Current Events in Europe

Russia's PAKFAs to be transferred to Aerospace Forces later this year (Jane's)

Nuclear powered battle cruiser sails again for the first time since 1997 (Barents Observer)

Russia to Expand Baltic Submarine Fleet By AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, MOSCOW DefenseNews Russia’s navy plans to expand its Baltic Sea submarine flotilla from three to as many as nine combat submarines by 2007, the Baltic Fleet’s commander told Interfax-AVN news agency Sept. 15. ”A submarine brigade with between six and nine Project 677 Lada submarines will be formed over the next two years,” Admiral Vladimir Valuyev said. The expansion follows a cut-back in the number of submarines operated by the Baltic Fleet after the Soviet Union’s 1991 collapse, the admiral noted. Of the three subs currently in the fleet, two are in a state of permanent combat readin…

New SAM for British frigates

Russia postpones Mistral project to 2016 (RIA Novosti)

Russia To Float Out First Upgraded Ballistic Missile Sub in 2017 (The Diplomat)

France Floats Out First Russian Mistral Warship (RIA Novosti)

Typhoon Arises Eurofighter's plane finally comes in by Michal Fiszer Sep. 15, 2005 eDefense The Eurofighter Typhoon is finally reaching full operational service, with its Tranche 1 aircraft due to be delivered to customers by the end of this year. The Eurofighter program is one of the major European defense efforts and can be compared to the US F/A-22. Both aircraft have their roots in the Cold War, and both were initially developed with a focus on the air-to-air role. The Eurofighter Typhoon has been widely criticized in the press around the world. The program was cited for its long development cycle and high cost. But it must be remembered that state-of-the-…

CV32: Take a look at a map or Google Earth. This step essentially grounds the Georgian Air Force (as small as it may be) and locks down the regional airspace. From DefenseNews Russia Deploys S-300 Missiles in Abkhazia: Gen. By STUART WILLIAMS, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE Published: 11 Aug 2010 12:19 MOSCOW - Russia announced Aug. 11 it had deployed a missile battery in Georgia's pro-Moscow rebel region of Abkhazia, infuriating its arch foes in Tbilisi some two years since they fought a brief war. "We have deployed the S-300 system on the territory of Abkhazia," air force commander-in-chief Gen. Alexander Zelin said in a statement carried by Russian news agencie…

From Flight International DATE:25/04/07 SOURCE:Flightglobal.com UK Royal Air Force to end Sepecat Jaguar use next week By Craig Hoyle UK operations of the Sepecat Jaguar are to end far sooner than expected, with the Royal Air Force revealing that training activities with the type are to stop on 30 April. The Jaguar will be formally retired from service on 25 May, several months earlier than previously expected, and all flying will cease by the end of next month. In an unusually public act, the boss of the RAF’s last frontline unit to fly the type announced the news yesterday on the pprune.org website frequented by military pilots. “I have announced to the m…

From Defense Aerospace Royal Navy's Latest Warship Makes Waves (Source: UK Ministry of Defence; issued Jan. 23, 2007) The Royal Navy's newest warship, the Type 45 Destroyer HMS Dauntless, was launched on the Clyde today by Lady Burnell-Nugent, wife of the Commander In Chief of the Fleet. HMS Dauntless is the second of the new Type 45 class of Anti-Air Warfare Destroyers. The Type 45s are some of the most powerful destroyers ever built for the Royal Navy - they can sail over 600 miles a day and operate around the globe, and will be able to support global offensive and peacekeeping operations, combat drug smugglers and deliver humanitarian aid. Armed Fo…

UK retires ALARM missile (Jane's)

From Defense Aerospace Raytheon Awarded Contract for Paveway IV Weapon Integration on F-35 Lightning II (Source: Raytheon UK; issued Jumy 30, 2007) HARLOW, England --- Raytheon Systems Limited (RSL) has been awarded a contract to support the integration and flight trials of the Paveway IV new generation guided weapon on to the Short Take-Off and Vertical Landing (STOVL) version of the F-35 Lightning II aircraft, also known as the Joint Strike Fighter. The contract is valued at £24 million. The UK is currently one of six European nations that are planning to take delivery of the F-35 aircraft. The integration of the RSL developed Paveway IV onto the F-35B wi…

From Stratfor Geopolitical Intelligence Report - Russia: Kosovo and the Asymmetry of Perceptions 12.18.2007 Russia: Kosovo and the Asymmetry of Perceptions By George Friedman Kosovo appears to be an archaic topic. The Yugoslavian question was a 1990s issue, while the Kosovo issue has appeared to be one of those conflicts that never quite goes away but isn't regarded very seriously by the international community. You hear about it but you don't care about it. However, Kosovo is getting very serious again. The United States and Europe appear committed to making Kosovo, now a province of Serbia, an independent state. Of course, Serbia opposes this, but more…

Times Article This might be straight from Alan Fridge, but it's an interesting development. It's also one I'd support, as my avatar suggests...

From DefenseNews [excerpt] CV32: The first glimmer of something that has been rumoured for awhile now?

A series of articles and discussions about Tu-22M (NATO Backfire) strategy and tactics. Kamikazes - The Soviet Legacy (Naval War College Review, Winter 2014) Deception and the Backfire Bomber: Reexamining the Late Cold War Struggle Between Soviet Maritime Reconnaissance and U.S. Navy Countertargeting (Information Dissemination) Deception and the Backfire Bomber, Part II (Information Dissemination) Deception and the Backfire Bomber, Part III (Information Dissemination) Deception and the Backfire Bomber, the Finale (Information Dissemination)

Link to the report here (pdf)

RAF Typhoons based at Romania intercepting Russian Su-24s over the Black Sea on 13 August 2018: https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/typhoons-intercept-six-russian-bombers-over-black-sea-near-romania/

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…