Current Events in Europe

Maneuvering Russian Satellite Has Everyone’s Attention (Space News)

Massive Blaze On Russian Nuclear Submarine

From Flight Global [excerpt]

I thought this report was interesting ... From Flight Global DATE: 17/06/09 SOURCE: Flight Daily News PARIS AIR SHOW: MBDA advances hypersonic missile work with Russian deal By Craig Hoyle MBDA France has signed a deal with Russia's Rosoboronexport leading to a 2013-15 campaign of test firings with the LEA air-breathing hypersonic air vehicle, under study since 2003. Each 4.2m (13.8ft) vehicle will be released from a Tupolev Tu-22 bomber before being taken to a speed of between Mach 2 and 8 using a Raduga-supplied booster rocket, says Francois Falempin, responsible for advanced propulsion with MBDA France.

MdCN completes first firing from FREMM (Jane's)

Submarine activities increase near Norway: https://thebarentsobserver.com/en/security/2018/01/nuclear-submarines-inshore-norway-3-4-times-monthly#.Wm1BV6xEaFZ.facebook

From DefenseNews [excerpt]

From DefenseTech and Ocnus

Here's an excerpt from an interesting article on the Meteor AAM. It's a long one so check out the link. Meteor Approaching Arming the Typhoon, Rafale, and Gripen eDefenseOnline by Michal Fiszer Feb. 8, 2006 Despite still being in the relatively early stages of development, the Meteor missile has achieved a significant number of program milestones, including a few key ones in the latter part of 2005. On Sept. 7, 2005, the first Meteor Ground Handling Training Missiles (GHTMs) were flown on a Rafale fighter at Istres in southeastern France. The Meteor GHTM represents the dynamic properties of an operational missile such as size, mass, and aerodynamic conf…

Meteor at last in service first time, in the Swedish Air Force from 11 July 2016 (in Brazilian Portuguese): http://www.aereo.jor.br/2016/07/11/missil-meteor-da-mbda-entra-em-servico-no-gripen-da-forca-aerea-sueca/

From Jane's Defence Weekly Meteor fired for the first time Robert Hewson Editor, Jane's Air-Launched Weapons London Europe's Meteor Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Missile (BVRAAM) programme has taken a major step forward with the launch of the first test missile on 9 May, Jane's has learned. The first Meteor was fired from a Saab JAS 39 Gripen multirole fighter aircraft over the RFN Test Range at Vidsel, northern Sweden. The launch in May was the first time that the Meteor's propulsion system had been fully tested under real-world conditions. The firing was intended to verify the missile's ability to transition from rocket-boosted to ramjet-powered f…

MH17 – The Open Source Evidence (Bellingcat, pdf)

MiG Begins Testing New Russian Navy Fighter Jets (RIA Novosti)

Researching about the new introduced in the DB MiG-29SMT 9.18 (thanks, Brad!), I've finded these two very interesting Polish web site about the Mig-29 Fulcrum and Su-30 Flanker, enlightening us about the variants of those Soviet/Russian fighters. I hope that web site will be expansioned in the near future. The English language expressions are almost as peculiar as the mine, but the site has a lot of information, work and research: http://www.mars.slupsk.pl/fort/mig/default.htm http://www.mars.slupsk.pl/fort/mig/mig-29-ye.htm http://www.mars.slupsk.pl/fort/sukhoi/ And a non-related very fool thing ... http://www.nswiki.net/index.php?title=CNV_...Phoenix_(SD-01)

Clear and short article on MiG-31 and his possible future: http://nationalinterest.org/blog/russias-mig-31-fighter-mach-3-monster-even-35-years-old-18376

Ministers may save cash by replacing Trident with air-launched missiles By Colin Brown, Deputy Political Editor Published: 01 November 2005 The Independent Ministers are considering a cheaper replacement for Britain's Trident nuclear weapons by using air-launched cruise missiles - and they hope to overcome some of the growing opposition to the system. John Reid, the Defence Secretary, ran into fierce opposition from Labour MPs last night who protested that replacement plans were a waste of money, and the £20bn cost would be better spent on schools and hospitals. Clare Short, the former cabinet minister, writing in The Independent today says there was "e…

From Defence Talk Missile shield tensions build in Europe as Russia freezes treaty Agence France-Presse | Apr 27, 2007 A dispute over US plans to station anti-missile bases in eastern Europe escalated Thursday as Russia froze a key defence treaty in a move that raised "grave concern" among NATO allies. In heated NATO talks in Oslo, Norway, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov warned that Russia was to halt its application of the Conventional Forces in Europe (CFE) treaty and could even pull out if the allies did not endorse it. "It means that we will halt the compliance of our obligations under the treaty," he told reporters, after launching what was de…

From Flight International DATE: 18/12/08 SOURCE: Flight International UK report exposes fresh cost increase to Nimrod MRA4, delay on Meteor missile By Craig Hoyle The UK's BAE Systems Nimrod MRA4 surveillance aircraft and MBDA Meteor beyond visual-range air-to-air missile projects have encountered fresh schedule delays and cost increases, according to a new report published by the UK National Audit Office. Highlighting the status of 20 of the Ministry of Defence's largest procurement programmes, worth a combined £28 billion ($43 billion), the NAO's Major Projects Report reveals fresh cost increases of £102 million and £111 million respectively to the MRA…

From Flight Global [excerpt]

From Defense Aerospace Moscow Considering Purchase of Admiral Gorshkov Carrier (Source: Forecast International; issued November 17, 2008) MOSCOW --- The latest development in the saga that has been the modernization of the Admiral Gorshkov for the Indian Navy, Russian naval and defense industry officials have indicated that Russia may acquire the vessel if India is unwilling to provide the $2 billion needed to finance the extensive retrofit. On November 13, Deputy General-Director of Sevmash (Severodvinsk Machine Building Enterprise) Sergey Novoselov told RIA Novosti new agency that, "On the market, the price of an aircraft carrier like that varies from three…