Current Events in Europe

From Aviation Week [excerpt]

Three Russian Nuke Subs to Be Recommissioned in 2013 (RIA Novosti) They are: Project 949A (Oscar II) Smolensk (K-410) and Tomsk (K-150) Project 971 (Imp Akula I) Kuzbass (K-419)

From RIA Novosti [excerpt] CV32: Just another day in Moscow ... And a link to an interesting story about what the 'pundits' are saying about these latest moves: Putin purging elites through Medvedev

A slightly chaotic navigation site with articles and comments about UK modern weapons systems and others security issues: http://www.thinkdefence.co.uk/2013/04/uk-complex-weapons-part-1-introduction/

Short but interesting comments: http://blogs.cfr.org/davidson/2015/09/30/vladimir-putins-naval-ambitions-have-only-begun/

If Russia Started a War in the Baltics, NATO Would Lose — Quickly (Foreign Policy)

From Jane's RAF's Harrier fleet may face early retirement By Tim Ripley 09 December 2008 The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) is discussing plans to withdraw the entire Royal Navy (RN) and Royal Air Force (RAF) Harrier GR.9 fleet from service in less than five years, in an attempt to save more than GBP1 billion (USD1.5 billion), Jane's has learned. The discussions come as budget planners finalise their efforts to reconcile the MoD's equipment programme and force structure with limited available funding. Jane's understands that the ministry's defence board reviewed the proposals at its meeting in the last week of November, after senior RN officers had objecte…

Massive Blaze On Russian Nuclear Submarine

‘Leak’ May Reveal Russia’s Answer To The Virginia Class Attack Submarine Introducing the Project 545 'Laika' SSN.

If New Looks could kill: Russia’s military capability in 2022 (IISS, 15 February 2022)

From Air Force Magazine, Feb 2012 issue [excerpt]

NATO hones ASW skills in 'Joint Warrior' (Jane's) Good article with lots of detail about Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 operating in the old stomping grounds of the GIUK Gap against submarines.

From DefenseNews DIA Official Defends Russia-Georgia Reporting By JOHN T. BENNETT Published: 2 Sep 11:10 EDT (15:10 GMT) The Defense Intelligence Agency's (DIA's) top analyst says the U.S. agency provided Bush administration officials with ample warning that the simmering tensions between Georgia and Russia could erupt in fighting. In the wake of fighting that broke out between the two nations, including a massive Russian offensive deep within Georgian territory, many observers have wondered why U.S. and western officials failed to predict Moscow was ready to launch an massive assault on Georgia. And while Robert Cardillo, DIA's deputy director of analysis, …

If Scotland Votes for Independence, Its Going to Need an Army (War is Boring blog)

From Aviation Week's Ares blog There's something very cool about an Apache operating in a maritime environment: So who's going to put together a 'pirate hunter' scenario using sea borne Apaches and the Middle East or South Africa battleset? Get crackin!

Russia details ambitious effort to modernise nuclear-powered submarines to bolster order of battle (Jane's)

A Guide to the Type 26 ‘City class’ Frigate (UK Defense Journal)

From Defense News Georgian Parliament To Vote on Russian Military Bases By AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, TBILISI Georgia’s parliament will vote March 10 on whether to outlaw Russian military bases on the former Soviet republic’s territory, unless Moscow and Tbilisi can agree on their withdrawal by January 2006. However, Moscow responded that such a timeline was impossible to meet, setting up another confrontation with the former Soviet republic, which currently houses two Russian military bases. Relations between the two countries had been severely strained in recent years, following the election of pro-Western reformer Mikhail Saakashvili as Georgian presiden…

Looks like cold war-type operations never end. Navy searches for submarine in waters off Helsinki coastline Laboratory analysis fails to reveal source of unusual underwater sound The Finnish Navy searched for a possible submarine in the coastal waters just south of the capital Helsinki a little over a week ago. The search began after an unusual sound was detected by the Naval Underwater Surveillance Unit on the island of Isosaari, just ten kilometres off central Helsinki, at nine o'clock in the evening of Saturday, August 5th. The search for the elusive audio trace continued well into the following day. A Rauma-class missile boat and the Coast…

Russia’s A-100 AWACS makes maiden flight (Jane's)