Weekly Mil-Tech Update

This week China has announced that it’s first aircraft carrier, the Shi Lang, will begin testing in July.  They are on schedule still for their target of being fully operational by years end.  This is all coming at a time when Vietnam and China are having disputes over the sovereignty of the Spratley Islands.  Depending on how these July tests go will ultimately determine whether the Shi Lang will be ready or not by 2012.

An MiG-29KUB scheduled for delivery to the Indian Navy crashed this week in Russia, killing both pilots and brings into consideration the legitimacy of the purchase for the Indian Navy.  It was reported in several Eastern European nations that the airframe of the MiG-29 is faulty and does not have the longevity once believed.  The Indian Navy went for the cheaper product, but the KUB upgrade sold them into buying it.  I imagine the Admirals are not pleased.

Army Wants More XM25s in Afghanistan

Army: More XM-25's

Power Down: Senate Zaps Navy’s Superlaser, Railgun

EMALS successfully launches first C-2 Greyhound

Investigation widens as F-22s stay grounded

Saab accuse BAE Systems of bribery in South African Gripen deal

Air Force Embraces Small Satellites As Budget Outlook Grows Dim

U.S. Navy Eyes Submarine-UUV Mix

Efforts Under Way to Harden Unpiloted Aircraft for Contested Airspace

Services Discuss Combining Rivet Joint and EP-3 into an EP-8

Russia orders more helicopter landing ships

 Russia signs contract to buy two Mistral-class BPCs

Military Investigates Killer Drones That Can Fit in Rucksacks

Night Vision Contact Lenses?

Norway Approves First Four F-35As

US Spends $28.1M on Titanium M240L GPMGs

C-130 Maritime Patrol Aircraft for the U.K.?

‘Zulu’ prepares for first operational deployment

Italian aircraft carrier in Libyan mission

A400M for USAF?

HMS Illustrious starts sea trials, now has new anti-torpedo system

Raytheon Re-Introduces 250-Pound Paveway Precision-Guided Munition

British Perseus AS missile said to be on track

RAF Typhoon pilots share Libya experiences

Unafraid But Not Alone

Raytheon Eyes Arsenal of Directed Energy Warheads For Its Missiles

RAND examines feasibility of laser power transmission for UAVs

Raytheon Begins Production of Airborne Hyperspectral Sensor for U.S. Air Force

Perseus, Peril at Sea

PARIS: Pratt & Whitney fixes STOVL problems on F-35B

Radar Revolution

Notes on Next Generation Jammer, GMTI

USMC Expect First F-35B In Service Early 2015

Marines want F-35B by 2015

South Korea looks at Iron Dome

US Military Orders More King Air 350ER Aircraft

RQ-4B Variant Makes Combat Debut Early

Successful Underwater Firing of French Naval Cruise Missile

Report: China plans aircraft carrier test in July

Norway Commits To Four JSF Trainers

DHS’ Sea Scanning Radar-Equipped MQ-9

U.S.: Israeli missile defense system can protect our Mideast bases

France transfers sensitive warship technology to Russia

Perseus, More Than Meets the Eye (with video)

Air Mules FanCrafts Could Be Operational in Four Years

ROK deploys missile that can hit Pyongyang

Zodiac Wins New Contract for 20 Commando RIBs and 4 Air Delivery Systems

Heavy metal vehicles roll out for Soldiers clearing combat environments

Navy Looks to Fry Electronic Eyes With Laser Blasts

Navy wants lasers to combat surveillance

Air Tractor Near Deal For More 802U Orders

PARIS: Alenia launches gunship variant of C-27J

Partners to Get Equal JSF Stealth

Meet the Civvie LEMV

Bell 212 supporting Apache test flight crashed

PARIS: Astrium Space in missile defence push

Paris Air Show Video: Combat

Video Tour of AH-1Z Venom

Missile or UAV? UVision Introduces the WASP

Watchkeeper UAV to make Afghanistan debut in December

Second Mesma AIP Ready for Shipment to Pakistan

The Fire Scout Downed in Libya

US Fire Scout crashed in Libya this week

Turkey launches armed, unmanned helicopter prototype

Raytheon unveils ground-based Evolved SeaSparrow Missile

Building The U.S. Navy’s Taj Mahal

Next-Gen Eurofighter E-Scan Radar to Enter Service in 2015

Spain aims at military-civilian satellites

Greece recovers Mirage 2000BG from bottom of sea

Raytheon Completes Perfect QELTA Tests for USAF

AW159 Wildcat: Britain’s Billion-Pound Future Lynx Helicopter Program

Army builds, tests future network during NIE exercise

Army Holding Anti-Armor Tech in Reserve

Senate Panel Barely Turns Back JSF Threat

"I got one, I got one!" What is it? "A Largemouth Mirage 2000!"

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Weekly Mil-Tech Update:

This week we see China’s Navy making headlines with their production of SSK submarines.  Not much is highly known of their capabilities, it looks similar to a Golf class submarine.  Russia is still gung-ho on helicopter procurement, as I noted a few weeks ago.  Sad times for the UK, as they are having to borrow spy planes from the US due to their defense budget cuts.  Ukraine has managed to sell the Iraqi military 420 APC’s.  A large purchase for a solid vehicle.

The big news of this week comes with the Navy’s announcement that UCAV’s will be operational on carriers by 2018.  This means we will have a whole new aviation wing in our Navy.  It is not easy to land a drone on a moving ship in rough waters, which is why this will be such an achievement.

US Navy expects UCAV's to be operational by 2018

Raytheon Eyes Upgrades for MALD: link

Israel plans big boost for spy satellites: link

British Apaches fire first Hellfire missiles at sea: link

Tiger Meet 2011: link

U.S. Marines Find Power in Cotton Seeds: link

First of Class FREMM Successfully Completes First Sea-trials: link

Taiwan President Urges U.S. to Release F-16s: link

Russia and Norway to begin naval drills: link

YouTube: Low-Cost Imaging Terminal Seeker (LCITS): link

Army, Marines Face Uphill Battle To Lighten Troops’ Battery Load: link

Turkey unveils GPS guided bomb: link

EP3E from VQ-2 spying for Turkish military: link

North Korea, Iran trade missile technology: U.N.: link

Boeing Awarded Fifth USAF Combat Survivor Evader Locator Contract: link

Russia races to build high-speed helicopters: link

USAF Surveillance Airship On Track For 2012: link

New Russian radar to be tested near Kaliningrad by end of 2011: link

Buddy, can you spare a spy plane?: link

Lockheed Hopes For F-16 Sales To Iraq, Oman: link

F-35 Tests Proceed, Revealing F/A-18-Like Performance: link

DT Video: DRS’ Neptune UAV: link

Infrared Countermeasures Challengers Abound: link

MUSIC to see manned aircraft and UAVs work in concert: link

Iraq gets first of 420 Ukrainian APCs: link

Thales’s Lightweight Multirole Missile to Enter Production: link

TiaLinx Announces Launch of Phoenix 50-H: link

Air Force’s New Target: Mojave Ground Squirrel: link

IAI to unveil naval version of Jumper missile system in Singapore: link

Next Up For Army Base Patrols: Ghostridden SUVs: link

U.S. Navy Shipbuilder Bets On Composites: link

UCAVs on aircraft carriers by 2018, says USN Chief: link

Russia details plan to buy 1,000 military helicopters: link

Airbus Military to Test New AEW Prototype: link

Navy to convert 8 Fire Scout UAVs: link

PICTURES: UK Apaches score 100% in maritime Hellfire tests: link

DARPA wants weapons-grade military cloud computing: link

Crazy Military Tracking Tech, From Super Scents to Quantum Dots: link

Army Answers Questions on Improved Carbine Competition: link

Versatile Robot Ally for the Future: link

Norway Army Faced Cyber Attack After Libya Bombing: link

AT-6 Seen As Versatile Combat Aircraft: link

Eye Spy: Monocle Gives Commandos Drone Vision: link

AMDR Opens Up Competition For U.S. Navy Radar: link

HMS Daring Fires First Venom Air Defense Missile: link

Putting Eyes on China’s Carrier: link

New graft allegations on South Africa’s Gripen purchase: link

Lingering nervousness on the new bomber: link

Moscow evaluates additional Israeli UAVs: link

South Korea to launch F-15K tender for stealthy cruise missiles: link

Submarine Speculation on New PLA Navy SSK: link

Nuclear Parity With China: link

LockMart To Upgrade Finland’s Precision Fires Capability: link

Win Diesels: link

Sweden becomes first European Nation to buy UH-60M: link

Iraq Orders a Long-Range Radar: link

Fearing Destruction, Researcher Cancels Disclosure of New Siemens SCADA Holes: link

Bundeswehr Of The Future: link

U.S. Army Considers Blast Chimney Beyond Humvees: link

JCREW 3: Next-Generation Land Mine Jammers Use Power of Network: link

Hardware Encryption For New Computer Memory Technology: link

Smile! Air Force Wants to Track You Forever With a Single Camera Click: link

Early French A400M?: link