy currently operates the MiG-29K from the INS Vikramaditya, a modified Russian-built Kiev-class aircraft carrier. India is currently building the domestically designed Vikrant-class carrier with two planned.

The Indian Navy has experienced serious maintenance problems with the MiG-29K due to stress on the airframe during carrier landings, as well as other serviceability issues. Planes often require significant repairs after routine landings, and many of the parts can only be secured from Russia.

Read the full story at SpaceDaily

Think Tank: Sea, air, land and space updates (1-Aug-2017)

Jack Viola, Eliza Chapman, Jacqueline Westermann and Harley Comrie

Sea state

This year’s parades and celebrations for Russia’s annual Navy Day had a distinctly global feel. Events were held across Russia, and even at the Syrian port of Tartus. The celebrations aim to ‘revive the tradition started by Peter the Great’. The main event was held in St Petersburg, and included three Chinese ships. Those ships had recently conducted joint live-fire drills with their Russian counterparts in the Baltic. In response to Western concerns about the drills, Chinese news agency Xinhua has said the West needs to ‘take a chill pill’.

The Indian government has released a request for information (RFI) to six international companies as part of a program to build six new submarines. India’s comptroller and auditor general recently released a damning report (PDF) on the state of the country’s navy. Of particular concern was the state of its submarines, which the report claims were fitted with only one periscope due to bureaucratic failings, severely diminishing their effectiveness. The RFI comes amid heightened tensions with China arising from its increasing assertiveness in the Indian Ocean.

News Report: Indian Navy Gets Cracking on Jet Trials for $15 Billion Fighter Deal

Artists impression of the future IAC-1 Aircraft Carrier

The Indian Navy has rushed into the trial of four jets that had responded to its request for information (RFI) as part of a $15 billion deal. The decision to start trial indicates the urgency of the Navy to procure a fighter jet for its aircraft carrier.

New Delhi (Sputnik) – In the first phase of trials, the French Rafale of Dassault Aviation and American F/A-18 from Boeing had taken part in trials on the western coast of Karwar on the Russian-made aircraft carrier Vikramaditya, formerly Admiral Gorshkov.

SAAB and Rosoboronexport will also show their capabilities during the trial to the Indian Navy which has detailed its requirement for the naval fighter in a 55-page RFI, sources said. The four manufacturers had responded to the global RFI issued by the Indian Navy in January this year.

News Report: US Approves $101Mln Sale of Radio, Missile Systems for F-18 Jets to Australia

The US Department of State has approved a more than $101-million sale of radio communications and missile countermeasures systems to Australia for use on F/A-18E/F Super Hornet combat jets, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said in a news release.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Australia requested the possible sale of thirty-two Multifunctional Information Distribution System Joint Tactical Radio System (MIDS JTRS) with four channel Concurrent Multi-Network (CMN-4), and thirty-nine AN/ALQ-214A(V)4 Countermeasure Systems," the release explained.

"The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to Australia for upgrades for F/A-18E/F Super Hornet aircraft," the release said on Tuesday. "The estimated cost is $101.4 million."

The purchase will include all system integration and testing, component improvement, technical document updates, personnel training and training equipment upgrades and technical assistance, the release added.

This story first appeared on Sputnik & is reposted here with permission.

AUS: Growler full fleet arrive in Australia

Minister for Defence, Senator the Hon Marise Payne, together with Air Vice Marshal Steven Roberton, Air Commander Australia; today welcomed the full fleet of EA-18G Growler electronic attack aircraft to RAAF Base Amberley.

Since the first two Growlers arrived in Australia in February 2017, the fleet has grown to the full twelve aircraft.

Minister Payne said the arrival of the Growler provides a potent and technologically advanced new capability for the Australian Defence Force (ADF). 

“We are the only country outside the United States operating the EA-18G Growler and the full fleet arrival represents a significant leap forward in joint electronic warfare capability,” Minister Payne said. 

“This is an amazing achievement for the ADF. These aircraft are able to support the full spectrum of Defence missions, including operations with coalition partners.

News Story: Governor OKs plan to host U.S. carrier-based aircraft at Iwakuni

A US Navy F/A-18E Super Hornet Fighter Aircraft

YAMAGUCHI, Japan (Kyodo) -- The governor of Yamaguchi gave the green light Friday to a plan to transfer over 60 U.S. carrier-based aircraft to a Marine Corps base in Iwakuni in the western Japan prefecture by May 2018.

The decision by Gov. Tsugumasa Muraoka came a week after Iwakuni Mayor Yoshihiko Fukuda agreed to the transfer which, when completed, will make the station one of the largest U.S. air bases in Northeast Asia in terms of the number of aircraft based there.

"As a prefecture, I will take the decisions of local communities seriously and accept them," the governor said at a meeting of the prefectural assembly, adding that he is "on the same page" with Fukuda and the heads of other municipalities that have similarly green-lighted the transfer.

Read the full story at The Mainichi

Industry: CAE supports Royal Australian Air Force Diamond Thunder distributed virtual training exercise

Simulators at bases in Williamtown, Tindal and Richmond networked for training and mission rehearsal

Silverwater, Australia, June 13 2017 - (NYSE: CAE; TSX: CAE) - CAE recently supported the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) participation in the Diamond Thunder distributed mission training exercise, which saw the RAAF network various simulation assets across the country as part of its inaugural Air Warfare Instructor Course.

The Diamond Thunder Exercise involved the networking of F/A-18 simulators at both RAAF Base Williamtown and Tindal with the E-7A Wedgetail simulator at Williamtown and C-130J simulator at RAAF Base Richmond.  The Air Warfare Centre's Joint Air Warfare Battle Laboratory at Williamtown served as the exercise command centre to manage and coordinate the overall virtual training environment. 

CAE engineering staff at Richmond supported the integration and testing of the C-130J full-flight mission simulator (FFMS) onto the Australian Defence Training and Experimentation Network (DTEN). CAE also provided an exercise planner to assist with creating and executing the virtual training and mission rehearsal scenarios, and had staff within the Australian Defence Simulation and Training Centre to assist with the provision of the networking infrastructure to support this distributed virtual training exercise.

News Report: US Super Hornet Makes Emergency Landing at Japanese Base

A US Marine Corps F/A-18C Hornet (Image: Wiki Commons)

Questions about the sustainability of an F/A-18 Super Hornet’s engine forced a pilot to abruptly abort his mission and land at Japan’s Matsushima Air Field, Japanese officials said Thursday.

“After receiving a cockpit warning indication, the pilot acted in accordance with standard operating procedures to land the aircraft,” US Marine spokeswoman Karoline Foote told Stars and Stripes, a US military news outlet. The F/A-18 was en route to a Marine air base at Iwakuni after taking off from Alaska, Foote noted, adding that the emergency landing took place on Tuesday. There were no reported injuries as a result of the incident, the US spokeswoman said.

PacificSentinel Note: Since this aircraft has been stated as a US Marine F/A-18, it is therefore NOT a Super Hornet, but rather one of the older "Classic" Hornets, the US Marine Corps does not fly Super Hornets, the US Navy does.

Matsushima is about 525 miles (843 kilometers) from Iwakuni.

News Report: Show of Force? US Carrier Group, Japan Start War Games in Sea of Japan

A Hyuga class helicopter carrier (LHA)

Japanese Air Self-Defense and Maritime Self-Defense forces began joint military exercises with the US carrier group led by USS Ronald Reagan and USS Carl Vinson in the Sea of Japan (East China Sea), the Japanese military announced Thursday.

TOKYO (Sputnik) — Japan's Hyuga-class helicopter carrier and JDS Ashigara, an Atago-class guided missile destroyer, are taking part alongside aircraft including US F/A18 Hornet multirole fighter jets and Japanese F15 fighters, the Japanese naval command said.

Air force exercises will conclude Friday, while maritime exercises are to end on June 3. The aim of the joint drills is to enhance cooperation between US and Japanese military on sea and in the air.

The United States dispatched two aircraft carriers to the Sea of Japan (East China Sea) in the wake of recurrent North Korean missile tests. US and Japanese leaders had agreed 26 May to increase tangible pressure on North Korea.

News Story: No New Ships - Trump Cuts Navy Shipbuilding, Aircraft Procurement

Image: Flickr User - Greg Bishop

By SYDNEY J. FREEDBERG JR.

PENTAGON: Despite his campaign pledge of a 350-ship fleet, President Trump’s first budget cuts Navy shipbuilding and aircraft procurement below what was enacted in 2017, documents released today reveal. Despite Trump’s criticism of President Obama’s defense plans, this budget sticks with Obama’s shipbuilding plan for 2018: eight ships. And it actually buys eight fewer aircraft than Obama planned.

So we were overly optimistic last week when we predicted Trump would add at least one warship (a $1.8 billion Aegis destroyer) and possibly two (a $550 million Littoral Combat Ship) to the Obama plan. Instead, it adds zip, zero — nada.

Even the mix of types is exactly the same as under Obama:

• one aircraft carrier (the future CVN-80, Enterprise);
• two attack submarines (Virginia-class SSNs);
• two Aegis destroyers (Arleigh Burke-class DDGs);
• one Littoral Combat Ship or — if the new class can be started in time — a frigate;
• and two support ships (a T-ATS tug/salvage ship and a “T-Interim,” presumably what was previously called the T-AO(X) oiler).

We have heard persistent rumors that OMB director Mick Mulvaney added a second Littoral Combat Ship at the last minute after a working group warned him that buying only a single LCS would shutter one of the two shipyards involved. “There’s a discussion right now on whether or not we add some additional Littoral Combat Ships,” Mulvaney told the Hugh Hewitt Show on May 4th. “We did not add any of those as part of this $21 billion dollar request…The Navy doesn’t want them.”

Read the full story at Breaking Defense

News Story: U.S. B-1 bombers conduct drills with S. Korean fighters amid tensions on Korean Peninsula & DPRK says U.S. conducts nuclear bomb dropping drill in South Korea

B-1 bomber (Image: Wiki Commons)

U.S. B-1 bombers conduct drills with S. Korean fighters amid tensions on Korean Peninsula

SEOUL, May 2 (Xinhua) -- Two U.S. strategic bombers had conducted air force drills with South Korean fighter jets amid escalating tensions on the Korean Peninsula, Yonhap news agency reported on Tuesday.

An unnamed South Korean military source was quoted as saying two B-1 Lancer supersonic bombers carried out air force trainings over the peninsula for two to three hours on Monday.

The U.S. bombers reportedly departed from the U.S. Anderson air base in Guam and arrived at South Korea's east waters at about noon on Monday.

The supersonic bombers conducted joint exercises with several F-15K fighter jets of South Korea, before staging a separate drill with fighter jets from the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier, which was recently sent to the peninsula.

Read the full story at Xinhua

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B-1 bomber (Image: Wiki Commons)

DPRK says U.S. conducts nuclear bomb dropping drill in South Korea

PYONGYANG, May 2 (Xinhua) -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) said Tuesday that the U.S. military Monday conducted in South Korea a nuclear bomb dropping drill on targets of DPRK in South Korea, calling it an "extremely reckless" move for nuclear war on the Korean peninsula.

"On May 1, the U.S. imperialists committed one more military provocation of conducting a nuclear bomb dropping drill against the major objects of the DPRK in the sky over South Korea by bringing a formation of notorious nuclear strategic bomb B-1B in the wake of Key Resolve and Foal Eagle 17 joint military drills," said the Korean Central News Agency.

The report said the bombers took off from the Guam and "stealthily came in the sky over the East Sea of Korea in order to acquire the procedure and way of the coordinated operation with the strategic striking means such as nuclear carrier and nuclear sub."

Read the full story at Xinhua

News Story: Joint exercise held between Japanese, U.S. carrier-based jets - ASDF

TOKYO, April 28 (Xinhua) -- Japan's Air Self-Defense Force (ASDF) said Friday that it conducted a joint drill east of Okinawa with U.S. aircraft carrier Carl Vinson, according to local media reports.

Defense Minister Tomomi Inada told a press briefing that the exercise was held to further strengthen the deterrence power of the Japan-U.S. alliance and to "show our country's commitment to the region's stability."

Read the full story at Xinhua

News Story: Japanese fighter jets to join U.S. carrier-based jets in joint exercise & Joint exercise between Japan, U.S. fighter jets canceled - ASDF

US Navy F/A-18E Super Hornet Fighter

Japanese fighter jets to join U.S. carrier-based jets in joint exercise

TOKYO, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Japanese fighter jets will conduct a joint drill with planes based on the United States aircraft carrier Carl Vinson on Wednesday afternoon, Kyodo News quoted Japan's Air Self-Defense Force (ASDF) as saying.

Two F-15s based in Naha, Okinawa Prefecture, will participate in the drill with two carrier-based U.S. Navy F/A-18s over waters east of Okinawa, the ASDF said.

Read the full story at Xinhua

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ASDF F-15DJ Eagle Fighter (Image: Wiki Commons)

Joint exercise between Japan, U.S. fighter jets canceled: ASDF

TOKYO, April 26 (Xinhua) -- A joint exercise scheduled to be carried out between Japanese fighter jets and planes based on U.S. aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson on Wednesday was canceled due to bad weather, Japan's Air Self-Defense Force said.

The Air Self-Defense Force (ASDF) said it may consider rescheduling the exercise.

Read the full story at Xinhua

News Story: U.S. vice president discusses Korean Peninsula with Australian PM

SYDNEY, April 22 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Vice President Mike Pence met Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull on Saturday, as U.S. aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson steamed toward the Korean Peninsula.

"The (U.S.) president wanted me to be here early in this administration to reaffirm the strong and historic alliance between the United States of America and Australia," Pence told Turnbull.

Pence thanked Turnbull for his support on the highly contentious situation on the Korean Peninsula.

"While all options are on the table, let me assure you the United States will continue to work closely with Australia, our other allies in the region and China" to bring pressure on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), Pence said.

Read the full story at Xinhua

News Story: U.S. VP says aircraft carrier Carl Vinson steams toward Sea of Japan

SYDNEY, April 22 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Vice President Mike Pence said here on Saturday that an aircraft carrier strike group led by USS Carl Vinson was steaming toward the Sea of Japan.

"Our expectation is that they will be in the Sea of Japan in position in a matter of days, before the end of this month," he told a joint press conference with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.

USS Carl Vinson has continued to steam toward the Korean Peninsula, after confusion from the Trump administration earlier this week as to the location of the aircraft carrier.

Read the full story at Xinhua

News Report: F-18 Jet From USS Carl Vinson Heading to N Korea Crashes Near Philippines

A US Navy F/A-18E Super Hornet Fighter (File Photo)

According to the US Navy, a F/A-18E jet based on the US Carl Vinson aircraft carrier crashed near the Philippines.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — A pilot flying an F/A-18E combat aircraft ejected safely from his cockpit on landing approach to the aircraft carrier Carl Vinson and was recovered unharmed by a helicopter rescue crew, the US Navy said in a press release on Friday.

"A pilot safely ejected and was quickly recovered by a helicopter assigned to [helicopter squadron] HSC-4 aboard USS Carl Vinson while conducting routine flight operations during a transit in the Celebes Sea," the release explained.

The incident took place in the Celebes Sea in the western Pacific. The Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia border the body of water. The distance from the Celebes Sea to the South Korean port of Busan is about 2300 miles.

Think Tank: Sea, air, land and space updates (4-Apr-2017)

Zoe Glasson, Sophie Qin, Madeleine Nyst and Patrick Kennedy

Sea State

Indonesia is continuing with its program of literally blowing up illegal fishing boats in its waters. On Saturday, authorities simultaneously destroyed 81 foreign vessels at 12 different locations, in what Maritime and Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti called ‘a victory for Indonesia’s war against illegal fishing’. Since ramping up its anti-poaching efforts in 2014, Indonesia’s special maritime task force Satgas 115 has captured 317 illegal boats, primarily from Vietnam, the Philippines and Malaysia; all have been confiscated and destroyed. The Indonesian government has linked the crackdown with its plan to revive its fisheries industry and re-establish itself as a maritime power.

Israeli defence electronics firm Elbit Systems has completed operational testing of its Seagull Unmanned Surface Vessel. The Seagull can carry out underwater mine hunting and clearing, as well as anti-diver and anti-submarine missions, enabling navies to use a single platform (with interchangeable modules) for different purposes. Its strategic value isn’t bad either—according to the brochure, Seagull’s ASW capability ‘returns the asymmetric advantage’ to those seeking to counter threats from terrorists, who are increasingly using midget submarines to target bigger and more powerful forces.

Ever heard of Project Combo? If not, you can read all about the US Navy’s Cold War plan to develop a secret communication system by mimicking sea mammal noises here.