Current Events in Europe

Russia postpones Mistral project to 2016 (RIA Novosti)

From Jane's Analysis: Why 2009 could be the year of the Gripen By Craig Caffrey 06 November 2008 The next 18 months will see Brazil, Croatia, Denmark, India, the Netherlands, Norway, Romania and Switzerland make final selections for their respective fighter procurement competitions, with sales of up to 523 aircraft worth at least USD35 billion-USD40 billion at stake. It will be a truly crucial period in shaping the future of the global fighter market. The common link between these eight contests is the presence of the Saab Gripen in the bidding process. So far the Gripen's success in the export market has been limited, with contracts for 60 aircraft in p…

From Defense Aerospace Press Release (Source: Romanian Ministry of Defence; issued March 24, 2010) (Issued in Romanian only; unofficial translation by defense-aerospace.com) National Defense Minister Gabriel Oprea presented, during the meeting of the Supreme Council of National Defense (CSAT) held on March 23, 2010, a statement on the Multirole Aircraft Program of the Romanian Air Force. Given that Romania does not have the financial resources necessary for the acquisition of new multirole aircraft, CSAT has approved the Defence Ministry’s proposal to acquire 24 used F-16 aircraft. The proposal will be submitted for discussion and approval by the Romanian Pa…

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

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, …

From CBC News [excerpt]

New Russian Ballistic Missile Sub to Join Fleet (RIA Novosti)

From http://mdb.cast.ru/mdb/4-2012/item4/article2/ [excerpt]

From Stratfor GEOPOLITICAL INTELLIGENCE REPORT 06.12.2007 Russia: Using Missile Defense as a Geopolitical Lever By George Friedman Russian President Vladmir Putin threw a classic Cold War curveball during his chat with U.S. President George W. Bush at the G-8 summit. Having totally opposed the creation of a U.S. ballistic missile defense (BMD) system in Poland and the Czech Republic, Putin suddenly shifted his position, saying he might go along with a BMD system under certain conditions. The system, he said, would be acceptable if the United States used a Russian radar system placed in Azerbaijan and based its interceptor missiles anywhere else, such as on s…

From BBC News Russian President Vladimir Putin has sacked the head of the navy, Admiral Vladimir Kuroyedov, a month after a mini-submarine accident. Seven Russian sailors who were trapped in the vessel in the Pacific had to be rescued with help from abroad. The crew, facing dwindling air supplies, were saved after three days. Mr Putin did not give any reason for Mr Kuroyedov's dismissal. He named Mr Kuroyedov's deputy, Admiral Vladimir Masorin, as his replacement. Mr Putin said that since Mr Kuroyedov had taken office in 1997, there had been progress in restoring "a significant part of the navy" and planning its development. But he added that in th…

Russian Ground Forces OOB (Institute for the Study of War, pdf)

RUSSIAN NAVY TO MAINTAIN SURFACE SHIP FLEET INTACT FOR 10-15 YEARS MOSCOW, May 10 (RIA Novosti) - Russia can maintain its current surface ship fleet without sizeable reduction for the coming 10-15 years, the Russian Navy's commander-in-chief, Adm. Vladimir Kuroyedov, told RIA Novosti. "By overhauling our ships, we can maintain the current surface fleet until 2015-20 without any considerable reduction," he said. According to the admiral, the situation is more complicated as far as small surface ships and craft operating in the littorals are concerned. "Repairs and overhaul will not be enough here," Kuroyedov stressed. "It is simple - the smaller is the ship,…

RBS15 launch from HMS Visby (video)

From DefenseNews Chirac Warns Would-be Attackers France Could Respond With Nukes By PIERRE TRAN, PARIS President Jacques Chirac extended France’s nuclear doctrine Jan. 19 with a warning that states considering using terrorist attacks or weapons of mass destruction run the risk of a nuclear retaliation. “Leaders of states which might resort to terrorist methods against us, just as those envisaging to use, in one way or another, weapons of mass destruction, should understand they expose themselves to a firm and proportionate response on our part,” Chirac said in a keynote speech on a visit to Le Vigilent, the most modern of France’s nuclear ballistic missile su…

From DefenseNews [excerpt]

Russia bolsters western air defence capabilities (Jane's) Russia activates new long-range radar (Jane's)

From RIA Novosti Russia to buy 1,000 helicopters by 2020 13:22 24/02/2011 Russia's Defense Ministry announced plans on Thursday to buy 100 ships, over 600 aircraft and 1,000 helicopters under a 2011-2020 arms procurement program. Russia will buy 10 new generation S-500 air defense systems, which will replace the S-400 systems currently entering service with the Russian forces, said First Deputy Defense Minister Vladimir Popovkin, who is in charge of arms procurement. Russia plans to purchase more than 100 helicopters this year, including Mi-26 Halo heavy transport helicopters, Mi-28 Night Hunter and Ka-52 Alligator attack helicopters. Russia's Defense…

From RIA Novosti [excerpt]

From Jane's Defence Weekly Aiming for the high ground By Rob Hewson Editor Jane's Air-Launched Weapons London In the global market (excluding Russia and China) the US dominates the industrial and operational landscape in two ways. With the largest deployed air force it obviously has the largest weapons requirement. US manufacturers will always be supported by this single, fiercely protected market that guarantees sales. For example, the US Air Force (USAF) plans to replace its AIM-9M Sidewinder stocks (about 4,400 missiles) on an almost one-for-one basis with the AIM-9X (4,000 missiles) by 2012. No other customer has this kind of buying power. Europe's missi…

From Defence Talk The French air force took delivery of its first batch of the Frence-made Rafale fighter planes on June 27, with the manufacturer of the long-delayed jet, Dassault Aviation, still looking for the first foreign order for the aircraft. French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin attended a ceremony at an army base in Saint Dizier, northeast France, where 20 models of the Rafale were delivered. The Rafale, which is the successor to the Mirage jet, entered service in the French navy in 2004 and 10 models are based on the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, The Charles de Gaulle. French Defense Minister Michele Alliot-Marie, who attended the cere…