majalah militer

March 12, 2009, Baltiysk -- Russia's newest frigate, the Yaroslav Mudry, will begin service before the end of this year, the Baltic Fleet commander said on Thursday.

The frigate - the second vessel in the 11540 Yastreb project after the Neustrashimy, which recently took part in an anti-piracy operation in the Gulf of Aden - is currently undergoing sea trials.

"The tests have been conducted successfully. They will last two or three months, after which the final trials will begin, which are set to end by fall," Rear Admiral Viktor Mardusin said.

Earlier reports said the frigate could enter service in April. The construction of the Yaroslav Mudry has taken almost 19 years due to lack of financing.

The frigate has a displacement of 4,250 tons and a maximum speed of 30 knots. It is armed with anti-ship missiles, air defense systems, a 100-mm artillery mount, depth charges, and a Ka-27 helicopter.

Mardusin earlier said the Neustrashimy could be sent back to Somalia in May-June, and that the Yaroslav Mudry could join the international anti-piracy in the Gulf of Aden after entering service with the Baltic Fleet. (RIA Novosti)

March 12, 2009, Huntsville, Ala. -- The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] and the U.S. Army's Space and Missile Defense Command/Army Forces Strategic Command (SMDC/ARSTRAT) have launched a joint research-and-development effort to coordinate and fuse multiple types of sensor data in a secure environment for Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD) and space situational awareness concept exploration.

Boeing and the SMDC/ARSTRAT signed a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) on Feb. 24, and today the two organizations met to exchange preliminary technical information at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville.

"This agreement effectively allows the SMDC/ARSTRAT's Data Fusion Distribution Center to exercise and examine Boeing's multilevel security modeling and simulation capabilities using actual government data," said Michael Schexnayder, Deputy to the Commander for Research, Development and Acquisition at SMDC/ARSTRAT. "Through this joint effort, our teams will develop a collaborative, net-centric, open-source environment to support the analyses of a multitude of space and IAMD issues."

The CRADA will benefit from a Memorandum of Agreement between SMDC/ARSTRAT and the United States Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM) to provide expertise, tools and information to enhance the final desired outcome of the CRADA: an effective Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) that may be used to validate ballistic missile defense concepts using modeling and simulation.(Boeing)

March 11, 2009, Paris -- President Nicolas Sarkozy announced March 1 that France would return to the NATO military command and become a full partner of the United States and its other Atlantic allies.

Four decades after Gen. Charles de Gaulle declared France's independence from the command structure, while remaining a political member of the alliance, Sarkozy said the time had come to once more play a leading role.

"The moment has come to put an end to this situation because it is in the interest of France and of Europe to do so," Sarkozy told an audience of military officers, officials and international defense experts in Paris.

Speaking as commander in chief, Sarkozy said France had been moving closer to playing a full role in NATO's missions and committees ever since De Gaulle's decision to withdraw from the command in 1966.

"In ending this long process, France will be stronger and more influential.

Why? Because those who are absent are always in the wrong. Because France must be a joint leader rather than submit to others," he said.

"Because we must be there where decisions and norms are decided, rather than waiting to be told about them," he said. "Once we have returned, we will retake our proper place in all the major Allied commands."

Sarkozy said, however, France would keep its independent nuclear deterrent outside NATO, arguing that since the United States and Britain have done the same this did not represent a continued exclusion from the Alliance.

The president and his supporters insist the move will boost France's influence among the Western allies, and allow Paris to promote a common European identity without it being seen as a rival to the U.S. alliance.

Critics counter that Paris will now lose face internationally and be seen as a subordinate to the United States.

On a purely military level not much will change. France has long played a major role in NATO operations, fielding troops under allied command in Bosnia, Kosovo and now notably in the dangerous Afghan campaign.

But De Gaulle's decision has a powerful symbolic significance for the French, who are traditionally wary of falling under the domination of Washington and value their country's independent foreign policy.

Since the fall of the Berlin Wall, this half-in half-out stance has for many observers become an anomaly, with France's close involvement in NATO missions in the Balkans drawing it closer into alliance decision making.

Sarkozy's supporters insist returning will not force France to take part in unpopular U.S.-led missions, such as the war in Iraq.

Noting that Germany had been fully integrated in the alliance's military structure but had nevertheless joined France in opposing the Iraq invasion, Sarkozy said such fears were based on "lies and counter-factuals."

In practical terms, France's return will see French staff officers take charge of two NATO commands and the number of French personnel attached to allied headquarters increase from 100 to around 800.

There will be no immediate effect on the 3,300 troops already attached to NATO's campaign in Afghanistan.

Nevertheless, Sarkozy has faced criticism from those who feel France's influence will suffer in, for example, Africa and the Middle East, if Paris ends up being seen as the poodle of the Americans.

"Nothing today justifies returning to NATO military command," opposition Socialist leader Martine Aubry said, criticizing Sarkozy's fondness for close ties with Washington.

"There's no hurry, no fundamental need, except for this Atlanticism that's becoming an ideology," she said.

Despite the fierce debate, the French public appears ready for the change.

An IFOP opinion poll conducted last week of 957 French adults found 58 percent support for rejoining NATO, with 37 percent opposed.

The move will be debated in parliament next week, but the ruling majority is expected to rally reluctantly behind Sarkozy who will send a letter to the allies to announce France's return before the April 3-4 NATO summit. (defensenews)

March 11, 2009, St. Louis -- The Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet Infrared Search and Track (IRST) program has successfully completed a series of risk-reduction flight tests that demonstrated the compatibility and effectiveness of the IRST system on the Super Hornet strike fighter.

IRST is a passive, long-range sensor system that searches for and detects IR emissions within its field of view. It can track several targets simultaneously and provide an effective air-to-air targeting capability, even when facing advanced threats equipped with radar-jamming technology.

Boeing, Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control, and General Electric developed a prototype IRST sensor that was installed in the front section of a modified 480-gallon fuel tank. The U.S. Navy conducted six flight tests at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md., and four at Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, Calif.

Chris Wedewer, F/A-18E/F IRST program manager for Boeing, said the flight tests allow for low-risk entry into the development phase of the program. "Boeing and Lockheed Martin successfully demonstrated transfer alignment, long-range target detection, and the ability to operate in a fuel tank," Wedewer said. "Boeing also demonstrated integration of the IRST into the F/A-18E/F's multisource integration algorithms, allowing for the fusion of IRST tracking data with data from other sensors."

Wedewer added that the demonstration ensures effective and efficient progress as the IRST program moves into development and production.

IRST is part of the Navy's F/A-18E/F Block II Super Hornet Flight Plan, which is a series of planned capability enhancements that ensures the Super Hornet will continue to outdistance known and emerging threats over the coming decades.

The Block II F/A-18E/F Super Hornet is a multirole aircraft able to perform virtually every mission in the tactical spectrum, including air superiority, day/night strike with precision-guided weapons, fighter escort, close air support, suppression of enemy air defenses, maritime strike, reconnaissance, forward air control and tanker missions. Equipped with the APG-79 Active Electronically Scanned Array radar, the F/A-18E/F seamlessly conducts simultaneous air and ground missions. (Boeing)