DEFENSE NEWS

Russia has for the first time demonstrated the short-to-mid-range air defense platform ‘Vityaz,’ which will replace older variants of the S-300 system due to be scrapped soon. The army will begin testing the new hardware later this year. The new surface-to-air missile system is made by Russian weapons manufacturer Almaz-Antey. The company demonstrated the system at the Obukhov State Plant in St. Petersburg, home to its branch that manufactures the Vityaz launchers. The system boasts advanced all-aspect phased array radar, a new mobile command post and a launcher carrying 12 vertical-launch missiles, which will use a variant of the 9M96 active radar homing missile. Similar missiles are used by the S-400, the newer generation of the S-300, which is currently being deployed in Russia. 

Vityaz launchers can also fire a short-range missile that was not officially identified, but is likely a variant of the 9M100. “I believe the system will be able to engage target within ranges from 30km to 120km,” Said Aminov, military analyst and editor of the World of Air Defense website told RT. “It’s a system of object air defense with some element of tactical antimissile defense.” Almaz-Antey aims to hand over the system to the Russian Defense Ministry for testing before the year’s end, company head Vladislav Menshikov told Russian President Vladimir Putin, who was inspecting the plant. The company partially based the design of the Vityaz on its work with the South Korean KM-SAM Chun Koong system. Almaz-Antey designed three radar units for the KM-SAM, and is rumored to have also helped design the system’s missiles. The Russian military officially backed the Vityaz project – which has better capabilities than the Korean air defense system – after studying its performance, Almaz-Antey said in 2010. The new Russian system has been in the works since 2007, and is expected to be completed in record time. The ministry earlier said it plans to buy at least 30 Vityaz systems before 2020, if it passes testing, and deployment of the platforms could start as early as next year. Vityaz was designed as a replacement for the S-300PS, an older variant of the S-300 air defense system developed in the early 1980s. The Russian army is expected to decommission about 50 of the S-300PS by 2015 due to old age. The name of the system comes from an archaic Slavic word for a noble warrior. It is shared by the famous aerobatic team known as the Russkie Vityazi (‘Russian Knights’). Russia plans to deploy the Vityaz system alongside other advanced air defense weapons, including the service-ready S-400 and Pantsir-S1, and the future long-range S-500 and short-range Morfei. Moscow aims to create a multi-layered grid to cover Russia’s airspace, defending against threats ranging from drones, to conventional manned aircraft, to cruise and ballistic missiles.

 

 

Russia will increase its number of cruise missiles by 30 times by the end of the current decade, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said Friday. “We will boost the number of cruise missiles fivefold in the next three years and by 30 times by 2020,” Shoigu told reporters after a meeting of Russia’s Security Council. Are there new cruise missiles in the Russian pipeline and who will operate them?

Most of the cruise missiles developed by the Russians during the Cold War were aimed at fixed strategic targets, such as command centers, radars and missile bases. Naval strike missiles were aimed at ‘decapitating’ enemy forces striking at aircraft carrier. Such missiles were heavy, fast and ‘strategic’. For the 21st century the Russian military will need tactical cruise missiles, similar to those the US and European armies are deploying now – conventionally armed weapons capable of striking targets at very long range, with pinpoint accuracy. Weapons such as the tactical Tomahawk, Storm Shadow or SCALP, and Taurus, have been used since 1991 in almost all conflicts, providing countries with extended operational capability the Russians could not easily duplicate with their current assets. The Russians already have several designs offered for export, including variants of the Club cruise missile, developed for submarines and coastal defense. Other weapons are the Kh55 class air-launched cruise missiles, designed for aerial platforms. The newest version is the the Kh101 developed by Raduga OKB.

In a recent interview published at the Moscow Times Ilya Fyodorov, managing director of jet engine producer NPO Saturn noted ”We plan to produce over 1,500 such engines per year”, commenting on a recently signed agreement with Raduga, too manufacture cruise missile engines worth 4 billion rubles ($120 million). Previous engines for strategic nuclear missiles were mostly made by Ukrainian manufacturer Motor Sich. The current contracts cover the period through 2015

“Strategic air and sea-based missiles should not depend on other countries, even friendly states, for major parts supply. So we are now organizing local engine production,” Fyodorov said. He also said that the price of the new engine will be competitive with the Ukrainian equivalent while having better performance results in terms of fuel consumption and weight, which means missiles equipped with it will be able to travel longer distances.

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The Russian Air Force said last year that it would accept into service in 2013 the new Kh-101 cruise missile, also built by Raduga. This new weapon will be available in two variants – conventional and nuclear armed. Kh-101/102 was developed as a stealthier, more accurate successor of Kh55SM. Unlike its predecessor, the turbojet engine is recessed inside the fuselage, significantly reducing drag and radar signature. The Kh-101 is equipped with a conventional warhead while the Kh-202 carries a nuclear warhead. Its warhead weigh 400 kg (880 pounds) twice the size of the Kh-555. The ranges of Kh-101 is 3,500 – 5,000 km with accuracy of 10 meters. It will employ an inertial navigation system assisted by the Russian satellite based navigation network GLONASS.

However, additional surface and submarine-launched weapons will be joining the fleet and could be accounted for as ‘cruise weapons’. These include anti-ship weapons like the Moskit / BRAHMOS and Yakhont being fielded with surface and coastal defense systems.

 

 

La Royal Air Force vient de réceptionner son sixième appareil de type Shadow R1 de renseignement électronique. Le Shadow R1 est basé sur une cellule de Beechcraft King Air 350.

 

Les avions de reconnaissance électronique Shadow R1 sont affectés au Squadron 14 de la RAF, basé à Waddington dans le Lincolnshire. Le Shadow R1 sert à  soutenir les tâches de renseignement de surveillance et de reconnaissance électronique.

 

Au sein de la RAF, la flotte de Shadow R1 à déjà atteint les 10.000 heures de vol. L’avion dispose d'une tourelle de détection électro-optique et d’un système d’écoute électronique, d’un radar à ouverture synthétique. Un système de communication très performant, une liaison16. L’avion peut également servir pour les missions de recherche et de sauvetage (SAR). L’avion dispose également d’un équipement complet de guerre électronique actif/passif.

 

Les États-Unis exploité également le Beechcraft  350 sous la dénomination de C12 dans un rôle similaire.

 

 

Raytheon a été sélectionné pour développer la nouvelle génération de brouilleur tactique qui équiperont les Boeing EA-18G « Growler » de la marine américaine.

 

Actuellement la marine américaine utilise les nacelles AN/ALQ-99 sur les EA-18G. Ces mêmes nacelles de brouillage équipaient à l’époque les EF-111A « Raven » ainsi que les derniers EA-6B « Prowler » encore en service.

 

L’équipementier Raytheon a obtenu un contrat  d’une valeur de 279,4 millions de dollars pour la phase de développement du nouveau brouilleur « New Generation Jammer » (NGJ). Le système complet sera testé en vol sur un EA-18G d’ici 54 mois selon le calendrier  initial du projet.

 

 Le NGJ est prévu pour être opérationnel en 2020, en fournissant une agilité accrue de brouillage et de précision et de capacité à large bande pour une plus grande couverture de la menace.

 

 

 

Après des mois de formation, le capitaine Claire M. devient officiellement la première femme pilote de Rafale. A 28 ans, elle intègre le cercle très fermé (et encore très masculin) des pilotes de chasse français sous le nom de code "Sharon". Elle a obtenu mi-juin son dernier degré de qualification de pilote de chasse opérationnel sur Rafale. Première mission pour cette passionnée, le Mali, où elle devrait bientôt être envoyée, selon ce reportage diffusé le 9 juillet dans le JT de 20 heures de France 2.

French defence officials have carried out the MdCN (Missile de Croisière Naval - Naval Cruise Missile) weapon's first simulated ship-borne launch, with successful results.

 

While this was a land-based trial, the missile was launched from infrastructure designed to replicate a French Navy frigate at sea. According to MdCN's developer, MBDA, it was a rigorous trial as, beyond the launch phase, the missile's navigation and infrared target recognition capabilities were also put to the test.

 

Once in French Navy service, the MdCN will be part of the armament carried by its FREMM (multi-mission frigate) vessels and Barracuda submarines.

 

The joint French/Italian FREMM design is an anti-submarine, anti-ship and anti-aircraft frigate now being supplied to each nation's navy. The Barracuda submarine is still in development. It is expected that six will be built, joining the French Navy between 2017 and 2027.

 

Sea-Launched Naval Cruise Missile

 

The MBDA sea-launched Naval Cruise Missile has an extensive range and is designed to strike targets well inside national boundaries. Based on the air-launched SCALP missile, the Naval Cruise Missile is compatible with a range of different ship types and MBDA has been working on this technology since 2006.

 

The SCALP (or Storm Shadow, in other air arms' service) has more than a decade's operational use behind it. It has a 250 mile range and a maximum speed of Mach 0.8, while it weighs 1,400 kilograms and is around 6.5 metres in length.

 

According to MBDA: 'Carried on combat vessels positioned for lengthy periods at a safe distance in international waters, either overtly (on frigates) or discretely (on submarines), MdCN is designed to carry out missions calling for the destruction of high value strategic targets'.

 

The new weapon is due to enter service next year but won't be twinned-up with the Barracudas until 2017, according to current scheduling.

 

 

Ces commandos d'élites agissent dans l'ombre. Ils transportent et appuyent les opérations les plus délicates. Ils interviennent  sur tous les fronts, au Mali ou en Somalie récemment. Des années d'entraînement, des talents de pilotes hors normes.

LIMA, Ohio -- If you were planning an American manufacturing plant for essential military equipment in the early 1940s, you probably wanted to keep it far from the coasts, where the facilities would be most vulnerable to attack.

That was the thinking that led U.S. military decision makers to think of this small western Ohio town as the location for a tank manufacturing plant in 1941. That, and the fact that it is close to the deep-water port of Toledo, Ohio, as well as easy rail and highway access.

Building the U.S. Army's M1A2 Abrams tank (pictures)35-36 of 36Scroll Left Scroll Right

Indeed, in 1941, the Army opened the Lima Tank Depot here with plans on making gun tubes. But when the U.S. became embroiled in World War II that December, plans changed, and this sleepy town became home to a major combat vehicle production facility, churning out tanks for the remainder of the war.

After World War II ended, the plant returned to a peacetime footing, only to kick back into gear for the Korean War in the 1950s. Then, when that conflict ended, things slowed down once again.

But in 1978, Lima became home to the Army's nascent Abrams tank program, and until 2001, the plant was devoted solely to producing what eventually became one of America's best-known and most-used combat vehicles. The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, changed that, and the plant began turning out other equipment, including the Stryker armored combat vehicle and the Navy's MK46 naval gun system. But still, the Abrams tank is a mainstay of the facility.

As part of Road Trip 2013, I visited Lima for a close-up look at how the Army's main battle tank is made, a fascinating process that in some ways resembles how a car like the Corvette is produced, and that in some ways has all the hallmarks of a high-security military effort.

'Rusties'
One of the first things I learned about production of the Abrams -- specifically today's M1A2 model -- is that General Dynamics Land Systems, which operates the government-owned facility, hasn't made all-new Abrams for the U.S. Army since 1996.

Instead, GDLS takes older, decommissioned Abrams and brings their hulls and turrets back to Lima to recondition them, turning them out as new tanks. The older equipment is known affectionately, thanks to the exterior coloration that comes with age and exposure to the elements, as a "Rusty."

Trains from the Anniston Army Depot in Anniston, Ala., deliver the Rusties to the Lima facility, which takes up 396 acres, of which 1.6 million square feet are devoted to production. They are brought inside the main plant and put through a process known as shot blasting, which strips the turrets and hulls of their years of rust and other imperfections. Then they're painted, and the production process begins in earnest.

A completed Abrams turret awaits being married to its corresponding hull.

(Credit: Daniel Terdiman/CNET)

For the turrets, the next step is to having a set of ammunition doors mounted. These are a key to the crew's survival in the case of a direct hit by an enemy. The doors are meant to insulate the crew from an explosion by having their panels blow off upwards rather than inwards.

Next, plant workers install the tank's 120 mm main gun, making sure that the vehicle can properly absorb the recoil that comes with firing the gun. And before the turret goes off to an assembly line where a series of additional systems and equipment are installed, workers first mount what's known as "the basket." This is the pod where the gunner, commander, and loader sit, along with about 2,000 pounds of electronics and other gear.

The hull
For the hull, the process is more or less the same. First, there's shot blasting and painting sessions, and then workers put it through one more reconditioning step, known as de-masking and de-taping.

At this point, the hull heads down its own assembly line, at first sitting on the floor because its suspension system has yet to be added. At this stop in the line, known as Station 2, pretty much all of the systems and equipment meant for the hull are installed. This includes things like its gas tanks, hydraulic lines, cabling, and more. This step alone takes about 11 hours, and usually requires two workers to complete.

 

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These days, the Lima plant is working at a leisurely pace -- about half a tank per day. But when needed, it can ramp up to about 2.5 tanks a day. All told, the process takes about a week from the time the Rusty rolls off the rail car until cannon installation.

At Station 3, the full suspension system is added. This includes a series of parts like the shock absorbers, the torsion bars, and the road arms and road arm housings -- which hold the tank's road wheels.

Those wheels are added at Station 4, allowing the tank to be lifted off the ground so it can proceed down the line on its own weight. At Station 11, equipment known as the final drive, a gear system that transfers power from the transmission to the track, is added. A large sprocket, which moves the tanks track, is then mounted on top of the final drive.

By Station 14, it's time to install what's known as the full-up power pack, or FUPP. This is a plug-and play package containing the tank's 1,500-horsepower turbine engine, as well as its transmission, and all its cooling systems. The FUPP is designed to be pulled out of an Abrams tank if it is damaged or malfunctioning, and quickly replaced with another. When that happens, the dysfunctional FUPP is taken away and repaired somewhere nearby. Heavy trucks and even airplanes carry additional FUPPs into combat.

The engine itself is meant to give the Abrams' crew an advantage in combat. It can take nearly any kind of fuel, meaning it doesn't depend on any specific type of fuel and can fill up on anything from diesel to peanut oil.

At Station 16, crews mount the tank's track. First they lay two tracks down, bolting one end of each, and then a drag line pulls the tank forward until it sits on top of the tracks. Then a pulley and winch system connects the ends of each track.

At this point, crews have completed what they call a "convertible," a finished hull that's ready to be married with its turret counterpart.

Add some fire control systems, calibrate them so they all work in concert, and the now-finished 70-ton Abrams tank is on to the so-called test and accept building.

There, General Dynamics Land Systems teams put the tanks through a 1,200-point inspection to make sure they're ready for the Army. Those steps can be anything from making sure specific parts are installed (and adding some of them on-site if necessary) to multi-day inspections. There's also about 30 miles of driving the tank around, including taking it up a man-made hill, engaging the parking brake, turning off the engine, and being sure that it can sit there at a perilous angle for a specific amount of time.

After it passes this intensive inspection, the tank is then inspected again, this time by the government's own Defense Contract Management Agency personnel, who subject it to an additional 600 to 700 checks, including driving it around for another five miles or so. All told, all these checks take longer than producing the tank does.

Finally, it's on to "prep and ship," where the government signs off, puts the tank onto a rail car, straps it down, and the Army takes over responsibility for it.

With America's involvement in Iraq over, and the war in Afghanistan ramping down, the call for Abrams tanks has slackened considerably. In fact, the Army itself has tried to stop production, asking to use the financial resources elsewhere. But Congress wants the tank and has continued to fund it. Given the financial problems at the federal level, this is an odd state of affairs. But here in Lima, the continued funding means jobs still exist, and so, day after day, the tanks keep on rolling off the line.

 

 

Norway has picked a South Korean shipyard and a British design to provide its navy with a new logistics and support vessel.

The Norwegian Defense Logistics Organisation has selected Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering (DSME) to build the 26,000-ton vessel at its yard in Okpo, South Korea, using BMT Defense Services AEGIR replenishment vessel design.

The Anglo-Korean team last year won a deal to equip the British Royal Fleet Auxiliary with four tankers using another variant of the AEGIR family of support vessels.

The latest contract is worth around £140 million to the two contractors. Delivery of the vessel, which will be the largest in the Norwegian Navy, is scheduled for October 2016.

The vessel will be able to deliver a range of wet and dry stores and will provide support to a Norwegian task group and other roles.

DMSE was selected as the preferred bidder in April, having beat off competition from several rival yards from Europe and South Korea.Â

 

 

Le MC-27J a constitué une des nouveautés de la cinquantième édition du salon du Bourget. En effet, l’avion présenté sur le statique du stand Finmeccanica, n’était pas une maquette, mais bien l’avion d’essai.

 

 

Mais avant de voir en détail le MC-27J, faisons un point sur le programme lui-même qui a déjà bien avancé. C’est au salon aéronautique de Farnborough en 2012 que le concept du MC-27J et sa maquette avaient été présentés. Le MC-27J est une nouvelle plateforme multi-missions, basée sur l’avion de transport militaire C-27J Spartan développé par Alenia Aermacchi, et doté d’un système de palette montée sur rail développé conjointement avec la firme américaine ATK. L’avion conserve sa fonction primaire de transporteur. Une suite d’équipement (capteurs, systèmes de communication et armement) montés sur palette permet à l’avion de disposer de capacité, de « Command and Control (C2) », de Renseignement, surveillance et reconnaissance (ISR) et d’un système d’arme.

La première phase du programme de développement a débuté été 2012 et s’est achevée fin mars 2013. Cette phase consistait à concevoir, à fabriquer et à tester la palette équipée du canon et de la console. Le système d’arme a été testé avec succès en coopération avec les forces spéciales de l’armée de l’air (AFSOC), au sol et en vol. L’installation de la palette se fait en moins de 4 heures.

 

 

La phase 2 devrait débuter au printemps prochain. Celle –ci consistera à tester la ou les consoles des opérateurs systèmes d’arme et capteurs, les différents capteurs radar et électro-optiques et l’asservissement du binôme canon/capteur. La société ATK sur fond propre a prévu l’intégration d’un système de largage de munition guidée de haute précision (PGM) durant la phase 2. La phase 3 devrait quant à elle s’achever en 2015. 

 

L’avion présenté au salon, comprenait le système d’arme monté sur la palette, soit un canon GAU-23 de 30 mm (équivalent à celui installé sur les C-130 « Spectre »), sur support fixe alimenté par deux magasins, avec une capacité de tir de 200 coups/minutes. 

 

Puis deux consoles d’opérateur système, couplées à une boule électro-optique non installée sur le fuselage, mais branchée sur le coté de l’avion. Chaque console comprend deux écrans de 21 pouces, un clavier et un joystick permettant de contrôler le capteur.

 

 

 

Concernant les capteurs et autres équipements, il n’y a pas d’équipement dédié, tout dépendra de ce que souhaite le client, le MC-27J étant compatible avec tous les types de capteurs électro-optiques. Il devrait en outre à terme, être équipé d’un système d’autoprotection complet lui permettant de détecter les menaces infrarouges avec l’AN/AAR-47 et électromagnétiques avec l’AN/APR-39. Ce système comprendra de plus un système de contre-mesures électroniques du type AN/ALE-40. Le schéma fournit par les constructeurs présentent l’avion tel qui devrait être proposé en en 2015.

 

 

Il disposera d’une capacité de ravitaillement en vol optionnelle. N’importe quel C-27J pourra disposer des équipements et ainsi se transformer en un mini « gunship », ou en plate-forme de reconnaissance, ou les deux à la fois. L’armée de l’air américaine et l’AFSOC sont très intéressés par ce concept, celle-ci disposant déjà de C-27J Spartan.

En résumé le MC-27J est une solution « bas-coût ». En effet il suffit juste, pour les pays disposant déjà de C-27J, d’acheter les équipements palettisés et les capteurs associés pour bénéficier d’un avion multi-missions doté d’un canon de 30 mm. La différence un C-27J et un MC-27J se fera d’ailleurs que lorsque quand le canon est installé.

 

 

Warton, Lancashire BAE Systems vient de qualifier la dernière amélioration des Eurofighter de la RAF avec l’utilisation de bombes à guidage laser de type Paveway IV.

 

Dorénavant, les Eurofighter «Typhoon II» de type IPA6 de la Royal Air Force pourront mettre en oeuvre les bombes guidées Paveway IV. Ce type de bombe est déjà en service sur les avions de combat Panavia Tornado GR4 de la Royal Air Force. 

 

La bombe Paveway IV de Raytheon est une arme d’un poids de 226 kg, dotée d’un GPS et d’un système à guidage laser intégré. Plus tard, cette arme équipera également les Lockheed-Martin F-35B qui seront en dotation au sein de la RAF.

 

En équipant ainsi les Eurofighter, l’avion européen en service en Angleterre devient réellement multirôle. 

 

Préparation depuis 2011: 

 

Les essais d’intégration des armes Paveway ont débuté en 2011 avec un premier tir réussi le 18 juin de cette même année. Ce premier test a été suivi, par une campagne de 15 sorties qui ont permis d’évaluer la libération en toute sécurité de l’engin depuis un Eurofighter selon plusieurs configurations.

 

 

SEOUL, face à la grande difficulté à repérer les sous-marins nord-coréens, la marine sud-coréenne milite pour une forte augmentation de sa force aérienne maritime de détection.

Dès 2018, la Corée du Sud disposera de Lockheed-Martin P-3 «Orion» améliorés, ceci grâce à un programme qui comprend la mise en réseau des appareils. Huit avions P-3C sont concernés, soit un nombre insuffisant pour répondre aux défis de la menace du truculent voisin.

 

La marine sud-coréenne désire donc augmenter sa flotte d’avions de patrouille à vingt appareils d’ici 2020. En conséquence, la Corée vient de lancer une étude pour l’acquisition de nouveaux avions de patrouille maritime. 

 

L'agence de programme d'acquisition de la Défense prospecte actuellement les différentes variantes disponibles sur le marché. Plusieurs avions répondent aux besoins de la Corée, on retrouve le Boeing P-8 «Poseidon», le Lockheed-Martin SC-130J «Sea Hercules», l’Airbus-Military C-295. 

Le cahier des charges n’étant pour l’instant pas encore établit, on ne s’étonnera pas de retrouver des appareils forts différents en matière de capacité et de rayon d’action. Ce paradoxe, s’explique par le fait que la marine coréenne ne connait pas encore le montant du budget, qui lui sera alloué pour ce programme. Alors pourquoi débuter une pré-évaluation me direz-vous avec raison ? Simplement, parce que le dernier rapport du ministère de la défense sud-coréen, fait état d’un taux de détection efficace des sous-marins nord-coréens de 28% seulement. Et puis, il y a un autre phénomène indirectement déclaré, la prolifération ces trois dernières années de sous-marins chinois à proximité des côtes sud-coréennes. De fait, la marine de ce pays se retrouve dépassée et doit impérativement pouvoir faire face rapidement à ce problème, une fois que le montant du budget sera attribué.

 

On comprend mieux l’urgence de la démarche, inutile de vous préciser que les constructeurs cités, plus haut, s’activent déjà sur le dossier !

 

 

Des représentants de la FAdeA (Argentine aerospace company Fabrica Argentina de Aviones) ont confié lors du salon du Bourget 2013 qu’ils avaient eu plusieurs discussions avec des responsables chinois sur la co-production éventuelle du chasseur multirôle JF-17/FC-1 de la Chengdu Aircraft Corporation.

L’accord est loin d’être conclu. Les responsables de la FAdeA sont notamment confrontés aux problèmes du « transfert de technologie ». Néanmoins, ces discussions sont une première tentative formelle qui pourrait conduire à la co-production d’un chasseur chinois moderne en Amérique latine.

Les responsables de la FAdeA ont ajouté que la version co-produite en Argentine pourrait être appelée « Pulqui-III », en référence au Pulqui-II qui fut le premier chasseur à réaction conçu par l’ingénieur allemand Kurt Tank pour le gouvernement de Juan Peron en 1950.

Démarré en Chine à la fin des années 80 sous le nom FC-1, le programme JF-17 est devenu un projet de chasseur sino-pakistanais en 1999 visant à réduire la dépendance du Pakistan à l’égard des entreprises occidentales pour les avions de combat de pointe. L’objectif est de mettre en service un chasseur léger multirôle d’un faible coût (moins de 20 millions de dollars) mais équipé d’une électronique moderne. Ce positionnement répond à un marché que l’Occident a dominé, mais a presque abandonné au cours des dernières décennies.

 

 

Israël a immobilisé sa flotte d’avions de chasse F-16I et F-15I suite à la perte d’un F-16I « Sufa » survenue le 7 juillet à cause d’une panne moteur.

Le Commandeur de l’IAF (Israel Air Force), le général Amir Eshel, a annoncé que tous les appareils F-16I et Boeing F-15I Eagle doivent cesser les opérations de vol jusqu’à ce que les circonstances entourant la perte d’un F-16I sur la mer Méditerranée soit éclaircie.

L’avion était un F-16I biplace appartenant au 107e escadron qui effectuait une sortie d’entraînement au-dessus de la mer selon l’IAF. Le pilote a signalé un problème avec le moteur F100-PW-229 (la dernière version F100 de Pratt & Whitney). Dans l’incapacité de résoudre le problème, l’équipage s’est éjecté et a été récupéré peu après par un hélicoptère de recherche et de sauvetage Sikorsky CH-53 Stallion appartenant à l’unité 669 des forces spéciales israéliennes

Les deux pilotes ont été évacués vers un hôpital de Tel Hashomer. Ils sont sains et saufs. Le précédent incident de ce type remonte au mois de mars 2013. Un hélicoptère s’était écrasé dans le sud du pays au cours d’un exercice tuant sur le coup les deux pilotes réservistes.

 

 

Russia is offering 18 ex-Indian Air Force Su-30 fighters to Ethiopia. The Ethiopian Air Force already operates 17 Su-27 models, along with earlier models of jet fighters, including ageing MiG-23, MiG-21 and Su-25. “We proposed to modernise them in order to improve their tactical and technical characteristics and equip modern air-to-ground missiles” said the deputy general director of the Russian defense export agency Rosoboronexport, Alexander Mikheyev.

These 18 early models Su-30 were returned to Russia by India in 2003, after a Sukhoi completed the more advanced ‘MKI’ version currently flying with the Indian Air Force. They consist of ten Su-30MK and eight Su-30K fighters. “If the customer is willing to fund operations, we are ready to make repairs, upgrade and deliver the aircraft within four to six months,” Mikheyev said. At present, four ex-Indian Su-30MKIs are being refurbished.

India has ordered more than 200 Su-30MKIs in a number of batches. The early models delivered were basic aircraft without features like canards and thrust vector controls, and it is these 18 early model aircraft (ten Su-30MK and eight Su-30K fighters) that were returned to Russia in 2003 and replaced with more advanced Su-30s.