Indonesia, India to Intensify Security Precautions in Andaman Waters

Indonesia fast patrol boat KRI Mandau

April 4, 2009, Jakarta -- Indonesia and India will intensify security in Andaman`s territorial waters in anticipation of security disturbances in the region.

Spokesman for the Military (TNI) headquarters in Jakarta Rear Marshal Sagom Tamboen said here on Thursday that by doing so, all kinds of threats including those posed by the entry of Tamil Tiger rebels into Indonesia could be prevented.

"Till now, the security situation in the Andaman sea is still conducive, as no Tamil tiger rebels had entered Indonesia thanks to regular joint patrols in the waters," he said.

Code-named Indindocorpat, the joint patrol was held twice a year under a protocol signed by the navies of the two countries.

The first Indindocorpat was held in September 2002 and at least nine joint patrols had been conducted by the two countries.

According to the two sides, the patrol was proven to have benefited the two countries in dealing with piracy, smuggling, territorial transgression and inter-state crime in the Andaman sea.

Earlier, Indonesia pledged to the Sri Lankan government that its territory would not be used by Tamil tiger rebels.

The guaranty was conveyed by Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda during his visit to Sri Lanka on March 29-30, 2009.

A spokesman for the Foreign Ministry, Teuku Faizasyah during a meeting in Grosvenor House of JW Marriot Hotel in London on Tuesday said that so far there was no precedence or report on activities of Tamil tigers in Indonesia.

However, the Sri Lankan government asked Indonesia to prevent the Tamil tiger fighters to enter its territory for military training purposes. (Antara)

USS Alaska Returns to the Fleet, Changes Homeport


April 2, 2009, Kings Bay, Ga. -- USS Alaska (SSBN 732) arrived at her new homeport in Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, Ga., April 1, after completing a 26-month refueling overhaul at Norfolk Naval Shipyard.

Family and friends lined pier to welcome the crew home.

"The officers and crew of USS Alaska are excited to arrive in Kings Bay and Camden County and to return Alaska to operational status," said Master Chief Petty Officer (SS) Eric McAllister, USS Alaska chief of the boat. "We look forward to the challenges and missions the Navy will task us with in the future."

In the last few years the Navy has looked closely at the valuable Ohio-class, Trident missile submarines. In 2004, work began on converting four of the oldest Tridents to the new guided missile submarines with Tomahawk missile configuration. As the SSGNs began to return to active service, the need to balance the number of SSBN and SSGN submarines on each coast.
The decision was made, that after being assigned to Bangor, Wash., for 20 years, Alaska would change its homeport to Kings Bay.

"We are looking forward to a long and enjoyable stay in Kings Bay," said Cmdr. Paul Haebler, commanding officer USS Alaska (SSBN 732).

The "Kodiak Tough" Alaska will increase the number of SSBNs homeported in Kings Bay to six, with USS Tennessee (SSBN 734) currently at Norfolk Naval Shipyard undergoing its refueling overhaul.

Alaska is the seventh Trident Ohio-class nuclear-powered fleet ballistic missile submarine and the fourth United States Navy ship to bear the name of the state. Alaska was commissioned January 25, 1986 and has conducted 59 strategic deterrent patrols.

Alaska was commissioned Jan. 25, 1986 and has conducted 59 strategic deterrent patrols. (Navy)

Airbus A330 MRTT May Win USD 1.3 billion Indian Air Force Contract

April 1, 2009 -- Airbus is set to win contract to deliver six Airbus A-330 multi role tanker transports to the Indian Air Force in a deal worth estimated to be USD 1.3 billion.

Senior Defence Ministry officials confirmed that a 1-billion euro contract for six Airbus A-330 multi-role tanker-transports is close to being finalised. This despite the makers of the Russian IL-78 tanker, six of which the IAF has in service, offering a lower bid.

The Airbus A330 MRTT is being actively operated by up to five countries including Australia, United States and the United Kingdom.

The IAF chose Airbus for its larger fuel load and its dual transport capability. This decision has a bearing on the world's largest defence contract—the IAF's acquisition of 126 medium-range fighter aircraft worth over $10 billion where Russia's MiG-35 is a low-cost option. (India-Defence)

Eurofighter Firing AMRAAM During Weapon Trials in Spain


April 1, 2009 -- EADS Defence & Security (DS) in Spain has concluded a new live weapon firing campaign dedicated to the Eurofighter armament. Tests with the Getafe-based Instrumented Production aircraft IPA4 have been carried out by the DS Business Unit Military Air Systems (MAS). They were supported by the Spanish Air Force at Moron AFB, where the aircraft has been deployed since January 2008.

The trials have culminated on 31 March with the successful performance of a AMRAAM Guided Firing, a live firing of a medium-range air-to-air missile against an aerial target drone. This live test has seen the collaboration of several aircraft: the BAE Systems-operated Eurofighter IPA5, was tasked to detect the target and to assign it via the MIDS Data Link to the firing aircraft IPA4. In this complex test mission specialists from MAS, BAE Systems, the Spanish engine maker ITP, were involved. The Spanish National Aerospace Technical Institute (INTA) at Arenosillo was operating the target drones. The AMRAAM missile producer Raytheon, the Spanish Air Force, the Navy, and the Eurofighter consortium have also contributed to the success of these trials.

During this campaign, MAS engineering in Spain had performed as well several EGBU-16 jettison trials to support the Stores Release & Jettison clearances for the new smart weapons. This improved operational capability will be introduced in the Eurofighter fleet by 2011 as a result of the Future Batch of Enhancements contract signed with the Eurofighter core nations. The activity again involved specialists from the INTA Arenosillo Weapons Test Range, where the tests took place. Five successful weapon releases have been performed, ensuring the safe weapon integration with the Eurofigher. (Defpro)

Australian Navy to Use Thales Missile Control System


March 30, 2009, Hengelo -- Recently, the Australian Department of Defense and Thales Nederland signed a contract for a user licence of Thales's Mid-Course Guidance and Sampled Data Homing function. This function will be utilised from 2011 within the warfare systems that are part of the Royal Australian Navy's ANZAC Class Frigate Anti-Ship Missile Defense Upgrade Project.

The Mid-Course Guidance and Sampled Data Homing function is based on Interrupted Continuous Wave Illumination (ICWI), a Thales development with the APAR partners in the APAR program that enables a single missile control radar to guide several missiles simultaneously to several threats.

With this contract, the number of navies using ICWI has risen to five. The German and Netherlands' Navies are operational users of the Thales APAR multi-function radar that was the first radar to use ICWI. The Patrol Ships for the Danish Navy, scheduled to be operational in 2011, will also be equipped with APAR radars. The Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force has purchased the ICWI function for their latest helicopter carriers and future destroyers. The addition of yet another major Navy to this list proves the substantial advantages of ICWI-based radar systems over conventional systems and Thales Nederland's leading position worldwide in naval sensor technology. (asd-network)

Hyuga: First Helicopter Destroyer of Japan MSDF to have Female Crew


March 31, 2009 -- Helicopter Destroyer Hyuga (DDH 181), of Japan Maritime Self Defence Forces (JMSDF) was commissioned on March 18. International Women’s Day is celebrated on March 08 of the year and the United States even designates the whole month of March as ‘Women’s History Month’.

To mark this occasion, Helicopter Destroyer Hyuga is the first JMSDF destroyer to have female crew. The ship is part of 16DDH project (16 as in the 16th year of the Heisei emperor in the Japanese calendar). The warship looks like an aircraft carrier with a flattop deck and is in fact a helicopter carrier but not classified as an aircraft carrier.

The name Hyuga is of a World War II hybrid battleship/carrier. The ship is comparable in size to modern small aircraft carriers of Italy’s MM Giuseppe Garibaldi, Spain’s Principe de Asturia and Britain’s Invincible. (MarineBuzz)

TATA Advanced Systems to Supply Surface to Air Missile Launchers to Indian Air Force

March 29, 2009, New Delhi -- The Tata Group's defence arm, Tata Advanced Systems, has bagged an order for supplying 16 indigenous Akash surface to air missile (SAM) launchers for the Indian Air Force (IAF).

The Strategic Electronics Division received the Rs 182 crore order for the launchers on Monday, even as the group celebrated the launch of its Nano small car. The order for the missile launchers is bigger than the Rs 172 crore order for Pinaka multi-barrel rockets manufactured by the group for the Indian army in 2007.

The total contract for two regiments of Akash SAMs worth an estimated Rs 1,200 crore was placed by the IAF on public sector undertaking Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) earlier this year and deliveries are to be completed in three years. While public sector undertaking BDL is manufacturing the missiles, BEL is producing the Rajendra phased array radar. (India-Defence)

Indian Army Conducts Third User Trial of BrahMos Cruise Missile, Test Successful

March 29, 2009, New Delhi -- Supersonic BrahMos cruise missile Block II was tested today with a striking range of 290 km, successfully hit its target during a test at the Pokhran firing range today, DRDO officials said.

"The missile was successfully launched at 1115 hours in the morning and in the next two-and-a-half minutes, it hit the bull's eye in the Pokhran firing range in Rajasthan," an official told reporters.

This was the third test-firing of the latest Block II version of the missile. During the test, Army's Director General of Military Operations Lieutenant General A S Sekhon, Artillery School Commandant Lt Gen Rao and Additional Director General (Artillery) Major General V K Tiwari were present.

The launch of the latest land attack version of the missile being developed for the Army was also witnessed by DRDO's Chief Controller and BrahMos Aerospace Chairman A Sivathanu Pillai and DRDL Director P Venugopalan. After today's test, officials said the development phase of the Block II version of the missile was over and it was ready for induction in the Army. They said the mission objectives of the test were completely fulfilled. (India-defence)

Navy Completes Air and Ballistic Missile Exercise


March 26, 2009, San Diego -- Commander, U.S. 3rd Fleet, Vice Adm. Samuel J. Locklear announced the completion of the fleet operational exercise, Stellar Daggers, March 26.

The scheduled event took place March 24 and 26. Command and control of the participants in Stellar Daggers resided with U.S. 3rd Fleet based in San Diego.

San Diego-based Aegis destroyer, USS Benfold (DDG 65) engaged multiple targets during this multi-event exercise with Standard Missile-2 (SM-2) Block IIIA and modified SM-2 BLK IV missiles. The overall objective of
Stellar Daggers was to test the Aegis system's sea-based ability to simultaneously detect, track, engage and destroy multiple incoming air and ballistic missile threats during terminal or final phase of flight.

During the event, Benfold's Aegis Weapons System successfully detected and intercepted a cruise missile target with a SM-2 BLK IIIA, while simultaneously detecting and intercepting an incoming short range ballistic missile (SRBM) target with a modified SM-2 BLK IV. This is the first time the fleet has successfully tested the Aegis system's ability to intercept both an SRBM in terminal
phase and a low-altitude cruise missile target at the same time.

Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD), which includes Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD), is a Navy core competency and a key warfighting capability
for the U.S. maritime strategy, which calls for credible combat power to be continuously postured to protect America's vital interests.(Navy)

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