Weekly Mil-Tech Update

This past week we have seen more delays in the F-35.  A Defense official has called the F-35 “completely unaffordable.”  Doesn’t matter the cost, it must be completed and enter service for the US and Allies.  China is continuing to grow its number of missiles aimed at Taiwan despite growing political ties between the two nations.  More of a statement than anything else.  Just letting the Taiwanese know they can wipe them out whenever they want.

Saab will begin testing their “Sea Gripen” in the UK.  Allowing the JAS-39 to operate on aircraft carriers will greatly improve on export sales for the agile and very capable aircraft.  The Gripen has seen action in the on going no-fly zone in Libya.  It’s role however has been restricted to surveillance.

The one concern many US officials are upset with now is the potential “catch up” of stealth technology in the foreign market.  China and Russia have both successfully test flown stealth fighters in the past year.  However, these aircraft are extremely difficult to design and by the time China and Russia enter their new stealth fighters into service, the US will already be onto something better, but that gap is closing quicker than anticipated.

Top Stories of the Week, enjoy;

Sea Gripen to begin testing in the UK

Pakistan Awaits 50 Jets Made With China: Minister: link

F-35 now ‘unaffordable’: Defense official: link

Senators Ask For JSF Alternatives: link

F-35 may be dropped as Japan’s next fighter: link

F-22 upgrade is over budget and behind schedule: link

The Ten Barreled CIWS of China’s Aircraft Carrier: link

China successfully develops new-generation air-to-air missile: link

China develops its own domestic AtoA missile without foreign assistance

USMC gunship: Bad guys run, good guys weep: link

China ‘To Target 1,800 Missiles at Taiwan In 2012’: link

Teeny-Tiny Drone Fires Teeny-Tiny Missile (Gulp): link

Marine Corps Special Operators: We Need Jack-of-all-Trades Tactical Vehicles link

Beastly Drone Sub Is Underwater Predator: link

German Anti-Tank Missile Tested for India: link

Britain spends $5 billion on Trident: link

Next-Generation Air Defense: No Hits and All Misses: link

First set of EMALS components delivered to CVN 78: link

Air Force Wants Satellites Smart Enough to Fly Themselves: link

Tejas LCA Enters Key Test Phase: link

Morocco to buy Sidewinder: link

Military Infrared Sensor That Ferrets Out Suicide Vests Offered to Local Law Enforcement: link

HART On-Demand Intelligence System Proves Value To Warfighters Ahead of Theater Deployment: link

BAE Systems Wins Contracts to Maintain Typhoon’s Front-Line Capability: link

Russia Tests Missile Amid War of Words With U.S.: link

USAF eyes A-10 for communications jamming role: link

Smartphones-for-Soldiers Campaign Hits Wall as Army Experiences Growing Pains: link

Israel focuses on Korean, Italian jets: link

South Korea’s KT-1 trainers set for Peru: link

VIDEO & PICTURES: F-35’s 1st airshow fly-over: link

Focused Lethality: The Mk82 QRC Program: link

Astra successfully test-fired for second day: link

Taiwan renews bid to buy subs, F-16s from US: link

Open Technology Development (OTD): link

Czechs Choose, Cancel, Then Come Back to Pandur II APCs: link

Czech's choose Pandur ll APC

India Accelerates Fighter Deal: link

Iran’s revolutionary guards get new missiles: link

North Korea and Iran’s missile power: link

Monday Image Porn: Marines KC-130J Harvest Hawk: link

CAMM On Path To Replace Seawolf: link

Stratospheric UAV Payloads Provide New Ways to Chase Al Qaeda: link

Cirit missile, main armament for T129 attack helicopter: link

Ethiopia buys unmanned aerial vehicles from BlueBird: link

Northrop Grumman to Develop New Micro Gyro Technology for DARPA: link

Iranian Silo-Based Missiles: Coming soon to a Bolivarian Republic near You: link

Army Testing Battlephones This Summer: link

Pioneer platform soars to battlefield success: link

Iraq says ready to buy Czech-made combat fighter jets: link

Uganda buys fighter jets: link

Israel to switch Hawks for David’s Sling: link

Saab to complete Sea Gripen design work in UK: link

Aeronautics wins export approval for unmanned Dominator: link

Airbus Military announces AEW&C aircraft: link

More delays in Brazil jet fighter deal: link

India’s Multi-billion Dollar Scorpene Sub Contract: link

Rivals unite for Israeli jets: link

Bulava missile finally getting itself together

The Coming Summer of Bulava: link

Pentagon weapons buyer quietly visits California to discuss bomber planes: link

Supreme Court Overturns A-12 Ruling Against Contractors: link

Navy Chief Dreams of Laser Warships, Ocean-Spanning Robots: link

China, Russia Erode U.S. Stealth Technology Lead: link

A heavy duty LCS for foreign navies. Maybe.: link

Lusty at sea: link

U.S. Military May Deploy F-35 Before Formal IOC: link

Scavenger UAS could be first to use Selex sensor concept: link

Photo: RSAFs new SPYDER-SR: link

PICTURE: First glimpse of Russian Searcher II UAS: link

First Lockheed Martin Advanced Block 50 F-16 Unveiled For Turkish Air Force: link

Aeronautics reveals work on jet-powered UAS: link

UN report: Iran secretly working on nuclear arms: link

SOCOM Looking for Smart Phone Radios: link

Paging Chris Anderson: Darpa Wants DIY Drones: link

Lockheed Martin reveals F-35 to feature nanocomposite structures: link

Experts discuss future long-range strike bomber requirements: link

Raytheon deploys MALD from C-130: link

The big birds keep on flying: link

New China Missile Unit Near Taiwan: Spy Chief: link

DoD fights HASC on competing bomber engines: link

Indonesia To Buy 16 S. Korean T-50 Trainers: link

MBDA Completes Successful PARS-3LR Missiles Test Series: link

US secretly helped French nuclear program: documents: link

Italian aircraft carrier Cavour fired Aster missiles: link

Italian Cavour active in Libyan campaign

Senior Defense Official Caught Hedging on U.S. Involvement in Stuxnet: link

Lockheed Network Suffers Major Disruption: Reuters: link

Lockheed Martin may re-engine T-50 for T-X competition: link

Raytheon Receives $20 Million Order to Provide Encrypted Identification Technology: link

Senator: Broad Support for F-16 Sales to Taiwan: link

General Atomics Joins CAE to Offer Predator B UAS to Canada: link

Russia’s “new” secret ballistic missile – a solid-fueled Sineva?: link

Spies, Meet Shakespeare: Intel Geeks Build Metaphor Motherlode: link

Israel to upgrade older C-130s: link

USAF Wants New CSAR Birds in Service By 2017: link

U.S. to help Israel buy four more Iron Dome anti-missile systems: link

Upgraded Leopard 2 MBT set for firing trials: link