News Story: Iran tests new medium-range missile, defying US warnings

By Eric RANDOLPH

Iran said on Saturday that it had successfully tested a new medium-range missile in defiance of warnings from Washington that such activities were grounds for abandoning their landmark nuclear deal.

State television carried footage of the launch of the Khoramshahr missile, which was first displayed at a high-profile military parade in Tehran on Friday.

It also carried in-flight video from the nose cone of the missile, which has a range of 2,000 kilometres (1,250 miles) and can carry multiple warheads.

"As long as some speak in the language of threats, the strengthening of the country's defence capabilities will continue and Iran will not seek permission from any country for producing various kinds of missile," Defence Minister Amir Hatami said in a staement.

The test comes at the end of a heated week of diplomacy at the UN General Assembly in New York, where US President Donald Trump again accused Iran of destabilising the Middle East, calling it a "rogue state whose chief exports are violence, bloodshed and chaos".

Previous Iranian missile launches have triggered US sanctions and accusations that they violate the spirit of the 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and major powers.

Read the full story at SpaceDaily

Related Story:

• Iran's Rouhani vows to strengthen missiles despite US warnings

News Report: UN Chief - Millions Live Under Shadow of DPRK Nuclear Threat

Margaret Besheer

UNITED NATIONS — United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres opened his first General Assembly gathering Tuesday, warning that North Korea's nuclear ambitions are the world's most serious challenge.

"Today proliferation is creating unimaginable danger, and disarmament is paralyzed," Guterres said in New York.

"Millions of people live under a shadow of dread cast by the provocative nuclear and missile tests of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea," the secretary-general said, referring to North Korea by its formal name. "I condemn those tests unequivocally."

Guterres commended the unity of the U.N. Security Council in its recent tightening and imposing of economic sanctions on Pyongyang, saying the move sends "a clear message" to the leadership there.

"Fiery talk can lead to fatal misunderstandings," he warned. "The solution must be political — this is a time for statesmanship — we must not sleepwalk our way into war."

News Report: US - Nuclear Ban Treaty Undermines International Security

Lisa Schlein

GENEVA — A senior U.S. arms control official said Friday that Washington would never become a party to the treaty banning nuclear weapons because the accord undermines international security and does nothing to resolve threats posed by North Korea's nuclear weapons program.

The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons is set to open for signature at the U.N. General Assembly in New York next week. If 50 countries sign it, the treaty will go into force.

The U.S. permanent representative to the Conference on Disarmament, Ambassador Robert Wood, said at a news conference Friday that he considered the treaty a bad idea. He said prohibiting nuclear weapons would not make the world a safer place or reduce stockpiles by even one weapon.

He warned that the treaty would exacerbate divisions that already exist in the nonproliferation and disarmament communities.

"We are now facing the greatest nuclear challenge that we have faced for quite some time in North Korea's nuclear weapons program and its ballistic missile activities," he said. "And, the ban treaty does nothing and cannot do anything to impact and improve the situation with regard to that challenge that we face."

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 Report: Indian Air Force Jets Slated to Have Beyond-Visual-Range Strike Capacity by 2018

India’s Tejas light combat aircraft is armed and ready with I-Derby missiles for downing other aircraft, according to The Diplomat.

The missiles have been integrated into the plane’s weapons suite but have yet to finish testing, which is slated to happen by year’s end, Flight Global reported. The Indian Air Force conducted tests in May “to assess the Derby integration with aircraft systems on board Tejas, including the aircraft avionics, fire-controlled radar, launchers and missile weapon delivery system and to verify its performance,” a Ministry of Defense spokesman said.

The IAF said the test was a smashing success but the missiles are not yet categorized as having full operational capability.

Beyond-visual-range (BVR) strike capability is crucial for 21st century air combat, according to military analysts. “Modern air combat is divided into beyond-visual-range combat and within-visual-range combat. BVR combat means the fighters use airborne detection equipment to search the enemy target, then use [a] remote air-to-air missile to attack it, when both of them are beyond visual range,” a 2011 Beijing University study on BVR strategy reads.

The I-Derby missiles are made by Israel-based Rafael and have a 50 kilometer range.

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

News Story: UN set to adopt treaty outlawing nuclear weapons

By Carole LANDRY

A global treaty banning nuclear weapons is set to be adopted at the United Nations on Friday despite opposition from the United States, Britain, France and other nuclear powers that boycotted negotiations.

Supporters describe the treaty as a historic achievement but the nuclear-armed states have dismissed the ban as unrealistic, arguing it will have no impact on reducing the global stockpile of 15,000 nuclear weapons.

Led by Austria, Brazil, Mexico, South Africa and New Zealand, 141 countries have taken part in three weeks of negotiations on the treaty that provides for a total ban on developing, stockpiling or threatening to use nuclear weapons.

Advocates hope it will increase pressure on nuclear states to take disarmament more seriously.

"This will be a historic moment," Costa Rica's ambassador, Elayne Whyte Gomez, the president of the UN conference on the treaty, said on the eve of the adoption.

"The world has been waiting for this legal norm for 70 years," she said, calling it a "response for humanity."

Read the full story at SpaceDaily

News Report: India, Israel Ink Deal for Air Defense System, Radars, UAVs Worth $4.3 Bln

Indian companies have signed 12 strategic agreements ranging from air defense systems, radars, anti-ship missiles to medium altitude long endurance UAVs in India under technology transfer worth $4.3 billion during the first formal meeting of India-Israel CEOs forum in Tel Aviv.

New Delhi (Sputnik) – The meeting took place at the end of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit.

Pune-based Kalyani Strategic Systems Ltd has signed a joint venture agreement with Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) for addressing a range of opportunities across air defense systems, radars, anti-ship missiles and command & control systems for the Indian armed forces. Both the companies will produce weapons worth $1.54 billion over a period of 7-10 years.

The two CoChairs of the India Israel CEO Forum sign and exchange the Joint Intentions document. Very smooth discussion and conclusion. pic.twitter.com/xpu8FQwe9A

— Dr A Didar Singh (@SecyGEN_ficci) July 6, 2017

News Report: As Modi Visits Israel, India Embraces Growing Ties with Jewish State

Anjana Pasricha

NEW DELHI — Twenty-five years after establishing diplomatic relations with Israel, India is openly embracing its growing ties with Jerusalem as Narendra Modi becomes the first Indian prime minister to travel there on Tuesday.

New Delhi, traditionally a supporter of the Palestinian cause, has quietly fostered growing ties with Israel, but avoided high profile visits.

India’s Hindu nationalist leader will set aside that caution and hesitation as he holds official talks with his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem.

Relationship out in the open

“The Modi government is a lot less constrained by the previous political thinking about not upsetting the Arabs or visibly giving up on the Palestinian cause or for that matter courting the India Muslim sentiment at home,” says strategic affairs expert, Bharat Karnad at the Center for Policy Research in New Delhi.

In comments to the Indian Express newspaper, India’s ambassador to Israel, Pavan Kapoor, called it the “formal coming out of the relationship.”

It is not a coincidence that this is happening under Modi — he has been a long admirer of Israel’s military and technical expertise.

News Report: Defense, Cyber Security Cooperation Key Topics on Modi's Agenda in Israel

Cyber security cooperation will be one of the main points of discussion during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s upcoming visit to Israel, which will be the first by an Indian prime minister ever since the two countries established diplomatic relations 25 years ago.

New Delhi (Sputnik) – Prime Minister Modi is embarking on a three-day visit to Israel on July 4. India established diplomatic ties with Israel in 1992 and since then the relationship has evolved into a multi-dimensional partnership. This year, the two countries are commemorating 25 years of diplomatic relations.

“Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Israel from July 4 to 6 at the invitation of Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of Israel. This is the first ever visit of an Indian Prime Minister to Israel,” the Ministry of External Affairs statement said.

“During the visit, the Prime Minister will have detailed discussions with Prime Minister Netanyahu on all matters of mutual interest and will also call on President Rivlin,” statement said.

News Story: MQ-9B drone sale for India to be OK'd

MQ-9B Guardian (Image: Wiki Commons)

By: Aaron Mehta

WASHINGTON — The U.S. State Department is in the final stages of clearing the sale of 22 MQ-9 drones to India, with an expectation that U.S. President Donald Trump will announce the sale during the upcoming visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 

Modi, who will meet with Trump for the first time on June 26, is expected to discuss a wide range of topics, including terrorism and visas, but is poised to walk away with an offer to purchase the unarmed MQ-9B Guardian design produced by General Atomics. 

The Guardian design is a variant of the Predator B drone, equipped with several radar systems specifically useful for maritime searches.  

“We are pleased that the U.S. government has cleared the way for the sale of the MQ-9B Guardian to the Indian Government,” said Linden Blue, CEO of General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, in a statement to Defense News. “Guardian provides the endurance and capability required to significantly enhance India’s sovereign maritime domain awareness in the Indo-Pacific. General Atomics Aeronautical Systems is standing by to support the US and Indian Governments throughout this process” 

It is unclear how much the sale will be worth, nor what offsets were being offered to India. Modi’s Make in India initiative has emphasized production on the ground in India be part of weapon procurement from foreign suppliers. However, GA estimates the sale will create around 5,000 jobs in the U.S. through its supply chain. 

An industry source confirmed that General Atomics has been told the sale is being approved. A spokesman for the U.S. State Department declined to comment. 

But offering sales to New Delhi and getting them concluded are two very different things, with the Indian government notorious among defense circles for dragging out negotiations before cancelling them outright. 

Read the full story at DefenseNews

Think Tank: Sea, air, land and space updates (14-Jun-2017)

Zoe Glasson, Sophie Qin, Madeleine Nyst and Patrick Kennedy

Sea State

The full ship’s company is now aboard the Royal Navy’s newest aircraft carrier, the HMS Queen Elizabeth. But ongoing delays to the ship’s sea trials have kept it docked in Scotland, exacerbating the dull and boring conditions that have been blamed for a ‘morale crisis’ and the recent resignation of more than 20 sailors. As a result, reports say that sailors aren’t being released to resettlement courses, are having job transfers denied and are working longer hours. The official line, however, denies that morale is low and insists resignation rates are ‘absolutely in line with the fleet average’.

Indian Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba is currently in Tel Aviv meeting with Chief of the General Staff of Israeli Defence Force, Lieutenant General Gadi Eisenkot. The talks come ahead of Prime Minister Modi’s forthcoming visit to Israel—the first by an Indian prime minister—and are intended to deepen security and defence ties. The leaders are expected to announce a ‘raft of mega deals’, including a contract to supply four Navy ships with long range surface-to-air missiles. For the first time, the contract will be executed with Indian government-owned BEL as part of Modi’s ‘Make in India’ policy.

News Report: Japan Unveils First Domestically Made F-35 Joint Strike Fighter

An Australian F-35 during flight testing

Lockheed Martin’s overseas production facility has dropped the curtain on its first $100-million F-35A Joint Strike Fighter.

The fifth-generation fighter jet was displayed on Monday in Toyoyama, Japan, a city about 6,483 miles from the US F-35 manufacturing facility in Fort Worth, Texas. The Mitsubishi Heavy Industries plant assembled the aircraft, according to Jiji Press.

Mitsubishi wasn’t explicitly involved in the design, but its workers are contracted by Lockheed to build the planes. Italy and Japan comprise Lockheed’s sole manufacturing partners for the jet, according to the company’s website. 

According to Lockheed, the F-35 Lightning II is composed of more than 300,000 individual parts.

News Report: Not for All the Tea in China - Beijing Wants ‘Active Role’ in Mideast Peace

China on Monday signaled a willingness to broker peace between Israel and Palestine, according to local sources.

Citing comments by Chinese special envoy to the Middle East Gong Xiaosheng, the official Palestinian news agency Wafa reported on Tuesday that Beijing now seeks to enter the historically fraught relations between Palestine and Israel.

While meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah on Monday, Gong reiterated Beijing's support for a Palestinian state while learning about Abbas's April visit to Washington, a Russian trip in early May and the Palestinian leader's meeting with US President Donald Trump in Bethlehem last week, the Jerusalem Post reported.

Following Trump's first trip outside the US as president, the White House has signaled that it also seeks to broker a peace deal between the historically opposed states.

China, according to Wafa, seeks to widen its role in the region, and is particularly interested in striking a peace deal between Israel and Palestine, as well as seeing an end to the ongoing Syrian civil war and its attendant refugee crisis.

News Story: S. Korea turns to Israeli contractor for KF-X jet radar

A model of one of several possible designs for the KFX

SEOUL, May 23 (Yonhap) -- South Korea has formally decided to receive some technology support from Israel for the development of an advanced radar system in its KF-X fighter jet program, Seoul's arms procurement agency said Tuesday.

The state-run Agency for Defense Development (ADD) signed a contract with an Israeli defense firm on testing an active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar being developed by a South Korean company, according to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA).

"It's about technology support related to the operation test of a prototype radar, not the development itself," the DAPA said.

The agency would not reveal the value of the contract apparently with Elta, while an industry official said it's worth around 40 billion won (US$35.5 million).

It requires sophisticated technology to test an AESA radar system and integrate it with aircraft.

Read the full story at YonhapNews

Think Tank: Sea, air, land and space updates (23'May-2017)

Zoe Glasson, Sophie Qin, Madeleine Nyst and Patrick Kennedy

Sea State

At last week’s International Maritime Security Conference in Singapore, Rear Admiral Lai Chung Han, Singapore’s Navy chief, announced a number of initiatives designed to promote regional submarine operational safety, including a US$7.1m upgrade to the RSN’s submarine rescue ship. The MV Swift Rescue is the only ship in Southeast Asia with the capability to conduct ‘collective rescue and transfer of distressed submariners while under pressure’. Singapore’s Defence Ministry has warned submarine proliferation would increase the risk of ‘miscalculations at sea’—it said the number of submarines in the western Pacific is projected to rise from 200 to 250 within eight years, with China alone set to grow its fleet from 62 to 78 by 2020.

Fancy building the US Navy of 2046? An app developed by CSIS lets you try your hand at just that! Integrating Navy budget data and accounting for key factors such as unit acquisition cost, capacity constraints and current procurement and inventory plans, the app aims to be an ‘interpretable analytic model of the Navy’s force structure’. And it’s pretty user-friendly: simply ‘slide’ your way to a 355-ship navy by using the controls to add or subtract everything from aircraft carriers to support vessels.

News Story: Israel signs $630-mln defence deal with India

Israel announced Sunday it had reached a deal worth $630 million to provide India's navy with missile defence systems, following a record weapons sale between the two countries last month.

The new contract will see state-owned Israel Aerospace Industries supply LRSAM air and missile defence systems for four Indian naval ships, a statement from the company said.

IAI said the contract will be carried out with India's Bharat Electronics Limited, which will be the project's main contractor.

Read the full story at SpaceDaily

News Story: White House insists Trump's disclosures 'wholly appropriate'

US President Donald Trump

By: Vivian Salama and Deb Riechmann

WASHINGTON — The White House on Tuesday defended President Donald Trump's disclosure of classified information to senior Russian officials as "wholly appropriate," as Trump tried to beat back criticism from fellow Republicans and calm international allies increasingly wary about sharing their secrets with the new president. 

The highly classified information about an Islamic State plot was collected by Israel, a crucial source of intelligence and close partner in the fight against some of the America's fiercest threats in the Middle East. Trump's disclosure of the information threatened to fray that partnership and piled pressure on the White House to explain the apparently on-the-spot decision to reveal the information to Russian diplomats in a meeting last week. 

In a series of morning tweets, Trump declared he has "an absolute right" as president to share "facts pertaining to terrorism" and airline safety with Russia. Although top aides on Monday had declared reports about Trump's discussions false, National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster on Tuesday sought instead to downplay the significance of the information Trump revealed. The president had been engaging in "routine sharing" with foreign leaders, he said, arguing that some of the information was publicly available. 

Still, the revelations sent a White House accustomed to chaos reeling anew. It is extraordinary for a president to share such information without consent of the country that collected it, apparently violating the confidentiality of an intelligence-sharing agreement with Israel. It was, perhaps, even more remarkable that Trump chose to confide in representatives of an adversary, who could use the information to find its source. 

A U.S. official who confirmed the disclosure to The Associated Press said the revelation potentially put the source at risk. 

Read the full story at DefenseNews

News Report: What Possible Revival of 'Tiger' Fighter Jets Could Mean for Vietnam's Aviation

Vietnam  Air Force F-5E Tiger II (Image: Wiki Commons)

In an interview with Sputnik, expert on combat aviation Makar Aksenenko said that Vietnam may be considering bringing back the “Vietnamese Tigers” or the F-5E/F Tiger II fighter jets. What could be the possible reasons behind this decision and how might these jets come in handy?

It is known that in the mid-1970s, the VNA Air Force inherited a very large fleet of military aircraft and American-made helicopters from South Vietnam. These included the multipurpose F-5A / B Tiger and F-5E / F Tiger II fighters.

The second generation ‘Tigers’ were almost new and for some 10 years the F-5 was operated in the Air Force by a united Vietnam and even took part in local military operations.

Vietnam handed over several of these aircraft to the Soviet Union, Poland and then-Czechoslovakia for testing.

It should be noted that the Soviet test pilots who happened to test the F-5 in flight sung the US aircraft‘s praises.

In the mid-1980s, for technical reasons, the F-5 fighters of the Vietnam Air Force were decommissioned and placed in storage bases.

News Story: India, Israel forge partnership for small arms production

X95 assault rifle (Image: Wiki Commons)

By: Vivek Raghuvanshi

NEW DELHI — Firearms manufacturer Israel Weapon Industries and India-based private sector firm Punj Lloyd have begun to jointly produce a variety of small arms from the Israeli company's product line, of which some are for use by Indian armed forces.

The new venture, named Punj Lloyd Raksha Systems, or PLR, was formally opened last week, and its expected to tap a solid chunk of India's small arms market estimated at more than $5 billion.

PLR is the first private manufacturer of small arms in India that produces equipment for both use by the Indian defense forces and for export. The joint venture has an equity holding in the ratio of 51:49 percent equity, with the majority stake going to Punj Lloyd. 

"The small arms plant will be manufacturing the [Tavor] carbine, [X95] assault rifle, [Galil] sniper rifle and [Negev] light machine gun ... and [PLR] became fully operational on 4 May 2017 itself," said Ashok Wadhawan, the president of manufacturing at Punj Lloyd. 

"We are targeting the supply of carbine, assault rifle, sniper rifle and light machine gun for armed forces, paramilitary forces and state police. We are also going to be targeting the requirement of sights for the weapon systems, which is vital for the accuracy of the weapons," he added. 

Read the full story at DefenseNews

News Story: Japan, Israel agree to strengthen cooperation on cybersecurity

JERUSALEM (Kyodo) -- Japan agreed with Israel on Wednesday to enhance cooperation on cybersecurity, hoping to use the Middle Eastern country's expertise in the field to accelerate training of experts and boost exchanges in the private sector.

Read the full story at The Mainichi